Ezra 2:28 kjv
The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.
Ezra 2:28 nkjv
the men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three;
Ezra 2:28 niv
of Bethel and Ai ? 223
Ezra 2:28 esv
The men of Bethel and Ai, 223.
Ezra 2:28 nlt
The people of Bethel and Ai ? 223
Ezra 2 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Neh 7:32 | "the men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred twenty-three." | Parallel census list, slight numeric variation |
| 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." | God's promise of return after 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." | Divine promise to gather scattered Israel |
| Ezek 36:24 | "I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land." | God's regathering for land restoration |
| Ps 126:1 | "When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream." | Joy of the post-exilic return |
| Deut 30:3 | "...then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you, and he will gather you again..." | Prophecy of future restoration after exile |
| Ezra 1:3-4 | "Whoever is among you of all his people... let him go up to Jerusalem..." | Cyrus's decree allowing the return |
| Ezra 6:21 | "The people of Israel who had returned from exile and all who had joined them and separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land..." | Identity of those who returned |
| Gen 12:8 | "From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east." | Geographic proximity of Bethel and Ai |
| Gen 28:19 | "He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first." | Origin of the name Bethel ("House of God") |
| Josh 7:2 | "Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel." | Ai's location relative to Bethel |
| 1 Kgs 12:28-33 | "The king took counsel and made two calves of gold... and set one in Bethel..." | Bethel's later apostasy under Jeroboam I |
| Neh 11:31 | "The people of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash, Ai, Bethel..." | Continued inhabitation of these areas |
| 1 Chr 9:1 | "So all Israel was enrolled by genealogies, and these are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel." | Importance of genealogical records for Israel |
| Luke 2:1-5 | "...a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered." | Importance of census/registration in biblical narratives |
| Mal 3:6 | "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." | God's unchanging faithfulness to His covenant |
| Isa 49:8 | "Thus says the LORD: 'In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you...'" | God's appointed time for restoration |
| Zech 8:7-8 | "Behold, I will save my people from the country of the east and from the country of the west; and I will bring them to live in Jerusalem..." | Further prophetic promise of restoration |
| Ezra 7:9 | "For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia..." | Exact timing and divine hand in the journey |
| Ezra 10:1-17 | Describes measures to purify the returnees and their descendants through meticulous records. | Emphasis on lineage and purity for the community |
Ezra 2 verses
Ezra 2 28 Meaning
Ezra chapter 2 verse 28 details a specific group among the multitude of Jewish exiles who returned from Babylon to Judah. It specifically names the individuals connected to the ancient cities of Bethel and Ai, indicating that two hundred and twenty-three men, associated with these localities, were part of the initial return led by Zerubbabel. This precise count highlights the meticulous record-keeping essential for the re-establishment of the covenant community in their ancestral land.
Ezra 2 28 Context
Ezra 2:28 is part of a detailed roster of those who returned from Babylonian captivity to Judah under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, following Cyrus's decree in 538 BC. The chapter serves as a census, listing families and groups by their former localities, the number of individuals in each group, and categories like priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants, along with the total number of people and animals. The immediate verse identifies people associated with the specific geographical areas of Bethel and Ai. This record was crucial for re-establishing land claims, organizing the returning community, and ensuring the purity of Israelite lineage, especially for the priesthood, vital for temple worship. Historically, the meticulous listing provided legitimacy and order to the rebuilding efforts of the post-exilic community.
Ezra 2 28 Word analysis
- the men of: In Hebrew, this is "בְּנֵי" (b'nei), literally "sons of." This signifies not just male individuals, but often denotes descendants, inhabitants, or members of a particular family, clan, or communal group. It emphasizes a collective identity and inherited association with their original place of habitation before the exile.
- Bethel: (Hebrew: בֵית־אֵל - Beit-’El, meaning "House of God"). This was a highly significant, albeit complex, biblical city. It was the site of Jacob's dream and covenant with God (Gen 28) and later became a royal sanctuary under Jeroboam I, where he set up a golden calf (1 Kgs 12), marking a deviation from true worship in Jerusalem. Its inhabitants' return is symbolic; while historically a place of both divine encounter and apostasy, its inclusion among the returnees highlights God's restoration efforts across all traditional Israelite lands.
- and: The conjunction links Bethel and Ai, indicating a combined group or those from two neighboring towns, as they were geographically very close (Gen 12:8; Josh 7:2).
- Ai: (Hebrew: הָעַי - ha-Ai, meaning "the ruin" or "the heap"). An ancient city strategically located near Bethel. It is most famous for its initial defeat of Israel due to Achan's sin and subsequent conquest by Joshua (Josh 7-8). Its returnees contribute to the census, showing the reach of the exile and the breadth of the restoration across diverse geographical points.
- two hundred twenty-three: (Hebrew: מָאתַיִם עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ - matayim esrim usheloshah). This precise numerical figure demonstrates the exact nature of the census. Every returning family or group, no matter how small, was accounted for. The meticulous counting signifies a divinely ordered and recorded return, providing authentication and validity to the claim of Israelite identity and a basis for the allocation of land and resources. It implies a detailed record-keeping by the returnees or those leading them.
- "the men of Bethel and Ai": This grouping points to the fact that people were identified by their ancestral hometowns or regions, illustrating the process of re-establishing a national identity linked to specific territories promised by God. It also underscores the diverse geographical origins of the exiles who nevertheless maintained a shared identity and commitment to returning. The very mention of these cities, especially Bethel, a once-sacred, then apostate site, implies a reclaiming and purifying of the land by a returned, renewed remnant.
- "two hundred twenty-three": This specific numerical detail underscores the authenticity and meticulous nature of the post-exilic record. Far from being a general estimate, it represents a careful enumeration, suggesting administrative rigor. In a broader theological sense, this precision hints at God's sovereign oversight and exact fulfillment of His prophetic promises concerning the return of a remnant, where every individual and group mattered.
Ezra 2 28 Bonus section
The lists in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7, while nearly identical, contain minor numerical discrepancies. Scholars generally attribute these to different purposes or stages of enumeration rather than error. For Ezra, the list may reflect those who registered for the first journey, whereas for Nehemiah, it might reflect those who actually arrived or those who participated in a later building phase. Such precision in counting for even a group of 223 people illustrates a divine concern for every individual in His people's return. The absence of specific individuals' names within these group entries indicates that the identity of the group, based on origin and collective lineage, was more significant in this context than individual biographies, serving to rebuild the communal identity of Israel in relation to its traditional lands.
Ezra 2 28 Commentary
Ezra 2:28, though a seemingly simple numerical entry, is a foundational piece in the narrative of Israel's restoration. It reflects the meticulous census taken of the Jewish community returning from Babylonian exile. The "men of Bethel and Ai," while representing only 223 individuals in this specific instance, symbolize the broader regathering of a dispersed people to their ancient homelands. The precise figure demonstrates careful accounting, crucial for re-establishing legal claims, community order, and land distribution after decades of displacement. This detailed record highlights God's faithfulness in fulfilling His covenant promises of return (e.g., Jer 29:10). The inclusion of "Bethel," a place with a history of both divine encounters and grave apostasy, along with "Ai," a site of both defeat and triumph, further suggests that the entire land and its associated people were being reclaimed and prepared for a new phase of their spiritual journey, under God's watchful and ordering hand. Each number, though small in individual groups, contributed to the collective vision of a rebuilt Jerusalem and a re-consecrated Israel.