Bible Commentaries
Ezra 8

Verses 1-36

Particulars of Ezra’s Company

1. Them that went up] The sum of the numbers given is 1,496. Only males are mentioned, and if no women accompanied them, the absence of such doubtless increased the tendency that the people manifested to intermarry with heathen families.

2. Hattush] This should be connected closely with the following clause, Hattush being grandson of Shecaniah: 1 Chronicles 3:22.

3. Of the sons of Pharosh] Most of the families in this list also appear (with some variations) in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 as having contributed members to the body of immigrants that accompanied Zerubbabel in the reign of Cyrus.

13. Of the last sons of Adonikam] perhaps those who belonged to the youngest branch of Adonikam’s house.

15. Ahava] This was the name both of a town and of a river (Ezra 8:21) in Babylonia, on the road to Palestine. None of the sons of Levi] Only a small number of Levites had previously accompanied Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:36).

17. Casiphia] unidentified, but presumably near Babylon. And to his brethren the Nethinims] The text is defective, and should probably be corrected to ’and to his brethren (i.e. the Levites) and to the Nethinim.’

18. Of the sons of Mahli] Either the name of the ’man of understanding’ has dropped out of the text, or else this expression itself represents a proper name, Ish-sechel: so RM.

22. The enemy in the way] probably such marauders as were accustomed to attack defenceless travellers: cp. Ezra 8:31.

24. Sherebiah, Hashabiah] These were Levites, not priests (Nehemiah 12:24), so that the individuals selected were twenty-four in all, twelve priests and twelve Levites: cp. Ezra 8:30.

26. Six hundred and fifty talents, etc.] The value of the offerings mentioned in this and the following v. is so great (approaching a million sterling), that exaggeration or textual corruption may be suspected.

30. Took.. silver] i.e. took the silver weighed out to them (Ezra 8:26).

33. By the hand of] RV ’into the hand of’: the persons named being those with whom the silver brought from Babylon was deposited.

34. By number.. of every one] RV ’the whole by number and by weight.’

36. The king’s commissions] i.e. the directions intended for the royal treasurers (Ezra 7:21). Lieutenants] lit. ’satraps.’