Ezra 2 commentary

An account was kept of the families that came up out of captivity. See how sin lowers a nation, which righteousness would exalt!

Those who undervalue their relation to the Lord in times of reproach, persecution, or distress, will have no benefit from it when it becomes honourable or profitable. Those who have no evidence that they are, by the new birth, spiritual priests unto God, through Jesus Christ, have no right to the comforts and privileges of Christians.

Let none complain of the needful expenses of their religion. Seek first the kingdom of God, his favour and his glory, then will all other things be added unto them. Their offerings were nothing, compared with the offerings of the princes in David's time; yet, being according to their ability, were as acceptable to God. The Lord will carry us through all undertakings entered on according to his will, with an aim to his glory, and dependence on his assistance. Those who, at the call of the gospel, renounce sin and return to the Lord, shall be guarded and guided through all perils of the way, and arrive safely at the mansions provided in the holy city of God.

CHAPTER 2

Ezr 2:1-70. Number of the People That Turned.

1. children of the province--that is, Judea (Ezr 5:8), so called as being now reduced from an illustrious, independent, and powerful kingdom to an obscure, servile, tributary province of the Persian empire. This name is applied by the sacred historian to intimate that the Jewish exiles, though now released from captivity and allowed to return into their own land, were still the subjects of Cyrus, inhabiting a province dependent upon Persia.

came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city--either the city that had been occupied by his ancestors, or, as most parts of Judea were then either desolate or possessed by others, the city that was rebuilt and allotted to him now.

2. Which came with Zerubbabel--He was the chief or leader of the first band of returning exiles. The names of other influential persons who were associated in the conducting of the caravans are also mentioned, being extracted probably from the Persian archives, in which the register was preserved: conspicuous in the number are Jeshua, the high priest, and Nehemiah.

3. The children--This word, as used throughout this catalogue, means "posterity" or "descendants."

5. children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five--The number is stated in Ne 7:10 to have been only six hundred fifty-two. It is probable that all mentioned as belonging to this family repaired to the general place of rendezvous, or had enrolled their names at first as intending to go; but in the interval of preparation, some died, others were prevented by sickness or insurmountable obstacles, so that ultimately no more than six hundred fifty-two came to Jerusalem.

23. The men of Anathoth--It is pleasant to see so many of this Jewish town returning. It was a city of the Levites; but the people spurned Jeremiah's warning and called forth against themselves one of his severest predictions (Jr 32:27-35). This prophecy was fulfilled in the Assyrian conquest. Anathoth was laid waste and continued a heap of ruins. But the people, having been brought during the captivity to a better state of mind, returned, and their city was rebuilt.

36-39. The priests--Each of their families was ranged under its prince or head, like those of the other tribes. It will be remembered that the whole body was divided into twenty-four courses, one of which, in rotation, discharged the sacerdotal duties every week, and each division was called after the name of its first prince or chief. It appears from this passage that only four of the courses of the priests returned from the Babylonish captivity; but these four courses were afterwards, as the families increased, divided into twenty-four, which were distinguished by the names of the original courses appointed by David [1Ch 23:6-13]. Hence we find the course of Abijah or Abia (1Ch 24:10) subsisting at the commencement of the Christian era (Lu 1:5).

55. The children of Solomon's servants--either the strangers that monarch enlisted in the building of the temple, or those who lived in his palace, which was deemed a high honor.

61-62. the children of Barzillai--He preferred that name to that of his own family, deeming it a greater distinction to be connected with so noble a family, than to be of the house of Levi. But by this worldly ambition he forfeited the dignity and advantages of the priesthood.

63. Tirshatha--a title borne by the Persian governors of Judea (see also Ne 7:65-70; 8:9; 10:1). It is derived from the Persian torsh ("severe"), and is equivalent to "your severity," "your awfulness."

64. The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore--This gross amount is twelve thousand more than the particular numbers given in the catalogue, when added together, come to. Reckoning up the smaller numbers, we shall find that they amount to 29,818 in this chapter, and to 31,089 in the parallel chapter of Nehemiah [see Ne 7:66-69]. Ezra also mentions four hundred ninety-four persons omitted by Nehemiah, and Nehemiah mentions 1765 not noticed by Ezra. If, therefore, Ezra's surplus be added to the sum in Nehemiah, and Nehemiah's surplus to the number in Ezra, they will both become 31,583. Subtracting this from 42,360, there will be a deficiency of 10,777. These are omitted because they did not belong to Judah and Benjamin, or to the priests, but to the other tribes. The servants and singers, male and female, are reckoned separately (Ezr 2:65), so that putting all these items together, the number of all who went with Zerubbabel amounted to fifty thousand, with eight thousand beasts of burden [Alting, quoted in Davidson's Hermeneutics].

68. some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the Lord offered freely for the house of God, &c.--The sight of a place hallowed by the most endearing and sacred associations, but now lying in desolation and ruins, made the wellsprings of their piety and patriotism gush out afresh. Before taking any active measures for providing accommodation to themselves and their families, the chief among them raised a large sum by voluntary contributions towards the restoration of the temple.

69. drams of gold--rather, "darics," a Persian coin (see on 1Ch 29:7).

priests' garments--(compare Ne 7:70). This--in the circumstances--was a very appropriate gift. In general, it may be remarked that presents of garments, or of any other usable commodities, however singular it may seem to us, is in harmony with the established notions and customs of the East.

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.

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.

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.

The children of Beth-lehem - The inhabitants: see before.

The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono - These were cities in the tribe of Benjamin; see on 1Chr 8:12 (note).

The priests - The preceding list takes in the census of Judah and Benjamin.

The children of Solomon's servants - The Nethinim, and others appointed to do the meaner services of the holy house.

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.

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.

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.

Dwelt in their cities - They all went to those cities which belonged originally to their respective families.

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.

Who came, &c. - This catalogue, differs in some names and numbers from that Neh 7:6 - 64, which might be because several names were given to the same persons; and because of the many changes which might happen in the same families between the time of the first making of this catalogue by Ezra, and the making it anew so many years after.

The children - The posterity, as that word is constantly taken in this catalogue. Of Parosh - That descend either from Parosh, or from that family whereof Parosh was the chief. And so for the rest.

Seven hundred, &c. - In Neh 7:10, they were only six hundred and fifty two, it seems seven hundred and seventy five marched out of Babylon, but some of them died, others were hindered by sickness, or other casualties, and so there came only six hundred and fifty two to Jerusalem. And the like is to be said in the like differences: which it suffices to hint once for all.

Beth - lehem - And so these were the remainders of the inhabitants of that city. (And the like may be said of the two following names, Netophah and Anathoth, or others of the like nature.) So little was Beth - lehem among the thousands of Judah! Yet thence must the Messiah arise.

Harim - The head of one of the twenty four courses which David appointed, 1Chron 24:8, of all which courses, some observe here are not above four or five that returned. There is another Harim mentioned above, ver.32, but that was no priest, as this was ver.36.

Nethinims - Persons devoted to the inferior services of the priests and Levites. Commonly supposed to be the Gibeonites, given, (so their name signifies) by Joshua first, and again by David, when Saul had expelled them, to the priests and Levites, for those services.

Servants - Who had lived in Solomon's family, and after his death, called themselves and their families by that name, esteeming it a great honour that they had been servants to so great a prince.

Genealogy - The Jews were generally very exact in their genealogies from their own choice and interest, that they might preserve the distinctions of the several tribes and families, which was necessary both to make out their titles to offices or inheritances, and to govern themselves thereby in the matter of marriages, and from the special providence of God, that so it might be certainly known of what tribe and family the Messiah was born.

Tirshatha - The governor, Zerubbabel. With Urim, &c. - That this point which could not be found out by human skill, might be determined by Divine direction. Hereby it appears that the Urim and Thummim were lost in the destruction of the city and temple, tho' the Jews fed themselves with hopes of recovering them, but in vain. And by the want of that oracle, they were taught to expect the great oracle, the Messiah.

The whole, &c. - The particular sums here recited, come only to twenty and nine thousand eight hundred and eighteen. Unto whom are added in this total sum twelve thousand five hundred and forty two. Which, either were of the other tribes beside Judah and Benjamin: or were such as were supposed to be Israelites, but could not prove their pedigree by their genealogies.

Women - For women as well as men were employed in this exercise in the temple - service.

The house - That is, to the ruins of the house; or to the place were it stood.

Sixty one thousand drams - Sixty one thousand drams of gold amount to something more than so many pounds of our money. So bishop Cumberland, who likewise supposes five thousand pounds of silver, to be about thirty seven thousand pounds sterling.

And all Israel in their cities - And they dwelt in peace, in perfect harmony, a blessed presage of their settlement, as their discord in the latter times of that state, was of their ruin.

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 ;

i. e. The Israelites, called the children of the province, either 1. Of Babylon, of which Province we oft read, as ch. 7. 16. Dan. 2▪ 48. & 3. 1, 12, 30. called the Province by way of eminency; of which they are called children, because of their Birth and Habitation in it for a long time, it being usual to call the Inhabitants of any City or place its Children. Or rather 2. Of Iudaea, called a Province, ch. 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 sormidable Kingdom were faln to be an obscure, servile, and contemptible Province, first under the chaldeans, and now under the Persians.

Either unto those Cities or Towns which belonged to their several Ancestors. Or rather, to those which were now allotted to them▪ and from this time possessed by them. For their former Cities were either demolished, or possessed by other persons, which they were not now in a capacity of disturbing.

Marginal references: Neh. 7. 6. &c.

2 Which came with Zerubbabel : Jeshua, Nehemia, Serajah, Reelajah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah: the number of the men of the people of Israel.

As for this Catalogue it differs in some names and numbers from that Neh. 7. which might be from divers causes, partly because several names given to one and the same person; and partly because of the many changes which might happen in the same families between the time of the first making of this Catalogue by Ezra, and the making of it anew so many years as that Catalogue Nehem. 7. was made after the former.

Marginal references: Or, Azaria, Neh. 7. 7.

3 The children of Parosh , two thousand an hundred seventy and two.

i. e. The Posterity, as that word is for the most part, if not constantly, taken in this Catalogue.

That descended either from Parosh, or from that Family whereof Parosh was the chief. And so for the rest.

5 The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five .

In Nehem. 7. 10. they were only 652. It seems 775 marched out of Babylon, or gave in their names that they would go; but some of them died, others changed their Minds, others were hindred by the sickness, or other casualties, happening to themselves or near Relations; and so there came only 652 to Ierusalem. And the like is to be said in the like differences: which it suff[illegible: 1+ letters]es to hint once for all.

6 The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshuah, and Joab , two thousand eight hundred and twelve.

Or, of Ieshuah-Ioab, as the former was Pahath-moab.

Marginal references: Neh. 7. 11▪

16 The children of Ater of Hezekiah k, ninety and eight.

h Of Ater the son of Hezekiah, not the King, but another famous person so called.

21 The children of Beth-lehem , an hundred twenty and three.

Either of a Man called Bethlehem, or the Bethlehemite by way of eminency. Or, of the place so called. And so these were the remainders of the Inhabitants of that City. And the like may be said of the two following names, Netophah and Anathoth, or others of the like Nature.

25 The children of Kirjath-arim , Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.

Or, Kiriath-jearim, as it is Neh. 7. 29.

31 The children of the other Elam , a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

For one Elam was mentioned before, v. 7.

Marginal references: See [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1+ letters].

39 The children of Harim , a thousand and seventeen.

The Head of one of the Twenty four courses which David appointed, 1 Chr. 24. 8. Of all which courses some observe here are not above four or five that returned. There is another Harim mentioned above, v. 32. but that was no Priest as this was, v. 36.

Marginal references: 1 Chr. 24▪ [illegible: 1+ letters].

43 The Nethinims : the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

The persons devoted to the inferiour Services of the Priests and Levites: of whom see 1 Chr. 9. 2.

55 The children of Solomons servants : the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda,

Either of those Strangers and Proselytes, whom Solomon used in the building of the Temple, 1 King. 9. 21. to the service of which, as some add, he devoted them▪ as there should be occasion hereafter. Or, others who had lived in Solomons Family, and after his death, called themselves and their Families by that name, as esteeming it a great honour to them that they had been Servants to so great a Prince.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 span]

59 And these were they which went up from Telmelah, Tel-harsa , Cherub, Addan, and Immer : but they could not shew their fathers house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:

The names of the places whence they came, and where they had lived in the time of their Captivity.

The names either of the Heads of the Families living in the places last mentioned; or of other places where the persons here understood had dwelt.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]

61 And of the children of the Priests: the children of Habajah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai: (which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name .)

To wit, Barzillai. Which name he preferred before that of his own Family, accounting it, as it seems, a greater Honour to be allied to so noble a Family than to be a Priest of the Lord. But by this ambition he deprived himself of the honour and advantage of the Priesthood, as it is here noted, v. [illegible: 1+ letters]2.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 17.

62 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy , but they were not found: therefore were they as polluted, put from the priesthood.

The Jews were generally very exact and careful in their Genealogies, partly from their own choice and Interest, that they might preserve the distinctions of the several Tribes and Families, which was necessary both to make out their claims or titles to Offices or inheritances, which might belong to them by death, or otherwise, as here we see, and to govern themselves thereby in the matter of Marriages, and some other things wherein the practice of some Laws required the knowledge of these things: and partly by the special Providence of God, that so it might be certainly known of what Tribe and Family the Messiah was born. For as they took care of all their Families, so doubtless they took a more punctual and singular care about the Royal Family, upon which all their hopes depended.

Marginal references: Heb. they were polluted from the priesthood.

63 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim .

i. e. The Governour, to wit Zerubbabel. Whence Nehemiah also is so called, Neh. 8. 9. & 10. 2.

That this point which could not be found out by any humane skill or Industry might be determined by divine direction. Hereby it appears that the Urim and Thummim were lost in the destruction of the City and Temple, though the Jews sed themselves with hopes of recovering them, but in vain. Of the Urim and Thummim, see Exod. 28. 30. Numb. 27. 21. 1 Sam. 23. 9.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 word] ▪; Ex. 28. 30.

64 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore :

The particular summs here recited come only to 29818. Unto whom are added in this total summ 12542. Which either were of the other Tribes beside Iudah and Benjamin: or were such as were supposed by themselves and others to be Israelites, but could not prove their pedigree by their genealogies, and therefore could not be so punctually and particularly described, as the former.

Marginal references: Heb. as one, ch. 3. 9.; Neh. 7. 66.

65 Besides their servants, and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singingmen and singing-women .

For Women as well as Men were devoted to, and employed in this exercise in the Temple-Service, as appears from 1 Chr. 25. 5, 6. And the Parents of these Persons had taken care to instruct and exercise them as far as they could in this Art, both for Gods service, and for their own benefit, when Ierusalem and the Temple should be rebuilt; which they knew would be done after Ieremiahs 70 years were expired.

68 And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD that is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place.

i. e. To the ruines of the house; or to the place where that House stood.

69 They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work, threescore and one thousand drams of gold , and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests garments.

A dram of Gold is supposed to be of the weight of the fourth part of a shekel and of the value of a French Crown.

Marginal references: 1 Chr. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. 20.

Ezr 2:1-2 The title. - “These are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of the carrying away (i.e., of those which had been carried away), whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, every one to his city.” In Neh 7:6 לבבל is omitted, through an error of transcription caused by the preceding בּבל; and וליהוּדה stands instead of ויהוּדה, which does not, however, affect the sense. המּדינה is the province whose capital was Jerusalem (Neh 11:3), i.e., the province of Judaea as a district of the Persian empire; so Ezr 5:8; Neh 1:2. The Chethiv נבוכדנצור is similar to the form Nebucadrezor, Jer 49:28, and is nearer to the Babylonian form of this name than the usual biblical forms Nebucadnezzar or Nebucadrezzar. For further remarks on the various forms of this name, see on Dan 1:1. They returned “each to his city,” i.e., to the city in which he or his ancestors had dwelt before the captivity. Bertheau, on the contrary, thinks that, “though in the allotment of dwelling-places some respect would certainly be had to the former abode of tribes and families, yet the meaning cannot be that every one returned to the locality where his forefathers had dwelt: first, because it is certain (?) that all memorial of the connection of tribes and families was frequently obliterated, comp. below, Neh 7:61-64; and then, because a small portion only of the former southern kingdom being assigned to the returned community, the descendants of dwellers in those towns which lay without the boundaries of the new state could not return to the cities of their ancestors.” True, however, as this may be, the city of each man cannot mean that “which the authorities, in arranging the affairs of the community, assigned to individuals as their domicile, and of which they were reckoned inhabitants in the lists then drawn up for the sake of levying taxes,” etc. (Bertheau). This would by no means be expressed by the words, “they returned each to his own city.” We may, on the contrary, correctly say that the words hold good à potiori, i.e., they are used without regard to exceptions induced by the above-named circumstance. אשׁר־בּאוּ, Ezr 2:2, corresponds with the העלים of Ezr 2:1; hence in Neh 7:7 we find also the participle בּאים. They came with Zerubbabel, etc., that is, under their conduct and leadership. Zerubbabel (Ζοροβάβελ, זרבּבל or זרוּבבל, probably abbreviated from בּבל זרוּע, in Babylonia satus seu genitus) the son of Shealtiel was a descendant of the captive king Jehoiachin (see on 1Ch 3:17), and was probably on account of this descent made leader of the expedition, and royal governor of the new settlement, by Cyrus. Jeshua (ישׁוּע, the subsequently abbreviated form of the name Jehoshua or Joshua, which is used Neh 8:17 also for Joshua the son of Nun, the contemporary of Moses) the son of Josedech (Hagg. Jos 1:1), and the grandson of Seraiah the high priest, who was put to death by Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, was the first high priest of the restored community; see on 1Ch 6:15. Besides those of Zerubbabel and Joshua, nine (or in Nehemiah more correctly ten) names, probably of heads of families, but of whom nothing further is known, are placed here. 1. Nehemiah, to be distinguished from the well-known Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah, Neh 1:1; 2. Seraiah, instead of which we have in Neh 7:7 Azariah; 3. Reeliah, in Nehemiah, Raamiah; 4. Nahamani in Nehemiah, Εὐηνέος in 1 Esdras 5:8, omitted in the text of Ezra; 5. Mordecai, not the Mordecai of the book of Esther (Est 2:5.); 6. Bilshan; 7. Mispar, in Nehemiah Mispereth; 8. Bigvai; 9. Rehum, in 1 Esdras Ροΐ́μος; 10. Baanah. These ten, or reckoning Zerubbabel and Joshua, twelve men, are evidently intended, as leaders of the returning nation, to represent the new community as the successor of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is also unmistakeably shown by the designation, the people of Israel, in the special title, and by the offering of twelve sin-offerings, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, at the dedication of the new temple, Ezr 6:16. The genealogical relation, however, of these twelve representatives to the twelve tribes cannot be ascertained, inasmuch as we are told nothing of the descent of the last ten. Of these ten names, one meets indeed with that of Seraiah, Neh 10:3; of Bigvai, in the mention of the sons of Bigvai, Ezr 8:14; of Rehum, Neh 3:17; Neh 12:3; and of Baanah, Neh 10:28; but there is nothing to make the identity of these persons probable. Even in case they were all of them descended from members of the former kingdom of Judah, this is no certain proof that they all belonged also to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, since even in the reign of Rehoboam pious Israelites of the ten tribes emigrated thither, and both at and after the destruction of the kingdom of the ten tribes, many Israelites might have taken refuge and settled in Judah. The last words, Ezr 2:2, “The number of the men of the people of Israel,” contain the special title of the first division of the following list, with which the titles in Ezr 2:36, Ezr 2:40, Ezr 2:43, and Ezr 2:55 correspond. They are called the people of Israel, not the people of Judah, because those who returned represented the entire covenant people.

Ezr 2:3-35 List of the houses and families of the people. Comp. Neh 7:8-38. - To show the variations in names and numbers between the two texts, we here place them side by side, the names in Nehemiah being inserted in parentheses.

Ezra II

Ezra II

Neh. VII   1.  The Sons of Parosh 2172 2172   2.  The Sons of Shephatiah 372 372   3.  The Sons of Arah 775 652   4.  The Sons of Pahath Moab, of the sons of Joshua and Joab 2812 2818   5.  The Sons of Elam 1254 1254   6.  The Sons of Zattu 945 845   7.  The Sons of Zaccai 760 760   8.  The Sons of Bani (Binnui) 642 648   9.  The Sons of Bebai 623 628 10. The Sons of Azgad 1222 2322 11. The Sons of Adonikam 666 667 12. The Sons of Bigvai 2056 2067 13. The Sons of Adin 454 655 14. The Sons of Ater of Hezekiah 98 98 15. The Sons of Bezai 323 324 16. The Sons of Jorah (Harif) 112 112 17. The Sons of Hashum 223 328 18. The Sons of Gibbar (Gibeon) 95 95 19. The Sons of Bethlehem 123 123 20. The Men of Netophah 56 56 21. The Men of Anathoth 128 128 22. The Sons of Azmaveth (men of Beth-azmaveth) 42 42 23. The Sons of Kirjath-arim, Chephirah, Beeroth 743 743 24. The Sons of Ramah and Gaba 621 621 25. The Men of Michmas 122 122 26. The Men of Bethel and Ai 223 123 27. The Sons of Nebo (Acher) 52 52 28. The Sons of Magbish 156 wanting 29. The Sons of other Elam 1254 1254 30. The Sons of Harim 320 320 31. The Sons of Lod, Hadid, Ono 725 721 32. The Sons of Jericho 345 345 33. The Sons of Senaah 3630 3930

Total 24,144 25,406

The differences in the names are unimportant. In Ezr 2:6 the ו copulative inserted between the names ישׁוּע and יואב, both in Nehemiah and 1 Esdras, is wanting; the name בּני (Ezr 2:10) is written בּנּוּי in Nehemiah (Neh 7:15); for יורה (Ezr 2:18), Neh 7:24 has חריף, evidently another name for the same person, Jorah having a similarity of sound with יורה, harvest-rain, and חריף with חרף, harvest; for נּבּר (Ezr 2:20), Neh 7:25 more correctly read גּבעון, the name of the town; and for ערים קרית (Ezr 2:25), Neh 7:29 has the more correct form יערים קרית: the sons of Azmaveth (Ezr 2:24) stands in Nehemiah as the men of Beth-azmaveth; while, on the other hand, for the sons of Nebo (Ezr 2:29), we have in Nehemiah (Neh 7:33) the men of Nebo Acher, where אחר seems to have been inserted inadvertently, Elam Acher so soon following.This view is more probable than the notion of Dietrich, in A. Merx, Archiv für wissensch. Forschung des A. T., No. 3, p. 345, that by the addition אחר in Nehemiah, the Nebo in Judah is distinguished from the Nebo in Reuben.

The names Bezai, Jorah, and Hashum (Ezr 2:17-19) are transposed in Nehemiah (Neh 7:22-24) thus, Hashum, Bezai, and Harif; as are also Lod, etc., and Jericho, (Ezr 2:33, Ezr 2:34) into Jericho and Lod, etc. (Nehemiah, vv. 36, 37). Lastly, the sons of Magbish (Ezr 2:30) are omitted in Nehemiah; and the sons of Bethlehem and the men of Netophah (Ezr 2:21 and Ezr 2:22) are in Nehemiah (Neh 7:26) reckoned together, and stated to be 188 instead of 123 + 56 = 179. A glance at the names undoubtedly shows that those numbered 1-17 are names of races or houses: those from 18-27, and from 31-33, are as certainly names of towns; there, therefore, inhabitants of towns are named. This series is, however, interrupted by Nos. 28-30; Harim being undoubtedly, and Magbish very probably, names not of places, but of persons; while the equality of the number of the other, Elam 1254, with that of Elam (No. 6), seems somewhat strange. To this must be added, that Magbish is wanting both in Nehemiah and 2 Esdras, and the other Elam in 1 Esdras; while, in place of the sons of Harim 320, we have in 1 Esdr. 5:16, in a more appropriate position, υἱοὶ Ἀρομ 32. Hence Bertheau infers that Nos. 28 and 29, sons of Magbish and sons of Elam Acher (vv. 30 and 31), are spurious, and that Harim should be written Ἀρώμ, and inserted higher up. The reasons for considering these three statements doubtful have certainly some weight; but considering the great untrustworthiness of the statements in the first book of Esdras, and the other differences in the three lists arising, as they evidently do, merely from clerical errors, we could not venture to call them decisive.

Of the names of houses or races (Nos. 1-17 and 30), we meet with many in other lists of the time of Ezra and Nehemiah;In the list of those who went up with Ezra (Ezra 8), the sons of Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Adin, Elam, Shephatiah, Joab, Bebai, Azgad, Adonikam, Bigvai, and, according to the original text (Ezr 8:8, Ezr 8:10), also the sons of Zattu and Bani. In the lists of those who had taken strange wives (Ezra 10) we meet with individuals of the sons of Parosh, Elam, Zattu, Bebai, Bani, Pahath-Moab, Harim, Hashum, and of the sons of Nebo. Finally, in the lists of the heads of the people in the time of Nehemiah (Neh 10:15.) appear the names of Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, Azgad, Bebai, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hashum, Bezai, Harif, Harim, Anathoth, together with others which do not occur in the list we are not treating of. whence we perceive, (1) that of many houses only a portion returned with Zerubbabel and Joshua, the remaining portion following with Ezra; (2) that heads of houses are entered not by their personal names, but by that of the house. The names, for the most part, descend undoubtedly from the time anterior to the captivity, although we do not meet with them in the historical books of that epoch, because those books give only the genealogies of those more important personages who make a figure in history. Besides this, the genealogies in Chronicles are very incomplete, enumerating for the most part only the families of the more ancient times. Most, if not all, of these races or houses must be regarded as former inhabitants of Jerusalem. Nor can the circumstance that the names given in the present list are not found in the lists of the inhabitants of Jerusalem (1 Chron 9 and Neh 11) be held as any valid objection; for in those lists only the heads of the great races of Judah and Benjamin are named, and not the houses which those races comprised. The names of cities, on the other hand (Nos. 18-33), are for the most part found in the older books of the Old Testament: Gibeon in Jos 9:3; Bethlehem in Rth 1:2; Mic 5:1; Netophah, 2Sa 23:28 - see comm. on 1Ch 2:54; Anathoth in Jos 21:18; Jer 1:1; Kirjath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, as cities of the Gibeonites, in Jos 9:17; Ramah and Geba, which often occur in the histories of Samuel and Saul, also in Jos 18:24-25; Michmash in 1Sa 13:2, 1Sa 13:5; Isa 10:28; Bethel and Ai in Jos 7:2; and Jericho in Jos 5:13, and elsewhere. All these places were situate in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, and were probably taken possession of by former inhabitants or their children immediately after the return. Azmaveth or Beth-azmaveth (Neh 7:28) does not occur in the earlier history, nor is it mentioned out of this list, except in Neh 12:29, according to which it must be sought for in the neighbourhood of Geba. It has not, however, been as yet discovered; for the conjecture of Ritter, Erdk. xvi. p. 519, that it may be el-Hizme, near Anâta, is unfounded. Nor can the position of Nebo be certainly determined, the mountain of that name (Num 32:3) being out of the question. Nob or Nobe (1Sa 21:2) has been thought to be this town. Its situation is suitable; and this view is supported by the fact that in Neh 11:31., Nob, and not Nebo, is mentioned, together with many of the places here named; in Ezr 10:43, however, the sons of Nebo are again specified. As far as situation is concerned, Nuba, or Beit-Nuba (Robinson’s Biblical Researches, p. 189), may, as Bertheau thinks, correspond with this town. Magbish was by many older expositors regarded as the name of a place, but is certainly that of a person; and no place of such a name is known. The localities Lod, Hadid, and Ono (Ezr 2:33) first occur in the later books of the Old Testament. On Lod and Ono, see comm. on 1Ch 8:12. חדיד is certainly Ἀδιδά (1 Macc. 12:28, 13:13), not far from Lydda, where there is still a place called el-Hadithe, Arab. 'l-hdı̂th (Robinson’s Biblical Researches, p. 186). סנאה, Ezr 2:35, is identified by older expositors with Σεννά, ν͂ν Μαγδαλσεννά, which Jerome describes as terminus Judae, in septimo lapide Jerichus contra septentrionalem plagam (Onom. ed. Lars. et Parth. p. 332f.); in opposition to which, Robinson, in his above-cited work, identifies Magdal-Senna with a place called Mejdel, situate on the summit of a high hill about eighteen miles north of Jericho. The situation, however, of this town does not agree with the distance mentioned by Eusebius and Jerome, and the name Mejdel, i.e., tower, is not of itself sufficient to identify it with Magdal-Senna. The situation of the Senaah in question is not as yet determined; it must be sought for, however, at no great distance from Jericho. Of the towns mentioned in the present list, we find that the men of Jericho, Senaah, and Gibeon, as well as the inhabitants of Tekoa, Zanoah, Beth-haccerem, Mizpah, Beth-zur, and Keilah, assisted at the building of the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah (Neh 3:2-3, Neh 3:7). A larger number of towns of Judah and Benjamin is specified in the list in Neh 11:25-35, whence we perceive that in process of time a greater multitude of Jews returned from captivity and settled in the land of their fathers.

Ezr 2:36-39

The list of the priests is identical, both in names and numbers, with that of Neh 7:39-42. These are:

The sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua 973

The sons of Immer 1052

The sons of Pashur 1247

The sons of Harim 1017

Total 4289

Jedaiah is the head of the second order of priests in 1Ch 24:7. If, then, Jedaiah here represents this order, the words “of the house of Jeshua” must not be applied to Jeshua the high priest; the second order belonging in all probability to the line of Ithamar, and the high-priestly race, on the contrary, to that of Eleazar. We also meet the name Jeshua in other priestly families, e.g., as the name of the ninth order of priests in 1Ch 24:11, so that it may be the old name of another priestly house. Since, however, it is unlikely that no priest of the order from which the high priest descended should return, the view that by Joshua the high priest is intended, and that the sons of Jedaiah were a portion of the house to which Joshua the high priest belonged, is the more probable one. In this case Jedaiah is not the name of the second order of priests, but of the head of a family of the high-priestly race. Immer is the name of the sixteenth order of priests, 1Ch 24:14. Pashur does not occur among the orders of priests in 1 Chron 24; but we find the name, 1Ch 9:12, and Neh 11:12, among the ancestors of Adaiah, a priest of the order of Malchijah; the Pashur of Jer 20 and Jer 21:1-14 being, on the contrary, called the son of Immer, i.e., a member of the order of Immer. Hence Bertheau considers Pashur to have been the name of a priestly race, which first became extensive, and took the place of an older and perhaps extinct order, after the time of David. Gershom of the sons of Phinehas, and Daniel of the sons of Ithamar, are said, Dan 8:2, to have gone up to Jerusalem with Ezra, while the order to which they belonged is not specified. Among the priests who had married strange wives (Ezr 10:18-22) are named, sons of Jeshua, Immer, Harim, Pashur; whence it has been inferred “that, till the time of Ezra, only the four divisions of priests here enumerated had the charge of divine worship in the new congregation” (Bertheau). On the relation of the names in Ezr 2:36-39 to those in Neh 10:3-9 and 12:1-22, see remarks on these passages.

Ezr 2:40-58

Levites, Nethinim, and Solomon’s servants. Comp. Neh. 7:43-60.

Ezra

Neh.

Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodivah 74 74

Singers: sons of Asaph 128 148

Sons of the door-keepers; sons of Shallum, Ater. Etc. 139 138

Nethinim and servants of Solomon, in all 392 392

Total 733 752

The Levites are divided into three classes: Levites in the stricter sense of the word, i.e., assistants of the priests in divine worship, singers, and door-keepers; comp. 1Ch 24:20-31, 1Ch 24:25, and 26:1-19. Of Levites in the stricter sense are specified the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel of the sons of Hodaviah (וקדמיאל, and הודויה of our text are evidently correct readings; and לקדמיאל and הודיה, Keri להודיּה, Neh 7:43, errors of transcription). The addition, “of the sons of Hodaviah,” belongs to Kadmiel, to distinguish him from other Levites of similar name. Jeshua and Kadmiel were, according to Ezr 3:9, chiefs of two orders of Levites in the times of Zerubbabel and Joshua. These names recur as names of orders of Levites in Neh 10:10. We do not find the sons of Hodaviah in the lists of Levites in Chronicles.

Ezr 2:59-60

Those who went up with, but could not prove that they pertained to, the nation of Israel. Comp. Neh 7:61 and Neh 7:62. - Three such families are named, consisting of 652, or according to Nehemiah of 642, persons. These went up, with those who returned, from Tel-melah (Salthill) and Tel-harsa (Thicket or Forest Hill), names of Babylonian districts or regions, the situations of which cannot be ascertained. The words also which follow, אמּר אדּן כּרוּב, are obscure, but are certainly not the names of individuals, the persons who went up not being specified till Ezr 2:60. The words are names of places, but it is uncertain whether the three are used to express one or three places. In favour of the notion that they designate but one locality, may be alleged that in Ezr 2:60 only three races are named, which would then correspond with the districts named in Ezr 2:59 : Tel-melah, Tel-harsa, and Cherub-Addan-Immer; a race from each district joining those who went up to Jerusalem. The three last words, however, may also designate three places in close proximity, in which one of the races of Ezr 2:60 might be dwelling. These could not show their father’s house and their seed, i.e., genealogy, whether they were of Israel. הם, as well as the suffixes of זרעם and בּית־אבותם, refers to the persons named in Ezr 2:60. They could not show that the houses of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, after which they were called, belonged to Israel, nor that they themselves were of Israelitish origin. Cler. well remarks: Judaicam religionem dudum sequebantur, quam ob rem se Judaeos censebant; quamvis non possent genealogicas ullas tabulas ostendere, ex quibus constaret, ex Hebraeis oriundos esse. One of these names, Nekoda, Ezr 2:48, occurring among those of the Nethinim, Bertheau conjectures that while the sons of Nekoda here spoken of claimed to belong to Israel, the objection was made that they might belong to the sons of Nekoda mentioned Ezr 2:48, and ought therefore to be reckoned among the Nethinim. Similar objections may have been made to the two other houses. Although they could not prove their Israelite origin, they were permitted to go up to Jerusalem with the rest, the rights of citizenship alone being for the present withheld. Hence we meet with none of these names either in the enumeration of the heads and houses of the people, Neh 10:15-28, or in the list Ezra 10:25-43.

Ezr 2:61-62 Priests who could not prove themselves members of the priesthood. Comp. Neh 7:63-65. - Three such families are named: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai. These could not discover their family registers, and were excluded from the exercise of priestly functions. Of these three names, that of Hakkoz occurs as the seventh order of priests; but the names alone did not suffice to prove their priesthood, this being also borne by other persons. Comp. Neh 3:4. The sons of Barzillai were the descendants of a priest who had married a daughter, probably an heiress (Num), of Barzillai the Gileadite, so well known in the history of David (2Sa 17:27; 2Sa 19:32-39; 1Ki 2:7), and had taken her name for the sake of taking possession of her inheritance (the suffix שׁמם refers to בּנות; see on Num 27:1-11). That by contracting this marriage he had not renounced for himself and his descendants his priestly privileges, is evident from the fact, that when his posterity returned from captivity, they laid claim to these privileges. The assumption, however, of the name of Barzillai might have cast such a doubt upon their priestly origin as to make it necessary that this should be proved from the genealogical registers, and a search in these did not lead to the desired discovery. כּתבם is their ספר יחשׂ, Neh 7:5, the book or record in which their genealogy was registered. The title of this record was המּתיחשׁים, the Enregistered: the word is in apposition to כּתבם, and the plural נמצאוּ agrees with it, while in Neh 7:64 the singular נמצא agrees with כתבם. They were declared to be polluted from the priesthood, i.e., they were excluded from the priesthood as polluted or unclean. The construction of the Pual יגאלוּ with מן is significant.

Ezr 2:63

The Tirshatha, the secular governor of the community, i.e., as is obvious from a comparison of Neh 7:65 with Neh 7:70, Zerubbabel, called Hag 1:1 יהוּדה פּחת. תּרשׁתא, always used with the article, is undoubtedly the Persian designation of the governor or viceroy. Nehemiah is also so called in Neh 8:9 and Neh 10:2, and likewise הפּחה, Neh 12:26. The meaning of the word is still matter of dispute. Some derive it from the Persian trsı̂dn, to fear, and trs, fear = the feared or respected one (Meier, Wurzelb. p. 714); others from Persian trš , acer, auster, the strict ruler; others, again (with Benfey, die Monatsnamen, p. 196), from the Zend. thvôrestar (nom. thvôresta), i.e., praefectus, penes quem est imperium: comp. Gesenius, thes. p. 1521. The Tirshatha decided that they were not to eat of the most holy things till there should arise a priest with Urim and Thummim, i.e., to give a final decision by means of Urim and Thummim. עמד, according to the later usage of the language, is equivalent to קוּם, comp. Dan 8:3; Dan 11:2, and other places. The prohibition to eat of the most holy things (comp. on Lev 2:3) involved the prohibition to approach the most holy objects, e.g., the altar of burnt-offering (Exo 29:37; Exo 30:10), and to enter the most holy place, and thus excludes from specific priestly acts: without, however, denying a general inclusion among the priestly order, or abolishing a claim to the priestly revenues, so far as these were not directly connected with priestly functions. On Urim and Thummim, see on Exo 28:30. From the words, “till a priest shall arise,” etc., it is evident that the then high priest was not in a position to entreat, and to pronounce, the divine decision by Urim and Thummim. The reason of this, however, need not be sought in the personality of Joshua (Ewald, Gesch. iv. 95), nor supposed to exist in such a fact as that he might not perhaps have been the eldest son of his father, and therefore not have had full right to the priesthood. This conjecture rests upon utterly erroneous notions of the Urim and Thummim, upon a subjectivistic view, which utterly evaporates the objective reality of the grace with which the high priest was in virtue of his office endowed. The obtainment of the divine decision by Urim and Thummim presupposes the gracious presence of Jahve in the midst of His people Israel. And this had been connected by the Lord Himself with the ark of the covenant, and with its cherubim-overshadowed mercy-seat, from above which He communed with His people (Exo 25:22). The high priest, bearing upon his breast the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim, was to appear before Jahve, and, bringing before Him the judgment of Israel, to entreat the divine decision (Exo 28:30; Num 27:21). The ark of the covenant with the mercy-seat was thus, in virtue of the divine promise, the place of judgment, where the high priest was to inquire of the Lord by means of the Urim and Thummim. This ark, however, was no longer in existence, having been destroyed when Solomon’s temple was burned by the Chaldeans. Those who returned with Zerubbabel were without the ark, and at first without a temple. In such a state of affairs the high priest could not appear before Jahve with the breastplate and the Urim and Thummim to entreat His decision. The books of Samuel, indeed, relate cases in which the divine will was consulted by Urim and Thummim, when the ark of the covenant was not present for the high priest to appear before (comp. 1Sa 23:4, 1Sa 23:6, 1Sa 23:9, etc., 1Sa 14:18); whence it appears that the external or local presence of the ark was not absolutely requisite for this purpose. Still these cases occurred at a time when the congregation of Israel as yet possessed the ark with the Lord’s cherubim-covered mercy-seat, though this was temporarily separated from the holy of holies of the tabernacle. Matters were in a different state at the return from the captivity. Then, not only were they without either ark or temple, but the Lord had not as yet re-manifested His gracious presence in the congregation; and till this should take place, the high priest could not inquire of the Lord by Urim and Thummim. In the hope that with the restoration of the altar and temple the Lord would again vouchsafe His presence to the returned congregation, Zerubbabel expected that a high priest would arise with Urim and Thummim to pronounce a final decision with regard to those priests who could not prove their descent from Aaron’s posterity. This expectation, however, was unfulfilled. Zerubbabel’s temple remained unconsecrated by any visible token of Jahve’s presence, as the place where His name should dwell. The ark of the covenant with the cherubim, and the Shechinah in the cloud over the cherubim, were wanting in the holy of holies of this temple. Hence, too, we find no single notice of any declaration of the divine will or the divine decision by Urim and Thummim in the period subsequent to the captivity; but have, on the contrary, the unanimous testimony of the Rabbis, that after the Babylonian exile God no longer manifested His will by Urim and Thummim, this kind of divine revelation being reckoned by them among the five things which were wanting in the second temple. Comp. Buxtorf, exercitat. ad historiam Urim et Thummim, c. 5; and Vitringa, observat. ss. Lib. vi. c. 6, p. 324f.

Ezr 2:64-67

The whole number of those who returned, their servants, maids, and beasts of burden. Comp. Neh 7:66-69. - The sum-total of the congregation (כּאחד, as one, i.e., reckoned together; comp. Ezr 3:9; Ezr 6:20) is the same in both texts, as also in 1 Esdras, viz., 42,360; the sums of the separate statements being in all three different, and indeed amounting in each to less than the given total. The separate statements are as follow: -

According to

Ezra

According to

Nehemiah

According to 1 Esdras

Men of Israel 24,144 25,406 26,390

Priests 4,289 4,289 2,388

Levites 341 360 341

Nethinim and servants of Solomon 392 392 372

Those who could not prove their Israelitish origin 652 642 652

Total 29,818 31,089 30,143

These differences are undoubtedly owing to mere clerical errors, and attempts to reconcile them in other ways cannot be justified. Many older expositors, both Jewish and Christian (Seder olam, Raschi, Ussher, J. H. Mich., and others), were of opinion that only Jews and Benjamites are enumerated in the separate statements, while the sum-total includes also those Israelites of the ten tribes who returned with them. In opposing this notion, it cannot, indeed, be alleged that no regard at all is had to members of the other tribes (Bertheau); for the several families of the men of Israel are not designated according to their tribes, but merely as those whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken away to Babylon; and among these would certainly be included, as Ussher expressly affirms, many belonging to the other tribes who had settled in the kingdom of Judah. But the very circumstances, that neither in the separate statements nor in the sum-total is any allusion made to tribal relations, and that even in the case of those families who could not prove their Israelitish origin the only question was as to whether they were of the houses and of the seed of Israel, exclude all distinction of tribes, and the sum-total is evidently intended to be the joint sum of the separate numbers. Nor can it be inferred, as J. D. Mich. conjectures, that because the parallel verse to Ezr 2:64 of our present chapter, viz., 1 Esdr. 5:41, reads thus, “and all of Israel from twelve years old and upwards, besides the servants and maids, were 42,360,” the separate statements are therefore the numbers only of those of twenty years old and upwards, while the sum-total includes those also from twelve to twenty years of age. The addition ”from twelve years and upwards” is devoid of critical value; because, if it had been genuine, the particular “from twenty years old and upwards” must have been added to the separate statements. Hence it is not even probable that the author of the 1st book of Esdras contemplated a reconciliation of the difference by this addition. In transcribing such a multitude of names and figures, errors could scarcely be avoided, whether through false readings of numbers or the omission of single items. The sum-total being alike in all three texts, we are obliged to assume its correctness.

Ezr 2:68-70 Contributions towards the rebuilding of the temple, and concluding remarks. Comp. Neh 7:70-73. - Some of the heads of houses, when they came to the house of Jahve, i.e., arrived at the site of the temple, brought free-will offerings (התנדּב; comp. 1Ch 29:5) to set it up in its place (העמיד, to set up, i.e., to rebuild; identical in meaning both here and Ezr 9:9 with הקים). After their ability (כּכוחם; comp. 1Ch 29:2) they gave unto the treasure of the work, i.e., of restoring the temple and its services, 61,000 darics of gold = £68,625, and 5000 mina of silver, above £30,000, and 100 priests’ garments. The account of these contributions is more accurately given in Neh 7:70-72, according to which some of the heads of houses gave unto the work (מקצת as Dan 1:2 and elsewhere); the Tirshatha gave to the treasure 1000 darics of gold, 50 sacrificial vessels (see on Exo 27:3), 30 priests’ garments, and 500 ... This last statement is defective; for the two numbers 30 and 500 must not be combined into 530, as in this case the hundreds would have stood first. The objects enumerated were named before 500, and are omitted through a clerical error, מנים וכסף “and silver (500) mina.” And some of the heads of houses (others than the Tirshatha) gave of gold 20,000 darics, of silver, 2200 mina; and that which the rest of the people gave was-gold, 20,000 darics, silver, 2000 mina, and 67 priests’ garments. According to this statement, the Tirshatha, the heads of houses, and the rest of the people, gave together 41,000 darics in gold, 4200 mina in silver, 97 priests’ garments, and 30 golden vessels. In Ezra the vessels are omitted; and instead of the 30 + 67 = 97 priests’ garments, they are stated in round numbers to have been 100. The two other differences have arisen from textual errors. Instead of 61,000 darics, it is evident that we must read with Nehemiah, 41,000 (1000 + 20,000 + 20,000); and in addition to the 2200 and 2000 mina, reckon, according to Neh 7:70, 500 more, in all 4700, for which in the text of Ezra we have the round sum of 5000. The account of the return of the first band of exiles concludes at Ezr 2:70, and the narrative proceeds to the subsequent final statement: “So the priests, etc ... .dwelt in their cities.” העם וּמן, those of the people, are the men of the people of Israel of Ezr 2:2, the laity as distinguished from the priests, Levites, etc. In Nehemiah the words are transposed, so that העם מן stand after the Levitical door-keepers and singers. Bertheau thinks this position more appropriate; but we cannot but judge otherwise. The placing of the people, i.e., the laity of Israel, between the consecrated servants of the temple (the priests and their Levitical assistants in the sacrificial service) and the singers and door-keepers, seems to us quite consistent; while, on the other hand, the naming of the שׁוערים before the משׁררים in Nehemiah seems inappropriate, because the performance of the choral service of the temple was a higher office than the guardianship of the doors. Neither can we regard Bertheau’s view, that בּעריהם, which in the present verse follows והנּתינים, should be erased, as a correct one. The word forms a perfectly appropriate close to the sentence beginning with ויּשׁבוּ; and the sentence following, “And all Israel were in their cities,” forms a well-rounded close to the account; while, on the contrary, the summing up of the different divisions by the words כל־ישׂראל in Nehemiah, after the enumeration of those divisions, has a rather heavy effect.In 1 Esdr. 5:46, this verse, freely carrying out the texts of Ezra and Nehemiah, with regard also to Neh 12:27-30, runs thus: ”And so dwelt the priests, and the Levites, and the people, in Jerusalem and in the country, the singers also and the porters, and all Israel in their villages.”

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.

36 The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three. 37 The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two. 38 The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven. 39 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen. 40 The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four. 41 The singers: the children of Asaph, a hundred twenty and eight. 42 The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all an hundred thirty and nine. 43 The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth, 44 The children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon, 45 The children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub, 46 The children of Hagab, the children of Shalmai, the children of Hanan, 47 The children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah, 48 The children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam, 49 The children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai, 50 The children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of Nephusim, 51 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur, 52 The children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha, 53 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah, 54 The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. 55 The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda, 56 The children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel, 57 The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Ami. 58 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two. 59 And these were they which went up from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not show their father's house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel: 60 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two. 61 And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name: 62 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. 63 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.

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 (v. 64), and four families of priests made up above 4200 (v. 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. xxiv. 7, 8, 14. The fourth was Pashur, v. 38. If these were of the posterity of that Pashur that abused Jeremiah (Jer. xx. 1), it is strange that so bad a man should have so good a seed, and so numerous.

II. Of the Levites. I cannot but wonder at the small number of them, for, taking in both the singers and the porters (v. 40-42), they did not make 350. Time was when the Levites were more forward to their duty than the priests (2 Chron. xxix. 34), but they were not so now. If one place, one family, has the reputation for pious zeal now, another may have it another time. The wind blows where it listeth, and shifts its points.

III. Of the Nethinim, who, it is supposed, were the Gibeonites, given (so their name signifies) by Joshua first (Josh. ix. 27), and again by David (Ezra viii. 20), when Saul had expelled them, to be employed by the Levites in the work of God's house as hewers of wood and drawers of water; and, with them, of the children of Solomon's servants, whom he gave for the like use (whether they were Jews or Gentiles does not appear) and who were here taken notice of among the retainers of the temple and numbered with the Nethinim, v. 55, 58. Note, It is an honour to belong to God's house, though in the meanest office there.

IV. Of some that were looked upon as Israelites by birth, and others as priests, and yet could not make out a clear title to the honour. 1. There were some that could not prove themselves Israelites (v. 59, 60), a considerable number, who presumed they were of the seed of Jacob, but could not produce their pedigrees, and yet would go up to Jerusalem, having an affection to the house and people of God. These shamed those who were true-born Israelites, and yet were not called Israelites indeed, who came out of the waters of Judah (Isa. xlviii. 1), but had lost the relish of those waters. 2. There were others that could not prove themselves priests, and yet were supposed to be of the seed of Aaron. What is not preserved in black and white will, in all likelihood, be forgotten in a little time. Now we are here told, (1.) How they lost their evidence. One of their ancestors married a daughter of Barzillai, that great man whom we read of in David's time; he gloried in an alliance to that honourable family, and, preferring that before the dignity of his priesthood, would have his children called after Barzillai's family, and their pedigree preserved in the registers of that house, not of the house of Aaron, and so they lost it. In Babylon there was nothing to be got by the priesthood, and therefore they cared not for being akin to it. Those who think their ministry, or their relation to ministers, a diminution or disparagement to them, forget who it was that said, I magnify my office. (2.) What they lost with it. It could not be taken for granted that they were priests when they could not produce their proofs, but they were, as polluted, put from the priesthood. Now that the priests had recovered their rights, and had the altar to live upon again, they would gladly be looked upon as priests. But they had sold their birthright for the honour of being gentlemen, and therefore were justly degraded, and forbidden to eat of the most holy things. Note, Christ will be ashamed of those that are ashamed of him and his service. It was the tirshatha, or governor, that put them under this sequestration, which some understand of Zerubbabel the present governor, others of Nehemiah (who is so called, Neh. viii. 9, x. 1, and who gave this order when he came some years after); but the prohibition was not absolute, it was only a suspension, till there should be a high priest with Urim and Thummin, by whom they might know God's mind in this matter. This, it seems, was expected and desired, but it does not appear that ever they were blessed with it under the second temple. They had the canon of the Old Testament complete, which was better than Urim; and, by the want of that oracle, they were taught to expect the Messiah the great Oracle, which the Urim and Thummim was but a type of. Nor does it appear that the second temple had the ark in it, either the old one or a new one. Those shadows by degrees vanished, as the substance approached; and God, by the prophet, intimates to his people that they should sustain no damage by the want of the ark, Jer. iii. 16, 17. In those days, when they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord, neither shall it come to mind, for they shall do very well without it.

64 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, 65 Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women. 66 Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five; 67 Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty. 68 And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place: 69 They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests' garments. 70 So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

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 into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, so that, as in Egypt, the time of their affliction was the time of their increase. 2. These were but few to begin a nation with, and yet, by virtue of the old promise made to their fathers, they multiplied so as before their last destruction by the Romans, about 500 years after, to be a very numerous people. When God says, "Increase and multiply," a little one shall become a thousand.

II. Their retinue. They were themselves little better than servants, and therefore no wonder that their servants were comparatively but few (v. 65) and their beasts of burden about as many, v. 66, 67. It was not with them now as in days past. But notice is taken of 200 singing-men and women whom they had among them, who, we will suppose, were intended (as those 2 Chron. xxxv. 25) to excite their mourning, for it was foretold that they should, upon this occasion, go weeping (Jer. l. 4), with ditties of lamentation.

III. Their oblations. It is said (v. 68, 69), 1. That they came to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem; and yet that house, that holy and beautiful house, was now in ruins, a heap of rubbish. But, like their father Abraham, when the altar was gone they came with devotion to the place of the altar (Gen. xiii. 4); and it is the character of the genuine sons of Zion that they favour even the dust thereof, Ps. cii. 14. 2. That they offered freely towards the setting of it up in its place. That, it seems, was the first house they talked of setting up; and though they came off a journey, and were beginning the world (two chargeable things), yet they offered, and offered freely, towards the building of the temple. Let none complain of the necessary expenses of their religion, but believe that when they come to balance the account they will find that it clears the cost. Their offering was nothing in comparison with the offerings of the princes in David's time; then they offered by talents (1 Chron. xxix. 7), now by drams, yet these drams, being after their ability, were as acceptable to God as those talents, like the widow's two mites. The 61,000 drams of gold amount, by Cumberland's calculation, to so many pounds of our money and so many groats. Every maneh, or pound of silver, he reckons to be sixty shekels (that is, thirty ounces), which we may reckon 7l. 10s. of our money, so that this 5000 pounds of silver will be above 37,000l. of our money. It seems, God had blessed them with an increase of their wealth, as well as of their numbers, in Babylon; and, as God had prospered them, they gave cheerfully to the service of his house. 3. That they dwelt in their cities, v. 70. Though their cities were out of repair, yet, because they were their cities, such as God had assigned them, they were content to dwell in them, and were thankful for liberty and property, though they had little of pomp, plenty, or power. Their poverty was a bad cause, but their unity and unanimity were a good effect of it. Here was room enough for them all and all their substance, so that there was no strife among them, but perfect harmony, a blessed presage of their settlement, as their discords in the latter times of that state were of their ruin.

CHAP. II. Verſe 1. Now theſe are the children of the province]

THat is, of Judaea now a Province, though formerly a Princeſſe; now ſolitary and tributary that was once populous and great among the Nations, Lam. 1.1. Medinah: the word here rendered Province, ſometimes ſignifieth Metropolis, aliis jus dicens, a place that giveth Lawes to other places, and ſo Judaea in her flouriſh had beene. See chap. 4.20. But now it was otherwiſe, and ſo it is at this day, not onely with Judaea, but with other renowned Empires and Kingdomes not a few, all which (together with moſt of thoſe Churches and places ſo much mentioned in Scripture) are ſwallowed up in the greatneſſe of the Turkiſh Empire.Shi[illegible: 1 letter]dler. That Medina a City in Arabia (where Mahomet lieth buried, & where his Sepulchre is no leſſe viſited then is Chriſts Sepulchre at Jeruſalem) holdeth this Medina in hard ſubjection; making her children pay for the very heads they weare; and ſo grievouſly afflicting them, that they have cauſe enough to take up a new Jeremies Elegie over their doleful captivity.

That went up out of the captivity] That liſted themſelves in Babylon, to go up. Which if any failed to do, (as by comparing verſe 5. of this chapter, with Nehem. 7.10. it appeareth ſome did) it was becauſe either they changed their minds, or their lives,His life by Craſhaw. before they came there. When that Noble Marqueſſe Galeacius Caracciolus ſet forward for Geneva, ſome of his moſt familiar friends promiſed and vowed to accompany him thither; But divers of them, when they came to the borders of Italy, turned back again, &c. and ſo might many of theſe ingagers, magis amantes mundi delicias, quàm Chriſti divitias, & graviorem ducentes jacturam regionis, quàm religionis.

Which had beene carried away] But had Gods promiſe, that they ſhould returne, be built up, planted, and not rooted out, Jer. 24.6. and his command to marry and beget children, Jer. 29.6. which ſhould inherit the promiſes; for they are good ſurehold.

Whom Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon] That Metus Orbis, & flagellum Dei, as Attilas King of Hunnes proudly ſtiled himſelf, that is, The Terrour of the world,Gualth. in Hab. 2. Eucholc. and ſcourge in Gods hand. See Eſay. 10.5. That, Ira Dei & Orbis Vaſtitas, as Tamerlan loved to be called, The wrath of God, and ruine of the world.

Had carried away to Babylon] As to his Lions-den, Nah. 2.10. but God ſent from heaven and ſaved them with ſuch a mighty ſalvation, as eclipſed that deliverance out of Egypt, Jer. 23.7, 8.

Every one unto his City] Appointed him by the preſent Governours. For during their abode in Babylon Judaea lay utterly waſte and uninhabited. The Land kept her Sabbaths, reſting from tillage, and God by a wonderful providence, kept the roome empty till the returne of the Natives.

Verſe 2. That came with Zerubbabel] That famous Prince of Judah, chap. 1.8. Governour of Judah, Hag. 1.1. who was borne in Babylon, and accordingly had a Babylonian name. His hands laid the foundation of the ſecond Temple, his hands alſo finiſhed, Zech. 4.9. whence ſome conclude that the Lord gave him a life much longer then ordinary. His children ſhall notto bed, till their work be done.

Jeſhua] This was that Jehoſhuah the High Prieſt, the great aſſiſtant of Zerubbabel in building the Temple, chap. 5.1. Hag. 1.14. Theſe were thoſe faithful Witneſſes of God in their generation, as before them had beene Moſes and Aaron, Elijab and Eliſha, and as after them Paul and Barnabas, Luther and Melanctho[illegible: 1 letter], Oecolampadius and Zuinglius, &c. Chriſt ſent out his Diſciples by two and two; for two is better then one, and why? See Eccleſ. 4.9, 10, 11, 12.

Nehemiah, Saraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai] Not that famous Nehemiah, nor that renowned Mordecai ſo much ſpoken of in the book of Eſther, but others of the ſame name. Reaſons ſee in Maſter Pembles Period of the Perſian Monarchy, pag. 30, 31.

Bilſhan, Miſpar, Biguai, Rehum, Baanah] Theſe were all of them Guides and Governours to the reſt, eminent and eximious. To whom in Nehemiah is added a twelfth man, Nahumani by name, who better bethought himſelf belike: and having anſwered with that young man in the Goſpel, and ſaid, I will not, yet afterwards repented and went. Nunqua[illegible: 1 letter] ſerò, ſi ſeriò. Mat. 21.29, 30. This was better then thoſe many that anſwered and ſaid, We go, Sir, and yet went not.

The number of the men of the people of Iſrael] The former were Names, men of renown in the Congregation (confer Acts 1.15. Rev. 3.3.) The reſt that follow are but Numbers, Nos numeri ſumus, &c. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. men of common condition, the Many, who are ſet down in the ſequel of the chapter.

Ver. 3. The children of Paroſh] Queſtion is here made by ſome, whether this and other like Chapters that are nothing but names and numbers, ſhould be read in courſe; ſith they may ſeeme to be of no great uſe to us? To this Chryſoſtome anſwereth, In ſacris libris nihil contemnatur aut obitèr praetereatur, etiamſi nomina recenſeantur, that is, Let no part of holy Scripture be ſlighted or skipped over, no, though we meet with nothing but names onely. But foraſmuch as there is never a leaf, nay, line, nay, letter in Gods book, that is not pure, precious, and profitable, Prov. 30.5. Pſal. 12.6. 2 Tim. 3.16. (The Rabbines have a ſaying, that there is a mountaine of ſenſe hanging upon every apex or tittle of the Word of God) therefore muſt we reade all in obedience to Him, who hath written for us theſe excellent things in counſel and knowledge, Prov. 22.20. and if any thing be yet hid, God ſhall reveale even this unto us, Phil. 3.15. Joſeph underſtood not his owne dreames at firſt, till he ſaw his brethren proſtrate before him; Then Joſeph remembred the dreames that he dreamed of them, Gen. 42.9. The Diſciples conceived not, beleeved not many things done by and to their Maſter, till he was glorified, and they farther illightened, John 2.22. and 12.6. Surely if Hippocrates could ſay of Phyſick, that there was nothing to be accounted little in it, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. nothing contemptible; how much more may we ſay the ſame of Divinity, and of the Scriptures?

Verſe 43. The Nethinims] i. e. Deodati, men given to God, devoted to the ſervice of his houſe. Theſe were thoſe Gibeonites that, having ſaved their lives by a lie, were for the nearer they were to the Church, the nearer to God. Their employment was to miniſter to the Levites,Joſh. 9.21. as the Levites did to the Prieſts: and this gave them occaſion to partake of the things of God, and to behold his face in righteouſneſſe.

Verſe 55. The children of Solomons ſervants] Theſe alſo were ſtrangers, that had beene employed by Solomon, and becoming Proſelytes, were incorporated into the Common-wealth of Iſrael. God is no reſpecter of perſons, Acts 10.33. He takes where he likes; ſtrangers ſhall ſit downe with Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, when the children of the Kingdome ſhall be caſt out, Matth. 8.11, 12. Solomons ſervants may have a name and a naile in Gods houſe, when his ſonnes may be excluded. Jether an Iſhmaelite, 1 Chron. 7.17. may become an Iſraelite, 2 Sam. 17.25. and Araunah the Jebuſite, an exemplary Proſelyte, Zach. 9.7.

Verſe 59. And theſe were they which went up from Telmela Tel-harſa Cherub, &c.] Places in Chaldaea, where theſe Jewes were ſcattered; as at this day their poſterity are up and downe in Turkie, and ſome parts of Chriſtendome, a diſ-jected and deſpiſed people.

Verſe 61. And was called after their name] After the name of his wives father, that Noble Gileadite; as holding it a greater honour to be allied to Barzillai, then to be looked upon as a Prieſt. It was therefore juſt upon ſuch proud and inſolent people, that as they had once ſcorned the Prieſthood, ſo the Prieſthood ſhould now ſcorne them.

Verſe 62. But they were not found] They could not prove themſelves to be of the ſeed of Aaron: and were therefore worthily turn'd off. So ſhall all be at the laſt day, that are not written among the living in Jeruſalem, that are not regiſtred in the Lambs book of life, that have beene aſhamed of Chriſt and of his words, Mar. 8.38.

Verſe 63. And the Tirſhata ſa[illegible: 1 letter] unto them] i. e. Zerubbabel the chief Magiſtrate, a man of great power, and no leſſe courage, who would not be guilty of paſſive injuſtice.

That they ſhould not eate of the moſt holy things] Make a gaine of the Prieſthood, which they had ſleighted when nothing was to be got by it. Now they ſhould neither do the work, nor have the meanes. Cajetan commenting upon Matthew, then when the French ſouldiers brake into Rome, and made a ſcorne and prey of the Popiſh Clergy, acknowledgeth that it was a juſt hand of God upon them, becauſe they were growne unſavoury ſalt, good for little elſe, but to look after the rites and revenues of the Church.

Till there ſtood up a Prieſt with Vrim and Thummim] That is, Never, or not in haſte. Some faint hopes the Governour might have that ſuch an Ephod with Vrim and Thummim, as was now burnt or otherwiſe loſt, might be had againe, but it ſeemed not very likely. The great High-Prieſt was now at hand, and the Ceremonials to ceaſe ſhortly.

Verſe 64. Fourty and two thouſand] Ten or twelve thouſand whereof ſeeme to be of the ten tribes that were firſt carried captive, and together with Judah and Benjamin made up that [non-Latin text not transcribed] Saint Paul ſpeaketh of, Acts 26.7.

Verſe 65. Beſides their ſervants, &c.] Their Maſters neceſſary inſtruments, [non-Latin text not transcribed] ſaith Ariſtotle, and wholly at their command. See Prov. 12.9.

Two hundred ſinging men and ſinging women] That ſang at feaſts and funerals. See Eccleſ. 2.8. Theſe perhaps might have beene as well ſpared. Nam ad quod proſunt ejuſmodi artes, (ſaith one?) & quis ejuſmodi hominum eas profitentium uſus, niſi ut aliis ſint oneri, & cibum potumque egenorum, ſicut locuſtae, praerodant, atque conſumant? Funcci[illegible: 2 letters].

Verſe 68. And ſome of the chief] And but ſome. All were not alike enlarged, or enabled.

Verſe 69. They gave after their ability] Men muſt take heed they ſtretch not beyond the ſtaple, and ſo marre all. But few are herein faulty: Few Macedonians, that, to their power and beyond, are willing of themſelves, &c. 2 Cor. 8.3. Rari quippe boni.

Threeſcore and one thouſand drams of gold] That is, nineteene thouſand ſixty two pounds ten ſhillings.

And five thouſand pounds of ſilver] i. e. Fifteene thouſand pounds ſterling, Theſe ſummes of money, together with the coſtly Prieſts garments, though they fall far ſhort of what was provided and given in Davids dayes, 1 Chron. 22. and 29. towards the building of the firſt Temple; yet, conſidering the minde of this poore people, and their ſmall ability, this gift was as great in Gods account. See Luke 21.1, 2. The widows mite was beyond the rich mans magnificence; becauſe it came out of a richer minde.

Verſe 70. And ſome of the people] For not halfe of them, as may be probably thought, returned: but condemned the reſt of raſhneſſe and weakneſſe, to their no ſmall prejudice.