1 Now these are the heads of their fathers' `houses', and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king:
And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
and all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and they have their genealogy.
These were heads of fathers' `houses' of the Levites, throughout their generations, chief men: these dwelt at Jerusalem.
These likewise cast lots even as their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers' `houses' of the priests and of the Levites; the fathers' `houses' of the chief even as those of his younger brother.
And his brethren, men of valor, were two thousand and seven hundred, heads of fathers' `houses', whom king David made overseers over the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites, for every matter pertaining to God, and for the affairs of the king.
The whole number of the heads of fathers' `houses', even the mighty men of valor, was two thousand and six hundred.
Then rose up the heads of fathers' `houses' of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem.
I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, that are minded of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with thee.
And some from among the heads of fathers' `houses' gave unto the work. The governor gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, five hundred and thirty priests' garments. And some of the heads of fathers' `houses' gave into the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pounds of silver.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezra 8
Commentary on Ezra 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
This chapter gives us a more particular narrative of Ezra's journey to Jerusalem, of which we had a general account in the foregoing chapter
Ezr 8:1-20
Ezra, having received his commission from the king, beats up for volunteers, as it were, sets up an ensign to assemble the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah, Isa. 11:12. "Whoever of the sons of Sion, that swell with the daughters of Babylon, is disposed to go to Jerusalem, now that the temple there is finished and the temple-service set a-going, now is their time.' Now one would think that under such a leader, with such encouragements, all the Jews should at length have shaken themselves from their dust, and loosed the bands of their neck, according to that call, Isa. 52:1, 2, etc. I wonder how any of them could read that chapter and yet stay behind. But multitudes did. They loved their ease better than their religion, thought themselves well off where they were, and either believed not that Jerusalem would better their condition or durst not go thither through any difficulties. But here we are told,
Ezr 8:21-23
Ezra has procured Levites to go along with him; but what will that avail, unless he have God with him? That is therefore his chief care. In all our ways we must acknowledge God, and in those particularly wherein we are endeavouring to serve the interest of his kingdom among men. Ezra does so here. Observe,
Ezr 8:24-30
We have here an account of the particular care which Ezra took of the treasure he had with him, that belonged to God's sanctuary, Observe,
Ezr 8:31-36
We are now to attend Ezra to Jerusalem, a journey of about four months in all; but his multitude made his marches slow and his stages short. Now here we are told,