Ezra 2:2

which came with Zerubbabel: Better punctuate as R.V. - with Zerubbabel,". Those referred to are the main subject of Ezra 2:1, -the children of the province, &c.", and are here described as coming with Zerubbabel and his companions.

Zerubbabel (i.e. -begotten in Babylon", or -the seed of Babylon") is said to be an Assyrian name. The grandson of Jehoiachin, Zerubbabel was the representative of David's dynasty (see 1 Chronicles 3:16 &c.). He is generally called -the son of Shealtiel" (see note on 1 Chronicles 3:2), but the genealogy in 1 Chron. (1 Chronicles 3:19) represents him as the son of Pedaiah. He is called -the son of Shealtiel" either as Shealtiel's nephew and heir, or as Shealtiel's legal son, Pedaiah having contracted a Levirate marriage with Shealtiel's widow.

On the identity of Zerubbabel and Sheshbazzar see note on Ezra 1:8.

Jeshua is a shortened form of Jehoshua or Joshua, used in Nehemiah 8:17 for the name of -the son of Nun". The Jeshua here spoken of (and Ezra 3:2; Ezra 3:8; Ezra 4:3) is the Joshua mentioned in Haggai 1:1; Haggai 1:12; Haggai 1:14; Haggai 2:2; Haggai 2:4; Zechariah 3:1; Zechariah 3:3; Zechariah 3:6; Zechariah 6:2. He is the High-priest of the Return from the Captivity, being the son of Jehozadak, and grandson of the Seraiah whom Nebuchadnezzar put to death at Riblah after the destruction of Jerusalem, cf. 2 Kings 25:18-21; Jeremiah 52:24-27 (b.c. 586). See the genealogy of -the sons of Levi" in 1 Chronicles 6:1-15.

Nehemiah not to be confounded with the better known Nehemiah, who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem 90 years later, 445 b.c.

Seraiah = Azariah, Nehemiah 7:7.

Reelaiah = Raamiah, Nehemiah 7:7.

Mordecai not to be identified with the Mordecai of the book Esther.

Mizpah A.V. transliterates incorrectly, making the form of the word to resemble the common Hebrew name of a place. R.V. Mispar correctly; for which compare -Mispereth", Nehemiah 7:7.

Rehum = Nehum, Nehemiah 7:7.

The names (including Zerubbabel) here recorded are 11 in number. The parallel passage in Nehemiah gives 12 names, that of Nahamani occurring between Reelaiah and Mordecai, and this is supported by the mention of 12 names in Esther 5:8, where Euenius corresponds to Nahamani.

Ezra (A.V.)

Nehemiah 7:7 (A.V.)

Esther 5:8 (A.V.)

Zerubbabel

Zerubbabel

Zorobabel

Jeshua

Jeshua

Jesus

Nehemiah

Nehemiah

Nehemias

Seraiah

Azariah

Zacharias

Reelaiah

Raamiah

Reesaias

Nahamani

Euenius

Mordecai

Mordecai

Mardochæus

Bilshan

Bilshan

Beelsarus

Mizpah (Mispar, R.V.)

Mispereth

Aspharasus

Bigvai

Bigvai

Reelius

Rehum

Nehum

Roimus

Baanah

Baanah

Baana

It is most probable that the name of Nahamani has dropped out of our text by an early error of transcription. The mention then of 11 names along with that of Zerubbabel suggests the idea that the attempt was made to revive the old subdivision of the people and to group the members of two tribes under twelve representative princes in the same way as four classes of priests were afterwards re-divided into twenty-four. The idea of the twelve tribes conveyed the thought of Israel's totality and unity (a) in the days of the divided monarchy, cf. Elijah, 1 Kings 18:31; (b) at the dedication of the second Temple, Ezra 6:17; (c) at the return of Ezra and his company, cf. Ezra 8:35; (d) in the later days of Judaism, e.g. Acts 26:7; James 1:1; Revelation 7:4-8.

The number of the men of the people of Israel These words form a heading for the register of names to the close of Ezra 2:35. They point forward and not back. It was an awkward mistake of arrangement to include the sentence in Ezra 2:2. It should commence Ezra 2:3; compare the headings in Ezra 2:36; Ezra 2:40-43; Ezra 2:55. Observe the name -the people of Israel" applied here to the laity as a class distinct from -priests" and -Levites", cf. Ezra 6:16.

(a) It will be seen that the most important variations in the figures occur with the children of Arah (Ezra 2:5), Zattu (Ezra 2:8), Azgad (Ezra 2:12), Adin (Ezra 2:15), Hashum (Ezra 2:19), Bethel and Ai (Ezra 2:28), Senaah (Ezra 2:35); while -the children of Magbish" (Ezra 2:30) are not mentioned in Nehemiah. The variations in the figures are probably due to errors of transcription from the original copy of the register.

(b) The text of Ezra seems to be purer than that of Nehemiah, while that of Esdras is inferior to both.

Upon the text of Ezra 2:31-32 see below.