I tend to dislike reading through genealogies. Some people are mentioned in the Bible and don’t get much exposition. Ezra 8:1-4 is another of those genealogical entries, like in 1 Chronicles and Ezra 2. However, the importance of statistics is that it keeps a record. Sure, it’s boring for some to read through them. What we see is that Ezra is highly particular about details. Rather than skip it, the commentaries can provide insights into the commentaries. Commentaries would help me appreciate the need to read through genealogies. The more I read commentaries, the more I see the necessity of genealogical records.
The Enduring World Bible Commentary has David Guzik gives this explanation:
a. These are the heads of their father’s houses: This list includes those who went up with Ezra from Babylon. Here Ezra begins to re-tell the account that was summarized in Ezra 7:1-10.
i. “There was little at Jerusalem to attract a new expedition; for the glamour which had surrounded the first return, with a son of David at its head, had faded in grievous disappointments; and the second series of pilgrims had to carry with them the torch with which to rekindle the flames of devotion.” (Adeney)
b. Of the sons of Phinehas, Gerhsom…Ithamar, Daniel…David, Hattush: These seem to be prominent members of the entourage, coming from prominent families.
i. “The interest of this forbidding list of names and numbers lies in the fact that in every case but one these groups are joining, at long last, the descendants of the pioneers from Babylon eighty years before.” (Kidner)
ii. Shechaniah: “There were three of this name; the second is mentioned in Ezra 8:5, and the third Ezra 10:2. They were all different persons, as may be seen from their fathers’ houses.” (Clarke)
c. And with him two hundred males…three hundred males: Adding the counts of the male members of the group together, there was a total count of at least 1,496 men in the group. Adding an estimated number of women and children (Ezra 8:21), we can surmise that the total number of the party coming with Ezra in the days of King Artaxerxes was something like between 6,000 to 7,000 people.
i. “The whole company consisted of one thousand four hundred ninety and six males: a good addition to those that went up before with Zerubbabel; yet nothing so many as might have been, but that they wanted hearts.” (Trapp)
Dr. John F. MacArthur writes in the NIV MacArthur Study Bible this detail:
The list that follows no dobut includes those who lived in the surrounding areas. The total number of males in this section is 1,496 plus the men named, so with the addition of the women and children the number easily approaches 7,000 to 8,000. Just as these had not gone with the first group of returnees, so many Jews remained in Babylon after this group had departed. During the 70 years, many of the exiles had settled into a comfortable lifestyle. No small conflict arose between those who returned and those who stayed in Babylon.
Finding for Levites in doing the great revival plan
After verse 14, the narration moves forward to verse 15. Ezra notes this one:
I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the sons of Levi.
Remember not every Levite was a priest. The priests had to come from the Tribe of Levi. However, there were no Levites (of non-priestly origin) found. The priesthood was descended from Aaron. Guzik also mentions this in Enduring Word Bible Commentary:
a. Now I gathered them by the river: Ezra was definitely the leader of this group, and in more than a spiritual sense. He led the expedition.
b. And found none of the sons of Levi there: The Levites were different from the priests. The priests came from one family among the entire tribe of Levi (the descendants of Aaron). These were the essential workers for the system of temple worship that Ezra was to promote.
i. Perhaps the Levites were generally too comfortable with their lives in Babylon to go back to Jerusalem. Perhaps they were not willing to go back to their ancestral temple duties that put them under the authority of the priests. Whatever the reason was, Ezra had the money and the authority he needed, but not the men.
ii. “A rabbinic midrash on Psalm 137 relates the legend that there were Levites in the caravan but that they were not qualified to officiate because when Nebuchadnezzar had ordered them to sing for him the songs of Zion, ‘they refused and bit off the ends of their fingers, so that they could not play on the harps.’” (Yamauchi)
What we need to see is that Ezra gives another record. Ezra gives a list of the people he sent such as Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, another Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah (probably just another commoner, not the prophet), and Meshullam, leading me, and for Joiarib, and yet another Elnathan and Joiarib, who were men of insight. They were sent to Iddo the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo. The name Iddo keeps showing up in the Bible such as the prophet Iddo, whose writings were treated more as secular history to back up the Bible’s claims, than writings inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The Commentary Critical and Commentary on the Whole Bible has Robert Jamieson give this comment on verses 16-20:
Ezra sent this deputation, either by virtue of authority which by his priestly character he had over the Levites, or of the royal commission in which he was invested. The deputation was dispatched to Iddo, who was a prince or chief of the Nethinims–for the Persian government allowed the Hebrews during their exile to retain their ecclesiastical government by their own chiefs, as well as to enjoy the privilege of free worship. Iddo’s influence procured and brought to the camp of Ahava 38 Levities and 220 Nethinims, the descendants of the Gibeonites, who performed the servile duties of the temple.
It was through God’s good hand that men of discretion came in These good men are sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18; Other names mentioned are Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20. There are 220 temple servants whom David and his officials set apart to attend the Levites. Apparently, we do have another David years later. David is such a common name. People named their children after David because of the popularity of the king. What people may forget is David’s lack of discretion with women.
Now, for a bit of commentary from Enduring Word Bible Commentary:
a. I gave them a command…that they should bring us servants for the house of our God: With this, Ezra sent back to Babylon for Levites to come and join the work in Jerusalem. He didn’t accept the initial failure of the Levites to join the group but kept appealing for help.
i. Ezra planned carefully in the Levite recruitment effort. He specifically chose the recruiters – nine leaders, and two men of understanding to make the appeal as persuasive as possible. Then he carefully instructed the recruiters as to what they should say and directed them specifically as to whom to make the appeal (Iddo and his brethren). Indeed, the good hand of our God was upon the recruitment effort, but it was also upon the planning of it.
ii. “Iddo the chief; the head of the rest, either by ecclesiastical order or government, which the Persian kings allowed to the Jews; or by some grant or commission from the king.” (Poole)
b. They brought us a man of understanding…namely Sherebiah: This man responded to the call and led a delegation of Levites.
The purpose of genealogies is proof of authenticity. Statistics would be like, “See, I told you so.” That’s why there’s a census performed, for the sake of record-keeping. In today’s application, we have the principle of accounting. After Ezra presents his record, a great fasting and prayer happens. Ezra was conscious to follow God’s Mosaic Law to a T. As Romans 3:31 says, faith doesn’t make the law void but rather, faith fulfills the law.
Reformed Baptist Christian Blogger 