Chapter Two PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS 1. Why do you suppose this list of names and numbers was regarded as important enough to be included in the Bible? 2. Does this list give you any mental image of the kinds of people that made the trip? 3. Do you suppose they all remained, after they arrived?... [ Continue Reading ]
TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT B. This is a list of the leaders and groups among the returnees 1. The introduction of the list gives the names of their leaders. TEXT, EZRA 2:1-2 a 1 Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the k... [ Continue Reading ]
2. The list really begins with laymen, simply men of the people of Israel. TEXT, EZRA 2:2Ezra 2:2 2b The number of the men of the people of Israel: 3 the sons of Parosh, 2,172; 4 the sons of Shephatiah, 372; 5 the sons of Arah, 775; 6 the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab... [ Continue Reading ]
3. Next it includes people identified mainly by their towns. TEXT, EZRA 2:21-35 21 the men of Bethlehem, 123; 22 the men of Netophah, 56; 23 the men of Anathoth, 128; 24 the sons of Azmaveth, 42; 25 the sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743; 26 the sons of Ramah and Geba, 62... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
TEXT, EZRA 2:59-63 59 Now these are those who came up from Tel-melah, Telharsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they were not able to give evidence of their fathers-' households, and their descendants, whether they were of Israel: 60 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 65... [ Continue Reading ]
6. Ezra 2:64-65 give the totals of the returnees. TEXT, EZRA 2:64-65 64 The whole assembly numbered 42,360, 65 besides their male and female servants, who numbered 7,337; and they had 200 singing men and women. COMMENT This grand total of 49,897 may be contrasted with the 601,730 plus the 23,0... [ Continue Reading ]
7. Next is a listing of their livestock. TEXT, EZRA 2:66-67 66 Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; 67 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720. COMMENT This is not a very large number of animals for the amount of people. All of the animals are beasts of burden, and at best there is but on... [ Continue Reading ]
8. Their offerings for restoring the Temple are recorded. TEXT, EZRA 2:68-69 68 And some of the heads of fathers-' households, when they arrived at the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to restore it on its foundation. 69 According to their ability... [ Continue Reading ]
9. Their location in the land is stated. TEXT, EZRA 2:70 70 Now the priests and the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities. COMMENT Their dwelling within (walled) cities was probably required by th... [ Continue Reading ]