Fifteen hundred males accompanied those of the chief fathers of Israel who returned with Ezra from Babylon. Adding in the priests_ Levites and Nethinim who joined the party, we have a total of approximately 1,760 males, and may suppose Ezra's company, including wives and daughters, to have consisted of 3,500 persons.
Genealogy was an important thing to the Israelite: he must be able to establish his title as a son of Jacob to the inheritance in the land, and to the part of the inheritance which fell to his fathers. The priests and Levites, notably, must show their lineage by descent from Aaron and Levi, and also the tribe of Judah, with the royal line extending from 'David, among whose descendants was promised the Messiah (Genesis 49:1010The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. (Genesis 49:10); 1 Chronicles 17:11-1511And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. 13I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: 14But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore. 15According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. (1 Chronicles 17:11‑15); Psalm 110; Isa. 11, and many other passages).
The Jews have now lost their genealogies, but divine power will restore them in a day now near at hand.
Where there should have been a marked degree of faithfulness to God; of separation from the world, and of forwardness in things belonging to God, it appears to have not been found. There were none of the sons of Levi among those who accepted the king's offer of liberty to return to Judah's land (verse 15).
Ezra therefore sent messengers to Iddo at Casiphia, and through God's overruling, Sherebiah, who later was to become an active helper in the restoration of the people (Nehemiah 8:7; 9:4, 5; 12:247Also 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 8:7)
4Then 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. 5Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. (Nehemiah 9:4‑5)
24And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward. (Nehemiah 12:24)), and others were stirred up to join the party about to go to Jerusalem.
Before setting out on the long and perilous journey, Ezra proclaimed a fast, that the party might humble themselves before their God, to seek from Him a right way for them and their little ones and their substance; he had told the king that God's hand was upon all them that seek Him, for good; but His power and His anger are against all them that forsake Him.
A band of soldiers and horsemen would no doubt have been. supplied by the king, had Ezra asked it, but he proposed to find all his resources in God, and lie was not mistaken.
Assured now, in answer to earnest prayer, that God would guard and guide them on the way to Jerusalem without help from man, Ezra committed to twelve priests the money and vessels which were for the service of the 'temple, and the long journey was begun,
We may observe that no account of the journey of three and a half months (see chapter 7:9) is given, only that the hand of their God was upon them, and He delivered them from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.
Our thoughts are directed thus to consider the party headed by Ezra as having set out in faith in dependence upon God, and thus confiding in Him, necessarily brought safely to journey's end. This is the assurance of faith. There the precious metals were counted and weighed and given into the hands of the receiving priests at the temple; there, too, sacrifices and offerings were made to God, and the orders of the king, which had been put into Ezra's hands, were delivered to the authorities, who, as they had been directed, aided the people, and the work of the temple.