1 These are now the chiefe of their fathers, and this is the genealogie of them that went vp with mee from Babylon, in the reigne of Artaxerxes the king.
2 Of the sonnes of Phinehas, Gershom: of the sonnes of Ithamar, Daniel: of the sonnes of Dauid, Hattush.
3 Of the sonnes of Shechaniah, of the sonnes of Pharosh, Zechariah, and with him were reckoned, by genealogie of the males, an hundred and fiftie.
4 Of the sonnes of Pahath Moab, Elihoenai the sonne of Zerahiah: and with him, two hundred males.
5 Of the sonnes of Shechaniah, the sonne of Iahaziel, and with him three hundred males.
6 Of the sonnes also of Adin, Ebed the sonne of Ionathan, and with him fiftie males.
7 And of the sonnes of Elam, Ieshaiah the sonne of Athaliah, and with him seuentie males.
8 And of the sonnes of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the sonne of Michael, and with him fourescore males.
9 Of the sonnes of Ioab, Obadiah the sonne of Iehiel: and with him two hundred and eighteene males.
10 And of the sonnes of Shelomith, the sonne of Iosiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males.
11 And of the sonnes of Bebai, Zechariah the sonne of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males.
12 And of the sonnes of Azgad, Iohanan the sonne of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred and ten males.
13 And of the last sonnes of Adonikam, whose names are these: Eliphelet, Iehiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.
14 Of the sonnes also of Biguai, Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them seuentie males.
15 ¶ And I gathered them together to the riuer, that runneth to Ahaua, and there abode wee in tents three dayes: and I viewed the people, and the Priests, and found there none of the sonnes of Leui.
16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Iarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chiefe men; also for Iarib, and for Elnathan, men of vnderstanding.
17 And I sent them with commandement vnto Iddo the chiefe at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say vnto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring vnto vs ministers for the house of our God.
18 And by the good hand of our God vpon vs, they brought vs a man of vnderstanding, of the sonnes of Mahli the sonne of Leui, the sonne of Israel, and Sherebiah, with his sonnes, and his brethren, eighteene.
19 And Hashabiah, and with him Ieshaiah of the sonnes of Merari, his brethren, and their sonnes, twentie.
20 Also of the Nethinims, whom Dauid, and the Princes had appointed for the seruice of the Leuites, two hundred and twentie Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.
21 ¶ Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the riuer Ahaua, that we might afflict our selues before our God, to seeke of him a right way for vs, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of souldiers and horsmen, to helpe vs against the enemie in the way: because wee had spoken vnto the king, saying, The hand of our God is vpon all them for good, that seeke him, but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.
23 So we fasted, and besought our God for this, and hee was intreated of vs.
24 ¶ Then I separated twelue of the chiefe of the Priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,
25 And weighed vnto them the siluer and the gold, and the vessels, euen the offering of the house of our God, which the king and his counsellours, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered:
26 I euen weighed vnto their hand, sixe hundred and fifty talents of siluer, and siluer vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents:
27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drammes, and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.
28 And I said vnto them, Yee are holy vnto the Lord, the vessels are holy also, and the siluer and the gold are a free-will offring vnto the Lord God of your fathers.
29 Watch ye, and keepe them, vntill yee weigh them before the chiefe of the Priests, and the Leuites, and chiefe of the fathers of Israel at Ierusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.
30 So tooke the Priests and the Leuites the weight of the siluer and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Ierusalem, vnto the house of our God.
31 ¶ Then wee departed from the riuer of Ahaua, on the twelfth day of the first moneth, to goe vnto Ierusalem; and the hand of our God was vpon vs, and hee deliuered vs from the hand of the enemie, and of such as lay in wait by the way.
32 And we came to Ierusalem, and abode there three dayes.
33 ¶ Now on the fourth day was the siluer and the gold, and the vessels weighed in the house of our God, by the hand of Meremoth the sonne of Uriah the Priest, and with him was Eleazar the sonne of Phinehas, and with them was Iozabad the sonne of Ieshua, and Noadiah the sonne of Binnui, Leuites:
34 By number, and by weight of uery one: and all the weight was written at that time.
35 Also the children of those that had bene caried away which were come out of the captiuitie, offered burnt offrings vnto the God of Israel, twelue bullocks for all Israel, ninetie and sixe rammes, seuentie and seuen lambes, twelue hee goates for a sinne offering: All this was a burnt offering vnto the Lord.
36 ¶ And they deliuered the Kings commissions vnto the kings lieuteuants, and to the gouernours on this side the riuer, and they furthered the people, and the house of God.
The companions of Ezra. (1-20) Ezra implores God's blessing. (21-23) Treasures committed to the priests. (24-30) Ezra arrives at Jerusalem. (31-36)1-20 Ezra assembles the outcasts of Israel, and the dispersed of Judah. God raised up the spirits of a small remnant to accompany him. What a pity that good men should omit a good work, for want of being spoken to!
21-23 Ezra procured Levites to go with him; but what will that avail, unless he have God with him? Those who seek God, are safe under the shadow of his wings, even in their greatest dangers; but those who forsake him, are always exposed. When entering upon any new state of life, our care should be, to bring none of the guilt of the sins of our former condition into it. When we are in any peril, let us be at peace with God, and then nothing can do us any real hurt. All our concerns about ourselves, our families, and our estates, it is our wisdom and duty, by prayer to commit to God, and to leave the care of them with him. And, on some occasions, we should decline advantages which are within our reach, lest we should cause others to stumble, and so our God be dishonoured. Let us ask wisdom of God, that we may know how to use or to refuse lawful things. We shall be no losers by venturing, suffering, or giving up for the Lord's sake. Their prayers were answered, and the event declared it. Never have any that sought God in earnest, found that they sought him in vain. In times of difficulty and danger, to set a season apart for secret or for social prayer, is the best method for relief we can take.
24-30 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.
31-36 Enemies laid wait for the Jews, but God protected them. Even the common perils of journeys, call us to go out with prayer, and to return with praise and thanksgiving. But what shall we render when the Lord has led us safely through the pilgrimage of life, through the gloomy vale of death, out of the reach of all our enemies, into everlasting happiness! Among their sacrifices they had a sin-offering. The atonement sweetens and secures every mercy to us, which will not be truly comfortable, unless sin be taken away, and our peace made with God. Then had the church rest. The expressions here used, direct us to the deliverance of sinners from spiritual bondage, and their pilgrimage to the heavenly Jerusalem, under the care and protection of their God and Saviour.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.