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The Histories · Old Testament

Ezra 2

Ezra 2: the register of those who returned with Zerubbabel

General context

The chapter is a register of the children of the province who went up out of the captivity that Nebuchadnezzar had carried to Babylon, each returning to his own city. The narrator names the leaders who came with Zerubbabel, among them Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah and Mordecai, and then counts the men of the people of Israel family by family, from the children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy and two, to the children of Senaah, three thousand six hundred and thirty. Some groups are counted by town rather than family, such as the men of Netophah, the men of Anathoth and the children of Beth-lehem. The priests follow in four houses, then the Levites of Jeshua and Kadmiel, the singers of Asaph, the porters, the Nethinims and the children of Solomon's servants. A group from Tel-melah and other places could not show their father's house or whether they were of Israel. Three priestly families could not find their register and were put from the priesthood as polluted; the Tirshatha rules that they may not eat the most holy things until a priest stands with Urim and Thummim. The whole congregation is forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, besides servants, singers and animals. Some chief of the fathers give gold, silver and priests' garments toward the house, and everyone settles in their cities.

Cited passages: Ezra 2:1, Ezra 2:2, Ezra 2:3, Ezra 2:35, Ezra 2:22, Ezra 2:23, Ezra 2:21, Ezra 2:36, Ezra 2:40, Ezra 2:41, Ezra 2:42, Ezra 2:43, Ezra 2:55, Ezra 2:59, Ezra 2:62, Ezra 2:63, Ezra 2:64, Ezra 2:65, Ezra 2:69, Ezra 2:70

Ezra 2 (KJV)

1Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;

2Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

3The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.

4The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.

5The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.

6The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.

7The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

8The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five.

9The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.

10The children of Bani, six hundred forty and two.

11The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three.

12The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two.

13The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six.

14The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty and six.

15The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four.

16The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.

17The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.

18The children of Jorah, an hundred and twelve.

19The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three.

20The children of Gibbar, ninety and five.

21The children of Beth-lehem, an hundred twenty and three.

22The men of Netophah, fifty and six.

23The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.

24The children of Azmaveth, forty and two.

25The children of Kirjath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.

26The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.

27The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two.

28The men of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.

29The children of Nebo, fifty and two.

30The children of Magbish, an hundred fifty and six.

31The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

32The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.

33The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five.

34The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.

35The children of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty.

36The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.

37The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.

38The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.

39The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

40The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four.

41The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight.

42The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all an hundred thirty and nine.

43The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

44The children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,

45The children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub,

46The children of Hagab, the children of Shalmai, the children of Hanan,

47The children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,

48The children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,

49The children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,

50The children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of Nephusim,

51The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

52The children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

53The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah,

54The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

55The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda,

56The children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

57The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Ami.

58All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred ninety and two.

59And these were they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not shew their father’s house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:

60The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.

61And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name:

62These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.

63And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.

64The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,

65Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.

66Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;

67Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

68And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place:

69They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests’ garments.

70So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

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Historical context

The register mixes family names and place names without marking the change, and it counts men rather than households. The leaders listed at the head include a Nehemiah and a Mordecai, but the text does not connect them with the Nehemiah of the later book, who comes to Jerusalem in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, or with the Mordecai of Esther. The Jeshua who heads the list is called Jeshua the son of Jozadak in the next chapter, where he builds the altar with Zerubbabel. The Tirshatha who rules on the doubtful priests is not named here. Two entries for Elam, one called the other Elam, carry the same count of a thousand two hundred fifty and four. The priests descended from Barzillai are said to have taken that name through marriage to the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite. The individual figures, added together, fall well short of the stated congregation total of forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, and the chapter does not account for the gap. Nehemiah 7 reproduces the same register, introduced as a document Nehemiah found, with some names and numbers differing; neither book comments on the differences. The chapter gives no date for the arrival and does not say how many journeys or years the return involved.

Cited passages: Ezra 2:2, Nehemiah 2:1, Ezra 3:2, Ezra 2:63, Ezra 2:7, Ezra 2:31, Ezra 2:61, Ezra 2:64, Nehemiah 7:5, Nehemiah 7:7, Nehemiah 7:66

Literary context

The list is ordered by category: leaders, lay families and towns, priests, Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, Solomon's servants, then those whose lineage could not be proved, and finally totals, animals and gifts. The formula the children of, followed by a number, repeats dozens of times and gives the chapter its rhythm, with the men of marking some of the town entries. The order runs from the most secure claims of belonging to the most doubtful, so the register closes its human count with people who could not shew their father's house and priests who were not found in the record. That final group is not expelled from the community but only from the most holy things, pending a priest with Urim and Thummim, which leaves the question open inside the text. The chapter ends with movement into the cities, which sets up the gathering to Jerusalem as one man at the start of chapter 3. The frame verses at each end, going up out of the captivity and dwelling in their cities, turn a bare list into an account of resettlement.

Cited passages: Ezra 2:2, Ezra 2:4, Ezra 2:27, Ezra 2:36, Ezra 2:58, Ezra 2:59, Ezra 2:62, Ezra 2:63, Ezra 2:70, Ezra 3:1, Ezra 2:1

Key moments

  1. Each to his own city (Ezra 2:1). The narrator introduces the returning captives, every one going to his city.
  2. The leaders with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2). Eleven names head the register of those who came with Zerubbabel.
  3. Priests, Levites and singers (Ezra 2:36). The count turns from lay families to the priestly houses and temple servants.
  4. Lineage that cannot be shown (Ezra 2:59). A group from Tel-melah and other places cannot prove they are of Israel.
  5. Priests put from the priesthood (Ezra 2:62). Three priestly families without a register are barred as polluted.
  6. The Tirshatha's ruling (Ezra 2:63). They may not eat the most holy things until a priest with Urim and Thummim stands up.
  7. Gifts toward the house (Ezra 2:68). Some chief of the fathers offer freely to set the house of God in its place.

For reflection

The priests who could not find their register are kept from the most holy things until a priest with Urim and Thummim should stand up. What does the chapter suggest about belonging when the record is missing but the people are present?

People in this chapter

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