The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, and the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two. These, though their immediate parents were known, yet by their being mentioned here, it seems as if they could not carry their genealogy further, and make it clearly appear what was the house of their fathers, or what their family. read more
And of the children of the priests ,.... Who could not make out their pedigree, for those that could are mentioned before: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai ; how the latter came by this name follows: which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name ; this man married a woman that descended from the famous Barzillai the Gileadite, in the times of David; and the priesthood being in disuse, and mean and... read more
These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy ,.... To find their names written and registered there; for the Jews kept public registers of their priests, their descent, marriages, and offspring, that it might be known who were fit, and who not, to officiate as such: but they were not found ; their names were not there, nor any account taken of them: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood ; were not suffered to attend at the altar, and... 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
Of the children of the priests. Some of those who claimed to be descendants of Aaron, and therefore priests, had also lost the evidence of their descent. This loss was held to disqualify them from the exercise of the priestly office ( Ezra 2:62 ). read more
The privileges of the priesthood. We are here forcibly reminded— I. THAT THE PRIESTHOOD HAD ITS PRIVILEGES . These were— 1. They were sanctified to the service of God. 2. They ate of the most holy things. II. THE LAW PRIESTS WERE TYPES OF TRUE CHRISTIANS . 1. In their birth , as sons of Aaron. 2. In their office , as priests of God. 3. In the privileges of their office. III. THOSE WHO ASPIRE TO THESE ... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 2:36-63
Here is an account, I. Of the priests that returned, and they were a considerable number, about a tenth part of the whole company: for the whole were above 42,000 (Ezra 2:64), and four families of priests made up above 4200 (Ezra 2:36-39); thus was the tenth God's part?a blessed decimation. Three of the fathers of the priests here named were heads of courses, 1 Chron. 24:7, 8, 14. The fourth was Pashur, Ezra 2:38. If these were of the posterity of that Pashur that abused Jeremiah (Jer. 20:1),... read more