John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 2:64
The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore. But the sums before given make no more, with Zerubbabel, and the ten principal men, than 29,829, so that there are more than 12,000 wanting; wherefore, in answer to the question, where are the 12,000? the Jews say in their chronology F1 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 29. p. 86. these are they of the other tribes, who set up the altar on its bases, and gave money to the masons, &c.; Ezra 3:1 , this... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 2:64-70
Here is, I. The sum total of the company that returned out of Babylon. The particular sums before mentioned amount not quite to 30,000 (29,818), so that there were above 12,000 that come out into any of those accounts, who, it is probable, were of the rest of the tribes of Israel, besides Judah and Benjamin, that could not tell of what particular family or city they were, but that they were Israelites, and of what tribe. Now, 1. This was more than double the number that were carried captive... read more