Ezra 2:60 kjv
The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.
Ezra 2:60 nkjv
the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, and the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and fifty-two;
Ezra 2:60 niv
The descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda ? 652
Ezra 2:60 esv
the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, and the sons of Nekoda, 652.
Ezra 2:60 nlt
This group included the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda ? a total of 652 people.
Ezra 2 60 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezra 2:59 | These were the ones who came up from Tel Melah... who could not prove their fathers’ houses or their descent... | Precedes Ez 2:60, introduces the group with unclear lineage. |
| Neh 7:62 | The sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred fifty-two. | Exact parallel in Nehemiah, confirming record consistency. |
| Ezra 2:62 | These searched for their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but they were not found there... | Highlights the search for and lack of documented lineage. |
| Neh 7:5 | My God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. | Emphasis on careful genealogical registration. |
| Num 1:18 | They assembled all the congregation together... and they declared their pedigrees by their families, by their fathers’ houses... | Importance of registering people by their ancestry. |
| 1 Chron 9:1 | So all Israel was recorded in genealogies, and these are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. | Genealogies as historical and communal records. |
| Num 3:10 | You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood; but any outsider who comes near shall be put to death. | Strict requirement for priestly lineage. |
| Lev 21:10 | The priest who is chief among his brothers... shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes. | Holiness and specific requirements for a priest. |
| Mal 3:3 | He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver... | Purification of those in priestly/temple service. |
| Matt 1:1 | The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. | Significance of precise lineage in Messiah's identity. |
| Luke 3:23-38 | Jesus... being the son... of Adam, the son of God. | Comprehensive genealogy tracing back to Adam and God. |
| Heb 7:14 | For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. | Contrasts lineage for priesthood vs. kingly line. |
| Ezra 1:3 | Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem... to rebuild the house of the LORD. | Cyrus's decree for all willing Israelites to return. |
| Jer 29:10 | When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. | Prophecy of the return from exile. |
| Isa 43:5-7 | Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east... everyone who is called by My name... | God gathering His scattered 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 be My people." | Promise of ultimate restoration and re-gathering. |
| Num 26:63-65 | These are those counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest... None of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. | Example of detailed census-taking and record-keeping. |
| Ezra 9:8 | But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant... to give us a hold in His holy place... | God's grace in preserving a remnant and enabling return. |
| Rom 9:6-8 | For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel... It is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of promise. | Spiritual vs. physical lineage for true belonging to God. |
| Gal 3:28-29 | There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. | Identity in Christ supersedes worldly distinctions, including ethnicity. |
| Eph 2:19 | So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. | Belonging in God's family through faith. |
| Rev 7:9 | After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages... | Ultimate divine census of God's people from all nations. |
Ezra 2 verses
Ezra 2 60 Meaning
Ezra chapter 2, verse 60 identifies a specific group among the exiles who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem: "The sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred fifty-two." This verse, following the preceding one, specifies three families whose members returned but faced a challenge regarding their lineage. Though their ancestry was listed, the completeness or legitimacy of their records was apparently insufficient for them to confidently prove their traditional Israelite identity, particularly for positions requiring strict genealogical verification, like the priesthood or Levitical service. Despite this genealogical ambiguity, they were included in the total count of returnees, underscoring their commitment to the re-establishment of the Jewish community and temple worship in Jerusalem. The precise number "six hundred fifty-two" indicates meticulous record-keeping even for those with uncertain or undocumented heritage.
Ezra 2 60 Context
Ezra chapter 2 meticulously lists the heads of families and groups who returned from the Babylonian exile to Judah under Zerubbabel and Jeshua following Cyrus's decree in 538 BC. The primary purpose of this census was to re-establish the Jewish community and organize its structure, particularly for the crucial task of rebuilding the temple. The list includes lay Israelites, priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and the Nethinim (temple servants). Ezra 2:60 is specifically part of a section (verses 59-60) that distinguishes a unique category of returnees: those whose ancestral records were incomplete or unable to prove their pure Israelite descent. This posed a significant challenge in a society where tribal affiliation, family lineage, and particularly priestly heritage were paramount for religious roles and land claims. The cultural emphasis on genealogy stemmed from the covenant promises to Abraham, the tribal distribution of the land, and the Mosaic Law's requirements for priestly and Levitical service, which demanded specific unbroken lines from Aaron and Levi. The detailed nature of the census, including even those with ambiguous genealogies, highlights both the administrative thoroughness of the returning community and the extent of the disruption caused by the nearly 70-year exile.
Word Analysis
- The sons of Delaiah: (בְּנֵי דְלָיָה - Benei Delaiah) "Sons of Delaiah." "Delaiah" means "Yah has delivered" or "Yah has drawn out." This highlights a specific family whose descendants were part of the return, even with an unclear or incomplete genealogical record. Their very name could have reflected a hope or past experience of divine deliverance.
- the sons of Tobiah: (בְּנֵי טוֹבִיָּה - Benei Tobiya) "Sons of Tobiah." "Tobiah" means "Yah is good" or "My goodness is Yah." Similar to Delaiah, this refers to another distinct family line, though associated with the same genealogical challenge for verification. The name echoes a fundamental attribute of God.
- the sons of Nekoda: (בְּנֵי נְקוֹדָא - Benei Nekoda) "Sons of Nekoda." "Nekoda" means "distinguished," "spotted," or possibly related to "flocks" or "herdsman." This is the third named family group in this particular list of those with genealogical uncertainties. Its meaning might suggest some form of unique marking or leadership.
- six hundred fifty-two: (שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת חֲמִשִּׁים וּשְׁנַיִם - shesh me'ot chamishim ushnayim) A precise numerical count (652 individuals). This number, shared consistently in Ezra and Nehemiah, emphasizes the meticulous effort put into recording every returning person, regardless of their genealogical clarity. It shows the community's organizational capability and the importance placed on the enumeration of all who dedicated themselves to rebuilding Israel.
- Words-group analysis (Ezra 2:59-60 combined): This passage refers to "those who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, who could not prove their fathers’ houses or their descent...". This group represented a significant administrative and spiritual challenge for the returning community. While all returning exiles contributed to the new community, the inability to verify lineage, especially for potential temple functionaries (priests, Levites), could affect their social status and religious roles. These families, despite the genealogical cloud, chose to identify with the returning community, demonstrating their loyalty to their heritage and God's covenant, even without the complete formal proofs of old.
Ezra 2 60 Commentary
Ezra 2:60 provides a fascinating insight into the practical challenges and meticulous organization of the post-exilic community in Judah. It reveals that not all who returned could definitively establish their family lines or demonstrate clear, documented descent. This likely resulted from the chaos of exile, the scattering of families, and the destruction of records. However, the presence of these 652 individuals, representing the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, being precisely counted and listed, shows the community's commitment to inclusivity. While some groups (like the priests in verses 61-63) faced specific exclusion from certain religious roles due to unprovable lineage, this verse demonstrates a broader willingness to integrate all who presented themselves and identified with Israel's restoration. This methodical census of both "provable" and "unprovable" families underscored the priority of re-establishing communal identity and structure after generations of upheaval. Ultimately, while earthly records were vital for the temporal, physical nation of Israel, the Lord's inclusion points to a deeper truth of spiritual lineage in God's eyes, a theme more fully developed in the New Testament with faith becoming the primary basis for belonging to God's family.
Bonus SectionThe detailed genealogical lists in Ezra 2, including this specific verse, serve not merely as a demographic count but as a theological statement about the continuity and preservation of God's covenant people despite exile. The careful enumeration, even of those with unclear lineage, emphasizes God's faithfulness to His promises. The Nehemiah parallel (Neh 7:62) underscores the reliability of the records and the careful planning by the leaders. Furthermore, the concern over genealogical purity, especially for priestly roles, points to the future need for a High Priest (Jesus Christ) whose priesthood is not dependent on earthly lineage, but on an indestructible life and divine oath, as expounded in Hebrews. This post-exilic emphasis on lineage, challenged for some as seen in this verse, thus sets the stage for a more profound spiritual understanding of God's true Israel.