Ezra 8:18
New International Version
Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all;

New Living Translation
Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they sent us a man named Sherebiah, along with eighteen of his sons and brothers. He was a very astute man and a descendant of Mahli, who was a descendant of Levi son of Israel.

English Standard Version
And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18;

Berean Standard Bible
And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah—a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men;

King James Bible
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; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

New King James Version
Then, 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 brothers, eighteen men;

New American Standard Bible
And as the good hand of our God was upon us, they brought us a man of insight from the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, eighteen men;

NASB 1995
According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men;

NASB 1977
And according to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men;

Legacy Standard Bible
So, according to the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men;

Amplified Bible
And as the good hand of our God was upon us, they brought us a man of understanding (insight) from the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, named Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers (relatives), 18 men;

Christian Standard Bible
Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah —a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli, a descendant of Levi son of Israel—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah—a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli, a descendant of Levi son of Israel—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men,

American Standard Version
And according to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

Contemporary English Version
God was kind to us and caused them to send a skillful man named Sherebiah, who was a Levite from the family of Mahli. Eighteen of his relatives came with him.

English Revised Version
And according to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
God was guiding us, so Iddo and his relatives brought us someone competent, Sherebiah, who was a descendant of Mahli, Levi, and Israel. They brought us 18 of Sherebiah's sons and relatives.

Good News Translation
Through God's grace they sent us Sherebiah, an able man, a Levite from the clan of Mahli; and eighteen of his sons and brothers came with him.

International Standard Version
By the grace of our God they brought back a discerning man from the descendants of Mahli, a descendant of Israel's son Levi, along with Sherebiah and eighteen of his sons and brothers;

Majority Standard Bible
And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah—a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men;

NET Bible
Due to the fact that the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us a skilled man, from the descendants of Mahli the son of Levi son of Israel. This man was Sherebiah, who was accompanied by his sons and brothers, 18 men,

New Heart English Bible
According to the good hand of our God on us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen;

Webster's Bible Translation
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; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

World English Bible
According to the good hand of our God on us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they bring to us, according to the good hand of our God on us, a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, and Sherebiah, and his sons, and his brothers, eighteen;

Young's Literal Translation
And they bring to us, according to the good hand of our God upon us, a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, and Sherebiah, and his sons, and his brethren, eighteen;

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will bring to us according to the good hand of our God upon us a man of understanding from the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel; and Sherebiah, and his sons and his brethren, eighteen.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a most learned man of the sons of Moholi the son of Levi the son of Israel, and Sarabias and his sons, and his brethren eighteen,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And because the good hand of our God was over us, they led to us a very learned man from the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, with Sherebiah, and his sons, and his eighteen brothers,

New American Bible
Since the favoring hand of our God was over us, they sent to us a well-instructed man, one of the descendants of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and kinsmen, eighteen men.

New Revised Standard Version
Since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the descendants of Mahli son of Levi son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and kin, eighteen;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And by the good favor of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the descendants of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sheriah, with his brothers and his sons, twelve;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they brought to us according to the hand of God who was kind to us, one wise man of the children of Makhli, son of Levi, son of Israel and Sheriah and his brothers and his twelve children
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And according to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they came to us, as the good hand of our God was upon us, even a man of understanding of the sons of Mooli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, and at the commencement came his sons and his brethren, eighteen.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ezra Sends for the Levites
17And I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for him and his kinsmen, the temple servants at Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God. 18And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah— a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel— along with his sons and brothers, 18 men; 19also Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men.…

Cross References
Nehemiah 8:7-9
The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law as they stood in their places. / So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read. / Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.

1 Chronicles 26:30-32
From the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had charge of the affairs of Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the LORD and for the service of the king. / As for the Hebronites, Jerijah was the chief of the Hebronites, according to the genealogies of his ancestors. In the fortieth year of David’s reign the records were searched, and strong, capable men were found among the Hebronites at Jazer in Gilead. / Among Jerijah’s relatives there were 2,700 capable men who were heads of families. King David appointed them over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.

1 Chronicles 23:4
“Of these,” said David, “24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 are to be officers and judges,

1 Chronicles 15:22
Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled.

1 Chronicles 9:13
and 1,760 of their relatives, the heads of their families, able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

2 Chronicles 31:13-15
Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei, by appointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the chief official of the house of God. / Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions to the LORD and the consecrated gifts. / Under his authority, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully distributed portions to their fellow priests in their cities, according to their divisions, old and young alike.

2 Chronicles 29:34
However, since there were not enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had consecrated themselves. For the Levites had been more diligent in consecrating themselves than the priests had been.

2 Chronicles 17:8-9
accompanied by certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah—along with the priests Elishama and Jehoram. / They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.

2 Chronicles 19:8-11
Moreover, Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites, priests, and heads of the Israelite families to judge on behalf of the LORD and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem. / He commanded them, saying, “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the LORD. / For every dispute that comes before you from your brothers who dwell in their cities—whether it regards bloodshed or some other violation of law, commandments, statutes, or ordinances—you are to warn them, so that they will not incur guilt before the LORD and wrath will not come upon you and your brothers. Do this, and you will not incur guilt. ...

2 Chronicles 30:22
And Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the LORD. For seven days they ate their assigned portion, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

Acts 6:3-6
Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will assign this responsibility to them / and will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” / This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, as well as Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. ...

Acts 13:1-3
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul. / While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” / And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 15:22-23
Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers, / and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

Romans 12:6-8
We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; / if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; / if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.


Treasury of Scripture

And by the good hand of our God on us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen;

by the good hand

Ezra 8:22
For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

Ezra 7:28
And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellers, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

Nehemiah 2:8
And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

a man of understanding.

Ezra 8:16
Then sent I 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; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.

Proverbs 24:3
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

Jeremiah 3:15
And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Mahli

Numbers 3:20
And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.

1 Chronicles 6:19
The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers.

Sherebiah

Ezra 8:24
Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,

Nehemiah 8:7
Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

Nehemiah 9:4,5
Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God…

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Ezra 8
1. The companions of Ezra, who returned from Babylon
15. He sends to Iddo for ministers for the temple
21. He keeps a fast
24. He commits the treasures to the custody of the priests
31. From Ahava they come to Jerusalem
33. The treasure is weighed in the temple
36. The commission is delivered














And by the good hand of our God on us
This phrase emphasizes the divine favor and providence that Ezra and his companions experienced. The "good hand" is a metaphor for God's guidance and blessing. In Hebrew, the word for "hand" (יָד, yad) often symbolizes power and authority. The phrase suggests that their journey and mission were under God's sovereign control, reflecting a deep trust in His benevolence and support. Historically, this underscores the belief that God actively intervenes in the affairs of His people, guiding them towards His purposes.

they brought us a man of insight
The term "insight" (שֵׂכֶל, sekel) in Hebrew conveys understanding, wisdom, and prudence. This indicates that the man brought to Ezra was not only knowledgeable but also wise in applying his knowledge. In the context of the return from exile, such insight was crucial for re-establishing the religious and social order in Jerusalem. This highlights the importance of wisdom and discernment in leadership, especially in times of rebuilding and renewal.

from the descendants of Mahli
Mahli was a descendant of Levi, one of the sons of Levi, the tribe set apart for priestly duties. This reference to Mahli connects the narrative to the Levitical lineage, emphasizing the continuity of priestly service and the importance of maintaining the purity and integrity of the priesthood. It underscores the historical and religious significance of the Levites in Israel's worship and community life.

son of Levi, the son of Israel
This phrase traces the lineage back to Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel). It reinforces the covenantal relationship between God and the people of Israel, as the Levites were chosen to serve in the temple and lead the people in worship. The mention of "Israel" reminds readers of the broader narrative of God's promises to the patriarchs and His faithfulness to their descendants.

namely Sherebiah
Sherebiah is identified as a key figure in this passage. His name, which means "Yahweh has sent burning heat," may imply a fervent or zealous character, fitting for someone tasked with leading and teaching the people. The specific mention of Sherebiah highlights the role of individuals in fulfilling God's plans and the importance of faithful leaders in the community.

with his sons and brothers, eighteen men
The inclusion of Sherebiah's "sons and brothers" indicates a family or clan commitment to the task at hand. The number eighteen, while not symbolically significant in itself, suggests a substantial group, emphasizing the communal aspect of the mission. This reflects the biblical theme of family and community working together in service to God, reinforcing the idea that spiritual endeavors are often a collective effort.

(18) A man of understanding.--Probably a proper name, Ishsekel. This is required by the "and" before "Sherebiah," who was a Levite, referred to by Nehemiah (Ezra 8:7).

Verse 18. - By the good hand of our God upon us. This is Ezra's usual mode of acknowledging the good providence and favour of Almighty God (see Ezra 7:6, 9, 27; and Ezra 8:31). Similar expressions occur also in Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:8, 18), but not elsewhere in Scripture. A man of understanding. In the Hebrew Ish-sekel, which some take for a proper name, but without any necessity. No such name is known to have existed; and the real name of "the man of understanding" appears to have been "Sherebiah," who is mentioned more than once in Nehemiah (Nehemiah 8:7; Nehemiah 9:4, 5) as a chief Levite. And Sherebiah should be simply "Sherebiah." The preposition "and" (Hebrew ן) has been inserted by a careless copyist.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And since the gracious
הַטּוֹבָ֤ה (haṭ·ṭō·w·ḇāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

hand
כְּיַד־ (kə·yaḏ-)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

of our God
אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ (’ĕ·lō·hê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

was upon us,
עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ (‘ā·lê·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

they brought
וַיָּבִ֨יאּוּ (way·yā·ḇî’·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

us
לָ֜נוּ (lā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's Hebrew

Sherebiah—
וְשֵׁרֵֽבְיָ֛ה (wə·šê·rê·ḇə·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8274: Sherebiah -- 'Yah has sent burning heat', an Israelite name

a man
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of insight
שֶׂ֔כֶל (śe·ḵel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7922: Intelligence, success

from the descendants
מִבְּנֵ֣י (mib·bə·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Mahli
מַחְלִ֔י (maḥ·lî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4249: Mahli -- a Levite, also a son of Mushi

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Levi,
לֵוִ֖י (lê·wî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3878: Levi -- a son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him

the son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Israel—
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

along with his sons
וּבָנָ֥יו (ū·ḇā·nāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

and brothers,
וְאֶחָ֖יו (wə·’e·ḥāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

18
שְׁמֹנָ֥ה (šə·mō·nāh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 8083: A cardinal number, eight, eighth

men;
עָשָֽׂר׃ (‘ā·śār)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 6240: Ten


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OT History: Ezra 8:18 According to the good hand of our (Ezr. Ez)
Ezra 8:17
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