Ezra 2:61

61 These descendants of the priests [couldn't prove their families were Israelites]: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai from Gilead and took that [family] name).

Ezra 2:61 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 2:61

And of the children of the priests
Who could not make out their pedigree, for those that could are mentioned before:

the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of
Barzillai;
how the latter came by this name follows:

which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was
called after their name;
this man married a woman that descended from the famous Barzillai the Gileadite, in the times of David; and the priesthood being in disuse, and mean and despicable, in Babylon, he chose to take the name of his wife's family, and pass for a descendant from that, and perhaps destroyed, or at least neglected, to take care of the genealogy of his own family.

Ezra 2:61 In-Context

59 The following people came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they couldn't prove they were Israelites on the basis of their father's family or their genealogy:

60 the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda. These people totaled 652.

61 These descendants of the priests [couldn't prove their families were Israelites]: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai from Gilead and took that [family] name).

62 These people searched for their [family] names in the genealogical records, but their names couldn't be found there. For this reason they were considered contaminated and couldn't be priests.

63 The governor told them not to eat any of the most holy food until a priest could use the Urim and Thummim [to settle the problem].