Ezra 2:61

61 and of the sons of (the) priests, the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, and the sons of Barzillai, the which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai (the) Gileadite, and was called by the name of them;

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 they that went up from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, and Addan, and Immer, and might not show the house of their fathers, and their seed, or progeny, whether they were of Israel, were these; (And those who came back from the towns of Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, and Addan, and Immer, and could not prove their father's house, or family, and whether they were descendants of Israelites, were these;)
60 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and two and fifty;
61 and of the sons of (the) priests, the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, and the sons of Barzillai, the which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai (the) Gileadite, and was called by the name of them;
62 these sought the scripture of their genealogy, and found it not, and they were therefore cast out of priesthood. (these sought proof for their genealogy, and could not find it, and so they were cast out of the priesthood.)
63 And (the) Tirshatha said to them, that they should not eat of the holy of holy things, till a wise priest and a perfect man rose up. (And the governor said to them, that they should not eat the holy of holy things, until a priest rose up who could consult the Urim and the Thummim.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.