Ezra 2:64

_THE WHOLE CONGREGATION TOGETHER WAS FORTY AND TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND THREESCORE,_ The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore. This gross amount Isaiah 12 more than the particular numbers given in the catalogue, when added together, come to. Reckoning up the smaller numbers, we shall find that they amount to 29,818 in this chapter, and to 31,089 in the parallel chapter of Nehemiah. Ezra also mentions 494 persons omitted by Nehemiah, and Nehemiah mentions 1,765 not noticed Ezra. If, therefore, Ezra's surplus be added to the sum in Nehemiah, and Nehemiah's surplus to the number in Ezra, they will both become 31,583. Subtracting this from 42,360, there will be a deficiency of 10,777. These are omitted because they did not belong to Judah and Benjamin, or to the priests, but to the other tribes. The servants and singers, male and fem

64-70 Let none complain of the needful expenses of their religion. Seek first the kingdom of God, his favour and his glory, then will all other things be added unto them. Their offerings were nothing, compared with the offerings of the princes in David's time; yet, being according to their ability, were as acceptable to God. The Lord will carry us through all undertakings entered on according to his will, with an aim to his glory, and dependence on his assistance. Those who, at the call of the gospel, renounce sin and return to the Lord, shall be guarded and guided through all perils of the way, and arrive safely at the mansions provided in the holy city of God....

The sum total is given without any variation by Ezra, by Nehemiah (see the marginal reference), and by Esdras (1 Esdras 5:41), who adds, that in this reckoning only those of twelve years of age and upward were counted. It is curious that the total 42,360, is so greatly in excess of the items. Ezra’s items make the number 29,818; Nehemiah’s 31,089, Esdras, 33,950. The original document was probably illegible in places, and the writers were forced to make omissions....

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

THE WHOLE CONGREGATION TOGETHER WAS FORTY AND TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED [AND] THREESCORE. But the sums before given make no more, with Zerubbabel, and the ten principal men, than 29,829, so that there are more than 12,000 wanting; wherefore, in answer to the question, where are the 12,000? the Jews say in their chronology a these are they of the other tribes, who set up the altar on its bases, and gave money to the masons, c. Ezra 3:1, this was a much larger number than were carried captive see 2 Kings 24:14, but not to be compared with the number that came out of Egypt, Exodus 12:37. An Arabic writer b makes them 50,000, but wrongly. a Seder Olam Rabba, c. 29. p. 86. b Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. Dyn. 5. p. 82....

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

CONGREGATION. assembly, or muster. FORTY AND TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND THREESCORE. This number (42,360) agrees with Nehemiah 7:66. The two lists of _names_ are not alike; but there is no "discrepancy". The two lists, while they agree in the numbers, and vary in names, yet have the totals identical. This shows the independence of the two accounts. Numbered in Ezra 2 42,360 Named in Ezra 29,818 Named in Neh, not in Ezra 1,765 31,583 ---------- ---------- Difference between names and numbers 10,777 Numbered in Nehemiah 7 42,360 Named in Nehemiah 31,089 Named in Neh, not in Ezra 494 31,583 ---------- ---------- Difference between names and numbers 10,777...

The same total i.e. 42,360 is given in Ezra, Nehemiah and 1 Esdras. The items however fail in all three lists to produce this figure. _Ezra_ _Neh._ 1 _Esdr._ Men of the people of Israel 24,144 25,406 26,390 Priests 4289 4289 2388 Levites 74 74 74 Singers 128 148 128 Porters 139 138 139 Nethinim and Solomon's servants 392 392 372 Unregistered 652 642 652 Total 29,818 31,089 30,143 other MSS. 30,678 These remarkable discrepancies from the sum total in which there is so much agreement have been variously accounted for. (_a_) Jewish interpreters have supposed that the sum total comprised members of the ten tribes who have not been enumerated: (_b_) 1Es 5:41 adds the words -of twelve years old and upward", an

_VER._ 64. _THE WHOLE CONGREGATION—WAS FORTY-AND-TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND THREESCORE_— Dr. Lightfoot observes on this passage, "Here is a _summa totalis_ [_a sum total_] of forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, who returned out of captivity upon the proclamation of Cyrus; and there are here the numbers of several families reckoned, as making up that sum; whereas, if the total of these particulars be summed up, it reacheth not by sixteen thousand, or thereabouts, to that number of forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty. Where, then, must we find those sixteen thousand, since they arise not in the number of the families here named? The families, here named are of Judah and Benjamin; and then certainly those sixteen thousand can hardly be imagined any other than of the ten tribes. It is apparent, that the returns of Judah and Benjamin planted Judaea: whom then can we imagine...