Ezra
Ezra 2
Chapter II · Vol. II, pp. 892–894
1 The number that return of the people, 36 of the priests, 40 of the Levites, 43 of the Nethinims, 55 of the children of Solomon's servants, 61 of the priests who could not show their pedigree. 64 The whole number of them, with their substance. 68 Their oblations for the temple.
1 Now these are the children of the aprovince1 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;
a Judea, ch.5.8. Ne.1.3; 7.6, &c. 2 Ch.xxxvi. Je.xxxix.lii.
1 The empire was divided into provinces or governments (see Es. 1. 1), of which Canaan seems to have been one, and Ezra naturally adopts the distinctive language of his time as that most intelligible to the generation that returned from the captivity. Some, however, by province understand Babylon; but had that been Ezra's meaning, he would scarcely have called his brethren 'children of the province.' See ch. 5.8.—C.
2 Which came with bZerubbabel:2 Jeshua, Nehemiah, cSeraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar,3 Bigvai, Rehum,4 Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
b Ec.4.9,10. Ac.2.42,46; 4.32.
2 These were the chiefs who were to conduct the people. Zerubbabel was the prince, and Joshua the high-priest, the grandson of Seraiah who was slain by Nebuchadnezzar. Nehemiah and Mordecai were not the persons whose names afterwards occur, the one as the author of the succeeding book, the other as the relation of Esther.—I.
c Or, Azariah, Ne.7.7.
3 Mispereth.
4 Nehum.
6 The children of gPahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.5
A.M. 3468. B.C. 536.
g Ne.7.11. ch.10.30; 8.4,9.
5 Two families appear to be united in this verse:—(1) The children of Pahath-moab, and (2) The children of Jeshua-joab. The verse may be translated as follows:—'The children of Pahath-moab to (or with) the children of Jeshua-joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.'—P.
21 The children of yBeth-lehem, an hundred twenty and three.6
y Ge.35.19. Ju.17.8; 19.1. Ne.7.26. Ru.1.19. 1 Sa.16.1. Mat.2.1,6. Mi.5.2.
6 Bethlehem may have been the head of a family, or the name of a town. If the latter, then the people of it are mentioned as constituting one tribe or family. The same was the case in regard to Netophah, Anathoth, and all the others which follow.—P.
22 The men7 of zNetophah, fifty and six.
7 Why in ver. 22, 23, 27, 28, we find men instead of children does not appear. Amongst reasons that might be assigned for the change, one is the possibility that the men of these districts might have left their families behind, purposing to send for them when they had prepared commodious residences.—C.
z Ne.7.26. 2 Sa.23.28. Je.40.8. 1 Ch.2.51,54.
26 The children of dRamah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.
d Ne.7.30. Jos.18.24,25. 1 Sa.7.17.
27 The men of eMichmas, an hundred twenty and two.
e Ne.7.30. 1 Sa.13.5,23. Is.10.28.
29 The children of gNebo,1 fifty and two.
g Ne.7.33.
1 Nebo must not be confounded with Mount Nebo in Moab. There is a small village in the plain of Sharon, at the foot of the hills of Benjamin, now called Beit-Nûbah, 'the house of Nebo,' which is no doubt identical with the Nebo here mentioned.—P.
30 The children of Magbish, an hundred fifty and six.
31 The children of hthe other Elam,2 a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
A.M. 3468. B.C. 536.
h ver.7. Ne.7.34.
2 Or more probably 'The children of Elamakher' The Septuagint has Elamar.—P.
34 The children of lJericho, three hundred forty and five.
l Ne.7.36. 1 Ki.16.34, with Jos.vi.
36 The priests:4 the children of nJedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.
4 Four only of the twenty-four courses (1 Ch.24.19) returned to Jerusalem: at least, only four that could establish their genealogy, ver. 62. But these, it is believed, were afterwards subdivided, so as to form again the full complement, according to the order of David.—C.
37 The children of oImmer, a thousand fifty and two.
o 1 Ch.24.14. Ne.7.40. ch.10.20.
39 The children of qHarim, a thousand and seventeen.
q 1 Ch.24.8. Ne.7.42. ch.10.21. Only four out of the twenty-four orders of priests returned. Comp. 1 Ch.24.7-18.
40 The Levites: the children of Jeshua, and Kadmiel, of the children rof Hodaviah, seventy and four.
r Or Judah, ch.3.9, or Hodevah, Ne.7.43.
41 The ssingers:5 the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight.
5 That the Jews in their captivity still retained their taste for sacred music, both vocal and instrumental, is manifest from Ps. 137. 2. Nor is there any exercise to which believers are more frequently called or more earnestly exhorted in the Scriptures, than that of singing the praises of Jehovah. See Ps. 95. 1; 96. 1; c., &c. &c. Ja. 5. 13. To unbelievers it is a witness and an attraction; to believers a duty, a privilege, and a delight.—C.
42 The tchildren 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.
43 Theu Nethinims:6 the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
u 1 Ch.9.2. Ne.7.46-56.
6 The name Nethinim signifies 'devoted,' and it is applied to those who were appointed to do the menial work of the sanctuary for the Levites. The Nethinims were the hereditary servants of the temple. They were chiefly the descendants of the Gibeonites, who by a clever trick induced Joshua to make a league with them; and who were condemned to be 'hewers of wood and drawers of water' to the Israelites.—P.
45 The children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub,
47 The children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,
48 The children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,
49 The children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,
50 The children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of Nephusim,
51 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
52 The children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
53 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah,
54 The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
55 The children of Solomon's servants:7 the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda,
A.M. 3468. B.C. 536.
7 In 2 Ch. 8. 9 it is related that Solomon made servants, not of Israel, but of the remnants of the nations that had not been expelled. These, if converted to the faith, it was lawful to incorporate into the Jewish nation, and these 'servants of Solomon' are most probably their descendants.—C.
56 The children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
57 The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Ami.
58 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.
59 And these were they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer;? but they could not show their father's house and their seed, whether they were of Israel:8
8 The reason of this exactness is plain from this, that such of the Jews as believed their prophets expected a return into their native land after a period of seventy years, and preserved their genealogies as the title on which they might resume their properties.—Graves. Je. 32. 14.
60 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.
61 And 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:)
62 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.9
9 Not spiritually, but genealogically polluted. This exclusion presents the two emblematic lessons. 1. The necessity of proving our spiritual descent by being born again, Jn. 3. 3,5. 2. The duty of excluding or removing from the ministry of the gospel all who cannot afford scriptural evidence that they are themselves the subjects of that holy conversion which they enforce upon others.—C.
63 And the Tirshatha1 said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
1 Castel supposes this title to be of Persian origin, and that it signifies fear.—C.
64 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,2
2 These separate numbers being added, give only 29,818; the numbers in Nehemiah 31,089; yet both agree in giving one grand total, 42,360. To reconcile these varying accounts, it is necessary to observe, 1. That as many priests failed in establishing their genealogy (ver. 61, 62), we may unquestionably infer, that many of the people were in the same predicament. 2. The number of these attainted priests is not given, so we may justly conclude of the unregistered people. 3. The persons enumerated obtain their hereditary estates in virtue of their genealogy. 4. The persons who cannot trace their descent, fail in establishing a right to any particular estate, but are not therefore excluded from the other rights of citizenship, but may settle as derivative tenants, or purchase for years, according to the jubilee law, or obtain new settlements in the unclaimed lands. Now these being added to the others, make up the sum of 'the whole congregation.' 5. When Ezra recounts 494 not mentioned in Nehemiah, and Nehemiah 1765 not mentioned in Ezra, these accounts may be easily reconciled, by supposing the two varying enumerations to relate to different periods of proof of genealogy and enrolment as citizens, the third to the period when the registry was completed.—C.
65 Besides 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.
66 Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;
67 Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.3
A.M. 3468. B.C. 536.
3 From what is known of eastern caravans or caffilas, the horses would be for the necessary guard of cavalry the mules for the richer class to ride, the camels for carrying food, camp furniture, &c., and the asses would be nearly all required for conveyance of the children. It is obvious the greater number of adults, both men and women, would be on foot. The whole presents a striking continuation of the statistics introduced by Moses, at the commandment of God, Nu. 13. 2, 17-20; and while it exhibits the deep poverty of the returning remnant, it beautifully illustrates the power of grace to open the heart, and teach every man to contribute to the cause of God 'after his ability.' See ver. 69. 2 Co.8.2,3. 1 Pe.4.11.
68 And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem, zoffered freely for the house of God to set it up ain his place:
z Ex.25.2; 35.5,21. 1 Ch.29.3,6,9. 2 Co.8.3,12; 9.7. Ps.110.3.
a 2 Ch.3.1. 1 Ch.21.18. Ge.22.2,14.
69 They gave bafter their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams4 of gold, and five thousand pound of silver,5 and one hundred priests' garments.
b 1 Co.16.2. De.16.17. 2 Co.8.3,13,14.
4 The Hebrew word here translated 'drams' denotes the Persian daric, a gold coin admitted to be the earliest known specimen of coined money. Its distinguishing mark was a crowned archer, his garb is the same which is seen on the sculptures at Persepolis. Specimens which have been weighed were found to be 15 grs. heavier than an English guinea, and their intrinsic value may therefore be reckoned at 25s.—P.
5 In all, £79,100.
70 So 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.
Notes
[Ver. 59. They may perhaps have been descendants of the first captives carried away by Tiglath-pileser from the northern kingdom; and who had preserved the tradition of their Israelitish origin, and also their attachment to their national faith, though they had lost their family records. P.]
Ver. 63. [The Tirshatha was the official name for the governor of Judea under the Persian rule. It is probable that Nehemiah is here meant, as he is twice called by that title, Ne. 8. 9; 10. 1. His decision was that those priests who could not prove from family registers their direct and pure descent, should not be permitted to perform priestly offices until divine sanction was obtained through the Urim and Thummim. P.]
Reflections.—Great is the honour God puts upon those who prefer his glory and the interests of his church to their own ease! And great are the privileges which those obtain who are enrolled in the Lamb's book of life, and go up with Christ from their captivity to sin, Satan, and the world! What care God took to keep clear the genealogies of his ancient people, till his Son was thereby manifested to spring of Judah and David! It is reasonable that those be excluded from office in the church who undervalue that honour, and want proper tokens of their spiritual birth. And there is need always to consult God himself in everything relating to his worship and service. To what a small and poor company had sin reduced the once numerous and wealthy tribes of Judah and Benjamin, at least such of them as were willing to appear for their God! And yet it is pleasing to see them in their poverty so willingly contributing to build a temple for God. And what is spent in God's work shall be returned with interest.
But was not this release and return of the Jews typical of the gathering of the nations to Christ, and of the church's deliverance from Antichrist, and the saints' release from death at the last day? Awakened and encouraged by the joyful sound of the gospel trumpet, what multitudes, in the apostolic and after ages, did, with mourning for sin, with hallelujahs of praise, and with the most cordial affection, join themselves to Christ and his church, to be built up a spiritual temple and meet habitation for God! With almighty power Jesus did, and still does, go forth conquering and to conquer, and to overthrow our spiritual enemies who hold us in slavery; making us free indeed, and willing to do whatever tends to his honour. In due time the instruments of God's wrath shall destroy the mystical Babylon, and restore the souls of men to the ancient gospel liberty and rest. In the resurrection, awakened by the trump of God, all the ransomed millions, who are written among the living in Jerusalem, shall arise and be gathered to the Lord, and quickly after follow him into the celestial Canaan, to be built up as the everlasting habitation of God—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.