8:15€zra’s progress back to Jerusalem was halted while he waited to recruit Levites. God had called these men to a special service, and yet few were willing to volunteer when their services were needed. God has gifted each of us with abilities so we can make a contribution to his kingdom work (Romans 12:4-8). Don’t wait to be recruited, but look for opportunities to volunteer. Don’t hinder God’s work by holding back. “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10).
Life Application Study BibleEzraChapter 8
Ezra 8
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 735, 736, 737
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
8Ezra 8
Exiles Who Returned with Ezra
1Here is a list of the family leaders and the genealogies of those who came with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2From the family of Phinehas: Gershom. From the family of Ithamar: Daniel. From the family of David: Hattush, 3a descendant of Shecaniah. From the family of Parosh: Zechariah and 150 other men were registered. 4From the family of Pahath-moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah and 200 other men. 5From the family of Zattu*: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel and 300 other men. 6From the family of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan and 50 other men. 7From the family of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah and 70 other men. 8From the family of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael and 80 other men. 9From the family of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel and 218 other men. 10From the family of Bani*: Shelomith son of Josiphiah and 160 other men. 11From the family of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai and 28 other men. 12From the family of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan and 110 other men. 13From the family of Adonikam, who came later*: Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 other men. 14From the family of Bigvai: Uthai, Zaccur, and 70 other men.
Ezra’s Journey to Jerusalem
1515I assembled the exiles at the Ahava Canal,and we camped there for three days while I went over the lists of the people and the priests who had arrived. I found that not one Levite had volunteered to come along. 16So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders of the people. I also sent for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of discernment. 17I sent them to Iddo, the leader of the Levites at Casiphia, to ask him and his relatives and the Temple servants to send us ministers for the Temple of God at Jerusalem. 18Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they sent us a man named Sherebiah, along with eighteen of his sons and brothers. He was a very astute man and a descendant of Mahli, who was a descendant of Levi son of Israel.* 19They also sent Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and twenty of his sons and brothers, 20and 220 Temple servants. The Temple servants were assistants to the Levites—a group of Temple workers first instituted by King David and his officials. They were all listed by name. 21And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. 22For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen* to accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him.” 23So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. 241 appointed twelve leaders of the priests—Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten other priests— 25to be in charge of transporting the silver, the gold, the gold bowls, and the other items that the king, his council, his officials, and all the people of Israel had presented for the Temple of God.
26I weighed the treasure as I gave it to them and found the totals to be asfollows:24 tons* of silver,7,500 pounds* of silver articles,7,500 pounds of gold,27 20 gold bowls, equal in value to 1,000 gold coins,*2 fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.
28And I said to these priests, “You and these treasures have been set apart as holy to the LORD. This silver and gold is a voluntary offering to the LORD, the God of our ancestors. 29Guard these treasures well until you present them to the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of Israel, who will weigh them at the storerooms of the LORD’s Temple in Jerusalem.” 30So the priests and the Levites accepted the task of transporting these treasures of silver and gold to the Temple of our God in Jerusalem. 31We broke camp at the Ahava Canal on April 19* and started off to Jerusalem. And the gracious hand of our God protected us and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32So we arrived safely in Jerusalem, where we rested for three days. 33Qn the fourth day after our arrival, the silver, gold, and other valuables were weighed at the Temple of our God and entrusted to Meremoth son of Uriah the priest and to Eleazar son of Phinehas, along with Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui—both of whom were Levites. 34Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the total weight was Officially recorded. 35Then the exiles who had come out of captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel. They presented twelve bulls for all the people of Israel, as well as ninety-six rams and seventy-seven male lambs. They also offered twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was given as a burnt offering to the LORD. °6The king’s decrees were delivered to his highest officers and the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River,* who then cooperated by supporting the people and the Temple of God. 2. Ezra opposes intermarriage Ezra’s Prayer concerning intermarriage
Textual footnotes
- manuscripis (see also 1 Esdras 8:36); Hebrew lacks Bani.
- 8:5 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 1 Esdras 8:32); Hebrew lacks Zattu.
- 8:10 As in some Greek
- 8:13 Or who were the last of his family. 8:18 Israelis the name that God gave to Jacob.
- 8:22 Or charioteers.
- 8:26a Hebrew 650 talents [22 metric tons}.
- 8:26b Hebrew 100 talents [3,400 kilograms]; also in 8:26c.
- 8:27 Hebrew 7,000 darics, about 19 pounds or 8.6 kilograms in weight.
- 8:31 Hebrew on the twelfth day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was Aprit 19,
- 8:36 Hebrew the province beyond the river.
Life Application Notes 6 notes
8:21Ezra and the people traveled approximately 900 miies on foot. The trip took them through dangerous and difficult territory and lasted about four months. They prayed that God would give them a safe journey. Our journeys today may not be as difficult and dangerous as Ezra’s, but we should recognize our need to ask God for guidance and protection.
8:21-23Before making all the physical preparations for the journey, Ezra made spiritual preparations. Their prayers and fasting prepared them spiritually and showed their dependence on God for protection, their faith that God was in contro}, and their affirmation that they were not strong enough to make the trip without him. When we take time to put God first in any endeavor, we are preparing well for whatever lies ahead.
8:23Ezra knew God’s promises to protect his people, but he didn’t take them for granted. He also knew that God’s blessings are appropriated through prayer, se Ezra and the people humbled themselves by fasting and praying. And their prayers were answered. Fasting humbled them because going without food was a reminder of their complete dependence on God. Fasting also gave them more time to pray and meditate on God. Too often we pray glibly and superficially. Serious prayer, by contrast, requires concentration. It puts us in touch with God’s will and can really change us. Without serious prayer, we reduce God to a quick-service pharmacist with painkillers for our every ailment.
8:26This was a large amount of treasure to transport, with or without a detachment of soldiers for protection.
8:28,29Every object used in Temple service was dedicated to God; each was considered a holy treasure to be guarded carefully and set apart for his special use. Stewardship means taking special care of whatever God has entrusted to you. This means considering what God has given to you as being from him and for his use. What has God entrusted to your care?