2:2The Nehemiah listed here is a different person from the one who rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls 80 years later, and the Mordecai listed here is not the one who appears in the book of Esther.
Life Application Study BibleEzraChapter 2
Ezra 2
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 722, 724, 725
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2Ezra 2
Exiles Who Returned with Zerubbabel
12 Here is the list of the Jewish exiles of the provinces who returned from their captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar had deported them to Babylon, but now they returned to Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah where they originally lived. 2Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.
40These are the Levites who returned from exile:The families of Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah)
41The singers of the family of Asaph................0.02.20e
42The gatekeepers of the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon,Akkub, Hatita,and Shobai.......... 0.0... e cece eres
43The descendants of the following Temple servants returned from exile:Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
44Keros, Siaha, Padon,
45Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,
47Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,
48Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,
49Uzza, Paseah, Besai,
50Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim,
51Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
52Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
53Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
54Neziah, and Hatipha.
55The descendants of these servants of King Solomon returned from exile:Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,
56Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,
57Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-hazzebaim, and Ami.
58]n all, the Temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants numbered 392. 59Another group returned at this time from the towns of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Kerub, Addan, and Immer. However, they could not prove that they or their families were descendants of Israel. 60This group included the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda—a total of 652 people. 61Three families of priests—Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai—also returned. (This Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai of Gilead, and he had taken her family name.) 62They searched for their names in the genealogical records, but they were not found, so they were disqualified from serving as priests. 63The governor told them not to eat the priests’ share of food from the sacrifices until a priest could consult the LORD about the matter by using the Urim and Thummim—the sacred lots. 64So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah, ®in addition to 7,337 servants and 200 singers, both men and women. 6They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, 87435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. 65When they arrived at the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders made voluntary offerings toward the rebuilding of God’s Temple on its original site, 69and each leader gave as much as he could. The total of their gifts came to 61,000 gold coins,* 6,250 pounds* of silver, and 100 robes for the priests. 70So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled in villages near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel. 2. The people rebuild the Temple The Altar ts Rebuilt
Textual footnotes
- 2:24 As in parallel text at Neh 7:28; Hebrew reads Azmaveth. version (see also Neh 7:29); Hebrew reads Kirjath-arim.
- 2:25 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek
- 2:46 As in an alternate reading of the Masoretic Text (see also Neh 7:48); the other alternate reads Shamiai.
- 2:69a Hebrew 67,000 darics of gold, about 1,100 pounds or 500 kilograms in weight.
- 2:69b Hebrew 5,000 minas
Life Application Notes 6 notes
2:2This first list is made up of men who were leaders. The same list occurs in Nehemiah 7:7.
2:2-35These people were from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (1:5).
2:3-35This list is the major group of those returning, divided by families (2:3-20) or by cities (2:21-35). Verse 36 begins listing priests, Levites, and other Temple servants.
2:59-63Genealogies were very important credentials to the Hebrew people. If they could not prove they had descended from Abraham, they were not considered true Jews and were excluded from full participation in Jewish community life. In addition, some privileges were restricted to members of certain tribes. For example, only descendants of Levi (Abraham's greatgrandson) could serve in the Temple.
2:63The governor mentioned here was probably Zerubbabel. and they may have thought the returning exiles threatened their claim on the land.
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Study feature · page 723
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THE RETURN FROM EXILE
Year
Number of People Returned
Persian King
Jewish Leader
Main Accomplishment
538 B.C.
50,000
Cyrus
Zerubbabel
They rebuilt the Temple, but only after a 20-year struggle. The work was halted for several years but was finally finished.
458 B.C.
2,000 men and their families
Artaxerxes
Ezra
Ezra confronted the spiritual disobedience of the people, and they repented and established worship at the Temple. But the wall of Jerusalem remained i in ruins.
Small group
The city was rebuilt, and a spiritual awakening followed. But the people still struggled with ongoing disobedience.
445 B.C.
Artaxerxes
Nehemiah
Babylon, the once-mighty nation that had destroyed Jerusalem and carried the people of Judah into captivity, had itself become a defeated nation. Persia was the new world power, and under its new foreign policy, captured peoples were allowed to return to their homelands. The people of Judah and Israel returned to their land in three successive waves.
Study feature · page 724
32 The citizens Of HariM.... 0... ce nner ee net e teen nee 33 The citizens of Lod, Hadid, and Ono 34 The citizens of Jericho...............00055 35 The citizens of Senaah....... 2... cee cee eee eter n eee ener ee ene e nes
36These are the priests who returned from exile: The family of Jedaiah (through the line of Jeshua).................:0see esse eens 37 The family of Immer...........602 0 cece ee eee eee e ene nee e ees 38 The family of Pashhur 39 The family of Harim.........-----++-++-
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The sacred lots were probably the Urim and Thummim, two objects originally carried in the garment worn by the high priest. They were used to determine God's will in important matters. (For more on the Urim and Thummim, see the note on Leviticus 8:8.) The priests’ share of food was their allotted portion of meat that was sacrificed on the altar. 2:68, 69 As the Temple reconstruction progressed, everyone contributed freewill offerings according to his or her ability. Some
Study feature · page 725
were able to give huge gifts and did so generously. Everyone’s effort and cooperation were required, and the people gave as much as they could. Often we limit our giving to 10 percent of our income. The Bible, however, emphasizes that we should give from the heart a// that we are able (2 Corinthians 8:12; 9:6). Let your gift be decided by God’s call to give generously, not by the amount you have left over. 2:69 The money given was enough to start rebuilding the Temple. The people put what resources they had to their best use. They were enthusiastic and sincere, but this Temple would never match the splendor of Solomon’s. The amount of money David gathered to start the building of Solomon’s Temple was a thousand times more (1 Chronicles 22:14). Some people wept as they remembered the glorious Temple that had been destroyed (3:12). 3:2, 3. The Jews built the altar as one of their first official acts. It symbolized God's presence and protection. It also demonstrated their purpose as a nation and their commitment to serve God alone. Zerubbabel sacrificed burnt offerings as the law of Moses instructed (Leviticus 1-7). The sacrifices were essential because they demonstrated that the people were seeking God's guidance, rededicating themselves to living as he commanded, and daily asking him to forgive their sins. 3:3 The Jews were afraid they were going to be attacked by the surrounding people—a mixed group whose ancestors had been conquered by the Assyrians. Foreigners had been forced to resettle in the northern kingdom of Israel after Israel was defeated and her people taken captive in 722 B.C. (4:1, 2). This resettlement Procedure was a common tactic of the Assyrians to prevent strong nationalistic uprisings by conquered peoples. Some of the resettled people in Israel had migrated south near Jerusalem,