EZRA 8:1 Ezra Journeys to Jerusalem with a New Wave of Returnees, Bearing Royal Gifts for the Temple. This section gives a more extended account of Ezra’s return to Jerusalem. Readers learn of those who returned with Ezra (vv. Ezra 8:1), how he recruited additional priests (vv. Ezra 8:15), their pra... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 8:15 The party camps outside Babylon at the RIVER THAT RUNS TO AHAVA, no doubt one of the canals extending from the Euphrates. Ezra discovers that, though he had priests with him, there were NONE OF THE SONS OF LEVI, that is, the Levites (see Ezra 2:40). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = documen... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 8:17 Nothing is known of IDDO or of CASIPHIA. But apparently there were Levites and TEMPLE SERVANTS (see Ezra 2:43; 1 Chronicles 9:2) in Casiphia, perhaps training for when there would be a temple again in Jerusalem. MAHLI and MERARI belong to the same Levitical family (Numbers 3:3... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 8:21 A FAST. Fasting had become important in the exile as a way of expressing repentance (see Nehemiah 9:1; Esther 4:3). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 8:22 On THE POWER OF HIS WRATH, see Ezra 6:10; Ezra 7:23. Contrast Ezra’s policy in Ezra 8:22 with Nehemiah’s (Nehemiah 2:9). AND HE LISTENED TO OUR ENTREATY. God’s control of historical events is the background for this entire book (see Ezra 8:31; also note on... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 8:26 The amounts of SILVER and GOLD are extraordinarily large, the silver weighing around 25 tons (22 metric tons) and the gold 3.75 tons (3.4 metric tons). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 8:28 The priests themselves are HOLY TO THE LORD (Exodus 29:1). They are set aside for his service, as are the precious metals and VESSELS donated (see Exodus 30:26). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 8:31 The group sets out ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH (Nisan, March/April). The plan to leave on the first day (Ezra 7:9) had been delayed by the need to send for more Levites. HE DELIVERED US FROM THE HAND OF THE ENEMY. Whether there were actual attacks on the group is not... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 8:32 WE CAME TO JERUSALEM. This was on the first day of the fifth month (Ab, July/August), after nearly four months of travel (see note on 7:9). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 8:35 For the first time, these EXILES see and worship at the rebuilt temple. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]