THE NAMES AND NUMBER OF THOSE WHO RETURNED 1. The province] i.e. the Persian province of Judæa (Ezra 5:8). HAD CARRIED AWAY] in 597 b.c. and 586 b.c. EVERY ONE UNTO HIS CITY] i.e. to the provincial towns. This process can only have taken place very gradually.... [ Continue Reading ]
ZERUBBABEL] for his relation to Sheshbazzar see on Ezra 1:8 for his ancestry see on Ezra 3:2. The list of names that follows is repeated, with some variants, in Nehemiah 7:7. JESHUA] the high priest, called by Haggai 'Joshua.' The names in this v. number 11, but in the corresponding passage in Neh ... [ Continue Reading ]
OF ATER OF HEZEKIAH] i.e. the descendants of Ater through Hezekiah, one of his sons. 20-35. The names in these vv. are those of localities.... [ Continue Reading ]
NEBO] not the Nebo in Reuben, E. of the Jordan (Numbers 32:38), but situated in Judah, identified by some with Nob (Isaiah 10:32), by others with the modern Nuba, S. of Jerusalem.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE OTHER ELAM] in contrast to the Elam of Ezra 2:7. 36-39. Of the four priestly houses here named, one, PASHUR, is not among the 24 enumerated in 1 Chronicles 24:7, but is probably a branch of the house of Malchijah (1 Chronicles 24:9): see Nehemiah 11:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVENTY AND FOUR] The small number betrays a backwardness on the part of the Levites similar to that which they manifested on a subsequent occasion: see Ezra 8:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PORTERS] they kept the Temple gates (1 Chronicles 9:17).... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NETHINIMS] i.e. Temple servants: see Nehemiah 8:17, and on 1 Chronicles 9:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN OF SOLOMON'S SERVANTS] probably descendants of the native Canaanites employed by Solomon on his buildings: see 1 Kings 9:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
TEL-MELAH, etc] localities in Babylonia.... [ Continue Reading ]
SOUGHT THEIR REGISTER, etc] i.e. sought their entry among those who were enrolled as being Israelites of pure descent. AS POLLUTED] Only those were admitted to the priesthood who could prove their descent from Aaron, in accordance with Numbers 3:10; Numbers 16:40.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TIRSHATHA] i.e. Zerubbabel, the title meaning 'governor,' perhaps one subordinate to a 'satrap.' EAT OF THE MOST HOLY THINGS] the privilege of the priesthood only (Numbers 18:8). TILL THERE STOOD UP, etc.] In early times the high priest used to enquire of the Lord by URIM and THUMMIM: see on Exo... [ Continue Reading ]
FORTY AND TWO THOUSAND, etc.] The total number here given disagrees with the sum of the items, which only amounts to 29,818 (in Nehemiah 7:66; Nehemiah 7:31, 089, the difference perhaps being due to textual errors).... [ Continue Reading ]
SINGING MEN, etc.] These were minstrels employed on secular occasions (cp. Sir 12:7-8), distinct from the SINGERS of Ezra 2:41, who were intended for the Temple.... [ Continue Reading ]
DRAMS] The dram (Gk. _drachma_), like the pound (_maneh_), was a weight, equivalent to the Hebrew half-shekel. The pound contained 100 drams. Some authorities render the word translated 'dram' by daric, a gold coin worth a guinea. A pound of silver was worth about 4.... [ Continue Reading ]
DWELT IN THEIR CITIES] i.e. occupied several of the provincial cities. Some scholars have held that only a few (if any) Jews returned to Jerusalem in the reign of Cyrus (whose decree in Ezra 6:3 only directs the construction of the Temple, not the restoration of. any exiles), and that the Temple was... [ Continue Reading ]