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.
This is not likely the Daniel of the lion’s den. That Daniel was carried into captivity in 526BC. This is probably 435BC, some 91 years later. If Daniel was as young as thirteen when he was carried away, he would be 104 years old by this time, much too old to travel from Persia to Jerusalem if he could even have possibly been alive (The genealogies in the Bible by this time tell us that the average life span was around seventy years as it is today.)
Besides, most believe Daniel from the Lion’s Den was from the tribe of Judah, possibly a descendant of David, while Ezra’s Daniel was a Levite (“of the sons of Phinehas” Aaron’s son).
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.
Again, the time is too great for this to be the Obadiah who wrote the book of the Bible.
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 sons 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, and with them seventy males.
Quite a number of people.
15 And I gathered them together to the river that runs 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.
They all met at a little settlement about a week’s journey outside of Babylon. We don’t know for sure where this “river that runs to Ahava” is. It may well have been a man-made canal that took water to the town of Ahava, in which case it will be impossible for us to ever identify it.
He took inventory to see who all he had and found out there were no Levites. The descendants of Levi listed in verse two counted as priests. Ezra was looking for non-priest descendants of Levi. Where the priest led worship and sacrifice, the other work of the Temple was done by the Levites.
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.
Ezra was in charge because of the king’s decree, but possibly also due to being from the priestly line.
These men were wise men who would make good leaders with Ezra.
17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told 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.
He sent around to get someone else who understood the Law and could help with teaching the people. Unlike Moses, Ezra understood he couldn’t do the job all by himself.
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.
He received plenty of help.
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of Him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
All undertakings, whether great or small should begin with seeking God. Ezra is right on track.
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."
Ezra had such a strong belief in God that he bragged to the king about how God was able to take care of them and they didn’t need military protection to travel through the dangerous parts of their journey. However, Ezra was also human, so he is having a special prayer service to ask for God’s protection, especially to save face with the king.
23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and He was entreated of us.
God hears His people.
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 counselors, 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 an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents;
27 Also twenty basins 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.”
He carefully weighed everything with the intention of weighing it again in Jerusalem to make sure it all gets there.
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.
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.
Ezra left Babylon on the first of the month (about April on our calendar). It only took twelve days to make it to Ahava, discover there were no Levites, send around and gather a bunch of them up to join the caravan, hold a fast, divide up the treasures for travel and get everyone ready to set out. Pretty good organizing if you ask me!
They have a safe journey even though they are traveling through territory riddled with thieves and rebels without military escort. Who needs the military when you have God?
32 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.
33 Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites;
34 By number and by weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that time.
They arrived safely at Jerusalem, took three days to settle in and rest, then began to weigh the treasures they brought for the Temple.
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.
Thank offerings were appropriate after not only the long, safe trip, but also after the long captivity.
36 And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God.
They delivered all the letters from the king giving instruction to his officers.