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
8 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
Then I summoned the leaders
on Ezra 8:16-17
Ezra summons nine leaders and two teachers and sends them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, and to his kinsmen. Their message is a single request, that they "should bring to us ministers for the house of our God." The site of Casiphia is disputed among the commentators.
This site's exposition
Iddo, the leader at Casiphia
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown make Iddo a chief, and they add that Persia let the exiles keep their own chiefs and their own worship. Adam Clarke ties the name Casiphia to keseph, the Hebrew word for silver. Clarke thinks the temple servants there worked silver mines.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And I sent them to Iddo, etc. The Caspian Sea, as Orosius writes, rises from the northern region of the ocean, whose shores and deserted places around the ocean are uninhabited and uncultivated. From there, it extends southwards through long narrow passages, until, expanded over …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The furnishing of God's house with good ministers is a good work, which will redound to the comfort and credit of all that have a hand in it. They did not return without their errand, but, though the warning was short, they brought about forty Levites to attend Ezra, Sherebiah, noted as a very intelligent man, and eighteen with him (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief, at the place Casiphia,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Casiphia - Its situation is wholly unknown; but it cannot have been far from Ahava.
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
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezra
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.