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This chapter gives us a more particular narrative of Ezra's journey to Jerusalem, of which we had a general account in the foregoing chapter I. The company that went up with him (v. 1-20). II. The solemn fast which he kept with his company, to implore God's presence with them in this journey (Ezr 8:21-23). III. The care he took of the treasure he had with him, and the charge he gave concerning it to the priests, to whose custody he committed it (Ezr 8:24-30). IV. The care God took of him and his company in the way (Ezr 8:31). V. Their safe arrival at Jerusalem, where they delivered their treasure to the priests (Ezr 8:32-34), their commissions to the kings lieutenants (Ezr 8:36), offered sacrifices to God (Ezr 8:35), and then applied to their business.

We have here an account of the particular care which Ezra took of the treasure he had with him, that belonged to God's sanctuary, Observe, 1. Having committed the keeping of it to God, he committed the keeping of it to proper men, whose business it was to watch it, though without God they would have waked in vain. Note, Our prayers must always be seconded with our endeavours; the care of Christ's gospel, his church, and ordinances, must not be so left with him but that it must also be committed to faithful men, Ti2 2:2. 2. Having prayed to God to preserve all the substance they had with them, he shows himself especially solicitous for that part of it which belonged to the house of God and was an offering to him. Do we expect that God should, by his providence, keep that which belongs to us? Let us, by his grace, keep that which belongs to him. Let God's honour and interest be our care; and then we may expect that our lives and comforts will be his. Observe, (1.) The persons to whom he delivered the offerings of the house of God. Twelve chief priests, and as many Levites, he appointed to this trust (Ezr 8:24, Ezr 8:30), who were bound by their office to take care of the things of God, and were in a particular manner to have the benefit of these sacred treasures. Ezra tells them why he put those things into their hands (Ezr 8:28): You are holy unto the Lord, the vessels are holy also; and who so fit to take care of holy things as holy persons? Those that have the dignity and honour of the priesthood must take along with them the trust and duty of it. The prophet is foretelling the return of God's people and ministers out of Babylon, when he gives the solemn charge (Isa 52:11), Be you clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. (2.) The great exactness with which he lodged this trust in their hands: He weighed to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels (Ezr 8:25), because he expected to have it from them again by weight. In all trust, but especially sacred ones, we ought to be punctual, and preserve a right understanding on both sides. In Zerubbabel's time the vessels were delivered by number, here by weight, that all might be forth-coming and it might easily appear if any were missing, to intimate that such as are entrusted with holy things (as all the stewards of the mysteries of God are) are concerned to remember, both in receiving their trust and in discharging it, that they must shortly give a very particular account of it, that they may be faithful to it and so give up their account with joy. (3.) The charge he have them with these treasures (Ezr 8:29): "Watch you, and keep them, that they be not lost, nor embezzled, nor mingled with the other articles. Keep them together; keep them by themselves; keep them safely, till you weigh them in the temple, before the great men there," hereby intimating how much it was their concern to be careful and faithful and how much it would be their honour to be found so. Thus when Paul charges Timothy with the gospel treasure he bids him keep it until the appearing of Jesus Christ, and his appearing before him to give account of his trust, when his fidelity would be his crown.

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 8 In this chapter we are told who and how many went up with Ezra to Jerusalem, Ezr 8:1, the gathering of them together at a river, from whence he sent to Babylon for Levites to come to him, who did, Ezr 8:15, the proclaiming a fast for a safe and prosperous journey, Ezr 8:21, the delivery of the vessels and money given him into the hands of priests, to take the care and charge thereof, Ezr 8:24, their safe arrival at Jerusalem, where they deposited the gifts in the temple, offered sacrifices to God, and delivered the king's commissions to his lieutenants and governors, Ezr 8:31.

And I weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels,.... When he delivered them to them; this he did as a proof of his own integrity and faithfulness, and as a security against any charge or accusation of embezzling any part of them, and to set them an example, and also that they might be under no temptation of acting such a part, and might be vindicated should they be charged with it: even the offering of the house of our God; what was freely offered for the service of it: which the king and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered; as freewill offerings, see Ezr 7:15.

And I separated twelve of the chiefs of the priests, etc. It has been frequently said that the silver and gold and vessels sent from Babylon to Jerusalem signify souls, which are converted to the Lord from the confusion and errors of this world. Hence, Ezra appropriately entrusts such vessels to the priests, who are to carry them to Jerusalem; for it is necessary that through the hands of the priests, those who desire to reach the companionship of the holy Church are washed in baptism and consecrated to the Lord. Likewise, those who have separated themselves from the society of the Church through sin, and have fallen into the service of the devil, into the captivity of the Babylonian king by persevering in sins, must be reconciled to the holy Church through repentance by the ministry of the priests. And fittingly, there are twelve priests to whom this duty is assigned, on account of the twelve apostles, through whose teaching the Church was initially founded throughout the world, and who continue to build it up through their successors until the end of the age. To whom applies the statement that Ezra made to those same priests:

The genealogy of the chief persons who went with Ezra from Babylon, Ezr 8:1-14. He gathers them together at Ahava; and finding among them no Levites, he sends confidential persons to the river of Ahava, who return with many Levites and Nethinim, Ezr 8:15-20. He proclaims a fast at Ahava for Divine protection on their journey, Ezr 8:21-23. He delivers to the care of the priests etc., the silver, gold, and sacred vessels, that they might carry them to Jerusalem, and deliver them to the high priest, Ezr 8:24-30. They depart from Ahava, and come to Jerusalem, Ezr 8:31, Ezr 8:32. The vessels are weighed and the weight registered, Ezr 8:33, Ezr 8:34. They offer burnt-offerings to God, Ezr 8:35; deliver the king's commissions to his lieutenants, by whom they are furthered in their work, Ezr 8:36.

EZRA'S COMPANIONS FROM BABYLON. (Ezr 8:1-14) this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon--The number given here amounts to 1754. But this is the register of adult males only, and as there were women and children also (Ezr 8:21), the whole caravan may be considered as comprising between six thousand and seven thousand.

Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests . . . and weighed unto them the silver, &c.--The custody of the contributions and of the sacred vessels was, during the journey, committed to twelve of the chief priests, who, with the assistance of ten of their brethren, were to watch closely over them by the way, and deliver them into the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. The treasures in silver and gold, according to the value of the Babylonian talent, amounted to about £515,000 sterling.