EZRA 2:1 The Exiles Live Again in Their Ancestral Homes. This long chapter tells of the exiles’ return from Babylon to resettle in their former homes in Jerusalem and Judah. (The information in ch. Ezra 2:1 is given again in Nehemiah 7:6 in connection with a covenant renewal under Nehemiah.) It show... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 2:2 The laity is described partly by kinship (vv. Ezra 2:2) and partly by place (vv. Ezra 2:20), without a real distinction (THE MEN OF and THE SONS OF seem interchangeable). The places named are in Judah and Benjamin (see Ezra 1:5), north and south of Jerusalem, with a larger grou... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 2:36 Temple officials are divided by function, headed by the PRIESTS and LEVITES. The priests (vv. Ezra 2:36) are most important, set apart for worship at the altar. The Levites are attendants, some of them SINGERS and GATEKEEPERS (vv. Ezra 2:40; see also 1 Chronicles 6:33; 1 Chron... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 2:43 The TEMPLE SERVANTS were officials appointed by King David to help the Levites (see Ezra 8:20). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 2:55 The SONS OF SOLOMON’S SERVANTS may be connected with foreigners whom Solomon drafted for building the temple (1 Kings 9:20). They are not regarded as slaves. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 2:59 WHETHER THEY BELONGED TO ISRAEL. People were coming back after a long exile to claim inheritance and property, so credentials needed to be established. EXCLUDED FROM THE PRIESTHOOD. Only priests from the correct lineage could serve at the altar. A PRIEST TO CONSULT. The claims... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 2:68 The location of the former temple is regarded as a holy place, so it can already be called THE HOUSE OF THE LORD THAT IS IN JERUSALEM. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 2:69 DARICS were gold coins used throughout the Persian Empire. Archaeologists have found darics bearing the name of the Persian province Yehud, probably indicating that the returned Jews were allowed to mint their own coins. Yehud was the Persian name for Judah (or Judea; see Ezra... [ Continue Reading ]