Ezra 2:55

_THE CHILDREN OF SOLOMON'S SERVANTS: THE CHILDREN OF SOTAI, THE CHILDREN OF SOPHERETH, THE CHILDREN OF PERUDA,_ The children of Solomon's servants - the strangers, Canaanites, or original inhabitants of the land, whom that monarch enlisted in the building of the temple (1 Kings 9:20; 2 Chronicles 8:7). From their association with the Nethinim it may be inferred that, after having been reduced to a servile condition, they continued to assist the former in their services. It appears from the small number (Ezra 2:55) who returned, that most of the Nethinims, as well as of Solomon's servants, preferred to remain in Babylon to resume their former course of laborious servitude: and it was probably owing to this

36-63 Those who undervalue their relation to the Lord in times of reproach, persecution, or distress, will have no benefit from it when it becomes honourable or profitable. Those who have no evidence that they are, by the new birth, spiritual priests unto God, through Jesus Christ, have no right to the comforts and privileges of Christians....

Verse 55. _THE CHILDREN OF SOLOMON'S SERVANTS_] The _Nethinim_, and others appointed to do the meaner services of the holy house....

EXPOSITION THE NUMBER OF THOSE WHO RETURNED FROM CAPTIVITY WITH ZERUBBABEL, AND THE NAMES OF THE CHIEFS (Ezra 2:1). It has been argued that the whole of this chapter is out of place here, and has been transferred hither from Nehemiah (Nehemiah 7:6), where it occupies its rightful position (Bishop A. Hervey). According to this view, the list is one embodying the results of the census made by Nehemiah, not a list of those who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel But it seems strange that such a theory should ever h

Ezra 2:3....

CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The leaders (Ezra 2:1)_ 2. The names of the returning exiles (Ezra 2:3) 3. The priests (Ezra 2:36) 4. The Levites and singers (Ezra 2:40) 5. The porters and Nethinim (Ezra 2:42) 6. Solomon's servants (Ezra 2:55) 7. Those of doubtful descent (Ezra 2:59) 8. The number of the whole company ...

A LIST OF THE EXILES WHO RETURNED UNDER ZERUBBABEL. See the Greek Ezra (1 Esdras) Esther 5:7 and Nehemiah 7:6_ a_, where this list also occurs, though with some variations. Ezra 2:1 a. province: Heb. _medinah,_ equivalent to the Persian satrapy. It refers here to the tract of country, with Jerusalem as its centre (_cf._ Ezra 5:8; Nehemiah 1:3; Nehemiah 11:3), over which Zerubbabel was governor, the province of Judah. ZERUBBABEL: seed of Babel; according to

_Sophereth_ R.V. HASSOPHERETH. The A.V. gives the name as it appears in Nehemiah 7:57. _Peruda_ appears in Nehemiah 7:57 as -Perida"....

_VER._ 55. _THE CHILDREN OF SOLOMON'S SERVANTS_— i.e. Of the Nethinims. See 1 Chronicles 9:2 and Calmet on the place....

4. Also important enough to be mentioned were certain people connected with the Temple and religious worship. TEXT, EZRA 2:36-58 36 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973; 37 the sons of Immer, 1,052; 38 the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; 39 the sons of Harim, 1,017. 40 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74. 41 The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. 42 The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, in all 139. 43 The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, 44 the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, 45 the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub,...