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Ezra Chapter 2

Listing of the Exiles Who Returned The number that return of the people

2 1 Neh 7:6; 2 Chr 36:20; 2 Kin 24:14-16; Est 8:9; Est 1:1; Ezr 6:2 N1Now 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;

2Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

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

4The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.

5 Neh 6:18; Neh 7:10 5The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.

6 Neh 7:11 6The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.

7The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

8The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five.

9The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.

10The children of Bani, six hundred forty and two.

11The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three.

12The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two.

13 Ezr 8:13 13The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six.

14The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty and six.

15The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four.

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

17The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.

18The children of Jorah, an hundred and twelve.

19The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three.

20The children of Gibbar, ninety and five.

21 Mat 2:6; 1 Chr 2:51 21The children of Bethlehem, an hundred twenty and three.

22The men of Netophah, fifty and six.

23The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.

24The children of Azmaveth, forty and two.

25The children of Kirjatharim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.

26 Jer 31:15; Neh 7:30 26The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.

27The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two.

28The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.

29The children of Nebo, fifty and two.

30The children of Magbish, an hundred fifty and six.

31 Ezr 2:7; Neh 7:34 31The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

32The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.

33The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five.

34 Deu 34:3; 2 Chr 28:15 34The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.

35The children of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty. of the priests

36 1 Chr 24:7; 1 Chr 9:10 36¶The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.

37 1 Chr 24:14; Ezr 10:20 37The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.

38 Neh 7:41; Ezr 10:22 38The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.

39 1 Chr 24:8 39The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen. of the Levites

40The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four.

41The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight.

42The 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. of the Nethinims

43 1 Chr 9:2; Neh 7:46 43The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

44The children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,

45The children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub,

46The children of Hagab, the children of Shalmai, the children of Hanan,

47The children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,

48The children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,

49The children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,

50The children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of Nephusim,

51The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

52The children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

53The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah,

54The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. of Solomon's servants

55 1 Kin 9:21 55The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda,

56The children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

57The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Ami.

58 1 Kin 9:21; Ezr 7:7; 1 Chr 9:2 58All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred ninety and two.

59And these were they which went up from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not shew their father’s house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:

60The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two. of the priests who could not show their pedigree

61 1 Kin 2:7 61And 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 Num 3:10 62These 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 Exo 28:30; Num 18:9-11; Lev 22:15-16; Lev 22:10 63And 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. The whole number of them, with their substance

64 Isa 10:22 64¶The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,

65Beside 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.

66Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;

67Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty. Their offerings

68 Exo 25:2 68And 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:

69They 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.

70So 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.

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Introduction to Ezra
by John MacArthur

Title

Even though Ezra’s name does not enter the account of Judah’s post-Exilic return to Jerusalem until 7:1, the book bears his name (“Jehovah helps”) as a title. This is because both Jewish and Christian tradition attribute authorship to this famous scribe-priest. New Testament writers do not quote the book of Ezra.

Author and Date

Ezra is most likely the author of both Ezra and Nehemiah, which might have originally been one book. Ezra 4:8-6:18 and 7:12-26 are written in Aramaic. Although Ezra never states his authorship, internal arguments favor him strongly. After his arrival in Jerusalem (ca 458 B.C.), he changed from writing in the third person to writing in the first person. In the earlier section it is likely that he had used the third person because he was quoting his memoirs. Ezra is believed to possibly be the author of the books of the Chronicles. It would have been natural for the same author to continue the OT narrative by showing how God fulfilled His promise by returning His people to the Land after 70 years of captivity. There is also a strong priestly tone in Chronicles, and Ezra was a priestly descendant of Aaron (cf. 7:1-5). The concluding verses of 2 Chronicles (Ezr 36:22, 23) are virtually identical to the beginning verses of Ezra (Ezr 1:1-3a), affirming his authorship of both.

Ezra was a scribe who had access to the myriad of administrative documents found in Ezra and Nehemiah, especially those in the book of Ezra. Very few people would have been allowed access to the royal archives of the Persian Empire, but Ezra proved to be the exception (cf. Ezra 1:2-4; 4:9-22; 5:7-17; 6:3-12). His role as a scribe of the law is spelled out in 7:10: “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” He was a strong and godly man who lived at the time of Nehemiah (cf. Neh 8:1-9; 12:36). Tradition says he was founder of the Great Synagogue, where the complete OT canon was first formally recognized.

Ezra led the second return from Persia (ca 458 B.C.), so the completed book was written sometime in the next several decades (ca 457-444 B.C.).

Background and Setting

God had originally brought Israel out of the slave markets of Egypt in the Exodus (ca. 1445 B.C.). Hundreds of years later, before the events of Ezra, God told His people that if they chose to break their covenant with Him, He would again allow other nations to take them into slavery (Jer 2:14-25). In spite of God’s repeated warnings from the mouths of His prophets, Israel and Judah chose to reject their Lord and to participate in the worship of foreign gods, in addition to committing the abominable practices which accompanied idolatry (cf. 2 Kin 17:7-18; Jer 2:7-13). True to His promise, God brought the Assyrians and Babylonians to issue His chastisement upon wayward Israel and Judah.

In 722 B.C. the Assyrians deported the 10 northern tribes and scattered them all over their empire (cf. 2 Kin 17:24-41; Is 7:8). Several centuries later, in 605-586 B.C., God used the Babylonians to sack and nearly depopulate Jerusalem. Because Judah persisted in her unfaithfulness to the covenant, God chastened His people with 70 years of captivity (Jer 25:11), from which they returned to Jerusalem as reported by Ezra and Nehemiah. Cyrus, the Persian, overthrew Babylon in 539 B.C., and the book of Ezra begins with the decree of Cyrus one year later for the Jews to return to Jerusalem (ca 538 B.C.), and it chronicles the reestablishment of Judah’s national calendar of feasts and sacrifices, including the rebuilding of the second temple (begun in 536 B.C. and completed in 516 B.C.).

As there had been 3 waves of deportation from Israel into Babylon (605 B.C., 597 B.C., and 586 B.C.), so there were actually 3 returns to Jerusalem over a 9-decade span. Zerubbabel first returned in 538 B.C. He was followed by Ezra, who led the second return in 458 B.C. Nehemiah did likewise 13 years later, in 445 B.C. Complete uncontested political autonomy, however, never returned. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah preached during Zerubbabel’s time, about 520 B.C. and following.

Historical and Theological Themes

The Jews’ return from the Babylonian captivity seemed like a second Exodus, sovereignly patterned in some ways after Israel’s first redemption from Egyptian bondage. The return trip from Babylon involved activities similar to those of the original Exodus: 1) the rebuilding of
the temple and the city walls; 2) the reinstitution of the law, which made Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah collectively seem like a second Moses; 3) the challenge of the local enemies; and 4) the temptation to intermarry with non-Jews, resulting in idolatry. Other parallels between the original Exodus and the return from Babylon must have seemed to the returnees like they were given a fresh start by God.

In his account of the return, Ezra drew upon a collection of Persian administrative documents to which he had access as a scribe. The presence of actual royal administrative documents carries a powerful message when accompanied by the resounding line “the hand of the LORD my God was upon him/me”(Ezr 7:6, 28). The decrees, proclamations, letters, lists, genealogies, and memoranda, many of them written by the Persian administration, attest to the sovereign hand of God in Israel’s restoration. The primary message of the book is that God orchestrated the past grim situation (captivity) and would continue to work through a pagan king and his successors to give Judah hope for the future (return). God’s administration overrides that of any of the kings of this world, and thus the book of Ezra is a message of God’s continuing covenant grace to Israel.

Another prominent theme which surfaces in Ezra is opposition from the local Samaritan residents whose ancestors had been imported from Assyria (Ezr 4:2; cf. John 4:4-42). For reasons of spiritual sabotage, Israel’s enemies requested to participate in rebuilding the temple (Ezr 4:1, 2). After being shunned, the enemies hired counselors against the Jews (cf. 4:4, 5). But the Lord, through the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, rekindled the spirit of the people and their leaders to build, with the words “ … be strong … and work; for I am with you” (Hag 2:4; cf. Ezra 4:24-5:2). The reconstruction resumed (ca 520 B.C.) and the temple was soon finished, dedicated, and back in service to God (ca 516 B.C.).

Interpretive Challenges

First, how do the post-Exilic historical books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther relate to the post-Exilic prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi? For the chronology of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, see the notes on Ezra 6:22-7:1. The two books of Chronicles were written by Ezra as a reminder of the promised Davidic kingship, the Aaronic priesthood, and appropriate temple worship. Haggai and Zechariah prophesied in the period of Ezra 4-6 when temple construction was resumed. Malachi wrote during Nehemiah’s revisit to Persia (cf. Neh 13:6).

Second, what purpose does the book serve? Ezra historically reports the first two of three post-Exilic returns to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity. The first return (chaps. 1-6) was under Zerubbabel (ca 538 B.C.) and the second (chaps. 7-10) was led by Ezra himself (ca.
458 B.C.). Spiritually, Ezra reestablished the importance of the Aaronic priesthood by tracing his ancestry to Eleazar, Phinehas, and Zadok (cf. Ezra 7:1-5). He reported on the rebuilding of the second temple (chaps. 3-6). How he dealt with the gross sin of intermarriage with foreigners is presented in chaps. 9, 10. Most importantly, he reports how the sovereign hand of God moved kings and overcame varied opposition to reestablish Israel as Abraham’s seed, nationally and individually, in the land promised to Abraham, David, and Jeremiah.

Third, the temple was built during the reign of Cyrus. Mention of Ahasuerus (Ezr 4:6) and Artaxerxes (Ezr 4:7-23) might lead one to conclude that the temple could also have been built during their reigns. Such a conclusion, however, violates history. Ezra was not writing about the construction accomplishments of Ahasuerus or Artaxerxes, but rather he continued to chronicle their oppositions after the temple was built, which continued even to Ezra’s day. It is apparent, then, that Ezra 4:1-5 and 4:24-5:2 deal with rebuilding the temple under Zerubbabel, while 4:6-23 is a parenthesis recounting the history of opposition in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Fourth, the interpreter must decide where Esther fits in to the time of Ezra. A careful examination indicates it took place between the events of chaps. 6 and 7. See notes on Esther.

Fifth, how does divorce in Ezra 10 correlate with the fact that God hates divorce (Mal 2:16)? Ezra does not establish the norm, but rather deals with a special case in history. It seems to have been decided (Ezra 10:3) on the principle that the lesser wrong (divorce) would be preferable to the greater wrong of the Jewish race being polluted by intermarriage, so that the nation and the messianic line of David would not be ended by being mingled with Gentiles. To solve the problem this way magnifies the mercy of God in that the only other solution would have been to kill all of those involved (husband, wives, and children) by stoning, as was done during the first Exodus at Shittim (Num 25:1-9).

Outline of Ezra
by John MacArthur

I. The First Return under Zerubbabel (Ezr 1:1-6:22)

A. Cyrus’ Decree to Return (Ezr 1:1-4)
B. Treasures to Rebuild the Temple (Ezr 1:5-11)
C. Those Who Returned (Ezr 2:1-70)
D. Construction of the Second Temple (Ezr 3:1-6:22)
1. Building begins (Ezr 3:1-13)
2. Opposition surfaces (Ezr 4:1-5)
3. Excursus on future opposition (Ezr 4:6-23)
4. Construction renewed (Ezr 4:24-5:2)
5. Opposition renewed (Ezr 5:3-6:12)
6. Temple completed and dedicated (Ezr 6:13-22)

II. The Second Return under Ezra (Ezr 7:1-10:44)

A. Ezra Arrives (Ezr 7:1-8:36)
B. Ezra Leads Revival (Ezr 9:1-10:44)

Introduction to Ezra
by John MacArthur

Title

Author and Date

Background and Setting

Historical and Theological Themes

Interpretive Challenges

Outline of Ezra
by John MacArthur

I. The First Return under Zerubbabel (Ezr 1:1-6:22)

II. The Second Return under Ezra (Ezr 7:1-10:44)

The 1440 Agenda

Remembering Marcy

Study Bible

Introduction to Ezraby John MacArthur

Title

Author and Date

Background and Setting

Historical and Theological Themes

Interpretive Challenges

Outline of Ezraby John MacArthur

I. The First Return under Zerubbabel (Ezr 1:1-6:22)

II. The Second Return under Ezra (Ezr 7:1-10:44)

Books of the Bible

Chapters in Ezra

The 1440 Agenda

Introduction to Ezra
by John MacArthur

Outline of Ezra
by John MacArthur