Ezra

CHAPTER 2

A Census of the Returned Exiles. 1^{* a} These are the inhabitants of the province who returned from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had carried away to Babylon, and who came back to Jerusalem and Judah, to their various cities 2(those who returned with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah):

The census of the people of Israel: 3descendants of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two; 4descendants of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two; 5descendants of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five; 6descendants of Pahath-moab, who were descendants of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve; 7descendants of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 8descendants of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five; 9descendants of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty; 10descendants of Bani, six hundred and forty-two; 11descendants of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three; 12descendants of Azgad, one thousand two hundred and twenty-two; 13descendants of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six; 14descendants of Bigvai, two thousand and fifty-six; 15descendants of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four; 16descendants of Ater, who were descendants of Hezekiah, ninety-eight; 17descendants of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three; 18descendants of Jorah, one hundred and twelve; 19descendants of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three; 20descendants of Gibeon, ninety-five; 21descendants of Bethlehem, one hundred and twenty-three; 22people of Netophah, fifty-six; 23people of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight; 24people of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two; 25people of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three; 26people of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one; 27people of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two; 28people of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three; 29descendants of Nebo, fifty-two; 30descendants of Magbish, one hundred and fifty-six; 31descendants of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 32descendants of Harim, three hundred and twenty; 33descendants of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-five; 34descendants of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five; 35descendants of Senaah, three thousand six hundred and thirty.

36The priests: descendants of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three; 37descendants of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two; 38descendants of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven; 39descendants of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.

40^b The Levites: descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the descendants of Hodaviah, seventy-four.

41The singers:^* descendants of Asaph, one hundred and twenty-eight.

42The gatekeepers:^* descendants of Shallum, descendants of Ater, descendants of Talmon, descendants of Akkub, descendants of Hatita, descendants of Shobai, one hundred and thirty-nine in all.

43The temple servants: descendants of Ziha, descendants of Hasupha, descendants of Tabbaoth, 44descendants of Keros, descendants of Siaha, descendants of Padon, 45descendants of Lebanah, descendants of Hagabah, descendants of Akkub, 46descendants of Hagab, descendants of Shamlai, descendants of Hanan, 47descendants of Giddel, descendants of Gahar, descendants of Reaiah, 48descendants of Rezin, descendants of Nekoda, descendants of Gazzam, 49descendants of Uzza, descendants of Paseah, descendants of Besai, 50descendants of Asnah, descendants of the Meunites, descendants of the Nephusites, 51descendants of Bakbuk, descendants of Hakupha, descendants of Harhur, 52descendants of Bazluth, descendants of Mehida, descendants of Harsha, 53descendants of Barkos, descendants of Sisera, descendants of Temah, 54descendants of Neziah, descendants of Hatipha.

55Descendants of Solomon’s servants: descendants of Sotai, descendants of Hassophereth, descendants of Peruda, 56descendants of Jaalah, descendants of Darkon, descendants of Giddel, 57descendants of Shephatiah, descendants of Hattil, descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim, descendants of Ami. 58The total of the temple servants together with the descendants of Solomon’s servants was three hundred and ninety-two.

59The following who returned from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer were unable to prove that their ancestral houses and their descent were Israelite: 60descendants of Delaiah, descendants of Tobiah, descendants of Nekoda, six hundred and fifty-two. 61^c Also, of the priests: descendants of Habaiah, descendants of Hakkoz, descendants of Barzillai (he had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was named after him). 62These searched their family records, but their names could not be found there, and they were excluded from the priesthood. 63^d The governor^* ordered them not to partake of the most holy foods until there should be a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.

64The entire assembly taken together came to forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 65not counting their male and female servants, who numbered seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven. They also had two hundred male and female singers. 66Their horses numbered seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five, 67their camels four hundred and thirty-five, their donkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

68When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of ancestral houses made voluntary offerings for the house of God, to rebuild it in its place. 69According to their means they contributed to the treasury for the temple service: sixty-one thousand drachmas of gold, five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priestly robes. 70The priests, the Levites, and some of the people took up residence in Jerusalem; the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants settled in their cities. Thus all the Israelites settled in their cities.

* [2:1–67] As it now stands, this list, which also appears at Neh 7:6–72, is an expanded form of lists of Babylonian repatriates from the sixth century B.C. It served to establish membership in the reconstituted Temple community; civic status and perhaps also title to property depended on this membership.

* [2:41] The singers: the term covers the composition as well as the rendition of liturgical music. Since they are listed as distinct from Levites (2:40), they had not yet attained levitical status, as in Chronicles (e.g., 1 Chr 9:33–34; 23:3–6).

* [2:42] The gatekeepers: their principal task was to protect the ritual purity of the temple area (e.g., 2 Chr 23:19). The author assumes that they were established by David as a distinct levitical category (1 Chr 15:18; 26:1–19).

* [2:63] The governor: the honorific title was also held by Nehemiah (Neh 8:9; 10:2). The identity of the governor is unknown; both Sheshbazzar (Ezr 5:14) and Zerubbabel (Hg 1:1, 14; 2:2, 21) are identified as governors of Judah in the early Persian period. Mal 1:8 refers to an unnamed governor, and the names of other occupants of the office (Yehoezer, Ahzai, Elnathan) occur on seal impressions, though their date is uncertain. Urim and Thummim: cf. Ex 28:30.

a. [2:1] Neh 7:6–72.

b. [2:40] Neh 12:23.

c. [2:61] 2 Sm 17:27; 19:32–33; 1 Kgs 2:7.

d. [2:63] Nm 27:21; Dt 33:8; 1 Sm 14:41–42; 28:6.