Ezra 8:1-20. The List of those that went up with Ezra to Jerusalem (_a_) 1 14. List of the Heads of Fathers" Houses, accompanying Ezra 1. _These_are _now the chief of their fathers_ R.V. NOW THESE ARE THE HEADS OF THEIR FATHERS "_houses_. Literally, -now these are the heads of their fathers", a sh... [ Continue Reading ]
The Priestly and Royal houses. The numbers from these houses are not given. They are placed in a position of honour at the head of the list. _Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom_ R.V. OF THE SONS OF PHINEHAS, GERSHOM. The punctuation is corrected throughout 2 14. The family of Phinehas (son of Eleaza... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse should begin with -of the sons of Parosh" (see note on Ezra 8:2). -by genealogy of the males". The present list differs in this respect from that recorded in chap. 2. There the total numbers are given; here the number of the males only.... [ Continue Reading ]
The register of the laity or "the men of the people of Israel" as in Ezra 2:2. The names of these houses with the exception of Shechaniah (Ezra 8:5) and Shelomith (Ezra 8:10) appear also in chap. 2 and Nehemiah 7. But it is most probable that the text has in the case of both these exceptions suffer... [ Continue Reading ]
_Elihoenai_ R.V. ELIEHOENAI, literally, -unto Jehovah mine eyes".... [ Continue Reading ]
The Hebrew text gives Shechaniah as the house, but fails to give the name of its representative. -Shecaniah" does not occur in the other lists as the name of a house. The text of 1 Esdr. has -of the sons of Zathoe, Shechenias the son of Jezelus" (1Es 8:32). -Zathoe" is the same as Zattu (Ezra 2:8).... [ Continue Reading ]
The Hebrew text and the LXX. give ezra 50: 1 Esdras gives 250. The smaller number is probably the original.... [ Continue Reading ]
Here, as in Ezra 8:5, the name of the representative is not given, while the name of the house Shelomith does not occur in the other lists. 1Es 8:36 gives "Of the sons of Banid, Assalimoth son of Josaphias", which is here supported by the LXX. (ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Βαανί, Σελιμοὺθ υἱὸς Ἰωσεφία). This shows... [ Continue Reading ]
_of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these_ R.V. OF THE SONS OF ADONIKAM, THAT WERE THE LAST; AND THESE ARE THEIR NAMES. -The sons of Adonikam, that were the last". (Acheronim) is a peculiar expression. It is generally supposed that the elder branches of this house had joined with Zerubba... [ Continue Reading ]
The house of Bigvai is represented by two names, though the parallel passage of 1Es 8:40 gives but one, i.e. Uthi the son of Istalcurus. _Zabbud_ R.V. marg. Another reading is _Zaccur_. The variation illustrates the liability to confusion, in the MSS., between ב and כ (_bêth_= b and _caph_= _c_), a... [ Continue Reading ]
(_b_) 15 20. The Encampment of Ahava; the Absence of Levites 15. The Rendezvous 15. _the river that runneth to Ahava_ -Ahava" is here the name of a place, which seems to have also given its name to the river. Ewald conjectured that the river Ahava (or Peleg-Ahava) was to be identified with the Pal... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then sent I for Eliezer_, &c. "_For_". (_a_) The preposition in the original is sometimes found as the sign of the object: thus 2 Chronicles 17:7, A.V., "he sent _to_his princes, even to Ben-hail", R.V. "he sent his princes, _even_Benhail", &c. This is the alternative rendering ("then sent I Elieze... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I sent them with commandment_ R.V. AND I SENT THEM FORTH. Marg. another reading is _I gave them commandment_. The A.V. combines the two readings. The variety of reading arises from the uncertainty felt as to the true rendering of the previous verse. The rendering -then sent I for" in that vers... [ Continue Reading ]
_And by the good hand_ R.V. AND ACCORDING TO THE GOOD HAND. For the phrase see on chap. Ezra 7:6. _a man of understanding_ R.V. A MAN OF DISCRETION. Marg. Or _Ish-sechel_. Discretion (_sechel_). Cf. 1 Chronicles 22:12; 2 Chronicles 2:12; Proverbs 19:11: = understanding, Proverbs 3:4; Proverbs 13:15;... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hashabiah_ see Ezra 8:24; Nehemiah 10:11; Nehemiah 12:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
_also of the Nethinims_ R.V. AND OF THE NETHINIM. _whom David and the princes had appointed_ R.V. WHOM DAVID AND THE PRINCES HAD GIVEN. -Given", not -appointed", more literal rendering and corresponds with meaning of Nethinim (=given). See on Ezra 2:55. The sentence illustrates the prevailing tradi... [ Continue Reading ]
The Events of the Journey 21 30. Preparations for the journey. (_a_) 21 23. The rendezvous and solemn fast at Ahava 21. _I proclaimed a fast_ For "fasting" see also on Ezra 9:3; Ezra 10:6. Here however the fast is not proclaimed in connexion with any special commission of sin. Ezra appoints the fa... [ Continue Reading ]
_I was ashamed_ same word as in Ezra 9:6 -I am ashamed", Jeremiah 31:19 -I was ashamed". _to require_ R.V. TO ASK. The simplest rendering for the commonest word. _a band_of soldiers _and horsemen_ Such an escort as Nehemiah had, Nehemiah 2:9, -Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and... [ Continue Reading ]
_for this_ either prayed for this favour, or as in Ezra 9:15, -because of this", i.e. on the ground of this mingled faith and self-abasement. _and he was intreated of us_ This phrase occurs also in Genesis 25:21; 2 Samuel 21:14; 2Sa 24:25; 2 Chronicles 33:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
(_b_) Provision for the custody of the votive gifts and offerings during the march 24. _twelve of the chief of the priests_ R.V. TWELVE OF THE CHIEFS OF THE PRIESTS. Literally -twelve of the princes of the priests". The R.V. margin adds, In Nehemiah 12:24, _Levites_. _Sherebiah, Hashabiah_ R.V. EV... [ Continue Reading ]
_and weighed_ Money was still for the most part reckoned by weight (cf. on Ezra 7:22). _the silver_, &c. The offerings referred to in Ezra 7:15-18, and the vessels given by the king and others Ezra 7:19; Ezra 7:27. _the offering of the house_, &c. R.V. THE OFFERING FOR THE HOUSE. A dedicatory offer... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto their hand_ R.V. INTO THEIR HAND. Cf. note on Ezra 1:8. The enormous value of these gifts is startling. The suspicion that the figures have been exaggerated by copyists is not unnatural. _six hundred and fifty talents_of _silver_ A talent of silver being reckoned as worth £375, this means a... [ Continue Reading ]
_also twenty basons of gold_ R.V. AND TWENTY BOWLS OF GOLD: -bowl" as in Ezra 1:10. _of a thousand drams_ R.V. OF A THOUSAND DARICS. About £1 each: see on Ezra 2:69. The total specified values then are about £243,750 + £37,500 + £675,000 + £1,000 = £957,250, or nearly a million of our money. _f... [ Continue Reading ]
_by number_and _by weight of every one_ R.V. THE WHOLE BY NUMBER AND BY WEIGHT. The amount of the silver and gold was tested by weighing. The vessels and gifts were numbered, and their value estimated by weight. This list and valuation would check that which was supplied by Ezra's commissioners (Ezr... [ Continue Reading ]
Also _the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity_ R.V. The children OF THE CAPTIVITY WHICH WERE COME OUT OF EXILE. By this term is intended Ezra's company which had just returned. The sacrifices offered by them resembled those offered by Zerubbabel and hi... [ Continue Reading ]
_the king's commissions_ i.e. especially those mentioned in Ezra 7:21-22; Ezra 7:24 which would concern the provincial administration, by requisitioning for supplies and by exemption from taxation. The word rendered "commissions" occurs elsewhere in the O.T. only in the Aramaic sections, e.g. = -la... [ Continue Reading ]