Chapter Eight

1–2. Genealogy of Ezra. 3–7. The arrival of Ezra in Jerusalem. 8–24. The decree of Artaxerxes in the name of Ezra. 25–26. Ezra’s prayer of thanksgiving. 27–48. List of those who came with Ezra. 49–60. Description of Ezra’s journey to Jerusalem. 65–67. The question of marriages with foreign women. 68–70. Ezra’s sorrow. 71–87. Ezra’s prayers. 88–91. The oath of the people.

1 Esdras 8:1. After these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, came Ezra, son of Azariah, of Zechariah, of Hilkiah, of Salum, 1. Chapter VIII represents the reproduction of Ezra 7-10:5. – After these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes. On the time of Ezra’s arrival see the note to Ezra 7. The genealogy of Ezra in chapter VIII, as well as in Ezra 6, is incomplete.

1 Esdras 8:2. Sadoc, Ahitov, Amarias, Oziah, Memerof, Zarea, Sauya, Vokka, Abisai, Phinehas, Eleazar, Aaron the high priest. 1 Esdras 8:3. This Ezra came from Babylon, a learned man, well-versed in the law of Moses, given by the Lord God of Israel, 1 Esdras 8:4. and the king granted him honor, for he obtained from him favor for all his petitions. 1 Esdras 8:5. And some of the sons of Israel came with him to Jerusalem, some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers and servants of the temple, 1 Esdras 8:6. in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, in the fifth month of that same seventh year of his reign; for they went out from Babylon in the new moon of the first month and came to Jerusalem, by the prosperous guidance given them by the Lord in the journey, in the new moon of the fifth month. 1 Esdras 8:7. Ezra applied great diligence to omit nothing from the law of the Lord and the commandments, to teach all Israel the statutes and judgments. 7. Ezra applied great diligence (πολλήν έπιστήμην περιείχεν), more accurately: “possessed much knowledge,” understanding (έπιστήμη).

1 Esdras 8:8. A written decree, given by King Artaxerxes to Ezra, the priest and reader of the law of the Lord, came as follows: 1 Esdras 8:9. King Artaxerxes to Ezra the priest and reader of the law of the Lord, greeting. 9. Reader of the law. In Ezra 7:12 better: “teacher of the law.”

1 Esdras 8:10. Having resolved humanely, I have commanded that those who wish from the people of Judea and from the priests and Levites in our kingdom shall go with you to Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 8:11. Therefore, whoever wishes, let them gather and go, as it has seemed good to me and to my seven closest counselors; 1 Esdras 8:12. let them see what is being done in Judea and Jerusalem according to the law of the Lord, 1 Esdras 8:13. and let them carry to Jerusalem the gifts for the Lord of Israel, which I and my counselors have vowed, and all the gold and silver that shall be found in the land of Babylon for the Lord in Jerusalem, together with the offerings from the people for the temple of the Lord their God that is in Jerusalem; 1 Esdras 8:14. and the gold and silver shall be for bulls, rams, and lambs and everything else pertaining to these, 1 Esdras 8:15. so as to offer sacrifices to the Lord on the altar of the Lord their God in Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 8:16. And whatever you and your brothers wish to do with the gold and silver, do according to the will of your God. 1 Esdras 8:17. And the sacred vessels of the Lord, which are given to you for use in the temple of your God in Jerusalem, place before the Lord, your God. 1 Esdras 8:18. And the rest that you shall need for the needs of the temple of your God, provide from the royal treasury. 1 Esdras 8:19. And I, King Artaxerxes, command the treasurers of Syria and Phoenicia that whatever Ezra, the priest and reader of the law of the Most High God, requires, they shall provide promptly for him, even up to one hundred talents of silver, 1 Esdras 8:20. and wheat up to one hundred cors, and wine up to one hundred measures. 1 Esdras 8:21. And everything else according to the law of God shall be carefully offered to the Most High God, so that there may be no wrath upon the kingdom of the king and his sons. 1 Esdras 8:22. And I further command you, that no tribute or other tax be imposed upon all the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, the servants of the temple, and the scribes of this temple, and that no one have authority to impose anything upon them. 1 Esdras 8:23. But you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of God, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all those in Syria and Phoenicia who know the law of your God, and teach those who do not know it: 1 Esdras 8:24. and all who transgress the law of your God or the king’s law shall be punished without fail, either by death or by bodily punishment, or by fine of money, or by exile. 1 Esdras 8:25. Then the learned Ezra said: “Blessed is the Lord alone, God of my fathers, who has put it in the heart of the king to glorify His house in Jerusalem, 25. The words “then the learned Ezra said” are not in 1 Esdras and in some manuscripts 1 Esd 8:25 (55, 108); furthermore, manuscripts 44, 58, 245, and the Vulgate do not have the word “learned” (γραμματεύς) at this place, which is generally not used by the writer of 2 Esdras concerning Ezra.

1 Esdras 8:26. and honored me before the king and his counselors and all his mighty officials. 1 Esdras 8:27. And I was strengthened by the help of the Lord my God, and I gathered men from Israel to go with me. 1 Esdras 8:28. And these are the leaders by their families and their ranking who went out with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: 1 Esdras 8:29. Of the sons of Phinehas, Gerson; of the sons of Ithamar, Gamaliel; of the sons of David, Lattus, son of Shechaniah; 29. Instead of the name Gamaliel in Ezra 8:2 one reads Daniel: instead of Lattus – Hattum. Son of Shechaniah: the name of this son is omitted.

1 Esdras 8:30. of the sons of Phoros, Zechariah, and with him one hundred fifty men were enrolled; 1 Esdras 8:31. of the sons of Paath-moab, Elioenai, son of Zerah, and with him two hundred men; 31. Compare Ezra 8:4, where instead of the names mentioned in verse 31 stand: Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai, Zerahiah.

1 Esdras 8:32. of the sons of Zathua, Shechaniah, son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred men; of the sons of Adin, Obeth, son of Jonathan, and with him two hundred fifty men; 32. Compare Ezra 8:5. Shechaniah Shekhaniah; Jahaziel Yehaziel; Obeth Ebed; Jonathan Yonatan. The number of members of the clan of Adin mentioned in verse 32 according to Ezra 8:6 was 50 (instead of 250 in verse 32).

1 Esdras 8:33. of the sons of Elam, Jesia, son of Atholiah, and with him seventy men; 33. Compare Ezra 8:7. Elam Elam; Jesia Jesiah; Atholiah Athaliah.

1 Esdras 8:34. of the sons of Shephatiah, Zaraia, son of Michael, and with him seventy men; 34. Compare Ezra 8:8. Zaraia Zebadiah. Instead of the number 70 in Ezra 8:8 stands 80.

1 Esdras 8:35. of the sons of Joab, Obadiah, son of Jahziel, and with him two hundred twelve men; 35. Compare Ezra 8:9. Obadiah Obadiah; Jahziel Jehiel. Instead of the number 212 in Ezra 8:9-218.

1 Esdras 8:36. of the sons of Bani, Assalimoth, son of Josaphias, and with him one hundred sixty men; 36. Compare Ezra 8:10. Assalimoth Shelomith; Josaphias Josiphiah.

1 Esdras 8:37. of the sons of Baani, Zechariah, son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight men; 37. Compare Ezra 8:11. Baani Bebai.

1 Esdras 8:38. of the sons of Azgad, Joannes, son of Hakkatan, and with him one hundred ten men; 38. Compare Ezra 8:12. Azgad Azgad; Joannes Johanan; Hakkatan Hakkatan.

1 Esdras 8:39. of the sons of Adonikam, the last, and these are their names: Eliphalet, son of Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them seventy men; 39. Compare Ezra 8:13. Eliphalet Eliphelet; Jeuel Jeiel; Shemaiah Shemaiah. Instead of 70 in Ezra 8:13 the figure is 60.

1 Esdras 8:40. of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai, son of Istalcurus, and with him seventy men. 40. Compare Ezra 8:14. Bigvai Bigvai; Uthai Uthai. Instead of the words “son of Istalcurus” in Ezra 8:14 one reads “and Zabbud.”

1 Esdras 8:41. And I gathered them by the river called Pherath, and we remained there three days, and I reviewed them. 41. And I gathered them by the river called Pherath. In Ezra 8:15, as the gathering place of the captives to return to their homeland, a tributary of the Ava River is mentioned. And Josephus, while generally following 2 Esdras, in this point departs from it, noting that the gathering place was near the Euphrates (εις το πέραν τού Εύθράτου).

1 Esdras 8:42. And I found there none of the priests and Levites, 1 Esdras 8:43. so I sent to Eleazar and Iduel, Maasmas, Alnathan, Mamai, Shemeia, Jovibos, Natan, Enatan, Zechariah, and Mosollam, the leading men and the learned, 43. Compare Ezra 8:16. Eleazar Eliezer; Iduel Ariel. Instead of the names Maasmas and Mamai in 1 Esdras only Shemaiah. Alnathan Elpahan. Jovibos Jarib. The name Shemeia is not in 1 Esdras. In 1 Esd 8:43 the Jarib mentioned in 1 Esdras is omitted.

1 Esdras 8:44. and I told them to go to Dodi, who was leader in the place Casiphia, 44. Compare Ezra 8:17. Dodi Iddo.

1 Esdras 8:45. and I instructed them to tell Dodi and his brothers and those in charge in Casiphia to send us priests for the house of the Lord our God. 1 Esdras 8:46. And they brought to us by the mighty hand of the Lord our God learned men of the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, Asebias and his sons and his brothers, eighteen men; 46. Compare Ezra 8:18. Mahli Mahli. Instead of the name Asebias in 1 Esdras – Sherebiah.

1 Esdras 8:47. and Asebias and Anias and Oseas their brother from the sons of Chanuneus, and their sons twenty men; 47. Compare Ezra 8:19. Instead of the three names (Asebias, Anias, and Oseas) in 1 Esdras only Hashabiah and Isaiah are mentioned, and they are called the sons of Merari, not of Chanuneus.

1 Esdras 8:48. and from the servants of the temple, whom David and the princes appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred twenty servants, with a list of all their names. 48. Compare Ezra 8:20.

1 Esdras 8:49. And I announced a fast there before the Lord our God, 1 Esdras 8:50. to seek from God a prosperous journey for us and our companions and our children and our livestock, 1 Esdras 8:51. because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry and guards for protection against our adversaries; 1 Esdras 8:52. for we said to the king that the power of the Lord our God is with all who seek Him in every good endeavor. 1 Esdras 8:53. Therefore, we again prayed to the Lord, our God, about all this and received great mercy from Him. 1 Esdras 8:54. And I separated twelve of the leaders of the priests and Levites, Sherebiah and Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them. 54. Sherebiah and Hashabiah. According to Ezra 8:24 – Sherebiah and Hashabiah.

1 Esdras 8:55. And I weighed out to them the silver and gold and the sacred vessels of the house of the Lord our God, which the king and his counselors and his officials and all Israel had given as gifts. 1 Esdras 8:56. And weighing them out, I gave into their hands six hundred fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels of one hundred talents, and one hundred talents of gold, twenty vessels of gold, and twelve vessels of fine bronze, brilliant as gold. 56. In Ezra 8:27 it is added that the value of the 20 gold vessels equaled 1000 drachmas. The number of vessels of brilliant bronze according to Ezra 8:27 was not 12, but two.

1 Esdras 8:57. And I said to them: “You are also holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the gold and silver are a vowed gift to the Lord, God of our fathers. 1 Esdras 8:58. Be watchful and guard them until you deliver them to the chief priests and Levites and the heads of the families of Israel in Jerusalem, to the treasuries of the house of our God. 1 Esdras 8:59. And the priests and the Levites, receiving the silver and gold and the vessels that had been brought to Jerusalem, brought them into the temple of the Lord. 1 Esdras 8:60. And, setting out from the river Pherath on the twelfth day of the first month, we traveled to Jerusalem under the mighty hand of the Lord over us, and He saved us from every enemy along the way, and we came to Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 8:61. And there, after three days, on the fourth day, the weighed silver and gold were handed over in the house of the Lord to Marmofes, son of Urias, the priest. 61. Marmofes: according to Ezra 8:31 – Meremoth

1 Esdras 8:62. And with him was Eleazar, son of Phinehas; and with him were Josabdos, son of Jesus, and Moeth, son of Sabannias, Levites; and they counted everything by number and weight, and the whole weight was recorded at the same time. 62. Compare Ezra 8:32. Josabdos Jozabad. Instead of the words “Moeth, son of Sabannias” in Ezra 8:32 one reads “Noadiah, son of Binnui.”

1 Esdras 8:63. Then those who had come from captivity offered sacrifices to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-two lambs, twelve goats for sin: all this was a sacrifice to the Lord, 63. Seventy-two lambs. According to the old Italian manuscripts 76, according to Ezra 8:35-77. Twenty goats for the sins, according to Ezra 8:35 – “for sin.”

1 Esdras 8:64. and they delivered the king’s orders to the king’s governors and the magistrates of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, and they honored the people and the temple of the Lord. 1 Esdras 8:65. And when this was done, the officials came to me and said: 1 Esdras 8:66. “The people of Israel and the officials and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the foreign peoples of the land and their abominations, from the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Jebusites and the Moabites and the Egyptians and the Edomites; 66. Compared to 1 Esdras 9 verse 66 omits the word “Ammonites,” but names the Edomites.

1 Esdras 8:67. for they have entered into marriage with their daughters, both themselves and their sons, and the holy seed has been mixed with the foreign peoples of the land, and the officials and magistrates have been participants in this transgression from the very beginning. 67. In conveying the thought of verse 67, Josephus softens it with the indication that only τινές, “some,” violated the law.

1 Esdras 8:68. As soon as I heard this, I tore my garments and my priestly vestment, and pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down grieved and troubled. 1 Esdras 8:69. And while I was grieving over this transgression, there gathered to me all who were moved by the word of the Lord, God of Israel, and I sat troubled until the evening sacrifice. 1 Esdras 8:70. Then, rising from my fast, with my garments and my priestly vestment torn, and falling on my knees and stretching out my hands to the Lord, I said: 1 Esdras 8:71. “Lord, I am ashamed and confused before Your face, 1 Esdras 8:72. because our sins have risen above our heads, and our transgressions have reached to heaven; 72. Our sins have risen above our heads. See old Latin manuscript 19, 103; the quoted words convey: “above the hairs of our head,” that is, have become more numerous than the hairs of our head. – And our transgressions (καί αί ᾿άγνιάι ήμών) – άγνοια – the sin of ignorance, and then transgression, sin in general (compare 1 Macc 13:39, Tob 3:3).

1 Esdras 8:73. from the time of our fathers even to this day we are in great sin; 1 Esdras 8:74. and for our sins and the sins of our fathers, we and our brothers and our kings and our priests have been handed over to the kings of foreigners, to the sword, to captivity, and to plundering with shame until this day. 1 Esdras 8:75. But now what great mercy has been shown us by You, O Lord God, that You have left us a remnant and a name in Your holy place, 75. Compare Ezra 9:8. – You have left us a remnant (compare verses 85, 86). A figurative expression, very well corresponding to the small number of those who had returned.

1 Esdras 8:76. and You have given us a light in the house of the Lord, our God, and provided us with food during our captivity! Even when we were in bondage, we were not abandoned by the Lord, our God; 76. You have provided us with food during our captivity. The thought does not correspond to the context and the original which the writer used (compare Ezra 9:8).

1 Esdras 8:77. but He has granted us favor in the sight of the kings of Persia, so that they would give us food 1 Esdras 8:78. and to glorify the house of the Lord our God, and to raise up the desolate Zion, and to give us a firm position in Judea and Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 8:79. And now, what shall we say, Lord, having all this? We have transgressed Your commandments, which You gave by the hand of Your servants, the prophets, saying: 1 Esdras 8:80. “The land which you are entering to inherit is defiled with the defilement of foreigners, and they have filled it with their uncleanness. 80. Compare Deut 7:1 and further on.

1 Esdras 8:81. And now do not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, 1 Esdras 8:82. and do not seek peace with them at any time, so that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever. 1 Esdras 8:83. And everything that happens to us happens because of our evil deeds and our great sins. You, Lord, have lightened our sins, 1 Esdras 8:84. and given us such a remnant; but we have again turned to transgress Your law by mixing with the uncleanness of the peoples of the land. 1 Esdras 8:85. Were You not angry with us so as to destroy us and leave us no remnant, no seed, no name? 1 Esdras 8:86. You, Lord, are faithful, God of Israel! for we remain a remnant until this day. 1 Esdras 8:87. But now we stand before You in our transgressions; and because of them we would not be able to stand before You. 1 Esdras 8:88. And while Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and lying upon the ground before the temple, a very great crowd from Jerusalem gathered to him: men, women, and children; for there was great weeping among the people. 1 Esdras 8:89. And crying out, Jechonias, son of Joelis, of the sons of Israel, said: “Ezra! we have sinned against the Lord, we have taken foreign women from the peoples of the land; and now here is all Israel: 89. And crying out, Jechonias, son of Joelis, of the sons of Israel, said. In Ezra 10:2 the following words are attributed to Shekaniah, son of Jehiel. In Josephus the name is A χώνιος Ί εήλου.

1 Esdras 8:90. “let us make a covenant with the Lord to put away all foreign women, as you have decided and as those who obey the law of the Lord have decided. 1 Esdras 8:91. “Rise up and act! for this is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it. 1 Esdras 8:92. And Ezra arose and made the chiefs of the priests and the Levites of all Israel swear to do this, and they swore.