Bible Commentary

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. 69. they gave &c.] There is a slight discrepancy between the sums mentioned in this verse and the sums recorded in greater detail in Nehemiah. The … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 2:69”

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: 68. some of the chief of the fathers ] R.V. some of the heads of fathers’ houses, see note on … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 2:68”

Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; [their] asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty. 67. camels ] The camel is mentioned in the O.T. chiefly as the beast of burden of nomad families and races, e.g. Ishmaelites (Gen 37:25), Midianites and Amalekites (Jdg 6:5; 1Sa 30:17). It would be the most serviceable of all … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 2:67”

Their horses [were] seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five; 66. horses ] The number mentioned here (736) appears in 1Es 5:43 as 7036, a fair sample of the way in which figures could easily undergo alteration by accident or intention. Before this time we do not find mention of … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 2:66”

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. 65. their servants and their maids ] R.V. their menservants and their maidservants, which is more accurate. and there were among them ] R.V. and they … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 2:65”

The whole congregation together [was] forty and two thousand three hundred [and] threescore, 64. The same total i.e. 42,360 is given in Ezra, Nehemiah and 1 Esdras. The items however fail in all three lists to produce this figure. Ezra Neh. 1 Esdr. Men of the people of Israel 24,144 25,406 26,390 Priests 4289 4289 … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 2:64”

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. 63. the Tirshatha ] This title is here and in Neh 7:65; Neh 7:70 apparently applied to Zerubbabel: Haggai his contemporary calls him ‘Pekhah’ (= Governor), see Hag … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 2:63”

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. 62. these sought their register &c.] Literally ‘These sought their writing (LXX. ), the enrolled’, i.e. they searched for their genealogy in the priestly book, which went by the name … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 2:62”

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: 61. Habaiah ] This name appears in Neh 7:63 as ‘Hobaiah’. R.V. Koz ] R.V. ‘Hakkoz’. This name appears … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 2:61”

The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two. 60. Nekoda ] See Ezr 2:48. The occurrence of the same name in two places may be accidental. But it is possible that the family of Nekoda which ranked among the Nethinim sought to establish a claim to … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 2:60”