Bible/Ezra/2

Ezra 2:1

Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;

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Now these are the children of the province, who went up out of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city;

Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;

Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and came again to Jerusalem and Judah, every one to his city;

Now these are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and that returned unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;

2:2 Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

What does Ezra 2:1 mean?

Ezra 2:1 is a verse in the book of Ezra, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include בֵּן (bên), מְדִינָה (mᵉdîynâh), עָלָה (ʻâlâh). It connects to 36 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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Now
these
are
the
childrenבֵּןbên/bane/H1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
of
the
provinceמְדִינָהmᵉdîynâh/med-ee-naw'/H4082properly, a judgeship, i.e. jurisdiction; by implication, a district (as ruled by a judge); generally, a region
that
went
upעָלָהʻâlâh/aw-law'/H5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
out
of
the
captivity,שְׁבִיshᵉbîy/sheb-ee'/H7628exiled; captured; as noun, exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); by extension, booty
of
those
which
had
been
carried
away,גּוֹלָהgôwlâh/go-law'/H1473exile; concretely and collectively exiles
whom
NebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּרNᵉbûwkadneʼtstsar/neb-oo-kad-nets-tsar'/H5019Nebukadnetstsar (or -retstsar, or -retstsor), king of Babylon
the
kingמֶלֶךְmelek/meh'-lek/H4428a king
of
BabylonבָּבֶלBâbel/baw-bel'/H894Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire
had
carried
awayגָּלָהgâlâh/gaw-law'/H1540to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal
unto
Babylon,בָּבֶלBâbel/baw-bel'/H894Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire
and
came
againשׁוּבshûwb/shoob/H7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again
unto
Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִםYᵉrûwshâlaim/yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im/H3389Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
and
Judah,יְהוּדָהYᵉhûwdâh/yeh-hoo-daw'/H3063Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
every
oneאִישׁʼîysh/eesh/H376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
unto
his
city;עִירʻîyr/eer/H5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)

Commentary on Ezra 2:1

CLARKE · whole chapter
An account of those who returned from Babylon, vv. 1-35. The children of the priests who returned, Ezr 2:36-39. Of the Levites, Ezr 2:40. Of the singers, Ezr 2:41. Of the porters, Ezr 2:42. Of the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants, vv. 43-58. Others who could not find out their registers, Ezr 2:59-62. The number of the whole congregation, Ezr 2:63, Ezr 2:64. Of their servants, maids, and singers, Ezr 2:65. Their horses and mules, Ezr 2:66. Their camels and asses, Ezr 2:67. The offerings of the chief men when they came to Jerusalem, Ezr 2:68, Ezr 2:69. The priests, Levites, singers, porters, and Nethinim, betake themselves to their respective cities, Ezr 2:70. Verse 1 These are the children of the province - That is, of Judea; once a kingdom, and a flourishing nation; now a province, subdued, tributary, and ruined! Behold the goodness and severity of God! Some think Babylon is meant by the province; and that the children of the province means those Jews who were born in Babylon. But the first is most likely to be the meaning, for thus we find Judea styled, Ezr 5:8. Besides, the province is contradistinguished from Babylon even in this first verse, The children of the province - that had been carried away unto Babylon. Verse 2 Which came with Zerubbabel - There are many difficulties in this table of names; but as we have no less than three copies of it, that contained here from Ezra 2:1-67, a second in Nehemiah 7:6-69, and a third in 1 Esdras 5:7-43, on a careful examination they will be found to correct each other. The versions also, and the Variae Lectiones of Kennicott and De Rossi, do much toward harmonizing the names. Though the sum total at the end of each of these enumerations is equal, namely 42,360, yet the particulars reckoned up make in Ezra only 29,818, and in Nehemiah 31,089. We find that Nehemiah mentions 1765 persons which are not in Ezra, and Ezra has 494 not mentioned by Nehemiah. Mr. Alting thinks that this circumstance, which appears to render all hope of reconciling them impossible, is precisely the very point by which they can be reconciled; for if we add Ezra's surplus to the sum in Nehemiah, and the surplus of Nehemiah to the number in Ezra, the numbers will be equal. Thus: - The number in Ezra 29,818 Surplus in Nehemiah. 1,765 Sum total 31,583 The number in Nehemiah 31,089 The surplus in Ezra 494 Sum total 31,583 If we subtract this sum 31,583 from 42,360, we shall have a deficiency of 10,777 from the numbers as summed up in the text; and these are not named here, either because their registers were not found, or they were not of Judah and Benjamin, the tribes particularly concerned, but of the other Israelitish tribes; see Ezr 2:36. Verse 3 The children of Parosh - Where the word children is found in this table, prefixed to the name of a man, it signifies the descendants of that person, as from Ezra 2:3-21. Where it is found prefixed to a place, town, etc., it signifies the inhabitants of that place, as from Ezr 2:21-35. Verse 21 The children of Beth-lehem - The inhabitants: see before. Verse 33 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono - These were cities in the tribe of Benjamin; see on 1Chr 8:12 (note). Verse 36 The priests - The preceding list takes in the census of Judah and Benjamin. Verse 55 The children of Solomon's servants - The Nethinim, and others appointed to do the meaner services of the holy house. Verse 63 The Tirshatha - This is generally supposed to be Nehemiah, or the person who was the commandant; see Neh 8:9; Neh 10:1, for the word appears to be the name of an office. The Vulgate and Septuagint write it Atershatha, the Syriac and Arabic render it the princes of Judah. Some suppose the word to be Persian, but nothing like it of the same import occurs in that language at present. If, as Castel supposed, it signifies austerity, or that fear which is unpressed by the authority of a governor, it may come from ters, Fear, or tersh, Acid, the former from tarsidan, to Fear or Dread. Should not eat of the most holy things - There was a high priest then, but no Urim and Thummim, these having been lost in the captivity. Verse 66 Their horses - seven hundred, etc. - They went into captivity, stripped of every thing; they now return from it, abounding in the most substantial riches, viz., horses 736, or, according to Esdras, 7036; mules, 245; camels, 435; asses, 6720; besides gold, and silver, and rich stuffs. See below. Verse 69 Threescore and one thousand drams of gold - דרכמונים darkemonim, drakmons or darics; a Persian coin, always of gold, and worth about 1. 5s., not less than 76,250 sterling in gold. Five thousand pounds of silver - מנים manim, manehs or minas. As a weight, the maneh was 100 shekels; as a coin, 60 shekels in value, or about 9.; 5000 of these manehs therefore will amount to 45,000, making in the whole a sum of about 120,000; and in this are not included the 100 garments for priests. Thus we find that God, in the midst of judgment, remembered mercy, and gave them favor in the land of their captivity. Verse 70 Dwelt in their cities - They all went to those cities which belonged originally to their respective families.
WESLEY · Ezra 2:1
The province - Of Judah, called a province, chap. 5:8. And he calls it thus emphatically to mind himself and his brethren of that sad change which their sins had made among them, that from an illustrious, independent, and formidable kingdom, were fallen to be an obscure, servile, and contemptible province, first under the Chaldeans, and now under the Persians.
HENRY_FULL · Ezra 2:1–35
The Return of the Captives. ( b. c. 536.) 1 Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city; 2 Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel: 3 The children of Parosh, two thousand a hundred seventy and two. 4 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two. 5 The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five. 6 The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve. 7 The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four. 8 The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five. 9 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore. 10 The children of Bani, six hundred forty and two. 11 The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three. 12 The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two. 13 The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six. 14 The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty and six. 15 The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four. 16 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight. 17 The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three. 18 The children of Jorah, a hundred and twelve. 19 The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three. 20 The children of Gibbar, ninety and five. 21 The children of Beth-lehem, a hundred twenty and three. 22 The men of Netophah, fifty and six. 23 The men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty and eight. 24 The children of Azmaveth, forty and two. 25 The children of Kirjath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three. 26 The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one. 27 The men of Michmas, a hundred twenty and two. 28 The men of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred twenty and three. 29 The children of Nebo, fifty and two. 30 The children of Magbish, a hundred fifty and six. 31 The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four. 32 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty. 33 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five. 34 The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five. 35 The children of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty. We may observe here, 1. That an account was kept in writing of the families that came up out of captivity, and the numbers of each family. This was done for their honour, as part of their recompence for their faith and courage, their confidence in God and their affection to their own land, and to stir up others to follow their good example. Those that honour God he will thus honour. The names of all those Israelites indeed that accept the offer of deliverance by Christ shall be found, to their honour, in a more sacred record than this, even in the Lamb's book of life. The account that was kept of the families that came up from the captivity was intended also for the benefit of posterity, that they might know from whom they descended and to whom they were allied. 2. That they are called children of the province. Judah, which had been an illustrious kingdom, to which other kingdoms had been made provinces, subject to it and dependent on it, was now itself made a province, to receive laws and commissions from the king of Persia and to be accountable to him. See how sin diminishes and debases a nation, which righteousness would exalt. But by thus being made servants (as the patriarchs by being sojourners in a country which was theirs by promise) they were reminded of the better country, that is, the heavenly ( Heb. xi. 16 ), a kingdom which cannot be moved, or changed into a province. 3. That they are said to come every one to his city, that is, the city appointed them, in which appointment an eye, no doubt, was had to their former settlement by Joshua; and to that, as near as might be, they returned: for it does not appear that any others, at least any that were able to oppose them, had possessed them in their absence. 4. That the leaders are first mentioned, v. 2 . Zerubbabel and Jeshua were their Moses and Aaron, the former their chief prince, the latter their chief priest. Nehemiah and Mordecai are mentioned here; some think not the same with the famous men we afterwards meet with of those names: probably they were the same, but afterwards returned to court for the service of their country. 5. Some of these several families are named from the persons that were their ancestors, others from the places in which they had formerly resided; as with us many surnames are the proper names of persons, others of places. 6. Some little difference there is between the numbers of some of the families here and in Neh. vii. , where this catalogue is repeated, which might arise from this, that some who had given in their names at first to come afterwards drew back—said, I go, Sir, but went not, which would lessen the number of the families they belonged to; others that declined, at first, afterwards repented and went, and so increased the number. 7. Here are two families that are called the children of Elam (one v. 7 , another v. 31 ), and, which is strange, the number of both is the same, 1254. 8. The children of Adonikam, which signifies a high lord, were 666, just the number of the beast ( Rev. xiii. 18 ), which is there said to be the number of a man, which, Mr. Hugh Broughton thinks, has reference to this man. 9. The children of Bethlehem ( v. 21 ) were but 123, though it was David's city; for Bethlehem was little among the thousands of Judah, yet there must the Messiah arise, Mic. v. 2 . 10. Anathoth had been a famous place in the tribe of Benjamin and yet here it numbered but 128 ( v. 23 ), which is to be imputed to the divine curse which the men of Anathoth brought upon themselves by persecuting Jeremiah, who was of their city. Jer. xi. 21 , 23 , There shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth. And see Isa. x. 30 , O poor Anathoth! Nothing brings ruin on a people sooner than persecution.

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Exodus 22:29

Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.

Exodus 23:19

The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.

Exodus 34:22

And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.

Exodus 34:26

The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.

Exodus 35:5

Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass,

Exodus 35:20

And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

Exodus 36:5

And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make.

Exodus 36:6

And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.

Numbers 18:12

All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee.

2 Kings 24:14

And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

2 Kings 25:11

Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzar–adan the captain of the guard carry away.

2 Chronicles 36:1

Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem.

Ezra 5:8

Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.

Ezra 6:2

And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written:

Nehemiah 7:6

These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;

Nehemiah 10:35

And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the Lord:

Nehemiah 12:44

And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.

Nehemiah 13:12

Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.

Nehemiah 13:31

And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

Esther 1:1

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:)

Esther 1:3

In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:

Esther 1:8

And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure.

Esther 1:11

To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.

Esther 8:9

Then were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.

Proverbs 3:9

Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

Jeremiah 39:1

In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.

Jeremiah 52:1

Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

Lamentations 1:3

Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

Lamentations 1:5

Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

Lamentations 4:22

The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.

Zephaniah 2:7

And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

Acts 23:34

And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;

1 Corinthians 15:20

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

2 Corinthians 8:2

How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

James 1:18

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Revelation 14:4

These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

People & places in this verse

People

Places

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Ezra 2:1.

Nehemiah 7:6

These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;

2 Chronicles 36:10

And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 36:6

Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.

2 Chronicles 36:7

Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

2 Kings 24:1

In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

2 Kings 24:10

At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

2 Kings 24:11

And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.

2 Kings 24:15

And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Frequently asked questions

What does Ezra 2:1 say?

Ezra 2:1 (King James Version) reads: "Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;"

Is Ezra 2:1 in the Old or New Testament?

Ezra 2:1 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Ezra.

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