Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 8:35
[Also] the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats [for] a sin offering: all [this was] a burnt offering unto the LORD.
35. Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity ] R.V. The children of the captivity which were come out of exile.
By this term is intended Ezra’s company which had just returned. The sacrifices offered by them resembled those offered by Zerubbabel and his companions at the dedication of the Temple (Ezr 6:17). (1) They consisted of the same animals, bullocks, rams and lambs; (2) they were offered in the name of the whole people.
For the expression ‘the children of the captivity’ compare Ezr 6:19, and see note on chap. Ezr 2:1. The ‘exile’ (sh‘bhi) refers to the condition of captivity, the ‘captivity’ (hagglah) to the community of exiles.
twelve bullocks twelve he goats ] i.e. for the twelve tribes, cf. on Ezr 6:17, ‘for all Israel’.
ninety and six rams ] i.e. eight for each tribe.
seventy and seven lambs ] a magnification of the perfect number (cf. Gen 4:24; Mat 18:22).
for a sin offering ] The twelve he goats as in Ezr 6:17.
all this was a burnt offering ] i.e. it was completely consumed.
An offering, of thanksgiving for protection in the journey, and of consecration of the new life.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Compare the marginal reference. The idea of offerings for all Israel pervades in this case the entire sacrifice, with the exception of the lambs, whose number (77) is unique, and has not been accounted for.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 35. Twelve bullocks for all Israel] Though of tribes there were only Judah and Benjamin, yet they offered a bullock for every tribe, as if present. There can be little doubt that there were individuals there from all the twelve tribes, possibly some families of each; but no complete tribe but those mentioned above.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Which were come out of the captivity, to wit, these new comers, whom God had safely conducted hither.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity,…. Namely, those that now came along with Ezra:
offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel; by way of thankfulness for their deliverance from captivity, and for their safe journey:
twelve bullocks for all Israel: according to the number of the tribes; and there might be some of every tribe that now came up:
ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs; these and the bullocks were burnt offerings:
twelve he goats for a sin offering; according to the number of the twelve tribes, also to make atonement for sins they had been guilty of:
all this was a burnt offering unto the Lord; excepting the twelve he goats, which were a sin offering.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
35. The children which were come That is, these who had just now coma up from Babylon with Ezra.
Twelve bullocks for all Israel See note on Ezr 6:17. “The idea of offerings for all Israel pervades the entire sacrifice, with the exception of the lambs, whose number (77) is peculiar, and has not been accounted for.” Rawlinson.
Ezr 8:35
‘The children of the captivity, who were come out of exile, offered burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety six rams, seventy seven lambs, twelve he-goats for a sin-offering, all this was a burnt-offering to YHWH.’
The personal pronouns here change from ‘we’ to ‘they’. This was necessary because here it was all the children of the captivity who participated, not just those who had come with Ezra. It was ‘the children of the captivity who had come out of exile’ regardless of when they had come, and this is confirmed by the mention of the offerings being for ‘all Israel’. Clearly the High Priest and the incumbent priests would be equally involved. Thus Ezra’s returnees were welcomed by the previous returnees, and all together offered offerings and sacrifices.
There were twelve bullocks for all Israel, one per tribe; and ninety six rams, possibly, but not necessarily, seen as eight per tribe (but note the number of lambs), and seventy-seven lambs. To the people of that day seventy seven would indicate intensified divine perfection. They tended to read into numbers ideas rather than quantity. And these were all offered as whole burnt offerings, that is as offerings of homage and dedication to YHWH which were wholly burnt up. Additional to these were the twelve he-goats sacrificed as a sin-offering, one for each of the tribes of Israel, necessary in order to deal with the sin of Israel so that Israel could be dedicated to God and approach Him in worship. The ‘twelve tribes’, would be seen as including the priests and the Levites. All these offerings and sacrifices were seen as ‘a burnt offering to YHWH’, symbolic of atonement, dedication and worship.
Ezr 8:35 [Also] the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats [for] a sin offering: all [this was] a burnt offering unto the LORD.
Ver. 35. Also the children of those that had been ] In token of presenting their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God their deliverer, Rom 12:1 . Let us that are freed from sin’s slavery become the servants of righteousness, Rom 6:18 ; and being delivered from the hands of our enemies, serve God without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives, Luk 1:74-75 .
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Ezr 8:35-36
35 The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the LORD. 36Then they delivered the king’s edicts to the king’s satraps and to the governors in the provinces beyond the River, and they supported the people and the house of God.
Ezr 8:35
NASB, NJBthe exiles
NKJVthe children
NRSVthe returned exiles
TEVthose who had returned from exile
The literal phrase is sons of exile, which is the use of son to denote a characteristic of a group, which is common in Hebrew. This phrase is repeated several times in Ezra (cf. Ezr 4:1; Ezr 6:19-20; Ezr 8:35; Ezr 10:7; Ezr 10:16).
twelve bulls, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats Each of these is divisible by 12 except for the lambs. However, in 1Es 8:56 (which may be the correct list of names and numbers) it has 72 instead of 77, which may be the correct number. The Jews were very fond of the number 12 and although Ezra does not try to assert that all twelve tribes return, the Jews use this number often. See Special Topic: THE NUMBER TWELVE .
SPECIAL TOPIC: Sacrifices in Mesopotamia and Israel and their Significance
Ezr 8:36 This verse shows that the political problems documented in Ezra 6 have been overcome.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.
1. Why is Ezra’s lineage given in such detail?
2. How is Ezra related to Jeshua, High Priest under Zerubbabel?
3. Describe the function of the scribe.
4. List the Persian phrases in this chapter.
5. Define the terms talent, kor and bath from a dictionary of the Bible.
6. List the different servants of the Temple found in Ezr 8:24.
7. How is the list of Ezra 8 different from the one in Ezra 2?
Also, &c. The fourth of the ten Sedarim (or cycles for public reading) begins here and goes on to Neh 2:10, where it ends; thus uniting the two books in one. See note, p. 632.
children = sons.
Ezr 8:35-36
Ezr 8:35-36
SACRIFICES WERE OFFERED FOR THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL
“The children of the captivity, that were come out of exile, Offered burnt-offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he-goats for a sin-offering: all this was a burnt-offering unto Jehovah. And they delivered the king’s commissions unto the king’s satraps, and to the governors beyond the River: and they furthered the people and the house of God.”
“Twelve bullocks for all Israel, …” (Ezr 8:35). All except one of the sacrifices mentioned here were either twelve or multiples of that number, indicating that, “Ezra believed that the restored community represented all twelve of the tribes of Israel.”
Matthew Henry believed that these offerings “for all Israel” indicated that, “The union of the two Israels was then accomplished, as prophesied by Eze 37:22.”
Keil pointed out that, “The sin-offering had served as an atonement for Israel; and that the burnt-offering typified the surrender of the entire nation of Israel to the service of the Lord, and was a declaration that those who had returned were henceforth resolved, together with all Israel, to dedicate themselves to the service of the Lord their God.”
“They delivered the king’s commissions to the … satraps” (Ezr 8:36). These were the Persian lieutenants and governors under Artaxerxes the king who were in charge of all that vast territory west of the Euphrates River. “These satraps were the military chiefs in charge of the provinces, and they were also endowed with the authority as well.” As a result of this royal directive, “They furthered the people and the house of God as Artaxerxes had commanded.”
E.M. Zerr:
Ezr 8:35. It had been over 100 years since the captivity took place, and many children had been born in the land of the exile. They are the ones meant in the beginning of this verse. They did not know, from personal experience, of the humiliation attached to a siege and capture. But they did know that they had been in a land where no worship had been practiced publicly except that for idolatrous gods. They could therefore feel grateful for the freedom now given them of serving the true God in his own appointed way. They expressed that gratitude by large numbers of sacrifices.
Ezr 8:36. The king’s commissions means his edict, contained in the letter shown in the preceding chapter. It was proper to deliver it to the officers of Artaxerxes in charge of his affairs this side (west side) of the river Euphrates. Upon receiving the decree they proceeded to obey it, and the result was the furthering of the work about the house of God in the hands of the Jews.
offered burnt: Lev 1:1 – Lev 7:38, 2Ch 29:31, 2Ch 29:32, Psa 66:10-15, Psa 116:12-19, Luk 1:74, Luk 1:75
twelve bullocks: Ezr 6:17, Num 7:27
Reciprocal: Exo 29:14 – it is a Lev 4:3 – for a sin Lev 4:21 – a sin offering Num 15:24 – one kid 2Ch 29:21 – seven Act 26:7 – our
Ezr 8:35. Which were come out of the captivity Namely, those new- comers whom God had safely conducted thither. Offered burnt-offerings unto the God of Israel Whereby they acknowledged the Lord for their God, and expressed their gratitude for their restoration. Twelve he-goats for a sin-offering For it is the atonement that secures every mercy to us, which will not be truly comfortable, unless iniquity be taken away, and our peace be made with God. They offer twelve bullocks, twelve he-goats, and ninety-six rams, (eight times twelve,) signifying the union of the two kingdoms. They did not any longer go two tribes one way, and ten tribes another; but all the twelve met by their representatives at the same altar.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments