Ezra 8:1-18
EZRA 8:1
These are now the chief of their fathers, and
this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the
reign of Artaxerxes the king.
From verse 1 to 15 is the list of the chief of the
fathers which were the elders of Judah.
This listing is the genealogy of them who came up with Ezra from Babylon
in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes which was Darius Hystaspis.
EZRA 8:2
Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar;
Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.
This was not Daniel the Prophet because he was of royal
blood and of the tribe of Judah.
And the sons of Shechaniah; Shemaiah: and
the sons of Shemaiah; Hattush, and Igeal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and
Shaphat, six. (1 Chronicles 3:22)
EZRA 8:3
Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh;
Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and
fifty.
This Shechaniah is a different one than in verse 5.
Normally only the males were counted even if they had their families with
them and here one hundred and fifty were recognized by their genealogy.
EZRA 8:4
Of the sons of Pahath-moab; Elihoenai the son of
Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males.
The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of
Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen. (Nehemiah
7:11)
EZRA 8:5
Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with
him three hundred males.
The son of Jahaziel may have been his only son or was
above the rest if he had any other sons.
He brought him three hundred males by genealogy.
EZRA 8:6
Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and
with him fifty males.
The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five.
(Nehemiah 7:20) The numbers differ
between Nehemiah and Ezra because Ezra is only counting the heads of the
families, not the entire number.
EZRA 8:7
And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah,
and with him seventy males.
The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and
four. (Ezra 2:7)
EZRA 8:8
And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of
Michael, and with him fourscore males.
The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and
two. (Nehemiah 7:9)
EZRA 8:9
Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with
him two hundred and eighteen males.
The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua
and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen. (Nehemiah 7:11)
EZRA 8:10
And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and
with him an hundred and threescore males.
Nothing else is known of Josiphiah.
EZRA 8:11
And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and
with him twenty and eight males.
The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight.
(Nehemiah 7:16)
EZRA 8:12
And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan,
and with him an hundred and ten males.
The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty
and two. (Nehemiah 7:17)
EZRA 8:13
And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are
these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.
The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and
seven. (Nehemiah 7:18)
EZRA 8:14
Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and with
them seventy males.
The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and
seven. (Nehemiah 7:19)
EZRA 8:15
And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to
Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the
priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.
Then Ezra had gathered them all together by the river
which runs to Ahava. This was the
river also named Adiava which runs to a town of the same name in Assyria and
empties into the Euphrates. These
were the heads of the families which Ezra met with and they stayed in tents for
three days and at this time none of the Levites were among them.
This was probably still in Babylon as they made their way to Jerusalem.
Ezra was preparing them for the return and making sure that they were
qualified by genealogy to return.
EZRA 8:16
Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for
Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah,
and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of
understanding.
Then Ezra sent for these eleven men.
The first nine named are those who were chief in rank and dignity in
their families. The other two named
were considered men of good intelligence which had the ability to speak to any
case or situation. They were all
considered men of understanding who may have also had enough knowledge to be
teachers not only in the law of God but also in day to day living situations.
EZRA 8:17
And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at
the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and
to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring
unto us ministers for the house of our God.
Then Ezra commissioned these eleven men to go unto Iddo
who was the chief of the Nethinims in the place called Casiphia which had a
college of Levites and was located somewhere within Babylon, probably a street
or square. He commissioned them to
ask Iddo to send some of the ministers, probably some had not yet graduated
since the request was urgent for the work of the temple in Jerusalem.
Even though it was short notice, they were able to muster about forty
Levites to accompany Ezra.
EZRA 8:18
And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a
man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel;
and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;