Ezra 8:21-32

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 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, I. The stedfast confidence he had in God and in his gracious protection. He told the king (Ezra 8:22) what principles he went upon, that those who seek God are safe under the shadow of his... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 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, 1. Having committed the keeping of it to God, he committed the keeping of it to proper men, whose business it was to watch it, though without God they would have waked in vain. Note, Our prayers must always be seconded with our endeavours; the care of Christ's gospel, his church, and ordinances, must not be so left with him but that it must also be... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 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, I. That his God was good, and he acknowledged his goodness: The hand of our God was upon us, to animate us for our undertaking. To him they owed it, 1. That they were preserved in their journey, and not all cut off; for there were enemies that laid wait for them by the way to do them a mischief, or at least, like Amalek, to smite the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 8:21

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava ,.... After the messengers to Iddo were returned with those they brought with them: that we might afflict ourselves before our God ; humble themselves before him for their sins, confess them, and declare their repentance of them, and ask forgiveness for them: to seek of him a right way for us ; to take from thence towards Jerusalem, to be directed by him in it: either by a prophet, or by a vision in a dream, as Eben Ezra; or rather... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 8:22

For I was ashamed to require of the kings band of soldiers and horsemen ,.... Which he might have had, only asking for them; so great was the interest he had in the king's favour: to help us against the enemy in the way ; the Arabs, Samaritans, and others, that might lie in wait for them, to rob them of their substance: because we had spoken unto the king : of the special favour of God to them, his singular providence in the protection of them: saying, the hand of our God is upon... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 8:23

So we fasted, and besought our God for this ,.... Sought the Lord by fasting and prayer for a good journey, and preservation in it: and he was entreated of us ; accepted their prayer, as Jarchi, so that they came safe to Jerusalem. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 8:24

Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests ,.... That were in company with him; so that it seems there were more than the two mentioned, Ezra 8:2 , very probably their families, or some of their brethren, were with them: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them ; these men named were Levites, and not priests, Ezra 8:18 and therefore the copulative "and" must be supplied: and Sherebiah , &c.; or with the twelve priests, Sherebiah, &c.; and ten... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 8:25

And I weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels ,.... When he delivered them to them; this he did as a proof of his own integrity and faithfulness, and as a security against any charge or accusation of embezzling any part of them, and to set them an example, and also that they might be under no temptation of acting such a part, and might be vindicated should they be charged with it: even the offering of the house of our God ; what was freely offered for the service of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 8:26

I even weighed unto their hand six hundred fifty talents of silver ,.... Which, according to Scheuchzer F1 Physica Sacra, vol. 4. p. 651. amount to 975,000 imperials, and, of our money, 2,229,450 pounds sterling: and silver vessels one hundred talents; which came to 35,300 pounds, or 50,000 imperials; according to Jarchi, there were one hundred vessels, and every vessel weighed a talent, and so Aben Ezra, which, with Brerewood F2 De Pond. & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 4. , was three... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 8:27

Also twenty basins of gold, of a thousand drams ,.... Which were upwards of 1000 pounds of our money; for Bishop Cumberland says F5 Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 4. p. 115. , the Persian "daric", "drachma", or "drachm", weighed twenty shillings and four pence; and, according to Dr. Bernard, it exceeded one of our guineas by two grains; see Gill on 1 Chronicles 29:7 . and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold ; which perhaps is the same with the Indian or Persian... read more

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