Ezr 8 | TSK | STEP | The companions of Ezra, who returned from Babylon. He sends to Iddo for ministers for the temple. He keeps a fast. He commits the treasures to the custody of the priests. From Ahava they come to Jerusalem. The treasure is weighed in the temple. The commission is delivered. the chief. genealogy. them that went up.

the river that runneth.Ahava is supposed to be the river Adiava, which, with the Diava, is said by Ammianus to have given name to Adiabene, a province of Assyria, through which they flowed into the Tigris. These rivers were also called respectively, Anzabas and Zabas, the Caprus and Lycus of Ptolemy; the former of which he places, at its source, in long. 79 degrees, lat. 39® degrees, and at its junction with the Tigris, in long. 79® degrees, lat. 36 degrees 6'; and the latter, at its source, in long 78 degrees, lat. 39 degrees; and where it falls into the Tigris, in long. 79 degrees, lat. 36® degrees. They are now called the Great and Little Zab, or the Zabein, i.e., the two Zabs, which, says Ibn Haukal, "are considerable streams, each about half as large as the Dejleh (or Tigris). They rise among the mountains of Azerbaijan: of these, the larger is that which runs towards Haditheh. These streams form part of the Tigris, and water the district of Semerah."

Ps 137:1; Eze 1:1; 3:15; Ac 16:13

Ahava.

21,31

abode. Heb. pitched. and found.

2; 7:7,24

Shemaiah.

13; 10:21

Nathan.

10:39

Zechariah.

chief men.

men of understanding.

18; 1Ki 3:11; 1Ch 12:32; 26:14; 2Ch 2:12; Pr 2:6; 20:5; 28:2; Da 2:21

2Ti 2:7; 1Jo 5:20

Casiphia.Casiphia is supposed to denote the Caspian mountains, between Media and Hyrcania, near the Caspian Sea. It is evident, from a comparison of ch. 7:9 with ver. 31, that Casiphia could not be far from Ahava.

I told them. Heb. I put words in their mouth.

Ex 4:15; De 18:18; 2Sa 14:3,19; Jer 1:9; 15:19

the Nethinims.

2:43,58; 7:7

ministers.

Nu 8:22-26; 18:6; 1Ch 23:3-6,26-32; Tit 1:5

by the good hand.

22; 7:28; Ne 2:8; Pr 3:6

a man of understanding.

16; Pr 24:3; Jer 3:15; Da 1:20; 1Co 14:20

Mahli.

Nu 3:20; 1Ch 6:19

Sherebiah.

24; Ne 8:7; 9:4,5; 10:12; 12:24

Hashabiah.

Ne 3:17; 10:11

Merari.

1Ch 6:1,16,19

Nethinims.

17; 2:43; 7:7; 1Ch 9:2

all of them.

Php 4:3

I proclaimed.

Jud 20:26; 1Sa 7:6; 2Ch 20:3; Joe 1:14; 2:12-18; Jon 3:5

afflict ourselves.

Le 16:29,31; 23:29; Isa 58:3,5; Jer 31:8,9; 50:4,5

to seek.

Ps 5:8; 107:2-8; 143:8-10; Pr 3:6; Isa 30:21; 35:8; 42:16; 49:10

Jer 10:23

for our little ones.

Nu 14:3,31; Ps 8:2; Mr 10:13-16; Ac 2:39

I was ashamed.

1Co 9:15; 2Co 7:14

The hand.

7:6,9,28; 1Ch 28:9; 2Ch 16:9; Ps 33:18,19; 34:15,22; Isa 3:10,11

La 3:25; Ro 8:28; 1Pe 3:12

his power and his wrath.

Jos 23:16; 2Ch 15:2; Ps 21:8,9; 34:16; 90:11; Zep 1:2-6; Heb 10:38

1Pe 3:12

we fasted.

Ne 9:1; Es 4:16; Da 9:3; Lu 2:37; Ac 10:30

besought.

Jer 29:12,13; 33:3; 50:4,5

and he was intreated.

31; De 4:29; 1Ch 5:20; 2Ch 33:12,13; Ps 66:18-20; Isa 19:22

Jer 29:12,13; Mt 7:7,8

Sherebiah.

18,19

weighed.

33; 1:8; 2Co 8:20,21; Php 4:8

the silver.

7:15,16

fine copper. Heb. yellow, or shining brass.The Syriac renders, {nechosho korinthyo tovo,} "good Corinthian brass;" so called from the brass found after the burning of Corinth by Lucius Mummius, which was, as is generally supposed, brass, copper, silver, and gold, melted together. Sir J. Chardin, however, in a MS. note, cited by Harmer, mentioned a factitious metal used in the East, and highly esteemed there, which might probably be of an origin as ancient as Ezra. He says, "I have heard some Dutch gentlemen speak of a metal in the island of Sumatra, and among the Macassars, much more esteemed than gold, which royal personages alone are privileged to wear. It is a mixture, if I remember right, of gold and steel, or copper and steel." He afterwards added, "calmbac is the name of this metal, which is composed of gold and copper."

precious. Heb. desirable.

La 4:2

Ye are holy.

Le 21:6-8; De 33:8; Isa 52:11

the vessels.

1:7-11; Le 22:2,3; Nu 4:4-15,19,20; 7:13,84-88; 1Ki 7:48-51

1Ch 23:28; 2Ch 24:14

Watch ye.

1Ch 26:20-26; Mr 13:34,35; Ac 20:31; 2Ti 4:5

until ye weigh them before.

33,34

the house of our God.

22; 1Ch 29:2,3; Ps 122:9; Isa 60:13

the river of Ahava.

15,21

the hand.

22; 7:9,28; Job 5:19-24; Ps 91:9-14; Isa 41:10-14; Ac 25:3; 26:22

and he delivered.Ezra and his company had now entered upon a journey of several hundred miles through the desert, which they were nearly four months in completing, encumbered with families and possessions, and carrying large treasures with them, which would invite the attempts of the Arabian hordes, and others, that infested that neighbourhood; yet, having declared to the king, "that the hand of God was upon all them for good that seek him, and that his power and wrath were against all them that forsook him," (ver. 22,) he determined to travel without a guard, except that of the Almighty, being ashamed to ask any other, after his former avowed confidence in Him! Having, therefore, humbled themselves before the Lord, and besought his guidance and protection, he was intreated by them, their enemies were restrained or disabled, and they arrived unmolested at Jerusalem.

7:8,9; Ne 2:11

weighed.

26,30; 1Ch 28:14-18; 2Co 8:20,21

Meremoth.

Ne 10:5

Uriah.

Ne 3:4

Urijah. Jozabad.

Ne 8:7

Binnui.

Ne 10:9

offered burnt.