Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 8:24
Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,
24 30. ( b) Provision for the custody of the votive gifts and offerings during the march
24. twelve of the chief of the priests ] R.V. twelve of the chiefs of the priests. Literally ‘twelve of the princes of the priests’. The R.V. margin adds, In Neh 12:24, Levites.
Sherebiah, Hashabiah ] R.V. even Sherebiah, Hashabiah. Marg. besides. The exact meaning is not very evident.
( a) The A.V. follows the Vulgate, “et separavi de principibus sacerdotum duodecim, Sarabiam et Hasabiam et cum eis de fratribus eorum decem”. The preposition which in the original stands before ‘Sherebiah’ is then treated (as in Ezr 8:16) as the sign of the object. The objection to this is that Sherebiah and Hashabiah seem to have been Levites.
( b) The LXX. translates the preposition as the sign of the dative, “And I assigned of the chiefs of the priests twelve unto Sherebiah, &c.” ( ). The objection to be made to this rendering is that it represents the priests as placed in a subordinate position to those who were Levites.
( c) 1Es 8:54 and Eresibia ( ) suggests another reading ( for ), “And I separated twelve and Sherebiah, &c.”
( d) The same result is obtained by the rendering of the R.V. margin, which is to be preferred, “I separated twelve of the chiefs of the priests, besides Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brethren with them”, i.e. 12 priests in addition to 12 Levites (Sherebiah, Hashabiah and their 10 brethren). Accepting this rendering, we see that Ezra selected two groups of twelve, one of priests, the other of Levites, to act as guardians of the treasure, which agrees with Ezr 8:30. The names of Sherebiah and Hashabiah are for some reason specially mentioned, either being the best known of the twenty-four, or perhaps alone recorded in the chronicle employed by the compiler. The only other explanation possible, that of the R.V. text, is that Sherebiah and Hashabiah were two of ‘the chiefs of the priests’ and not to be identified with the Levites of the same name in Neh 12:24. This gives a satisfactory meaning, according to which Ezra selected twelve ‘chiefs of priests’ to act as custodians. But (1) the clause ‘and ten of their brethren with them’, after the previous mention of the ‘twelve’, rather denotes a second group of the same number: (2) it is expressly stated in Ezr 8:30, ‘the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver, &c.’, while according to the R.V. text the Levites were not of the number.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ezr 8:24-30
And weighed unto them the silver and the gold, and the vessels.
The guardianship of the sacred treasures
I. The treasures to be guarded.
1. Valuable in themselves.
2. Valuable as being consecrated to God.
3. Valuable as being the spontaneous gifts of friends and well wishers.
II. The guardians of the treasures.
III. The charge to the guardians of the treasures.
IV. The acceptance of the guardianship of the treasures. Conclusion–
1. Our subject speaks to ministers of the gospel (1Co 4:1-2; Tit 1:7; Tit 1:9; 1Ti 6:20; 2Ti 1:14).
2. To all who have charge of public funds or the property of others.
3. To all men (Mat 25:14-30). (William Jones.)
The charge of the pilgrim priests
Without being unduly fanciful, I think I may venture to take these words as a type of the injunctions which are given to us Christian people, and to see in them a picturesque representation of the duties that devolve upon us in the course of our journey across the desert to the temple-home above.
I. Consider: the precious treasure entrusted to our keeping.
1. The treasure is first our own selves, with all that we are and may be under the humiliating and quickening influence of His grace and spirit. That which we carry with us–the infinite possibilities of these awful spirits of ours, the tremendous faculties which are given to every human soul, and which, like a candle plunged into oxygen, are meant to burn far more brightly under the stimulus of Christian faith and the possession of Gods truth, are the rich deposit committed to our charge. The precious treasure of our own natures, our own hearts, our own understandings, wills, consciences, desires–keep these until they are weighed in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem.
2. The treasure is next–This great word of salvation, once delivered to the saints, and to be handed on without diminution or alteration to the generations that are to come. Possession involves responsibility always. The word of salvation is given to us. If we go tampering with it, by erroneous apprehension, by unfair usage, by failing to apply it to our own daily life, then it will fade and disappear from our grasp. It is given to us in order that we may keep it safe, and carry it high up across the desert as becomes the priests of the most high God.
II. Next, the command, the guardianship that is here set forth. Watch ye and keep them. That is to say, Watch in order that ye may keep. This involves–
1. Unslumbering vigilance.
2. Lowly trust.
3. Punctilious purity.
It was fitting that the priests should carry the things that belonged to the temple. No other hands but consecrated hands had a right to touch them. To none other guardianship but the guardianship of the possessors of a symbolic and ceremonial purity could the vessels of a symbolic and ceremonial worship be entrusted; and to none others but the possessors of real and spiritual holiness can the treasures of the true temple, of an inward and spiritual worship be entrusted, Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord, said Isaiah long after. The only way to keep our treasure undiminished and untarnished, is to keep ourselves pure and clean.
4. Constant use of the treasure. Although the vessels borne through the desert by those priests were used for no service during the march, they weighed just the same when they got to the end as at the beginning. But if we do not use the vessels that are entrusted to our care they will not weigh the same. There never was an unused talent yet, but when it was taken out and put into the scales it was lighter than when it was committed to the keeping of the earth. Gifts that are used fructify. Capacities that are strained to the uttermost increase. Service strengthens the power of service; and just as the reward of work is more work, the way for making ourselves fit for bigger things is to do the things that are lying by us. The blacksmiths arm, the sailors eye, the organs of any piece of handicraft, as we all know, are strengthened by exercise, and so it is in the higher region.
III. The weighing in the house of the Lord. Though it cannot be that we shall meet the trial and the weighing of that day without many a flaw and much loss, yet we may hope that by His precious help and His pitying acceptance we may lay ourselves down in peace at last, saying, I have kept the faith, and may be awakened by the word Well done, good and faithful servant. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
From Ahava to Jerusalem
This illustrates the pilgrimage of the Christian.
I. The setting out from ahava.
1. From captivity to liberty.
2. From exile to their ancestral home.
3. From the land of idolatry to the scene of true worship.
II. The progress on the journey.
III. The arrival at jerusalem. This was characterised by–
1. Grateful rest.
2. Joyful welcome. (William Jones.)
.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Or, and
Sherebiah, & c., who were the Levites mentioned Ezr 8:18, who were jointly intrusted together with the priests with the charge of carrying these things carefully and safely. The particle and is oft understood.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24-32. Then I separated twelve ofthe chief of the priests . . . and weighed unto them the silver,&c.The custody of the contributions and of the sacred vesselswas, during the journey, committed to twelve of the chief priests,who, with the assistance of ten of their brethren, were to watchclosely over them by the way, and deliver them into the house of theLord in Jerusalem. The treasures in silver and gold, according to thevalue of the Babylonian talent, amounted to about 515,000 sterling.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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, Ezr 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, Ezr 8:18 and therefore the copulative “and” must be supplied:
and Sherebiah, c. or with the twelve priests, Sherebiah, &c. and ten Levites more with them so that the number of priests and Levites were equal, and in all twenty four.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| Ezra’s Care of the Temple Treasure. | B. C. 457. |
24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, 25 And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered: 26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels a hundred talents, and of gold a hundred talents; 27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold. 28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers. 29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD. 30 So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.
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 committed to faithful men, 2 Tim. ii. 2. 2. Having prayed to God to preserve all the substance they had with them, he shows himself especially solicitous for that part of it which belonged to the house of God and was an offering to him. Do we expect that God should, by his providence, keep that which belongs to us? Let us, by his grace, keep that which belongs to him. Let God’s honour and interest be our care; and then we may expect that our lives and comforts will be his. Observe, (1.) The persons to whom he delivered the offerings of the house of God. Twelve chief priests, and as many Levites, he appointed to this trust (Ezr 8:24; Ezr 8:30), who were bound by their office to take care of the things of God, and were in a particular manner to have the benefit of these sacred treasures. Ezra tells them why he put those things into their hands (v. 28): You are holy unto the Lord, the vessels are holy also; and who so fit to take care of holy things as holy persons? Those that have the dignity and honour of the priesthood must take along with them the trust and duty of it. The prophet is foretelling the return of God’s people and ministers out of Babylon, when he gives the solemn charge (Isa. lii. 11), Be you clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. (2.) The great exactness with which he lodged this trust in their hands: He weighed to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels (v. 25), because he expected to have it from them again by weight. In all trust, but especially sacred ones, we ought to be punctual, and preserve a right understanding on both sides. In Zerubbabel’s time the vessels were delivered by number, here by weight, that all might be forth-coming and it might easily appear if any were missing, to intimate that such as are entrusted with holy things (as all the stewards of the mysteries of God are) are concerned to remember, both in receiving their trust and in discharging it, that they must shortly give a very particular account of it, that they may be faithful to it and so give up their account with joy. (3.) The charge he have them with these treasures (v. 29): “Watch you, and keep them, that they be not lost, nor embezzled, nor mingled with the other articles. Keep them together; keep them by themselves; keep them safely, till you weigh them in the temple, before the great men there,” hereby intimating how much it was their concern to be careful and faithful and how much it would be their honour to be found so. Thus when Paul charges Timothy with the gospel treasure he bids him keep it until the appearing of Jesus Christ, and his appearing before him to give account of his trust, when his fidelity would be his crown.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
4. They took along certain treasures, which were entrusted to priests on the journey and were delivered safely at Jerusalem.
TEXT, Ezr. 8:24-30
24
Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers;
25
and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes, and all Israel present there, had offered.
26
Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and gold talents,
27
and 20 gold bowls, worth 1,000 darics; and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold.
28
Then I said to them, You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers.
29
Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites, and the heads of the fathers households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.
30
So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
COMMENT
Ezr. 8:24. Ezra sets a good example for preachers by putting all the valuables into the hands of others (more than one; twelve in fact) to assure their safe arrival, to avoid being suspected of dishonesty, or as a matter of record to give account to his Persian superiors. His choice of priests as the custodians may have been governed by several factors. If anyone were trustworthy, they would be. The articles were all for the use of the priests later on; they might as well have them in their keeping now. Also, he may have felt that marauders would be more hesitant to attack priests than ordinary citizens.
Ezr. 8:25 repeats the information of Ezr. 7:15 f., that the valuables were contributed by the king, his counsellors, and the people from Israel who lived in Babylon.
Ezr. 8:26-27 give the amount and description of these valuables. The Living Bible converts these into American money: $1,300,000 in silver; $200,000 in silver utensils; $3,000,000 in gold; and twenty gold bowls worth a total of $5,000; plus two bronze or brass items whose purity and design made them as valuable as gold. Total weight would be about 30 tons: no small item for this band of travelers.
Ezr. 8:28-30 relate Ezras charge to the twelve priests. Holy utensils must only be handled by holy men; what better reason for putting them into their safekeeping? The money likewise was given as an offering to God. They were responsible for them till delivery was made to the priests, Levites, and leading citizens at the Temple in Jerusalem.
WORD STUDIES
AHAVA (Ezr. 8:15; Ezr. 8:21): possibly means water; it may be akin to the Latin, aqua.
BABYLON (Ezr. 8:1): gate, i.e., court, of Bel (the god of the Babylonians).
CASIPHIA (Ezr. 8:17): this comes from a word meaning pale, silver, white, or shining. Perhaps it was a city known for its brightness, or for its money.
HOLY (Kodesh: Ezr. 8:28): pure, consecrated, separated. Because a thing was entirely or purely separated to one purpose, it was sacred for that use. With little change the word is used of men devoted to pagan temples and practicing the lowest vices and perversions. It makes a great deal of difference to what purpose, or God, a person devotes his life.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(24) Sherebiah.Rather, to Sherebiahthat is, these two Levites, alone mentioned, with ten others, were associated with an equal number of priests in the charge of the Temple treasure.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. Twelve of the chief of the priests Not high priests, but leading men, specially distinguished for age or wisdom, among the priests that were with Ezra.
Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten According to the English version, which follows the Sept. and Vulg., these were the twelve priests just mentioned; but from Ezr 8:18-19, and elsewhere, it appears that Sherebiah and Hashabiah were not priests, but Levites. And as our author is so careful to distinguish between priests and Levites in Ezr 8:15, we can hardly suppose he confounds them here. The Hebrew literally reads: I separated from the chief of the priests twelve unto ( ) Sherebiah, etc. That is, he appointed twelve priests in addition to Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and their ten brethren, so that there were twenty-four persons in all to whom the treasures were intrusted twelve priests and twelve Levites. Compare Ezr 8:30.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ezra Entrusts The Gifts For The House Of YHWH Into The Hands Of Twelve Chief Priests For Them To Guard On The Journey ( Ezr 8:24-30 ).
It is never right to use faith as an excuse for foolishness. So having committed everything to God, and having obtained assurance of His protection, he now took wise steps to safeguard the treasure. He divided the treasure up among a number of trustworthy men, so that each could protect what was entrusted to him. They would have to watch against both internal thieves, and any attempts made by brigands on the caravan.
Ezr 8:24
‘Then I set apart twelve of the chiefs of the priests, for Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them,’
As became the responsibility of Levites, to Sherebiah and Hashabiah (compare Ezr 8:19) and ten of their brothers was granted the privilege of overseeing the bearing of the treasures. These were of course the chiefs among the Levites. They would oversee the actual bearing of the treasures by their brothers. But in order to safeguard them from any charges of failure in their duties, and in order to keep overall watch over the treasures, twelve chiefs of priest were set over them to take overall responsibility for the treasure. As the treasures were mainly intended for the Temple it would have been an insult to the priests if they had not had such overall responsibility. The number twelve indicated that they were acting on behalf of all Israel.
Ezr 8:25
‘And weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his princes, and all Israel there present, had offered.’
The silver, gold and vessels were weighed and technically handed over to the chiefs of the priests, who would be called upon to sign for them, but they would immediately have called on the Levites to bear them. They would not bend their backs to such matters. These were the offerings for the house of God which had been received from the king, his chief counsellors, his princes and all of Israel in the locality who had willingly offered. Here we learn that additionally to the counsellors, the aristocracy had been called on by the king to contribute.
Ezr 8:26-27
‘I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and a hundred silver vessels in talents (or by repointing ‘of two talents each’), and a hundred talents of gold, and twenty bowls of gold, of a thousand darics, and two vessels of beautifully glittering bronze, precious as gold.’
The riches that had been gathered were now put into the hands of those appointed. Six hundred talents of silver was a huge amount. But it was tiny as compared with the riches of the Persian empire. The hundred silver vessels were apparently one talent each, although it could be repointed as dual, and therefore as two talents. A hundred talents of gold was again a very large amount. But the richest men throughout Babylonia had contributed, and wanted the king to see how much they cared about his life and the life of his sons. Twenty bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics each were for the Temple of the God of Heaven (whom they may well have associated with their own god, Ahura-mazda). The two vessels of beautifully glittering bronze were clearly seen as very special. They were ‘precious as gold’. That may have been because some metal-worker had had his own secret formula which had achieved unique and spectacular results (he may even have discovered how to produce true brass, but if so his secret died with him), or it may be because the material used came from a distant country and was rare (orichale has been suggested).
What had to be carried if these figures are correct was considerable, in weight as well as in value. There were at least 850 talents and 1,000 darics. If we take a talent as representing approximately 30 kilograms (66 pounds), the talents would come to over 25,000 kilograms (56,000 pounds). Divided among 258 Levites and their assistants that would mean each carried about 100 kilograms (or 225 pounds), although of course they would be able to call on asses and camels for the most part. (The holy vessels may have had to be carried by hand). It is not therefore impossible.
Remembering that Solomon would not even deign to use silver, ‘silver was not accounted of in the day of Solomon’ (1Ki 10:21), and that the Persian kings were richer far, we should not be surprised at the huge amount of silver involved (compare on Ezr 1:9; Ezr 7:22). When we consider that the king and his wealthy counsellors would be vying with each other to be accounted generous, and that on top of these were the further contributions required from the wealthy aristocracy, these figures are not inconceivable. In the king’s eyes, nothing would have been too good for the God of Heaven, and he had probably heard how fabulously richly inlaid the Temple had once been. He would not want to suffer by comparison in the eyes of the God of Heaven. We see these figures as enormous. American multi-billionaires, like Persian kings, would see them as reasonable.
Ezr 8:28
‘And I said to them, “You are holy unto YHWH, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill-offering to YHWH, the God of your fathers.”
Ezra then reminded the priests and Levites that they were ‘holy unto YHWH’, as were the sacred vessels, which he may well have consecrated. It is probable that these vessels would have to be carried by the Levites themselves because of their holiness, which would be why the presence of Levites would be so necessary. But while the silver and gold were a freewill offering to YHWH, and therefore to be seen as sacred in a secondary way, they would eventually be melted down and used for the benefit of the Temple. Thus they were not ‘most holy’, and could no doubt be borne by asses and camels. Notice the reference to ‘YHWH the God of your fathers’, only found here and in Ezr 8:28. It is also found in Exo 3:13-16 when Moses is called to deliver Israel; in Deu 1:11; Deu 4:1 where they are to go in and possess the land and multiply; and in Jos 18:3 where the taking of the land which God had given them is spoken of. It was therefore very apt. It is also used three times in 2 Chronicles. It may well be that Ezra wanted us to see them as ‘going forward in order to take the land’ for the Law of God.
Ezr 8:29
“Watch you, and keep them, until you weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the princes of the fathers’ (houses) of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of YHWH.”
The priests and Levites in question were to keep watch over the sacred vessels and the treasure, and guard them until they were able to weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the princes of the fathers’ (houses), as they handed them over in the side rooms of the house of YHWH.
Ezr 8:30
‘So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.’
And thus did the priests and Levites receive the weight of the silver and gold and the vessels in order to bring them to the house of God in Jerusalem.
Ezra And The Returnees Are Kept Safe On The Journey, Hand Over The Treasures To The House Of God, Offer Offering And Sacrifices To YHWH, And Deliver The King’s Commission To The Authorities (Ezr 8:31-36).
The journey had begun on the first day of the month (Ezr 7:9), but due to the delay caused by the necessity of obtaining Levites to bear the sacred vessels, the caravan could not set off from the river Ahava until the twelfth day of the month. However, once they had started off the journey went well, and as soon as they reached Jerusalem they rested for three days and then handed over the treasures to the priests and Levites in the Temple, after which offerings, and sacrifices for sin, were made to YHWH. Finally the king’s commissions were handed over to the kings satraps, and the governors of Beyond the River, who, along with the Israelite leadership, faithfully carried out their requirements.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Is there not a sweet spiritual instruction here? Doth not the apostle, in allusion to gospel treasures for himself and his faithful companions, observe, we have this treasure in earthen vessels. 2Co 4:7 . Indeed, are not all the precious truths of God considered as the treasures of his grace, More to be desired than gold, yea, than fine gold? And is not Jesus the whole sum and substance of all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge? Blessed Redeemer! commit thy treasure, O Lord, unto faithful men. And ye that are ministers, be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Isa 52:11 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Ezr 8:24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,
Ver. 24. Then I separated twelve ] I singled them and set them apart for this great trust, vide cui fidas. See the faith of these.
Sherebiah, Hashabiah
and ten of their brethren with them
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Ezr 8:24-30
24Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; 25and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered. 26Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and 100 gold talents, 27and 20 gold bowls worth 1, 000 Daric, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. 28Then I said to them, You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers. 29Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD. 30So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
Ezr 8:24
NASB, NRSVset apart
NKJVseparated
TEV, NJBchose
The Hebrew VERB (BDB 95, KB 110, to divide, Hiphil IMPERFECT) means to make special note of someone or some thing to serve God. It was used of
1. God selecting Israel, Lev 20:24; Num 16:9
2. Moses selecting the Levites, Num 8:14
3. God selecting the tribe of Levi, Deu 10:8
4. David selecting the sons of Asaph, Herman, and Jeduthun to be temple musicians, 1Ch 25:1
5. Ezra’s selection to care for the special offerings for the temple (in this text)
It has the connotation of a divinely-led selection of persons for an assigned task.
the leading priests The NASB (1995 Update) translation uses the English word leader/leading several times in this chapter.
1. leading men, Ezr 8:16 (BDB 106, i.e., Men of understanding, e.g., Neh 10:28)
2. the leading man, Ezr 8:17 (BDB 910, head e.g., Ezr 8:29)
3. leading priests, Ezr 8:24; Ezr 8:29 (BDB 987, officials, rulers, e.g., Ezr 7:28; Ezr 8:20; Ezr 8:25; Ezr 10:8; Ezr 10:14)
Also note that Sherebiah seems to be called a priest when Neh 12:24 calls him a Levite. 1Es 8:54 shows the distinction by adding and before his name in Ezr 8:24 (cf. Derek Kidner, Tyndale Commentary Series, Ezra and Nehemiah, p. 66 and The Anchor Bible, vol. 14, p. 67).
Ezr 8:26 talents See Special Topic: Ancient Near East Weights and Volumes .
Ezr 8:27
NASBfine shiny bronze
NKJV, NRSVfine polished bronze
TEVfine bronze
NJBfine burnished copper
This term (BDB 843, KB 1007) occurs only here in the hophal (PARTICIPLE). Its color ranges from yellow to gold.
Ezr 8:28 You are holy to the LORD Holy is the Hebrew term kadosh (BDB 871, KB 1076, VERB 1072). It has a similar connotation to set apart of Ezr 8:24 (i.e., set apart for God’s service).
SPECIAL TOPIC: Holy
Ezr 8:29 Watch and keep These VERBS (BDB 1052, KB 1638 and BDB 1036, KB 1581) are both Qal IMPERATIVES. They have similar meanings and are used for emphasis.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
chief = princes.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Ezr 8:24-30
Ezr 8:24-30
THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES WERE ENTRUSTED WITH THE TREASURES
“Then I set apart twelve of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, and weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his princes, and all Israel there present, had offered: I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels a hundred talents; of gold a hundred talents; and twenty bowls of gold, of a thousand darics; and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold. And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto Jehovah, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill-offering unto Jehovah, the God of your fathers. Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the princes of the fathers’ houses of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of Jehovah. So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.”
“The value of these gifts was well over a million pounds; but this is by no means inconceivable in view of the immense wealth of the Perisan kings.”
Responsibility for transporting this vast sum of money, “Was vested in twelve priests and twelve Levites especially chosen for the task. This was in accordance with the Pentateuchal care and movement of the tabernacle furnishings (Numbers 3; Numbers 4).”
“Ye are holy … the vessels are holy” (Ezr 8:28). Ezra here heeded the prophecy of Isaiah who had prophesied the return of Israel from captivity, saying, “Cleanse yourselves, ye that bear the vessels of Jehovah.” (Isa 52:11). As Matthew Henry stated it, “We have here an account of the particular care which Ezra took,'” in the handling of the treasures entrusted to him. It is always of the greatest importance that God’s servants should take the greatest precautions in handling sacred contributions that their actions should exhibit to all men the utmost honesty and integrity.
E.M. Zerr:
Ezr 8:24. Separated is used in the sense of being appointed. The two men named and 10 others were specially called upon for the service soon to be described.
Ezr 8:25-26. In stating the amount Ezra weighed unto these men, it does not mean that he took just that much out of the supply on hand. It is another way of telling us that was the amount of the materials that had been given them by the king and his counsellors. Weighing it to the 12 men was for the purpose of checking afterward. As an illustration, a man might be handing a sum of money to another in settlement of an obligation. He may insist that the money be counted before they separate so that no misunderstanding could come up afterward. The same principle is taught in the New Testament (Rom 12:17; 2Co 8:20-21; 1Th 4:11-12). An honest man will not object to being “checked”; in fact, he will insist upon it. I have known treasurers of churches who never gave any statement to the congregation; if they were asked for it they would resent it. Something is wrong with a man when he does that way.
Ezr 8:27. Fine copper is rendered “shining” in the margin. That fact signifies that it was the best grade since it would take a high polish. Precious as gold is likewise given another translation in the margin and is rendered “desirable.” The lexicon agrees with it, because a material might be as desirable as gold, even though not as valuable in the market as a precious metal.
Ezr 8:28. The word holy is used in the sense of being consecrated to God. The vessels and the metals, also the men having been charged with them, were appointed to the service of God in the temple, hence all was holy.
Ezr 8:29. Ezra charged these men to weigh the valuables before the chief persons, which means to do it in their presence. That was for the same purpose that caused him to weigh them as they left his hands. See my comments at Ezr 8:25-26. They were to be weighed in the presence of responsible persons. Special mention is made of the priests and Levites. The former were those members of the Levitical tribe who came down from the family of Aaron, the latter meant the tribe in general.
Ezr 8:30. The priests and Levites not only took over the materials, but they took the weight of them. That was virtually a receipt for them, thus assuming responsibility for their proper disposition for the great work then about to begin.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Thanksgiving for Safety and Success
Ezr 8:24-36
Into our hands also is committed first the rich treasure and solemn trust of our own souls, and next the great deposit of the gospel; 1Ti 1:11; 1Ti 6:20. In order to fulfil this sacred charge there must be purity, Ye are holy; and sleepless vigilance, Watch ye. There were ambushes and designs on their safety, but the foe was unable to break through the divine environment, Ezr 8:31. How safe are we who live in God! What joy as the little band weighed the vessels, and rendered up their charge, Luk 19:16. Is not this a picture of our entrance into heaven, when we also shall acknowledge the good hand of the Lord, and sacrifice our burnt offerings of thanksgiving? This incident is no exception. Similar care will be surely and blessedly experienced by all those who trust under the shadow of Gods wing. It is credibly affirmed that, in the American Civil War, none of the Quakers, who of course were non-resisters, suffered any damage from the troops of either side. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them. Let those who fast and pray for Gods help be sure to return Him thanks when it has been given.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Sherebiah: Ezr 8:18, Ezr 8:19
Reciprocal: Num 3:8 – General Neh 10:11 – Hashabiah Eze 44:8 – charge Joh 12:6 – the bag
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ezr 8:24. Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests With whom he might intrust the gifts that had been offered for the temple. Having committed the keeping of them to God, he also committed the keeping of them, under God, to proper men, whose business it should be to watch over and take care of them. Thus our prayers must always be seconded with our endeavours; the care of Christs gospel, his church and ordinances, must not be so left with him, but that it must also be committed to faithful men, 2Ti 2:2.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ezra’s physical preparations 8:24-30
Ezra took special precautions to make sure the expensive temple utensils arrived safely and to guarantee that everyone would perceive that his handling of the precious cargo was completely honest (cf. 2Co 8:20-21). The Babylonian "talent" (Ezr 8:26) weighed about 66 pounds. The "daric" (Ezr 8:27) was a thick gold Persian coin that weighed 130 grams or about 4 1/2 ounces. [Note: The New Bible Dictionary, "Money."] The total weight of the precious cargo the exiles took with them seems to have been about 28 tons. [Note: Myers, pp. 67-68.] There are records that indicate that there were some very wealthy Jews living in Babylon at this time. [Note: See Fensham, The Books . . ., p. 118.]
"Following Ezra’s example, Christian leaders should delegate responsibility. Ezra carefully chose the people to whom he gave responsibility. It may seem exaggerated to have taken such precautions with the money, to weigh it out carefully, to record every detail. However, to do things carefully, with decisions and transactions documented in writing, is a sign of wisdom rather than a lack of confidence. It protects everyone involved. Many present-day scandals could be avoided if Christian leaders would learn from Ezra." [Note: Breneman, p. 143.]