The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred and seventy two. From hence, to the end of Ezra 2:35 , a list is given of the captives that returned, described by the families they were of, their ancestors from whence they sprung, or the towns and cities to which they originally belonged, and by their numbers; otherwise nothing more of them is known. read more
The children of Beth-lehem - The inhabitants: see before. read more
The children of Lod , Hadid , and Ono - These were cities in the tribe of Benjamin; see on 1 Chronicles 8:12 ; (note). read more
The list may be divided into ten parts:— 1. Enumeration of the leaders (verse 2). 2. Numbers of those who returned, arranged according to families (verses 3-19). 3. Numbers of those who returned, arranged according to localities (verses 20-35). 4. Numbers of the priests, arranged according to families (verses 36-39). 5. Numbers of the Levites, arranged similarly (verses 40-42). 6. Families of the Nethinim (verses 43-54). 7. Families of "Solomon's servants"... read more
The muster-roll. The last chapter gave us a catalogue of the sacred vessels returned. In that portion of the present chapter which concludes with the above verses we have a similar catalogue of the sacred people returned (see Lamentations 4:2 ). The first verse seems to show us where this catalogue was made out, viz; in the land of their exile, where Judaea was constantly spoken of as "the province" (comp. Ezra 5:8 ; Nehemiah 1:3 ; Nehemiah 11:3 ). If the nearly identical... read more
Spiritual significances. What signifies to us, it may be asked, the exact number of the children of Parosh and Shephatiah ( Ezra 2:3 , Ezra 2:4 )? What does it signify to us that the heads of the returning families bore such and such a name? Why record this? What is— I. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS RECORD OF NAMES AND NUMBERS ? The pains which the children of Israel took to keep a strict record of their families in Persia may have been (a) an act of faith : it... read more
Men forsaking the worldly life. We regard the people returning from Babylon as typical of men going out of the worldly life into the life and work of the kingdom of God. Observe— I. THAT MEN FORSAKE THE WORLDLY LIFE FROM CHOICE . Cyrus compelled no man to leave the land of captivity. The Jews left Babylon in the exercise of their own free will. Israel as a nation went out of Egypt; but as individuals they come out of Babylon. Heaven compels no man to forsake sin. 1. ... read more
Ezra 2:20-21. The children of Gibbar Or , as it is in Nehemiah 7:25, of Gibeon, these being the citizens of that city. For this is not the name of a man, but of a place; and the same may be said of several names that follow. The children of Beth-lehem The remainders of the inhabitants of that city: so little was Beth-lehem among the thousands of Judah! Yet thence must the Messiah arise. Netophah and Anathoth also, in the next two verses, were towns, not men. read more
Click image for full-size version1:1-2:70 ZERUBBABEL’S RETURNCyrus had been ruler of Persia for some time before he conquered Babylon in 539 BC. His policy was, when he conquered a nation, to allow any people held captive by that nation to return to their homeland. Therefore, soon after he conquered Babylon (i.e. in his first year as the Jews’ new ruler) he gave permission for the Jews to return to Jerusalem (1:1-4). Jeremiah’s prophecy made seventy years earlier had come true: the Jews were... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 2:1-35
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... read more