Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 2:42
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 a hundred thirty and nine.
42. the porters ] so also R.V.; although it is noteworthy that having substituted ‘door-keepers’ for ‘porters’ (A.V.) in 1Ch 26:1, the R.V. has not for the sake of consistency made a similar alteration here, the word in Hebrew being the same in both instances. The door-keepers mentioned here and in 1Ch 26:1-19 are Levites: possibly the name ‘porters’ was preserved to distinguish the Levitical attendants from the priestly door-keepers (or more literally ‘keepers of the threshold’) mentioned in 2Ki 25:18, Jer 35:4. Compare Psa 84:10 ‘I had rather be a doorkeeper in (marg.: ‘stand at the threshold of’) the house of my God’.
The names are clearly the names of households or courses, since Shallum, Akkub and Talmon are mentioned in 1Ch 9:17, and Akkub and Talmon are referred to in Neh 11:19.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
[See comments on Ezr 2:41].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(42) The children of the porters.The porters, or gatekeepers, number six families, three of which appear in the old Jerusalem (1Ch. 9:17).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
42. Porters Doorkeepers of the temple. See on 1Ch 9:18.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Enrolling Of The Gatekeepers ( Ezr 2:42 ).
The Gatekeepers were another special order of Levites. In 1Ch 9:17 we are informed that in earlier pre-Exilic days the gatekeepers included ‘Shallum and Akkab and Talmon, and Ahiman and their brothers. Shallum was the chief’. These were the ones who dwelt in Jerusalem. Others dwelt in their own towns and could be called on at special times (1Ch 9:25). The gatekeepers were responsible for opening the Temple doors each morning, watching over the chambers and treasuries, having charge of the vessels of service, having responsibility for the furniture, the vessels of the sanctuary, the fine flour and wine and oil, and the frankincense and spices (1Ch 9:26-30).
Ezr 2:42
‘The Sons Of The Porters (Gatekeepers).’
Details are now given of the ‘gatekeepers’ that is those who had overall responsibility for watching over the security of the Temple.
Ezr 2:42
‘The sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, in all one hundred and thirty nine.’
The gatekeepers are listed in six orders, and in the case of three of them (Shallum, Talmon and Akkab) their descent is from the gatekeepers mentioned above who dwelt in Jerusalem. Of the remaining three (Ater, Hatita and Shobai) we know nothing positive. Their descent was no doubt from those who dwelt in the towns outside Jerusalem. As we saw in Ezr 2:16 there were other ‘sons of Ater’, but they were distinguished as being ‘of Hezekiah’. They were non-Levities.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
the porters: 1Ch 26:1-19, Neh 7:45. 138
Reciprocal: Ezr 7:7 – porters