Ezra 8 - Commentary
We will begin this lesson in Ezra 8:1
This is a listing of those who went with Ezra out of Babylonian captivity back to their homeland. The genealogy could have partially been to make sure these were Hebrews leaving Babylon, but it could, also, be just because the Hebrews kept good records. Artaxerxes had given Ezra permission to take all, who wanted to go, home. He was king of Persia. There is a spiritual lesson in this for the believers. We must be willing to be redeemed, before we can actually head for our promised land, heaven. The release of the world is as important as the accepting the Lord as Redeemer.
Ezra 8:2
The different groups of people were actually different classes of families.
Ezra 8:4
Ezra 8:7-14 Ezra 8:9
We dealt more fully with the family of Adonikam in the first exodus. The difference in the number of people returning on this second trip and the first was evident in the family of Adonikam. On the first trip his family had 666 going back. In this trip, there were 60. Of course, the numbers were just for the males and there were approximately 3 times that many, who would actually return, counting the women and children.
Ezra 8:15
The river, spoken of here, is a small stream that flows into the Euphrates. It was about 8 days journey from Babylon. It appears, they stopped to rest the people. They abode in tents, because there were so many of them. This trip would take months, and this was the only way to house the people on the trip. There were no Levites with them. This was very strange. 74 Levites had gone up with Zerubbabel, and this trip Ezra found none. This does not mean there were none at all, but that he saw none.
Ezra 8:16-17
The chief men, mentioned in verse 16, were men who had enough authority that they would be accepted by Iddo as messengers from Ezra. They were men who would be respected enough that Iddo would listen carefully to what they had to say. Iddo was the chief of the Nethenims. He was, also, the head of the Jews at Casiphai. It appears, that even though the Jews were in exile, their families were ruled over by the head of the family, as if they were a separate country. The Nethinims had been set aside to do the menial work in the temple. Ezra requested them to come, and help him by being ministers in the house of the LORD.
Ezra 8:18
Ezra was thanking God for the good fortune of the Levites that came back to Ezra. Ezra knew this was a blessing from God. Sherebiah and Mahli may be the same person. There were eighteen that came.
Ezra 8:19
These were, also, Levites from the division of Merari.
Ezra 8:20
We remember, the Nethinims were in the service of doing the menial jobs in the temple. They were not spoken of as Nethinims, until after the captivity.
Ezra 8:21
Ezra called the fast to prepare for the rest of the journey. He wanted the assistance of the LORD as he carried these people on this several month journey to Jerusalem. The fast was to receive instructions from God on exactly how they should proceed. They wanted no harm coming to the women and children, or to the precious cargo. Ezra knew his help was in the LORD.
Ezra 8:22
Ezra knew there were robbers along the way in the land they must pass through. He had not asked for help from the Persians, because if they were really of God, as they had told the Persian king they were, the LORD would take care of them.
Ezra 8:23
This is saying, when they fasted and prayed, the LORD heard their prayer, and put into their hearts exactly what they were to do.
Ezra 8:24
This was dividing all of the silver and gold into the hands of 12 trustworthy priests, so the valuables would be scattered out and not so easily found in one place. There was a fairly large amount, since this was what the king had sent, as well as the offerings the people themselves had gathered up and sent.
Ezra 8:26
If a talent weighs 125 pounds, this is speaking of 81,250 pounds of silver. The silver vessels weighed 12,500 pounds in silver. The gold, also, weighed 12,500 pounds. The gold, alone weighed 150,000 ounces. At $400.00 per ounce, this would figure $600,000,000.00. You can see why Ezra was concerned.
Ezra 8:27
Ezra was stressing to them the necessity of getting all of these precious items for the temple through. The value in dollars and cents were important, but the idea these treasures belonged to God made this much more important. They were to guard this with their lives.
Ezra 8:29
Ezra weighed, and made a record of exactly what he had entrusted to each priest. They would weigh them in, when they arrived at the temple in Jerusalem. This was good record keeping. They would not be careless with the things of the LORD. Those in authority in the temple in Jerusalem would receive them, and weigh them in. There would be a record kept of that, as well.
Ezra 8:30
They did as Ezra had asked them. Each priest and Levite would be responsible for the portion of the treasure, that had been entrusted to him.
Ezra 8:31
God had protected them from all harm, as they journeyed back to their home in Judah. Ezra's fears never happened. They did not even encounter the thieves. Ezra's faith in God brought them through safely.
Ezra 8:32
This was speaking of a rest they took from their long journey. They were safe to rest, now.
Ezra 8:33
Each one of the 12, that the treasures had been entrusted to weighed them to the son of the high priest in Jerusalem. The men, mentioned in the verse above, were priests and Levites. They would put the treasures in safe keeping in the temple.
Ezra 8:34
The weights were recorded in a record book kept at the temple. The twelve, who were responsible for the safe journey, had now shifted their responsibility to those in charge of the treasures in the temple.
Ezra 8:35
Their offering was for themselves, but for all Israel, as well. This offering was very similar to the offering the people gave when Zerubbabel returned. The number of animals are smaller, because those who came out of Babylon this trip were much fewer in number.
Ezra 8:36
This was speaking of the documents that Ezra brought from the king giving him authority to draw from the treasury. The lieutenants, under the governors, were in charge of it. It appears, that they did just as the documents had requested them to do, immediately.
Additional Resources for Chapter 8
Commentarieshttps://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-8-work-god-blesses-ezra-81-36
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Ezr/Ezr-8.cfm
https://www.versebyverseministry.org/bible-studies/ezra
https://www.wednesdayintheword.com/ezra-resources/