King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And I gathered them together to the river that runneth 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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
I assembled them by the river that runs to Ahava, and we camped there three days. I reviewed the people and the cohanim but found no L'vi'im there.
Berean Standard Bible:
Now I assembled these exiles at the canal that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And when I searched among the people and priests, I found no Levites there.
American Standard Version:
And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there we encamped three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And I gathered them together{H6908} to the river{H5104} that runneth{H935} to Ahava{H163}; and there abode we in tents{H2583} three{H7969} days{H3117}: and I viewed{H995} the people{H5971}, and the priests{H3548}, and found{H4672} there none of the sons{H1121} of Levi{H3878}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Ezra 8:21
- ¶ 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.
Ezra 7:7
- And there went up [some] of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
Ezra 8:31
- ¶ 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.
Psalms 137:1
- ¶ By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Ezra 8:2
- Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.
Ezekiel 3:15
- Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.
Acts 16:13
- And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted [thither].
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Commentary for Ezra 8:15
Ezra 8:15 is a verse set within the context of the post-exilic period of Jewish history, specifically during the reign of the Persian king Artaxerxes I (465–424 BCE). The verse is part of the biblical book of Ezra, which recounts the return of the Jews from Babylonian exile and the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
In this verse, Ezra, a scribe and priest, is leading a group of Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem. He gathers the returning exiles at the river of Ahava, which is thought to be a tributary of the Euphrates River, possibly in modern-day Iraq. The group camps there for three days, during which time Ezra takes a census of the people and the priests who have joined him. He discovers, however, that none of the sons of Levi, the priestly class responsible for temple service, are among the returnees. This is significant because the Levites played a crucial role in the religious and ritual life of the Israelites, and their absence would have been a concern for the reestablishment of proper worship upon their return to Jerusalem.
The themes present in this verse include the importance of religious leadership, the challenges of rebuilding a community after exile, and the meticulous attention to religious and ritual detail that characterized the post-exilic Jewish community. The absence of the Levites would have posed a practical problem for the resumption of temple worship and sacrifices, which were central to Jewish religious practice at the time. Ezra's actions reflect a broader concern for religious fidelity and the proper ordering of the community according to the Torah, which was central to the mission of those who returned from exile.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H6908
There are 121 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָבַץ
Transliteration: qâbats
Pronunciation: kaw-bats'
Description: a primitive root; to grasp, i.e. collect; assemble (selves), gather (bring) (together, selves together, up), heap, resort, [idiom] surely, take up. - Strong's Number: H5104
There are 109 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָהָר
Transliteration: nâhâr
Pronunciation: naw-hawr'
Description: from נָהַר; a stream (including the sea; expectation the Nile, Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity; flood, river. - Strong's Number: H935
There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בּוֹא
Transliteration: bôwʼ
Pronunciation: bo
Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. - Strong's Number: H163
There are 80 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַהֲוָא
Transliteration: ʼAhăvâʼ
Pronunciation: a-hav-aw'
Description: probably of foreign origin; Ahava, a river of Babylonia; Ahava. - Strong's Number: H2583
There are 135 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָנָה
Transliteration: chânâh
Pronunciation: khaw-naw'
Description: a primitive root (compare חָנַן); properly, to incline; by implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening); specifically, to pitch atent; gen. to encamp (for abode or siege); abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent. - Strong's Number: H7969
There are 381 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁלוֹשׁ
Transliteration: shâlôwsh
Pronunciation: shaw-loshe'
Description: or שָׁלֹשׁ; masculine שְׁלוֹשָׁה; or שְׁלֹשָׁה; a primitive number; three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice; [phrase] fork, [phrase] often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, [phrase] thrice. Compare שָׁלִישׁ. - Strong's Number: H3117
There are 1931 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יוֹם
Transliteration: yôwm
Pronunciation: yome
Description: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb); age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. - Strong's Number: H995
There are 162 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בִּין
Transliteration: bîyn
Pronunciation: bene
Description: a primitive root; to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(generally) understand; attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill(-full), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) understand(-ing), view, (deal) wise(-ly, man). - Strong's Number: H5971
There are 1654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עַם
Transliteration: ʻam
Pronunciation: am
Description: from עָמַם; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock; folk, men, nation, people. - Strong's Number: H3548
There are 653 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כֹּהֵן
Transliteration: kôhên
Pronunciation: ko-hane'
Description: active participle of כָּהַן; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman); chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer. - Strong's Number: H4672
There are 425 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מָצָא
Transliteration: mâtsâʼ
Pronunciation: maw-tsaw'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present; [phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with), [idiom] occasion serve, (be) present, ready, speed, suffice, take hold on. - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H3878
There are 61 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לֵוִי
Transliteration: Lêvîy
Pronunciation: lay-vee'
Description: from לָוָה; attached; Levi, a son of Jacob; Levi. See also לֵוִי, לֵוִיִּי.