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;
And because our God was graciously helping us, they brought us a wise man from the descendants of Mahli, who was a descendant of Levi, who was a descendant of Israel. His name was Sherebiah, and he came with his sons and relatives—eighteen people in total.
The writer is recognizing that God's good favor helped them find a wise leader named Sherebiah, who brought his family to join their mission.
📚 Historical Context
Ezra was leading a group of Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem from Babylon around 458 BC to rebuild the temple and restore worship. He needed Levites (priests and temple workers) for this mission, but initially had trouble finding them. This verse describes how God provided qualified religious leaders, specifically from the priestly tribe of Levi.
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