Ezra 2:1-70

The *Jews return to Jerusalem

Ezra

Robert Bryce

Chapter 2

In the Book of Ezra, there are many names. Some of these people were leaders. However, Ezra also refers to many people who were not well-known. They lived many years ago, but they were important to God. God cares about all sorts of people. And he is pleased when they obey him. When Ezra records some of the names, he also mentions their families. Families were very important to the *Jews.

v1 These are the people from the district who returned from *exile. (Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, had taken their families into *exile.) The people returned to Jerusalem and Judah. Each person went back to his home town. v2 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah.

The list of the men from the families of Israel is below.

Verses 1-2 In this chapter, Ezra recorded the list of the people who returned from *exile in Babylonia. Zerubbabel and Jeshua (who was the chief priest) led this first group of people. The people went back to the towns that God had given to their *ancestors.

God had made special promises to the *Jews (Genesis 12:2-3). So it was important for *Jews to know about their *ancestors. Then they would know that they were real *Jews. But those special promises would not only benefit the *Jews. God’s plan was to use them in order to benefit people from every nation. That is why Jesus was a *Jew.

Many years later, Nehemiah also recorded this list (Nehemiah 7:6-73). Nehemiah’s list is slightly different from Ezra’s list. There are several possible explanations for these differences. Perhaps some people said that they would return. But then they did not go. Or perhaps Nehemiah spelt some of the names in a different way. This might explain why the lists are slightly different.

v3 The *descendants of Parosh, 2172;

v4 The *descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

v5 The *descendants of Arah, 775;

v6 The *descendants of Pahath-Moab (the *descendants of Jeshua’s and Joab’s parts of this family), 2812;

v7 The *descendants of Elam, 1254;

v8 The *descendants of Zattu, 945;

v9 The *descendants of Zaccai, 760;

v10 The *descendants of Bani, 642;

v11 The *descendants of Bebai, 623;

v12 The *descendants of Azgad, 1222;

v13 The *descendants of Adonikam, 666;

v14 The *descendants of Bigvai, 2056;

v15 The *descendants of Adin, 454;

v16 The *descendants of Ater (the *descendants of Hezekiah’s part of this family), 98;

v17 The *descendants of Bezai, 323;

v18 The *descendants of Jorah, 112;

v19 The *descendants of Hashum, 223;

v20 The *descendants of Gibbar, 95;

v21 The *descendants of Bethlehem, 123;

v22 The men from Netophah, 56;

v23 The men from Anathoth, 128;

v24 The *descendants of Azmaveth, 42;

v25 The *descendants of Kiriath Arim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743;

v26 The *descendants of Ramah and Gaba, 621;

v27 The men from Michmas, 122;

v28 The men from Bethel and Ai, 223;

v29 The *descendants of Nebo, 52;

v30 The *descendants of Magbish, 156:

v31 The *descendants of the other Elam, 1254;

v32 The *descendants of Harim, 320;

v33 The *descendants of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 725:

v34 The *descendants of Jericho, 345;

v35 The *descendants of Senaah, 3630.

v36 The priests:

the *descendants of Jedaiah (the *descendants of Jeshua’s part of this family), 973;

v37 the *descendants of Immer, 1052;

v38 the *descendants of Pashhur, 1247;

v39 the *descendants of Harim, 1017.

v40 The *Levites:

the *descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (the *descendants of Hodaviah’s part of Kadmiel’s family) 74.

v41 The singers:

the *descendants of Asaph, 128.

v42 The *descendants of the men who guarded the gates:

the *descendants of Shallum, the *descendants of Ater, the *descendants of Talmon, the *descendants of Akkub, the *descendants of Hatita, the *descendants of Shobai, in total 139.

v43 The servants who worked in the *temple:

the *descendants of Ziha, the *descendants of Hasupha, the *descendants of Tabbaoth,

v44 the *descendants of Keros, the *descendants of Siaha, the *descendants of Padon,

v45 the *descendants of Lebanah, the *descendants of Hagaba, the *descendants of Akkub,

v46 the *descendants of Hagab, the *descendants of Shalmai, the *descendants of Hanan,

v47 the *descendants of Giddel, the *descendants of Gahar, the *descendants of Reaiah,

v48 the *descendants of Rezin, the *descendants of Nekoda, the *descendants of Gazzam,

v49 the *descendants of Uzza, the *descendants of Paseah, the *descendants of Besai,

v50 the *descendants of Asnah, the *descendants of Meunim, the *descendants of Nephisim,

v51 the *descendants of Bakbuk, the *descendants of Hakupha, the *descendants of Harhur,

v52 the *descendants of Bazluth, the *descendants of Mehida, the *descendants of Harsha,

v53 the *descendants of Barkos, the *descendants of Sisera, the *descendants of Temah,

v54 the *descendants of Neziah the *descendants of Hatipha.

v55 The *descendants of Solomon’s servants:

the *descendants of Sotai, the *descendants of Sophereth, the *descendants of Peruda,

v56 the *descendants of Jaala, the *descendants of Darkon, the *descendants of Giddel,

v57 the *descendants of Shephatiah, the *descendants of Hattil, the *descendants of Pokereth from Zebaim the *descendants of Ami.

v58 The total number of men who served in the *temple and those who were the *descendants of Solomon’s servants, 392.

Verses 3-58 The people who returned to Judah had different jobs to do. Some were priests and *Levites and some were singers. They led the people when they *worshipped God. Some of the people guarded the *temple and the gates and some were servants in the *temple.

Often, this list describes people as ‘the *descendants of’ a person or a place. Usually we use the word ‘*descendants’ to mean that a particular person was the head of the family long ago. But in verses 21 to 35, this list shows the names of places. So probably, the people from these places described their families by the name of their home town.

After Ezra’s record of the family names, he mentions the number of people in each group. This is the meaning of the numbers at the end of the verses.

v59 These are the people from the towns called Telmelah, Telharsha, Kerub, Addan and Immer. But they could not prove that their families really belonged to Israel:

v60 They were the *descendants of Delaiah, the *descendants of Tobiah, and the *descendants of Nekoda, 652.

v61-62 And some of the priests searched for their family registers, but they could not find them. So they could not prove who their *ancestors were. These priests were the *descendants of Habaiah, the *descendants of Hakkoz and the *descendants of Barzillai. (Barzillai had married a woman from the family of Barzillai from Gilead and he took her family’s name.) So it was not proper for them to carry out the special duties of the priests. v63 The chief officer therefore ordered these people not to eat the priests’ special food. They had to wait for a priest who could use the *Urim and Thummim to make a decision.

Verses 59-63 Some of the people could not prove who their *ancestors were. And among these people were some priests. They searched for their family registers. But they did not find them.

God appointed the *descendants of Aaron (the brother of Moses) to be priests. They had to prove that they were *descendants of Aaron. If not, then they could not serve as priests (Numbers 16:40). God had also given to the priests special food to eat. God did not allow people who were not priests to eat that food. So the chief officer did not allow these men to eat the priests’ special food. He was careful to obey God’s law.

God gave some priests the *Urim and Thummim. The priests used these to know what God was telling the people to do. But at that time there was no priest who could use the *Urim and Thummim to make a decision.

Later there might be a priest who could use the *Urim and Thummim. Then that priest could ask God for direction. Then God could tell him about the priests who could not prove their *ancestors. Perhaps then, God would allow them to serve as priests.

v64 The total number of all the people was 42 360.

v65 There were also 7337 male and female servants and 200 male and female singers.

v66 There were 736 horses and 245 mules [strong animals that are like horses].

v67 There were 435 camels and 6720 donkeys [animals that are like small horses].

v68 Some of the leaders of the families gave gifts when they arrived at the house of the *LORD in Jerusalem. They gave these gifts to help the people to build the house of God again in its place.

v69 They gave what they could afford:

• 500 kilos (1100 pounds) of gold

• 2900 kilos (6500 pounds) of silver

• 100 sets of special clothes for the priests to wear.

Verses 64-69 When the people returned to Judah, they began the preparations to rebuild the *temple. They did not wait until they had comfortable homes in Judah. They considered that the construction of God’s *temple was their most important task.

The *Babylonians had destroyed the *temple when they took the *Jews into *exile. But now the *Jews were very pleased that they could start to rebuild it.

Some of the people became rich when they lived in Babylonia. They were able to be generous when they gave gifts for the work of the *temple.

v70 The priests and the *Levites began to live in their own towns. So did some of the other people, the singers, the men who guarded the gates, and the servants in the *temple. And the rest of the *people of Israel began to live in their own towns.

Verse 70 At the time of Moses, God had promised to give the country called Canaan to the *Israelites. God gave a part of the country to each of the families (Numbers 34:13-15). That country included the southern part, called Judah, where the *Jews came from. When the *Jews returned from *exile they lived in their own towns. These towns were the same towns that God had given to their *ancestors.

Ezra calls the people ‘the *people of Israel’ instead of ‘the people from Judah’. God gave to Jacob the name Israel. At the same time, God promised to make Jacob’s *descendants God’s special people (Genesis 32:28). At the time when the people first returned from *exile, most of them were from Judah. But they were still God’s special people. And that is why Ezra calls them ‘the *people of Israel’.

Jews ~ another name for the Israelites, especially those Israelites who were from Judah. (Judah was the southern part of the country called Israel.)
Israelites ~ descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel. Sometimes the word ‘Israelites’ means all of Jacob’s descendants. But sometimes it only means those descendants who were from the northern part of the country called Israel.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
exile ~ a period when people cannot live in their own country. This period may be for many years.
ancestors ~ parents, grandparents and previous members of the same family.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
Levites ~ the people from one of the 12 families of the Israelites; they acted as assistants to the priests in the temple.
Israelites ~ descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel. Sometimes the word ‘Israelites’ means all of Jacob’s descendants. But sometimes it only means those descendants who were from the northern part of the country called Israel.
temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites, especially those Israelites who were from Judah. (Judah was the southern part of the country called Israel.)
worship ~ to praise God and to give thanks to him; to show honour to God and to say that we love him very much.
temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites, especially those Israelites who were from Judah. (Judah was the southern part of the country called Israel.)
worship ~ to praise God and to give thanks to him; to show honour to God and to say that we love him very much.
Israelites ~ descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel. Sometimes the word ‘Israelites’ means all of Jacob’s descendants. But sometimes it only means those descendants who were from the northern part of the country called Israel.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
worship ~ to praise God and to give thanks to him; to show honour to God and to say that we love him very much.'Urim and Thummim ~ sacred objects that some priests could use in order to know what God was telling the people to do. The name means ‘perfect lights’. They were probably some sort of precious stone.
LORD ~ a name for God. It means that he is always God.'Babylonian / Babylonians ~ a person from Babylonia or anything that has a relationship with Babylonia.'people of Israel ~ another name for the people who are Jews.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites, especially those Israelites who were from Judah. (Judah was the southern part of the country called Israel.)
Israelites ~ descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel. Sometimes the word ‘Israelites’ means all of Jacob’s descendants. But sometimes it only means those descendants who were from the northern part of the country called Israel.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
Israelites ~ descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel. Sometimes the word ‘Israelites’ means all of Jacob’s descendants. But sometimes it only means those descendants who were from the northern part of the country called Israel.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.