81 And these are the chief fathers, and their genealogy, who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes the king. 2 Of the children of Phinehas, Gershom; of the children of Ithamar, Daniel; of the children of David, Hattush; 3 of the children of Shecaniah, of the children of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered by genealogy of the males a hundred and fifty. 4 Of the children of Pahath-Moab, Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males. 5 Of the children of Shechaniah, the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males. 6 And of the children of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males. 7 And of the children of Elam, Isaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males. 8 And of the children of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him eighty males. 9 Of the children of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males. 10 And of the children of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah, and with him a hundred and sixty males. 11 And of the children of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight males. 12 And of the children of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him a hundred and ten males. 13 And of the children of Adonikam, the last ones, whose names are these: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them sixty males. 14 And of the children of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and with them seventy males. 15 And I gathered them together at the river that runs to Ahava; and there we encamped three days; and I surveyed the people and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi there. 16 And I sent 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, and for Joiarib and for Elnathan, men of understanding. 17 And I gave them a commission to Iddo the chief, at the place Casiphia, and I put words in their mouths to say to Iddo [and] his brethren the Nethinim, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring to 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, namely, Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen; 19 and Hashabiah, and with him Isaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty; 20 and of the Nethinim, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim: all of them were expressed by name.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezra 8:1-20

Commentary on Ezra 8:1-20

(Read Ezra 8:1-20)

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!