Ezra 2:60-70

60 but they could not prove that they were descendants of Israelites.

61 The following priestly clans could find no record to prove their ancestry: Habaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai. (The ancestor of the priestly clan of Barzillai had married a woman from the clan of Barzillai of Gilead and had taken the name of his father-in-law's clan.)

62 Since they were unable to prove who their ancestors were, they were not accepted as priests.

63 The Jewish governor told them that they could not eat the food offered to God until there was a priest who could use the Urim and Thummim. ^{[a] 1}

64 Total number of exiles who returned - 42,360

65 Their male and female servants - 7,337

66 Male and female musicians - 200

67 Horses - 736 Mules - 245 Camels - 435 Donkeys - 6,720

68 When the exiles arrived at the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem, some of the leaders of the clans gave freewill offerings to help rebuild the Temple on its old site.

69 They gave as much as they could for this work, and the total came to 500 kilogrammes of gold, 2,800 kilogrammes of silver, and 100 robes for priests.

70 The priests, the Levites, and some of the people settled in or near Jerusalem; the musicians, the temple guards, and the temple workmen settled in nearby towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in the towns where their ancestors had lived. ²

Ezra 2:60-70 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 2

This chapter contains a list of those that went up from Babylon to Jerusalem, of their leaders, their chief men, princes and priests, Ezr 2:1,2 of the people, described by their families, towns, and cities, and number of persons, Ezr 2:3-35, of the priests, Levites, and Nethinims, Ezr 2:36-58, and of those that could not make out their genealogy, people and priests, Ezr 2:59-63, and then the sum total of the whole congregation is given, Ezr 2:64, besides men and maidservants, singing men and women, and cattle of divers sorts, Ezr 2:65-67, and the chapter is closed with an account of the freewill offerings of the principal men towards the building of the temple, and of the settlement of the people in their respective cities, Ezr 2:68-70.

Cross References

• 1. 2.63Numbers 27.21.
• 2. 2.701 Chronicles 9.2;Nehemiah 11.3.

Footnotes

• [a]. urim and thummim: [Two objects used by the priest to determine God's will; it is not known precisely how they were used.]
• [b]. [One ancient translation] in or near Jerusalem; [Hebrew does not have these words.]