Ezra 8:1 - The Biblical Illustrator

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava.

The assembly at Ahava

I. The long journey commenced.

II. An important inspection made. This halt illustrates--

1. The need of seasons of rest.

2. The use of seasons of rest.

III. A grave deficiency discovered. Ministers of religion are sometimes slow in making personal sacrifices and rendering personal assistance even in a good enterprise.

IV. The supply of the deficienct sought. He sought them--

1. By means of influential men.

2. By sending them to the right place.

3. By sending them to the right man.

4. By sending them with precise instructions.

V. The supply of the deficiency obtained.

1. The supply was sufficient.

2. The supply was various.

3. The supply was remarkable for the presence of at least one man of distinguished ability.

4. The supply was obtained by the blessing of God. (William Jones.)

A man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli.

Men of understanding

I. Are the gifts of God.

1. They derive their abilities from Him.

2. They rightly develop their abilities by His blessing.

3. They attain their moral excellences by His blessing.

II. Are of great worth amongst men.

1. Understanding is essential to the beneficent employment of other gifts and powers.

2. The employment of understanding itself confers great benefits upon society.

Conclusion: It behoves us--

1. To praise God for men of understanding.

2. To prize such men.

3. To endeavour to become men of understanding. (William Jones.)

Related Commentaries of Ezra 8:1

Ezra 8:1-20

1 These are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king.

2 Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.

3 Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty.

4 Of the sons of Pahathmoab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males.

5 Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males.

6 Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.

7 And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.

8 And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males.

9 Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

10 And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males.

11 And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males.

12 And of the sonsa of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred and ten males.

13 And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.

14 Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud,b and with them seventy males.

15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.

16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.

17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I toldc them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.

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;

19 And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;

20 Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.