2:1 These are the people of the province who were going up, from the captives of the exile whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile in Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own city.
In 2 Chronicles 36:20-21, Jeremiah predicted that Israel would return from Babylon seventy years later. In this chapter, Ezra recorded the fulfillment of this prophecy. Ezra’s list of returnees was given almost identically in Nehemiah 7:6–73.
Judah was no longer a mighty nation, but a province of Persia. The returning Jews were still considered subjects of King Cyrus.
2:2 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.
Ezra first listed the leaders of the return.
Zerubbabel means “seed of Babylon,” indicating his place of birth. Zerubbabel was the rightful leader of Judah, but he was never a king. He was the vassal governor of Israel underneath King Cyrus of Persia. He was from the Davidic messianic line. However, he could not serve as king, because he was from the cursed line of Jehoiakin. Jeremiah predicted that no descendant of Jehoiakin would sit upon the throne on Israel. Jesus escaped this curse by his virgin birth.
Jeshua was the High Priest of the first return. His name is the same as the English “Jesus,” meaning Jehovah saves. His father Jozadak had been exiled to Babylon. He came from the lineage of Levi, Aaron, Eleazar, and Phinehas, meaning that he was legitimately in the line of the High-Priest.
Nehemiah and Mordecai are not the same men in Nehemiah or Esther.
2:3 the descendants of Parosh: 2,172;
2:4 the descendants of Shephatiah: 372;
2:5 the descendants of Arah: 775;
2:6 the descendants of Pahath-Moab (from the line of Jeshua and Joab): 2,812;
2:7 the descendants of Elam: 1,254;
2:8 the descendants of Zattu: 945;
2:9 the descendants of Zaccai: 760;
2:10 the descendants of Bani: 642;
2:11 the descendants of Bebai: 623;
2:12 the descendants of Azgad: 1,222;
2:13 the descendants of Adonikam: 666;
2:14 the descendants of Bigvai: 2,056;
2:15 the descendants of Adin: 454;
2:16 the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah): 98;
2:17 the descendants of Bezai: 323;
2:18 the descendants of Jorah: 112;
2:19 the descendants of Hashum: 223;
2:20 the descendants of Gibbar: 95.
Ezra gave a list of the various Jewish families who returned from the Babylonian Captivity. These genealogical records would be kept in the newly-rebuilt Jewish temple until the time of Jesus. If anyone claimed to be the Messiah from the line of David, then these records could be checked. It is interesting to note that the religious leaders never challenged the messianic seed line of Jesus, even though this was the first thing that the religious leaders would have investigated.
2:21 The men of Bethlehem: 123;
2:22 the men of Netophah: 56;
2:23 the men of Anathoth: 128;
2:24 the men of the family of Azmaveth: 42;
2:25 the men of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth: 743;
2:26 the men of Ramah and Geba: 621;
2:27 the men of Micmash: 122;
2:28 the men of Bethel and Ai: 223;
2:29 the descendants of Nebo: 52;
2:30 the descendants of Magbish: 156;
2:31 the descendants of the other Elam: 1,254;
2:32 the descendants of Harim: 320;
2:33 the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: 725;
2:34 the men of Jericho: 345;
2:35 the descendants of Senaah: 3,630.
These were Jewish returnees from various Judean cities.
2:36 The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua): 973;
2:37 the descendants of Immer: 1,052;
2:38 the descendants of Pashhur: 1,247;
2:39 the descendants of Harim: 1,017.
2:40 The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the line of Hodaviah): 74.
2:41 The singers: the descendants of Asaph: 128.
2:42 The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai: 139.
Notice that only 139 priests and Levites returned. The gatekeepers were Levites who guarded the gates of the temple. They controlled who entered the temple area and who did not.
2:43 The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth,
2:44 the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Siaha, the descendants of Padon, 2:45 the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Akkub, 2:46 the descendants of Hagab, the descendants of Shalmai, the descendants of Hanan, 2:47 the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, the descendants of Reaiah, 2:48 the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, the descendants of Gazzam, 2:49 the descendants of Uzzah, the descendants of Paseah, the descendants of Besai, 2:50 the descendants of Asnah, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephussim, 2:51 the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur, 2:52 the descendants of Bazluth, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha, 2:53 the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah, 2:54 the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha.
The temple servants were descendants of the Gibeonites who performed servile duties at the temple.
2:55 The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Hassophereth, the descendants of Peruda, 2:56 the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel, 2:57 the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and the descendants of Ami. 2:58 All the temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon: 392.
Ezra listed the descendants of Solomon’s servants.
2:59 These are the ones that came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify their family connection or their ancestry, as to whether they really were from Israel): 2:60 the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda: 652. 2:61 And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name). 2:62 They searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but did not find them. They were therefore excluded from the priesthood. 2:63 The governor instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.
Ezra listed the men whose genealogical information could not be verified. The Urim and
Thummim were kept in the breastplate of the High-Priest. The High Priest would use the Urim and Thummim to receive divine information directly from God about the identity of these men who had no genealogy.
2:64 The entire group numbered 42,360, 2:65 not counting their male and female servants, who numbered 7,337. They also had 200 male and female singers
Only about 50,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem. This was a very small percentage of the total Jewish population. Most of the other Jews decided to remain in Babylon. Some of these Jews from Babylon would return as “wise men from the East” during the time of Jesus. They would know the birth of the Messiah, because of Daniel’s prophecies. Notice that there were more singers who returned than Levite priests.
2:66 and 736 horses, 245 mules, 2:67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
Jehovah warned the Jews to go to Babylon, receive their punishment, but they would still proposer. The Jews returned from Babylon with enough wealth to start over and remain prosperous.
2:68 When they came to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders offered voluntary offerings for the temple of God in order to rebuild it on its site.
The Jews had enough wealth to begin the rebuilding of the temple.
2:69 As they were able, they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly robes.
Notice how much gold, silver, and valuable linen that the Jews brought back from Babylon.
2:70 The priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the rest of Israel lived in their towns.
With their wealth, the Jews began to rebuild the towns around Jerusalem.