Ezra 8

Ezra 8 is the eighth chapter of the Book of Ezra in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible,[1] or the book of Ezra-Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible, which treats the book of Ezra and book of Nehemiah as one book.[2] Jewish tradition states that Ezra is the author of Ezra-Nehemiah as well as the Book of Chronicles,[3] but modern scholars generally accept that a compiler from the 5th century BCE (the so-called "Chronicler") is the final author of these books.[4] The section comprising chapters 7 to 10 mainly describes of activities of Ezra the scribe and the priest.[5] This chapter follows Ezra’s journey to Jerusalem and includes a genealogy of those returning with him (parallel to chapter 2).[5]

Ezra 8
The return from exile is depicted in this woodcut for Die Bibel in Bildern, 1860, by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld.
BookBook of Ezra
CategoryKetuvim
Christian Bible partOld Testament
Order in the Christian part15

Text

This chapter is divided into 36 verses. The original text of this chapter is in Hebrew language.[6]

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes Codex Leningradensis (1008).[7][lower-alpha 1]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century).[9][lower-alpha 2]

An ancient Greek book called 1 Esdras (Greek: Ἔσδρας Αʹ) containing some parts of 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah is included in most editions of the Septuagint and is placed before the single book of Ezra–Nehemiah (which is titled in Greek: Ἔσδρας Βʹ). 1 Esdras 8:28-67 is an equivalent of Ezra 8 (List of latter exiles who returned).[13][14]

The Caravan (8:1–14)

Large groups of Jews had returned to Jerusalem in past years, but many faithful men and their families still lived in Babylonian territories, some of whom at this time packed their belongings and assembled with Ezra to return to Judea.[15] The list in this part is a parallel to the famous Golah List of Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7, but notable here is the predominance of priestly associations before any Davidic identification.[16]

Verse 1
Now these are the chiefs of the households of the fathers and the genealogical register of those who went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of King Artaxerxes:[17]

Emboldened by God’s involvement (chapter 7), Ezra recruited family heads and those registered with them to accompany him to Jerusalem (as noted in Ezra 2, 'Jewish society was organized around men and their extended families').[15]

Verse 2
of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom;
of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel;
of the sons of David, Hattush,[18]

The list begins with the priests, reflecting 'Ezra's own station as a priest', formed by two patriarchal families: the descendants of Phinehas (Gershom) and Ithamar (Daniel), as the two descendants of Aaron the high priest.[19]

After listing the priestly line, Ezra registers the political line of Israel, which is the descendants of David (royal line), indicating that 'the memory of Davidic ancestry continued in the postexilic community'.[19] One family accompanying Ezra, Hattush, is a descendant of David (so called "Davidide"), and he would be the fourth generation after Zerubbabel[20] (cf. 1 Chronicles 3:19–22: "19 …the sons of Zerubbabel… Hananiah… 21 And the sons of Hananiah… the sons of Shechaniah. 22 And the sons of Shechaniah… Shemaiah: and the sons of Shemaiah… Hattush…").[19] The record of "Hattush" 'makes any other date than 458 [BC] difficult'.[16]

Final preparations (8:15–30)

Before departing from Babylonia. Ezra enlisted Levites to join his caravan, as well as 'called for a general fast to petition God's protection, and entrusted the money and valuable articles to consecrated priests'.[19]

Verse 15
Now I gathered them by the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And I looked among the people and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi there.[21]

The presence of the Levites ("sons of Levi") was significant to Ezra because, under Law of Torah, the Levites were 'responsible for the transport of temple articles'.[19]

Verse 22
For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.[22]

In contrast to Nehemiah, who accepted an armed guard, Ezra chose to rely on God's protection (cf. 2 Kings 6:17; Matthew 26:53).[16]

The journey (8:31–32)

Completing all the preparations, Ezra and his caravan 'embarked on the journey' from Babylonia to Jerusalem.[23]

Verse 31
Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.[24]
  • "The river of Ahava": Vulgate: "the river Ahava"; Latin: "a fiumine Ahava"; the meeting place probably takes its name from the stream. Ahava was reached by Ezra and his company on the ninth day after they left Babylon (cf. Ezra 7:9, Ezra 8:15), which helps Rawlinson to identify Ahava with "Is" as mentioned in Herodotus (i. 179),[25] which is eight days' journey from Babylon.[26] The modern name of the place is "Hit", which is famous for its bitumen springs, and is situated on the Euphrates, at a distance of about 80 miles northwest from Babylon.[27] The distance from Hit to Jerusalem is 618 miles using modern roads.[28]

Verse 32
So we came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days.[29]

According to Ezra 7:8, Ezra and his caravan arrived on the first day of the fifth month.[25]

  • "Three days": The same "three days' interval" to 'rest after the journey and to prepare plans' is also used by Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:11).[25]

Taking care of business (8:33–36)

This part records that Ezra meticulously transferred the articles and finances, performed the required rituals of sacrifices, and delivered the edict of the Persian king.[23]

Verse 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.[30]

After Ezra's group safely arrived in Jerusalem (verses 31–32), they offered sacrifice (verse 35), not because king Artaxerxes ordered them to do (7:17), nor as an "isolated act of thanksgiving", but because "they were reconstituted as the people of God and therefore must worship" God.[31]

See also

Notes
  1. Since 1947 the current text of Aleppo Codex is missing the whole book of Ezra-Nehemiah.[8]
  2. The extant Codex Sinaiticus only contains Ezra 9:9–10:44.[10][11][12]

References
  1. Halley 1965, p. 233.
  2. Grabbe 2003, p. 313.
  3. Babylonian Talmud Baba Bathra 15a, apud Fensham 1982, p. 2
  4. Fensham 1982, pp. 2–4.
  5. Grabbe 2003, p. 317.
  6. Note i on Ezra 7:27 in NKJV: "The Hebrew language resumes in Ezra 7:27."
  7. Würthwein 1995, pp. 36-37.
  8. P. W. Skehan (2003), "BIBLE (TEXTS)", New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2 (2nd ed.), Gale, pp. 355–362
  9. Würthwein 1995, pp. 73-74.
  10. Würthwein, Ernst (1988). Der Text des Alten Testaments (2nd ed.). Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. p. 85. ISBN 3-438-06006-X.
  11. Swete, Henry Barclay (1902). An Introduction to the Old Testament in Greek. Cambridge: Macmillan and Co. pp. 129–130.
  12.  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Codex Sinaiticus". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  13. Catholic Encyclopedia: Esdras: THE BOOKS OF ESDRAS: III Esdras
  14. Jewish Encyclopedia: Esdras, Books of: I Esdras
  15. Larson, Dahlen & Anders 2005, p. 92.
  16. Smith-Christopher 2007, p. 316.
  17. Ezra 8:1 MEV
  18. Ezra 8:2 MEV
  19. Larson, Dahlen & Anders 2005, p. 93.
  20. See: Blenkinsopp, J. (1988), "Ezra-Nehemiah", The Old Testament Library (London: SCM). p. 162; apud Smith-Christopher 2007, p. 316
  21. Ezra 8:15 NKJV
  22. Ezra 8:22 MEV
  23. Larson, Dahlen & Anders 2005, p. 96.
  24. Ezra 8:31 KJV
  25. Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Ezra 8. Accessed 28 April 2019.
  26. Exell, Joseph S.; Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice (Editors). On "Ezra 8". In: The Pulpit Commentary. 23 volumes. First publication: 1890. Accessed 24 April 2018.
  27. Barnes, Albert. Notes on the Bible - Ezra 8. James Murphy (ed). London: Blackie & Son, 1884.
  28. Calculated by Google Maps, 26 June 2020
  29. Ezra 8:32 NKJV
  30. Ezra 8:35 KJV
  31. McConville 1985, p. 59.

Sources

Further reading
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