Ezra 8:17
in Ezra 8And 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I sent them forth unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia; and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and his brethren the Nethinim, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.
KJV
And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.
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This verse in Ezra 8
Commentary
3 notes on this verseAt the place Casiphia - The most judicious commentators are agreed that by Casiphia, the Caspian mountains, between Media and Hyrcania, are intended; where, probably, the Nethinim were employed in working silver mines: כסף keseph, from which the word comes, signifies silver.
This site's exposition
men of understanding
on Ezra 8:16-17
Ezra sends nine named men of understanding to Iddo the chief at Casiphia with a specific commission: bring us ministers for the house of our God. The move recruits Levites and Nethinims by direct appeal rather than by decree, a leader solving a shortage in his own company's ranks before he asks anything further of it. Casiphia's exact site is disputed among the commentators, but its function in the text is plain, a settled community of Levites in exile that Jerusalem could still call on by name.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
on Ezra 8:16-20
The deputation was despatched to Iddo, who was a prince or chief of the Nethinims--for the Persian government allowed the Hebrews during their exile to retain their ecclesiastical government by their own chiefs, as well as to enjoy the privilege of free worship.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֲצַוֶּ֤ה | vaotziah | and I commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אוֹתָם֙ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אִדּ֣וֹ | ʾido | Iddo | H112 → | |
| הָרֹ֔אשׁ | harosh | the chief | H7218 → | 599 times |
| בְּכָסִפְיָ֖א | bekhasifya' | in Casiphia | H3703 → | |
| הַמָּק֑וֹם | hamakom | the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| וָאָשִׂימָה֩ | vaasimah | and I put ! | H7760 → | |
| בְּפִיהֶ֨ם | befihem | in mouth their | H6310 → | 498 times |
| דְּבָרִ֜ים | devarim | words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| לְ֠דַבֵּר | ledaber | to speak | H1696 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אִדּ֨וֹ | ʾido | Iddo | H112 → | |
| אָחִ֤יו | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| הַנְּתִינִים֙ | hanetunim | the temple servants | H5411 → | 17 times |
| בְּכָסִפְיָ֣א | bekhasifya' | in Casiphia | H3703 → | |
| הַמָּק֔וֹם | hamakom | the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| לְהָֽבִיא־ | lehavi'- | to bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לָ֥נוּ | lanu | to us | ||
| מְשָׁרְתִ֖ים | mesharetim | servants | H8334 → | |
| לְבֵ֥ית | leveit | for [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ | ʾeloheinu | God our | H430 → | 2601 times |
וָאֲצַוֶּ֤הand I commanded
vaotziahH6680 →494 times
אוֹתָם֙<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
אִדּ֣וֹIddo
ʾidoH112 →
הָרֹ֔אשׁthe chief
haroshH7218 →599 times
בְּכָסִפְיָ֖אin Casiphia
bekhasifya'H3703 →
הַמָּק֑וֹםthe place
hamakomH4725 →401 times
וָאָשִׂימָה֩and I put !
vaasimahH7760 →
בְּפִיהֶ֨םin mouth their
befihemH6310 →498 times
דְּבָרִ֜יםwords
devarimH1697 →1440 times
לְ֠דַבֵּרto speak
ledaberH1696 →
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אִדּ֨וֹIddo
ʾidoH112 →
אָחִ֤יוbrother his
ʾachivH251 →630 times
הַנְּתִינִים֙the temple servants
hanetunimH5411 →17 times
בְּכָסִפְיָ֣אin Casiphia
bekhasifya'H3703 →
הַמָּק֔וֹםthe place
hamakomH4725 →401 times
לְהָֽבִיא־to bring
lehavi'-H935 →2568 times
לָ֥נוּto us
lanu
מְשָׁרְתִ֖יםservants
mesharetimH8334 →
לְבֵ֥יתfor [the] house of
leveitH1004 →2046 times
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃God our
ʾeloheinuH430 →2601 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezra 2:43The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth,
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 9:2
Now the first to resettle their own property in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.
- 1 Chronicles 9:2
Through
Numbers 18:6Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting.
it leads to
- Numbers 3:9
Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been given exclusively to him from among the Israelites.
- Numbers 3:12
“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,
- Numbers 3:45
“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.
- Numbers 3:9
Through
2 Samuel 14:19So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 14:3
Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.
- 1 Samuel 1:26
“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.
- Proverbs 4:27
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
- Joshua 1:7
Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that…
- 2 Samuel 14:3
About Ezra
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.