Ezra 8:15

Ezra 8:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the sons of Levi.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now I gathered them by the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And I looked among the people and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi there.

Context of Ezra 8:15

13Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 other men, from Adonikam's clan. They came later. 14Uthai, Zaccur, and 70 other men, from Bigvai's clan. I told all the people to come together at the river that runs towards Ahava. We stayed there for three days. I saw that there were Jewish people and priests, but I did not see any Levites. 16So I asked them to send some of their leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam. I also asked for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were wise teachers. 17I sent them all to Iddo, the leader in Casiphia. Iddo and his family were servants in the temple who were living in Casiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo. I wanted them to bring people who would serve God in his house.

Ezra 8:15 word by word

וָֽאֶקְבְּצֵ֗ם אֶל־הַנָּהָר֙ הַבָּ֣א אֶֽל־אַהֲוָ֔א וַנַּחֲנֶ֥ה שָׁ֖ם יָמִ֣ים שְׁלֹשָׁ֑ה וָאָבִ֤ינָה בָעָם֙ וּבַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים וּמִבְּנֵ֥י לֵוִ֖י לֹא־מָצָ֥אתִי שָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I gathered them togetherקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
• to the riverנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
• that runnethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to Ahavaאַהֲוָא'ahăvâ' · AhavaH163
• and there abode we in tentsחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
• threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• and I viewedבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• and foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• there none of the sonsבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878

Cross-references for Ezra 8:15

• Ezra 8:6Jonathan's son, Ebed, and 50 other men, from Adin's clan.
• Ezra 8:36They also gave the king's letter with its commands to his officers and rulers in the region west of the Euphrates river. The king's officers helped the Israelite people and the work of God's temple.
• Psalms 137:1When we sat down beside the rivers in Babylon, we were very upset. We thought about Zion city that we had left behind, and we wept.
• Ezekiel 1:1It was the 30th year. God spoke to me on the fifth day of the fourth month. I was among the prisoners from Judah at the side of the Kebar river. At that time the skies opened and I saw visions from God.
• Ezekiel 3:15I came to Tel Abib near the Kedar river, where the Israelite prisoners lived. I stayed with them for seven days. I was very upset as I sat among them.
• Acts 16:13On the Jewish day of rest, we went out of the city gate. We went down to the edge of the river. We thought that the Jews might have a special meeting place there. We thought that they would meet there to pray. We found a group of women who were meeting there. So we sat down and we talked to them.
• Ezra 8:21We were all waiting by the Ahava river. I told the people not to eat any food, so that we could pray to God for help. We asked him to keep us safe on the journey, with our children and all our things.
• Ezra 8:2Gershom, from Phinehas's clan. Daniel, from Ithamar's clan.
• Ezra 7:7In the seventh year that Artaxerxes was king, Ezra came together with other Israelites. They included priests, Levites, and singers, servants and guards for the temple.

Commentaries on Ezra 8:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15The river that runneth to Ahava - Ahava was a river itself, which is supposed to be the same that is called Diava or Adiava, in the province of Adiabene; and perhaps the place whence the people of Ava came who were brought by the king of Assyria to Palestine, 2 Kings 17:24. None of the sons of Levi - None that were simply Levites. He found priests, and they were sons of Levi; but no Levites that were not priests.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Ahava was both a town and a river Ezra 8:21. The modern name of the place is Hit. It is famous for its bitumen springs, and is situated on the Euphrates, at a distance of about 80 miles from Babylon, toward the northwest. None of the sons of Levi - The Levites appear to have been disinclined to return to Jerusalem (see Ezra 3:8 note).Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15The Ahava Canal branched off the Euphrates River near Babylon. I found no Levites there: Only a few Levites had come earlier with Sheshbazzar (Ezra 2:40). The reason why so few Levites returned to Jerusalem is unclear.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-2015. I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava--This river has not been ascertained. It is probable that the Ahava was one of the streams or numerous canals of Mesopotamia communicating with the Euphrates [Cyclopædia of Biblical Literature]. But it was certainly in Babylonia on the banks of that stream; and perhaps the place appointed for general rendezvous was in the neighborhood of a town of the same name. The emigrants encamped there…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 8:15

• Ahava
• Genealogy

In the dictionaries

• Levi
• Euphrates River, the River
• Ahava
• Ezra
• Require
• Scribe
• Synagogue
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Genealogy
• Law in the Old Testament

Commentaries on Ezra 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings