Ezra 2:2 kjv
Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
Ezra 2:2 nkjv
Those who came with Zerubbabel were Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
Ezra 2:2 niv
in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah): The list of the men of the people of Israel:
Ezra 2:2 esv
They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
Ezra 2:2 nlt
Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the number of the men of Israel who returned from exile:
Ezra 2 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Neh 7:6-7 | These are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar... brought back... Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number... | Parallel list of returnees, confirming Ezr 2:2 |
| Jer 29:10 | For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill my good word to you, in bringing you back to this place. | Prophecy of return after 70 years of exile |
| Isa 43:5-6 | Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar... | Prophecy of God's worldwide gathering of His people |
| Zech 8:7-8 | Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the land of the east and from the land of the west, and they shall come and dwell in Jerusalem, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness. | Further prophecy of return and restored covenant |
| Ezra 1:1 | In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus... | Cyrus' decree, fulfilling prophecy of return |
| Ezra 3:8 | Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, Zerubbabel... and Jeshua... and the rest of their kinsmen the priests and the Levites, and all who had come from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work... | Leaders beginning Temple reconstruction |
| Hag 1:1 | In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest... | Leaders commissioned for Temple rebuild |
| Zech 3:1-9 | Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord... | Prophetic vision involving Jeshua as High Priest |
| 1 Chron 6:15 | And Jehozadak went into captivity when the Lord carried Judah and Jerusalem into captivity by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. | Context of High Priest's line in exile |
| 1 Kings 25:8-11 | In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord... and carried away into exile all the people of Jerusalem and all the royal family... | Record of the Babylonian deportation |
| Isa 11:11-12 | In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the dispersed of Israel... | God's re-gathering of dispersed Israel |
| Luke 1:68-75 | Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets... to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear... | Fulfillment of God's visitation and redemption, echoing physical return |
| Acts 3:19-21 | Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all things about which God spoke... | Restoration of all things, pointing to future complete fulfillment |
| Amos 9:14-15 | I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine; and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them... | Prophecy of return and re-settlement of God's people in their land |
| Jer 32:44 | Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ Men will buy fields for money... for I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord. | Promise of repopulating the land and economic recovery |
| Psa 126:1-2 | When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” | Joy of return from captivity, seen as a great divine act |
| Eze 37:21-23 | Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land... | God gathering His people from dispersion |
| Joel 3:1 | For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem... | Prophetic promise of restoration of Judah and Jerusalem |
| Zeph 3:20 | At that time I will bring you in, at that time I will gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord. | God making His people renowned through restoration |
| Dan 9:25 | Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again... | Prophecy linked to rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple |
| 1 Cor 14:33 | For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. | Divine order, seen in the organized return of listed individuals |
Ezra 2 verses
Ezra 2 2 Meaning
This verse introduces the immediate list of prominent leaders among the first wave of Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalem and Judah after the seventy-year Babylonian captivity, having been led away by Nebuchadnezzar. It signifies the commencement of God's promised restoration, highlighting those instrumental in re-establishing the community and rebuilding the Temple, emphasizing their identity as part of the covenant people returning to their land.
Ezra 2 2 Context
Ezra chapter 2 primarily serves as a meticulous registry of the first group of exiles who returned to Judah from Babylonian captivity following King Cyrus’s decree. Verse 2 begins the listing of the prominent individuals who led this crucial initial contingent. Historically, this return marks a significant moment, ending the 70-year prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer 29:10). The exiles, through the work of figures like Zerubbabel (governor) and Jeshua (High Priest), initiated the physical and spiritual rebuilding of their nation and especially the Jerusalem Temple. This list not only establishes the returning community's identity, allowing for the restoration of tribal and family structures and rightful land claims, but also emphasizes God’s faithfulness in keeping His covenant promises, despite His people’s previous disobedience that led to the exile.
Ezra 2 2 Word analysis
- These (אֵ֣לֶּה ‘elleh): This demonstrative pronoun immediately directs the reader's attention to the specific individuals that follow. In a book highly focused on genealogical records and lists, its precision indicates the importance and divine acknowledgment of these specific persons chosen or appointed to lead the return.
- are they who (הֵ֤ם אֲשֶׁר־ hem asher-): This emphatic phrase underscores the identity of the leaders, explicitly connecting them to the action of "coming up." It asserts their direct involvement and highlights their pivotal role in the initial return.
- came up (עָל֧וּ ‘alu): The Hebrew verb ‘alah literally means "to go up" or "ascend." This is a significant theological and geographical term. Jerusalem and Judah are situated at a higher elevation, thus returning implies "going up." More importantly, it carries the spiritual connotation of a pilgrimage or a movement toward God’s holy presence (e.g., Ps 122:1). It is an act of restoration and re-entering the divine favor.
- from the captivity (מִשְּׁבִ֥י mishshvi): Shvi refers to "captives" or "captivity." This emphasizes their previous state of bondage and displacement. Their release signifies God’s power to deliver His people from oppression and His justice in fulfilling prophecies concerning their judgment.
- of the exile (הַגּוֹלָֽה haggola): Haggolah (the definite article + golah) denotes "the deported community" or "the exiles." This is a specific reference to the Jewish people taken into forced residence in Babylon. It emphasizes the collective identity of those disciplined by God, and now, providentially, being returned by Him. This distinguishes them as the "remnant" who remained faithful to their heritage amidst foreign lands.
- whom Nebuchadnezzar (אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶגְלָ֜ה נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֣ר asher heglah nevuchadne'tzar): Directly names the agent of their exile, Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful king of the Babylonian empire, providing precise historical anchoring for the event. His actions, though destructive, are understood biblically as instruments of God's judgment upon Israel for their covenant unfaithfulness.
- the king of Babylon (מֶלֶךְ־ בָּבֶ֗ל melek- bavēl): Specifies Nebuchadnezzar’s title and domain, linking him to the empire that oppressed God's people. This highlights the miraculous nature of their release, as it came through a subsequent Persian king, Cyrus (Ezra 1:1), demonstrating God's sovereignty over the rise and fall of nations (Dan 2:21).
- had carried away (הֶגְלָ֜ה heglah): This is a form of the verb galah, meaning "to be exiled" or "to go into captivity." The repetitive use of terms related to "exile" or "captivity" reinforces the profundity of their previous suffering and the subsequent magnitude of their deliverance.
- and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah (וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ לִירוּשָׁלַ֗ם וִיהוּדָה֙ vayyavō’u liyrushalayim vihudah): "Came again" signifies their return to the heartland of the covenant. Jerusalem represents the spiritual capital, the place of the Temple and God's dwelling, while Judah represents the historical tribal territory. This dual mention signifies a return to both their religious and national identity and homeland.
- every one unto his city (אִ֖ישׁ לְעִירֽוֹ ‘ish le‘iro): This detail shows an organized and intentional return, where families and individuals went back to their ancestral towns and properties. This implies re-establishing familial and communal structures, reaffirming land claims, and re-implementing Mosaic laws regarding land inheritance. It signifies the true beginning of the nation’s physical restoration.
- "came up from the captivity of the exile": This phrase encapsulates the core theological narrative of the passage. It is a reversal of God's judgment and the fulfillment of His promises through the prophets. It marks a redemptive transition from divine discipline to restoration. The verb "came up" points to both a literal geographical ascent and a spiritual elevation, a movement towards God’s dwelling place and His renewed favor.
- "whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah": This group of words strikingly juxtaposes the agent of their oppression and displacement with the goal of their return. It serves as a powerful testament to God's ultimate sovereignty. Even through the tyrannical actions of Gentile kings and empires, God orchestrates the fulfillment of His divine purposes, bringing His people back to the land He promised. This highlights that no human power can thwart God’s ultimate plan of restoration for His covenant people.
Ezra 2 2 Bonus section
- Variations in Parallel Account: The almost identical list found in Nehemiah 7:6-7 presents minor numerical and textual variations. These discrepancies are often understood not as errors, but as reflective of slightly different administrative purposes or points of census. Ancient Hebrew records, especially large lists, were subject to minor textual corruptions or rounded numbers. Nevertheless, the general thrust and historical validity of both accounts remain consistent, confirming the legitimacy and divine order of the returning community.
- Significance of Lists: Genealogies and population lists, while appearing tedious to modern readers, were incredibly important in ancient Israel. They were critical for affirming national identity, securing tribal inheritances, validating priestly and Levitical service (which depended on lineage), and demonstrating God's faithfulness in preserving a "remnant." These lists were living documents connecting the present community to their covenant past and their promised future.
- Names as Prophetic Reminders: Many of the names listed throughout Ezra and Nehemiah, including some in Ezra 2:2, are derived from Hebrew words conveying meaning. While not directly analyzed here, the mere existence of Hebrew names in a foreign land serves as a subtle reminder of their identity as God's people, even in exile. Their return and reconnection to their heritage is inherent in the preservation and reaffirmation of these names.
Ezra 2 2 Commentary
Ezra 2:2 initiates a detailed census, not merely a bland roster, but a vibrant testament to God’s unwavering faithfulness. It underscores the divine act of fulfilling prophecy and reversing judgment, as the Lord "stirred up" (Ezra 1:1) Cyrus to allow His people to return. The explicit naming of leaders like Zerubbabel and Jeshua highlights that God often works through appointed individuals to accomplish His purposes, signifying leadership ordained for a significant task—rebuilding the Temple and community. The meticulous detail in this and subsequent verses authenticates the lineage and legitimacy of those returning, crucial for resuming Temple service (priests) and establishing claims on their ancestral land (families). It conveys the tangible beginning of restoration after a period of intense discipline, setting the stage for a new era of covenant relationship and national life in the promised land.