Ezra 2:61

61 And of the Bnei HaKohanim; the Bnei Chaviyah, the Bnei Hakotz, the Bnei Barzillai; which took a wife of the banot of Barzillai the Gileadi, and was named after their shem.

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 And these were they which went up from Telmelach, Telcharsa, Keruv, Addan, and Immer; but they could not show their Bais Avot, and their zera, whether they were of Yisroel;

60 The Bnei Delaiah, the Bnei Toviyah, the Bnei Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.

61 And of the Bnei HaKohanim; the Bnei Chaviyah, the Bnei Hakotz, the Bnei Barzillai; which took a wife of the banot of Barzillai the Gileadi, and was named after their shem.

62 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found; therefore were they, as polluted, put from the kehunah.

63 And the Tirshata (Governor) said unto them, that they should not eat of kodesh hakodashim, until there stood up a kohen with Urim and with Tummim.