Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 8:18

And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

18. And by the good hand ] R.V. And according to the good hand. For the phrase see on chap. Ezr 7:6.

a man of understanding ] R.V. a man of discretion. Marg. Or Ish-sechel. Discretion ( sechel). Cf. 1Ch 22:12; 2Ch 2:12; Pro 19:11: = understanding, Pro 3:4; Pro 13:15; Pro 16:22; Psa 111:10: = wisdom Pro 12:8; Pro 23:9: = policy Dan 8:25. The fact that we find in the following clause “And Sherebiah”, &c. favours the supposition that we ought to have the name of the individual mentioned who was “of the sons of Mahli”. Either, as is most probable, this proper name has dropped out of the text before the words “a man of discretion”, or as is possible ‘Ish-sechel’ (LXX. ) is a proper name (cf. Ishbosheth, Ish-tob, 2Sa 10:6; Ish-hod, 1Ch 7:18). But such names are rare, and the name Ish-sechel does not occur elsewhere. The view that the ‘and’ before Sherebiah has been carelessly inserted, and that Sherebiah himself is the man of discretion, fails to account for the order of the Hebrew words.

Mahli, the son of Levi, &c.] Cf. Exo 6:16; Exo 6:19 ; 1Ch 6:19. Mahli was son of Merari, and therefore a grandson of Levi.

Sherebiah ] Cf. Ezr 8:24; Neh 8:7; Neh 9:4; Neh 10:12; Neh 12:24.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

And Sherebiah – Either a name has fallen out before the words a man of understanding, or the and here has crept into the text by accident. Sherebiah appears among the most earnest of the Levites under Nehemiah (see the marginal references).

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

And by the good hand of our God upon us,…. Favouring their designs and orders, protecting those that were sent, and inclining those they were sent to use their interest and authority with those that were under them, and making them willing also to agree to what was proposed to them:

they brought us a man of understanding of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; an Israelite, of the tribe of Levi, in the line of Mahli a son of Merari, the third son of Levi:

and Sherebiah; or rather “even Sherebiah”; so Aben Ezra; for he is the understanding man that is meant, and described by his pedigree:

with his sons and his brethren, eighteen; all together made this number.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(18) A man of understanding.Probably a proper name, Ishsekel. This is required by the and before Sherebiah, who was a Levite, referred to by Nehemiah (Ezr. 8:7).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

18. Mahli A Levite descended from Merari. 1Ch 6:19.

And Sherebiah We understand this to be the name of that man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, whom Ezra’s delegation brought, though the English version seems to present him as another person. But render: And Sherebiah and his sons and his brethren were eighteen, and the meaning will be clearer. From this verse and the two following it appears that Ezra’s men succeeded not only in obtaining Nethinim from Iddo to the number of two hundred and twenty, but also in enlisting in their company thirty-eight Levites, who could show their genealogy from distinguished ancestors.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezr 8:18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

Ver. 18. And by the good hand of God upon us ] God was in all this good man’s thoughts: he set upon every passage, as the ancients upon every special piece of work they did, Y, Y (Pausanias). This was the only way to make his journey comfortable, thus to converse with God all along, et Paradisum mente deambulare, and let your mind walk in paradise, as Jerome counselled the young hermit, assuring him that so long as he had paradise in his mind, and God in his apprehensions, tamdiu in eremo non esset, so long he should not be in a desert.

They brought us a man of understanding ] The Hebrew word Shacal signifieth three things: 1. To understand. 2. To instruct. 3. To prosper. Those that understand themselves, and teach others, shall do much good to themselves and others; see the note on Ezr 8:16 . This egregie cordatus homo exceptional sweet hearted man, was Sherebiah, as it followeth here, and Sherebiah, or, even Sherebiah; confer Neh 8:7 ; Neh 9:4-5 .

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

by the good hand: Ezr 8:22, Ezr 7:28, Neh 2:8, Pro 3:6

a man of understanding: Ezr 8:16, Pro 24:3, Jer 3:15, Dan 1:20, 1Co 14:20

Mahli: Num 3:20, 1Ch 6:19

Sherebiah: Ezr 8:24, Neh 8:7, Neh 9:4, Neh 9:5, Neh 10:12, Neh 12:24

Reciprocal: Ezr 7:6 – according to Isa 66:14 – the hand Act 11:21 – the hand

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ezr 8:18. By the good hand of our God That is, by the blessing of God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, &c. They did not return without their errand; but, though the warning was short, they brought about forty Levites to attend Ezra. By this it appears they were not averse to go, but were slothful, and only wanted to be called upon to go.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments