Logos Bible Study

Ezra 8:1–20

The NET BibleOther versions

English

Arabic

Czech

French

German

Hebrew

Hungarian

Italian

Korean

Latin

Portuguese

Russian

Simplified Chinese

Spanish

Traditional Chinese

The Leaders Who Returned with Ezra

8:1These are the leaders1 and those enrolled with them by genealogy who were coming up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

8:2from the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom;

from the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel;

from the descendants of David, Hattush 8:3the son of Shecaniah;2

from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were enrolled by genealogy 150 men;

8:4from the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;

8:5from the descendants of Zattu,3 Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;

8:6from the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;

8:7from the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men;

8:8from the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men;

8:9from the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men;

8:10from the descendants of Bani,4 Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men;

8:11from the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;

8:12from the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;

8:13from the descendants of Adonikam there were the latter ones.5 Their names were Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;

8:14from the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai, and Zaccur,6 and with them7 70 men.

The Exiles Travel to Jerusalem

8:15I had them assemble8 at the canal9 that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I observed that the people and the priests were present, but I found no Levites there. 8:16So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan,10 Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were teachers. 8:17I sent them to Iddo, who was the leader in the place called Casiphia. I told them11 what to say to Iddo and his relatives,12 who were the temple servants in13 Casiphia, so they would bring us attendants for the temple of our God.

8:18Due to the fact that the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us a skilled man, from the descendants of Mahli the son of Levi son of Israel. This man was Sherebiah,14 who was accompanied by his sons and brothers,15 18 men, 8:19and Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men, 8:20and some of the temple servants that David and his officials had established for the work of the Levites—220 of them. They were all designated by name.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

  1. 1 Heb “the heads of their families.”
  2. 2 The reads here “from the sons of Shecaniah” with no descendant identified in what follows, contrary to the pattern of the context elsewhere. However, it seems better to understand the first phrase of v. 3 with the end of v. 2; the phrase would then modify the name “Hattush.” This understanding requires emending the reading מִבְּנֵי (mibbéne, “from the sons of”) in the to בֵּן (ben,“[the] son of”). Cf. , , , .
  3. 3 The lacks “of Zattu.” The translation adopted above follows the in including the words.
  4. 4 The lacks “Bani.” It is restored on the basis of certain .
  5. 5 Or “those who came later.” The exact meaning of this Hebrew phrase is uncertain. It may refer to the last remaining members of Adonikam’s family who were in Babylon. So, for example, H. G. M. Williamson, Ezra, Nehemiah (), ; cf. , , . The phrase has also been taken to mean “the younger sons (so ), or the ones who “returned at a later date” (so ).
  6. 6 The translation reads with the Qere, the Lucianic Greek recension, the , and the וְזַּכּוּר (vézakkur, “and Zaccur”) rather than the Kethib of the , וְזַבוּד (vézavud, “and Zabbud”).
  7. 7 The has “with him” (so ). The present translation (“with them”) is based on the reading of many medieval Hebrew , the Lucianic Greek recension, the , and the (so also , , , ).
  8. 8 Or “I gathered them.”
  9. 9 Heb “river.” So also in vv. 21, 31.
  10. 10 The name “Elnathan” occurs twice in this list. Some, assuming an accidental repetition, would include it only once (cf. ).
  11. 11 Heb “I placed in their mouth words.”
  12. 12 The translation reads with the and וְאֶחָיו (vé’ekhayv, “and his brethren” = “relatives”; so , ) rather than the reading אָחִיו (’akhiyv, “his brother”) of the .
  13. 13 Heb “in the place called.” This phrase has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  14. 14 Heb “and Sherebiah.” The words “this man was” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  15. 15 Or “relatives” (so ; “kin”); also in v. 19.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press