Ezra 8:18 - Exposition

By the good hand of our God upon us. This is Ezra's usual mode of acknowledging the good providence and favour of Almighty God (see Ezra 7:6 , Ezra 7:9 , Ezra 7:27 ; and Ezra 8:31 ). Similar expressions occur also in Nehemiah ( Nehemiah 2:8 , Nehemiah 2:18 ), but not elsewhere in Scripture. A man of understanding. In the Hebrew Ish-sekel , which some take for a proper name, but without any necessity. No such name is known to have existed; and the real name of "the man of understanding" appears to have been "Sherebiah," who is mentioned more than once in Nehemiah ( Nehemiah 8:7 ; Nehemiah 9:4 , Nehemiah 9:5 ) as a chief Levite. And Sherebiah should be simply "Sherebiah." The preposition "and" (Hebrew ) ן has been inserted by a careless copyist.