Ezra 2:40 kjv
The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four.
Ezra 2:40 nkjv
The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, seventy-four.
Ezra 2:40 niv
The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (of the line of Hodaviah) ? 74
Ezra 2:40 esv
The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74.
Ezra 2:40 nlt
These are the Levites who returned from exile: The families of Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah) ? 74
Ezra 2 40 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 3:6-9 | "Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest...they shall attend upon him..." | Levites dedicated for temple service. |
| 1 Chr 23:24-32 | "...These were the descendants of Levi...their duties in the service of the house of the Lord." | Detailed Levitical duties. |
| 2 Chr 5:12 | "And the Levites, who were the singers...with their cymbals...were praising the Lord..." | Levites as musicians in temple worship. |
| Ezra 3:9 | "Jeshua and Kadmiel and their sons...stood together to oversee the workmen in the house of God..." | Jeshua and Kadmiel leading temple construction. |
| Neh 11:15-18 | "Some of the Levites in Jerusalem were: Shemaiah...and others...over the outside work of the house of God." | Levites serving in re-established Jerusalem. |
| Neh 12:8 | "The Levites were: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah...who led the thanksgivings." | Key Levites, including Jeshua and Kadmiel, leading praise. |
| Neh 12:24 | "And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel...in divisions, answering one another..." | Levitical organization for praise. |
| Ezra 2:1-2 | "Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those carried away..." | Introduction to the list of returnees. |
| Neh 7:43 | "The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of Hodaviah, seventy-four." | Parallel list in Nehemiah with numerical discrepancy. |
| Ezra 3:10 | "And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests...and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, stood with cymbals, to praise the Lord..." | Levites essential for temple foundation worship. |
| Ezra 8:15 | "I assembled them at the river that flows to Ahava, and there we camped for three days. When I reviewed the people and the priests, I found none of the Levites there." | Lack of Levites was a later concern. |
| Neh 9:4-5 | "Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites...and cried with a loud voice to the Lord..." | Levites (including Jeshua & Kadmiel) leading repentance. |
| Neh 10:9 | "The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel..." | Levite leaders signing the covenant. |
| 1 Chr 24:1-19 | "These are the divisions of the sons of Aaron...their duties for their service..." | Twenty-four divisions of priests, similar organization. |
| 1 Chr 25:1-31 | "David...set apart for the service of the sons of Asaph...to prophesy with lyres...the number of them together with their brothers was 288..." | Twenty-four divisions of Levite musicians. |
| 2 Chr 8:14 | "According to the ordinance of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service...and the Levites for their duties..." | David's organized service by divisions followed. |
| Ezra 2:62 | "These searched their registration for their ancestry, but they were not found, so they were excluded from the priesthood..." | Importance of proven lineage for service. |
| Heb 7:13-14 | "For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar." | Christ's non-Levitical priesthood signifies change. |
| Rom 12:1 | "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." | Principle of dedication to God's service. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | "You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood..." | All believers are a spiritual priesthood. |
| Rev 1:6 | "He has made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory..." | Believers' priestly role in new covenant. |
Ezra 2 verses
Ezra 2 40 Meaning
Ezra 2:40 precisely enumerates the specific families of Levites who returned from Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel, identified under Hodaviah, numbering twenty-four family heads. This vital record highlights the re-establishment of the crucial Levitical presence for temple service in Jerusalem.
Ezra 2 40 Context
Ezra chapter 2 meticulously lists the individuals and families who formed the initial wave of returnees from Babylonian exile to Jerusalem and Judah, following King Cyrus's decree in 538 BC. This register is not merely a census; it serves as a foundational document for the re-establishment of the community, legitimizing their claims to the land and the reconstruction of their spiritual identity. Verse 40, specifically, details the Levites, who were distinct from the priests but essential for the temple's daily operations, from music and maintenance to teaching. Their inclusion, though in a numerically smaller group than the priests, emphasizes the complete restoration of sacred offices intended for the rebuilding of God's dwelling and worship in the land.
Ezra 2 40 Word analysis
- The Levites: לְוִיִּם (Ləwīyim). Refers to the descendants of Levi, consecrated by God for special service in the tabernacle and temple. Their duties encompassed temple maintenance, assisting priests, leading musical worship, guarding, and instructing the people in the Law. Their return was crucial for re-instituting organized worship.
- the children of: בְּנֵי (bənê). Literally "sons of." This phrase indicates genealogical descent, a critical factor for identity and authorization to serve in post-exilic Judah, particularly for religious roles. It signifies that these were recognized families.
- Jeshua: יֵשׁוּעַ (Yēshūaʿ). Meaning "Yahweh is salvation." This specific Jeshua is a leading Levite (not Jeshua the high priest) whose family lineage was important in the return. He and his family likely played a key role in temple reconstruction and worship.
- and Kadmiel: וְקַדְמִיאֵל (wəQaḏmîʾēl). Meaning "God is ancient" or "God of antiquity." Another prominent Levite family head frequently mentioned alongside Jeshua in records of the returned community (Ezr 3:9, Neh 9:4). Their association highlights their shared leadership in restoring Levitical service.
- of the children of Hodaviah: בְּנֵי הוֹדַוְיָה (bənê Hōḏawyāh). "Sons of Hodaviah." Meaning "Give thanks to Yahweh." Hodaviah likely represents an ancestral patriarch or a broader family branch under whom Jeshua and Kadmiel's specific lines were organized. In Ezra 3:9, the text lists "sons of Judah" in parallel, suggesting potential interchangeable names or an organizational grouping where Hodaviah's descendants were associated with a larger 'Judah' lineage, possibly signifying a branch connected with praise.
- twenty-four: אַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים (ʾarbaʿāh wəʿeśrîm). This precise number likely refers to twenty-four family heads or leading males who returned, rather than individual Levites. This numerical choice echoes the twenty-four divisions of priests and Levite musicians established by David for orderly temple service (1 Chr 24-25), suggesting an intention to re-institute an organized and established worship system from the beginning. It also indicates the specific size of this particular Levite contingent.
Ezra 2 40 Bonus section
The specific count of twenty-four Levites for Jeshua, Kadmiel, and Hodaviah contrasts sharply with the thousands of priests (Ezr 2:36-39) and the very high number for these same Levite houses (seventy-four) listed in Nehemiah 7:43. This discrepancy could point to Ezra 2:40 referring only to leading family heads or a specific contingent from these houses, whereas Nehemiah 7:43 includes a broader count of all individual males. The relatively small overall number of Levites who initially returned suggests either a less enthusiastic response to the call for return (perhaps due to perceived lower status or economic uncertainty compared to priests), or the severe challenges in identifying legitimate Levite lineage after a prolonged exile. This early numerical disparity becomes a practical challenge later on, with Ezra specifically needing to recruit more Levites for his subsequent journey, emphasizing the profound importance of their spiritual roles despite initial low participation.
Ezra 2 40 Commentary
Ezra 2:40 is a meticulous historical detail that, though brief, carries significant weight in the narrative of Israel's return from exile. The listing of these twenty-four Levites—specifically identified as coming from the houses of Jeshua, Kadmiel, and Hodaviah—underscores the crucial task of re-establishing organized divine service. Unlike the numerous priests who returned, the Levites were significantly fewer, which later necessitated Ezra's special recruitment (Ezr 8). Despite their small number, the re-appearance of these specific families indicates a determined effort to resume their vital roles in sacred music, temple maintenance, and teaching, according to the Law. This verse solidifies the legitimacy of the returning community by emphasizing the unbroken line of dedicated temple servants and sets the foundation for the eventual rebuilding of true worship in Jerusalem.
- This highlights the divine principle of meticulous record-keeping for identity and purpose, even after generational shifts.
- It teaches the importance of specific individuals or families dedicated to preserving sacred duties across generations.
- It reminds believers that even a small, dedicated remnant can initiate the restoration of God's work.