The Names of Ezra 2

This study deals only with the genealogies in the second chapter of Ezra. More genealogical information in later chapters and in Nehemiah warrants investigation.

Introduction
(much personal opinion) Ezra 1:5 says, Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the L ORD which is in Jerusalem. The second chapter of Ezra proceeds with a litany of names who rose up to return to Judah to rebuild Yahvehs house that call for close examination. Many of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi did indeed return. Mixed in with them, however, were a number of unsavory characters such as Nethinims, non-priests who could nevertheless not prove Israelite genealogy, and false priests who could not prove Levitical genealogy. The table below attempts to sort out peoples and places. Given the fact that Nebuchadnezzar gave Daniel himself a Babylonian name, it would come as no surprise that some true Israelites bore foreign names. Some words identified as people or places can double as both, and educated guesses are given from context. Many instances of person refer to a family patriarch. Jeremiah gives few concrete clues as to how many children of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, as well as the everpresent inhabitants of Jerusalem, went into captivity. Jeremiah 52:15 says, Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. A total of 4,600 more were carried off in subsequent sieges per verses 2830 of the same chapter. Per Ezra 2:64-65, 49,697 named and unnamed people returned to the then province of Judah in the Persian kingdom. A hodge-podge mix seems to have gone into captivity, and a hodge-podge mix came out. Given the ambiguity of the numbers who went into captivity, ones mind might ponder the possibilities of some who did not return to Judah and migrated elsewhere. Name meanings come primarily from The Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, but when it provided no definition, sometimes Smiths Bible Dictionary did. Names from Smiths are only included if Strongs had no definition. Finally, some interesting trivia gleaned from this study: *The porters name meanings are, on the whole, particularly morose *The number of the children of Adonikam who returned was 666 *The Nethinims, combined with Solomons servants, numbered only 392. That was a small percentage of the group that returned, but their names are given in great detail. Other non-Israelites are not called out in such extensive detail. *There are two Elams mentioned, one in verse 7, and the other Elam in verse 31. Both list identical numbers of 1,254 returning.

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Who Returned
Verse Name Strongs Number Name Meaning Number of People not listed for numbering purposes not listed for numbering purposes Notes

Nebuchadnezzar

5019

of for. der.; Smiths Nebo the mighty

king

Zerubbabel

2216

descended of (that is, from) Babylon, that is, born there; Babylon 894 confusion

person; Zerubbabel was seed royal of Judah person; helper to Zerubbabel and among the chief of the fathers of Israel (Ezra 4:3) person; a prince of Judah

Jeshua

3442

he will save

not listed for numbering purposes

Nehemiah

5166

consolation of Yah

not listed for numbering purposes not listed for numbering purposes not listed for numbering purposes not listed for numbering purposes

Seraiah

8304

Yah has prevailed

person; the Azariah of Nehemiah 7:7 person

Reelaiah

7480

made to tremble (that is, fearful) of Yah

Mordecai

4782

of for. der.; Smiths little man

person; either the bad apple in Esther, or a different Mordecai person

Bilshan

1114

of uncert. der.; Smiths eloquent

not listed for numbering purposes

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Mispar

4558

number

not listed for numbering purposes not listed for numbering purposes not listed for numbering purposes not listed for numbering purposes 2,172

person

Bigvai

902

prob. of for. or.; Smiths husbandman

person

Rehum

7348

compassionate

person

Baanah

1196

in affliction

person

Parosh

6551

a flea (as the isolated insect) Yah has judged way-faring pit of Moab; Moab 4124 from (her [the mothers]) father he will save Yahveh-fathered hidden, i.e. distant of uncert. der.; Smiths a sprout pure built prob. of for. or. stern troop lord of rising (i.e. high) prob. of for. or.; Smiths husbandman voluptuous maimed
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person

4 5 6

Shephatiah Arah Pahath-moab

8203 733 6355

372 775

person person person

Jeshua Joab 7 8 Elam Zattu

3442 3097 5867 2240

person 2,812 1,254 945 person person person

9 10 11 12 13 14

Zaccai Bani Bebai Azgad Adonikam Bigvai

2140 1137 893 5803 140 902

760 642 623 1,222 666 2,056

person person person person person person

15 16

Adin Ater

5720 333

454

person person

Hezekiah 17 18 19 20 Bezai Jorah Hashum Gibbar

3169 1209 3139 2828 1402

strengthened of Yah domineering rainy enriched prop. a valiant man or warrior; gen. a person simply house of bread

98 323 112 223 95

person person person person person

21

Beth-lehem

1035

123

place; city in Judah? place place; priest city in Benjamin (Joshua 21:18) place place

22 23

Netophah Anathoth

5199 6068

distillation answer

56 128

24 25

Azmaveth Kirjath-arim

5820 7157

strong one of death city of forests; OR city of towns the village (always with the art.) wells a height (as a seat of idolatry) a hillock

42

Chephirah

3716

place

Beeroth 26 Ramah

881 7414

743

place place

Gaba

1387

621

place; same as Geba and Gibeah, in Benjamins territory place place

27 28

Michmas Beth-el Ai

4363 1008 5857 5015

hidden house of God a ruin (as if overturned) prob. of for. der.; Smiths project stiffening hidden, i.e. distant

122

223 52

place place

29

Nebo

30 31

Magbish Elam (other Elam)

4019 5867

156 1,254

place place

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32 33

Harim Lod

2766 3850

snub-nosed from an unused root of uncert. sig. a peak strong its month OR fragrant thorny Yah has known

320

person place

Hadid Ono 34 35 36 Jericho Senaah Jedaiah

2307 207 3405 5570 3048

place 725 345 3,630 place place place priests; I Chronicles 24:11; head of the ninth course 973 1,052 priests priests; head of the sixteenth course; I Chronicles 24:14 priests; I Chronicles 9:11; probably belonging to the fifth course as son of Malchijah; also see Pashurs in Jeremiah priests; of the third course; I Chronicles 24:8

Jeshua 37 Immer

3442 564

he will save talkative

38

Pashur

6583

liberation

1,247

39

Harim

2766

snub-nosed

1,017

Per Bullinger (see note on 2:39), these four priests were subdivided into six each, making the twenty-four courses. 40 Jeshua 3442 he will save Levites; I Chronicles 24:11 records a Levite Jeshua

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Kadmiel

6934

presence of God

Levites; no other record of Levite Kadmiel 74 Levites; no other record of Levite Kadmiel singers; other two branches of Levite singers, Jeduthun & Heman not represented in this list porters

Hodaviah

1938

majesty of Yah

41

Asaph

623

collector

128

42

Shallum

7967

a requital, i.e. (secure) retribution, (venal) a fee maimed oppressive insidious explorer captor 139

Ater Talmon Akkub Hatita Shobai

333 2929 6126 2410 7630

porters porters porters porters porters

Nethinims seem to have originated in Numbers after Israel defeated the Midianites, and the practice continued into the times when the Temple was built. According to Numbers 31:47, Yahveh appears to have approved of the practice. He certainly would not approve if they assumed duties beyond what they were given. Num 31:47 Even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the L ORD ; as the L ORD commanded Moses. [These were defeated Midianites.] Deceptive Gibeonites became hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation in Joshua 9:21. I Chronicles 9:2 clearly separates the Nethinims from the Israelites: Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities [after the captivity] were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims. Ezr 8:20 Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.

43

Ziha Hasupha

6727 2817

drought nakedness

Nethinims Nethinims

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Tabbaoth Keros Siaha Padon 45 Lebanah

2884 7026 5517 6303 3838

rings ankled congregation ransom prop. (the) white, i.e. the moon locust insidious locust clothed favor stout lurker Yah has seen delight (espec. as shown) distinction devourer strength limping domineering of uncert. der. a residence expansions a bottle (from the gurgling in emptying) crooked inflammation a peeling junction magician

Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims

Hagabah Akkub 46 Hagab Shalmai Hanan 47 Giddel Gahar Reaiah 48 Rezin Nekoda Gazzam 49 Uzza Paseah Besai 50 Asnah Mehunim Nephusim 51 Bakbuk

2286 6126 2285 8073 2605 1435 1515 7211 7526 5353 1502 5798 6454 1153 619 4586 5304 1227

Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims

Hakupha Harhur 52 Bazluth Mehida Harsha

2709 2744 1213 4240 2797

Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims

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53

Barkos Sisera

1302 5516

of uncert. der. of uncert. der.; Smiths battle-array of uncert. der. conspicuous robber roving

Nethinims Nethinims

Thamah 54 Neziah Hatipha 55 Sotai

8547 5335 2412 5479

Nethinims Nethinims Nethinims children of Solomons servants children of Solomons servants children of Solomons servants children of Solomons servants children of Solomons servants children of Solomons servants children of Solomons servants children of Solomons servants children of Solomons servants children of Solomons servants

Sophereth

5618

a scribe (prop. female)

Peruda

6514

dispersion

56

Jaalah

3279

an ibex (as climbing)

Darkon

1874

of uncert. der.

Giddel

1435

stout

57

Shephatiah

8203

Yah has judged

Hattil

2411

fluctuating

Pochereth of Zebaim

6380

trap of gazelles

Ami

532

skilled, i.e. an architect [like 542]

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58

Nethinims + Solomons servants = 392

Ezr 2:59 And these were they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not shew their father's house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel: 59 Tel-melah Tel-harsa Cherub 8528 8521 3743 mound of salt mound of workmanship of uncert. der.; a cherub or imaginary figure firm talkative place place place

Addan Immer

135 564

place place; also a genuine priest by this name in verse 37 person person 652 person; perhaps the same as the Nethinims of verse 48

60

Delaiah Tobiah Nekoda

1806 2900 5353

Yah has delivered goodness of Yahveh distinction

Ezr 2:61 And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name: Ezr 2:62 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. Ezr 2:63 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim. The real Barzillai was especially kind to and dear to David (II Samuel 19). Gilead was in Manassehs territory, and a priest who loved Yahveh would not have married a daughter of Manasseh. *Tirshatha was a Persian title for governor and refers here to Nehemiah. 61 Habaiah Koz Barzillai 2252 6976 1271 Yah has hidden a thorn iron hearted false priests false priests false priests

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64

whole congregation

42,360

This number reflects some unnamed people. See Bullingers note on this verse.

65

servants, maids

7,337, including 200 singing men & singing women

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