delivered to the Jews by number; unto Sheshbazzar, ever, says that Sheshbazzar signifies joy in tribulathe prince of Judah-The captain and governor of tion. Some are of opinion, that among the sacred these returning Jews, chap. ii. 2. The sceptre, things which Cyrus ordered to be restored, the ark therefore, was not yet departed from Judah. This of the covenant was one; but it nowhere appears person's name was originally Zerubbabel, but it was that this ark was carried from Jerusalem to Babylon. common for the great men of Judah, at the time of They tell us, indeed, that in the second temple sacrithe captivity, to have two names, one of their own fices were offered as in the first, and all solemn days country, which was domestic, and another of the observed, especially the great day of expiation, when Chaldeans, which was used at court. "Zerubbabel || the law ordained that the blood should be sprinkled was born at Babylon, and his name, which signifies before the mercy-seat, and the mercy-seat, say they, an exile, or stranger in Babylon, implies the misery was part of the ark; but besides that the ark, withof the people of Israel at that time; but Sheshbaz- out the Shechinah, (which was then certainly with zar, which is a compound of two words, signifying drawn,) would have been of no great significance, fine linen and gold, seems to be a name of better the Jews universally acknowledge that the ark was omen, and to denote their future and more flourish- one of the five things which were wanting in the ing condition. So Bishop Patrick. Dr. Trapp, how- second temple."-Dodd.

CHAPTER II.

The leaders that returned, 1, 2. The people, 3-35. The priests, Levites, and retainers to the temple, 36-63. The sum total, and their substance, 64-67. Their offerings, 68-70.

NOTES ON CHAPTER II.

Verse 1. The children of the province-That is, of Babylon, for they are here spoken of whom Nebuchadnezzar had brought captive to Babylon, and not those of the ten tribes, who had been dispersed before, by the kings of Assyria, into various provinces; and who afterward returned to Jerusalem in separate companies. Zerubbabel was in the province of Babylon, and to him those captives joined themselves who lived nearest in the same province. This is the reason why those of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin returned first, though a liberty of returning was granted to all the tribes. Another reason is, because the rebuilding of the temple principally concerned them, as Jerusalem was within their dominion.-Houbigant. That went out of captivity-By the words captivity and captives, when applied to the Jews being carried to Babylon, we are not to understand that they were made slaves to private persons, and bought and sold from one to another, as captives generally were: for they seem to have been transported to Babylon as a colony, to

serve the king only. And we do not find that they ever became the property of private persons in Babylon, but lived there free; only subject, as is probable, to some services for the king. Otherwise Cyrus must have redeemed them from the masters, whose property they were, or at least have made a proclamation that every one should let them go free; of neither of which is any mention made. And besides this, when liberty was given to all, of returning to their own land, we find that but few, comparatively speaking, accepted of it, which would scarce have been the case had they been slaves to private persons. Every one unto his city-Either those cities and towns which had belonged to their several ancestors; or rather, 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, whom they were not now in a capacity to disturb.

Verse 2. Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, &c.—These were their heads, who undertook to conduct them: among whom Zerubbabel

A. M. 3468. Nehemiah, 1 Seraiah, 2 Reelaiah, Mor

B. C. 536.

6

returned from Babylon.

B. C. 536.

18 The children of Jorah, a hun- A. M. 3468. decai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Re-dred and twelve. hum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel.

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

20 The children of Gibbar, ninety and

3 The children of Parosh, two thousand a 20 The children of

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

26 The children of Ramah and Gaba, six

9 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and hundred twenty and one. threescore.

27 The men of Michmas, a hundred twenty

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

28 The men of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred

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

29 The children of Nebo, fifty and two. 30 The children of Magbish, a hundred fifty and six.

e

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

32 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.

15 The children of Adin, four hundred fifty 33 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono,

and four.

seven hundred twenty and five.

16 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety 34 The children of Jericho, three hundred

was their prince or leader, as Jeshua was high-priest,|| who is mentioned next to him. Nehemiah, whose name follows, is not the person whose book comes after this: for he did not go to Judea now, but afterward; or, if he did, he returned to Babylon again. The number of the men of the people-This is a kind of title to the following verses. This catalogue differs in some names and numbers from that Neh. vii, 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.

Verse 3. The children—The posterity, as that word is generally taken in this catalogue.' Of Pa

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

Verse 5. Seven hundred, &c.-In Neh. vii. 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 ali.

Verses 20, 21. The children of Gibbar--Or, as it is in Neh. vii. 25, of Gibeon, these being the citizens of that city. For this is not the name of a man, but of a place; and the same may be said of several names that follow. The children of Beth-lehem

m

58 All the Nethinims, and the children of

44 The children of Keros, the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety

11 Siaha, the children of Padon,

45 The children of Lebanah, the children of

Hagabah, the children of Akkub,

and two.

59 And these were they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsa, Cherub, "7 Addan, and

17

46 The children of Hagab, the children of Immer: but they could not show their father's

12 Shalmai, the children of Hanan,

house, and their 18 seed, whether they were of

47 The children of Giddel, the children of Israel:

Gahar, the children of Reaiah,

60 The children of Delaiah, the children of

48 The children of Rezin, the children of Ne- Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred koda, the children of Gazzam,

Verse 36. The priests-Having numbered the people that went of Judah and Benjamin, he proceeds now to the tribe of Levi, and first mentions the priests.

Verse 39. The children of Harim--The head of one of the twenty-four courses which David appointed, (1 Chron. xxiv. 8,) of all which courses, some observe here, are not above four or five that returned. There is another Harim mentioned above, verse 32, but that was no priest as this was, verse 36.

Verse 43. Nethinims-Persons devoted to the inferior services of the priests and Levites. Commonly supposed to be the Gibeonites, given (so their name

fifty and two.

14 Or, Bazlith, Neh. vii. 54.11 Kings ix. 21.- 15 Or, Perida, Neh. vii. 57.-16 Or, Amon, Neh. vii. 59.- Josh. ix. 21, 27; 1 Chron. ix. 2. 1 Kings ix. 21.- -17 Or, Addon, Neh. vii. 61.- 18 Or, pedigree.

signifies) by Joshua first, and again by David, when Saul had expelled them, to the priests and Levites, for those services.

Verse 55. The children of Solomon's 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.

Verse 59. Which went up from Tel-melah, &c.— These were names of some cities in the Babylonish empire, from whence many went along with the Jews to Judea. They were of the Jewish religion, and probably were the children of those who had been carried captive before the general captivity; but they had lost their genealogies, and could not show from what families they were derived, and therefore could not obtain any certain possession in Judea, as those did who knew and could show to what family and city they belonged.

Verses 61, 62. And was called after their name— Namely, Barzillai; a name which he preferred before that of his own family, accounting it, as appears, a greater honour to be allied to so noble a family than to be a priest of the Lord. But by this vain ambition he deprived himself of the honour and advantage of the priesthood, as is here noted. They sought their register-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.

Verse 63. The Tirshatha-The governor or king's commissioner, namely, Zerubbabel: whence Nehemiah is so called, Neh. viii. 9, and x. 2. That they should not eat of the most holy things-That they should not partake of the sacrifices offered for sin, nor of the right shoulder of peace-offerings, nor of the show-bread; which were all most holy, and the portion of the priests alone. Till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim-Till the Lord himself should show, by an answer given to some high-priest, inquiring of him by Urim and Thummim, as had been anciently done, whether they were of the line of Aaron or not. But as God had ceased to give an answer this way long before this time, therefore, it was as much as to say, that as their names were not found in the authentic genealogical registers of the priests, they should for ever be excluded, till some divine oracle pronounced them to have a right to the priesthood. Hereby it appears, that the Urim and Thummim were lost in the destruction of the city and temple, though the Jews fed themselves with hopes of recovering them, ||

the Jews returned.

65 Besides their servants and their A. M. 3468. B. C. 536. maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singingmen 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.

t

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 drachms of gold, and five thousand

4 Lev. xxii. 2, 10, 15, 16.- Exod. xxviii. 30; Num. xxvii. 21. Neh. vii. 67. Neh. vii. 70.- 1 Chron. xxvi. 20.

but in vain. And by the want of that oracle, they were taught to expect the great oracle, the Messiah.

Verse 64. Forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore-This is more than double the number which were carried away captive by Nebuchadnezzar. But here occurs a small difficulty; (like that in the end of the foregoing chapter ;) for if we put together the several sums before mentioned, they amount to no more than twenty-nine thousand eight hundred and eighteen; so there wants about twelve thousand to make up this number of forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty. Therefore, either these were of the rest of the tribes of Israel, who came up with those of Judah and Benjamin: or, they might be Levites or other Israelites, who could not make out their descent: or else, which is most probable, some mistake in the numbers has been made by transcribers, which might easily happen, even though in general very great care was taken.

Verse 65. And singing-women-For women as well as men were employed in this exercise, in the temple-service.

Verse 68. When they came to the house of the Lord-That is, to the place in which the temple had stood, and where the ruins still remained. Offered freely-Made a new offering, besides that which they had brought out of Babylon, from their brethren there, mentioned chap. i. 4, 6. By this it appears that the Jews were not made absolute slaves in Babylon, but had liberty to trade and get riches for themselves; some of them being advanced to considerable offices in the king's court. Otherwise they could not have been able to offer such sums as

are mentioned in the next verse.

Verse 69. Threescore and one thousand drachms of gold, &c.-About seventy-five thousand and five hundred pounds of our money; for every drachm of gold is worth ten shillings of our money, and every

The allar of burnt-offerings

B. C. 536.

EZRA.

B. C. 536.

is set up at Jerusalem. A. M. 3468. pounds of silver, and one hundred || of the people, and the singers, and the A. M. 3468 priests' garments. porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in 70 So the priests, and the Levites, and some their cities, and all Israel in their cities. Chap. vi. 16;|| Neh. vii. 73.

mina, or pound of silver, nine pounds; for it contains sixty shekels, and every shekel of silver is worth three shillings of our money. And one hundred priests' garments-Garments, as well as gold and silver, were wont to be laid up in treasuries, Matt. vi. 20. We may infer then, from these rich offerings, not only, as has been just intimated, that the Jews were not made such poor slaves in Babylon as wrought for their lords and masters, but that there may not be all the truth imaginable in that common saying among them, that they were only the bran, that is, the dregs of the people, who returned to Jerusalem at the end of the captivity, and that all the fine flour stayed behind at Babylon. See Prideaux's Connect., Ann. 536, and Dodd.

Verse 70. And all Israel in their cities-In the cities which their families had inhabited before their

captivity. As to those who could not prove themselves Israelites by any genealogical register, they probably settled in those lands which were not claimed, or followed handicraft employments, of one sort or other, in the cities. Although their cities were out of repair, yea, in a ruinous state, 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 an afflictive cause, but their unity and unanimity were happy effects 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 comfortable settlement, as their discords in the latter times of that state were of their ruin.

CHAPTER III.

They set up the altar, offer sacrifices thereon, and keep the feasts, 1-6. They contribute, and lay the foundation of the

temple, 7-13.

с

A. M. 3169. AND when the seventh month was || burnt-offerings thereon, as it is writ- A. M. 3468.

B. 536.

come, and the children of Israel ten in the law of Moses the man of were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.

1

God.

B. C. 536.

3 And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt-offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt-offer

2 Then stood up1 Jeshua the son of Jozadak,
and his brethren the priests, and 2 Zerubbabel
the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and
builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offerings morning and evening.

NOTES ON CHAPTER III. Verse 1. When the seventh month was come— -We may suppose they left Babylon in the spring, and were four months on their journey; for so long Ezra and his company were in coming, Ezra vii. 9. The seventh month therefore commenced soon after their arrival in Judea, when, as many of the feasts of the Lord were then to be solemnized, the people gathered themselves together-By agreement among themselves, rather than by the command of authority; to Jerusalem-Though they were newly come to their cities, and had their hands full of business there, to provide necessaries for themselves and their families, which might have excused them from attending on God's worship in public, till the hurry was a little over, as many with us foolishly put off their coming to the communion till they are settled in the world; yet, such was their zeal for religion, now they were newly come from under correction for their irreli

gion, that they left all their business in the country to attend God's altar; and in this pious zeal they were all of a mind, they came as one man.

Verse 2. Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak -He was the high-priest, called Joshua, Hag. i. 1. And Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel-That is, his grandson; for, properly speaking, he was the son of Pedaiah. And builded the altar of the God of Israel-Which was of more present necessity than the temple, both to make atonement to God for all their sins, and to obtain God's assistance for the building of the temple, and to strengthen their own hearts and hands in that great work.

Verse 3. They set the altar upon his bases-That is, in the place where it anciently stood; for fear was upon them, because of the people of those countries-And therefore they made the more haste, lest they should be hindered. Apprehension of dangers should quicken us in our duty. Have we many ene.