Commentaria in I Esdrae
Chapter 2. Synopsis of the Chapter
List of those who returned with Zorobabel to Jerusalem, and likewise of the gifts and offerings made for the building of the temple.
1. Now these are the children of the province, that came up from the captivity, which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and they returned to Jerusalem and Juda, every one to his city. 2. Who came with Zorobabel: Josue, Nehemias, Saraias, Rahelaias, Mardochai, Belsan, Mesphar, Beguai, Rehum, Baana. The number of the men of the people of Israel: 3. The children of Pharos, two thousand a hundred seventy-two. 4. The children of Sephatias, three hundred seventy-two. 5. The children of Area, seven hundred seventy-five. 6. The children of Phahath Moab, of the children of Josue: Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve. 7. The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty-four. 8. The children of Zethua, nine hundred forty-five. 9. The children of Zachai, seven hundred and sixty. 10. The children of Bani, six hundred forty-two. 11. The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty-three. 12. The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty-two. 13. The children of Adonicam, six hundred sixty-six. 14. The children of Beguai, two thousand fifty-six. 15. The children of Adin, four hundred fifty-four. 16. The children of Ather, who were of Ezechias, ninety-eight. 17. The children of Besai, three hundred twenty-three. 18. The children of Jora, a hundred and twelve. 19. The children of Hasum, two hundred twenty-three. 20. The children of Gebbar, ninety-five. 21. The children of Bethlehem, a hundred twenty-three. 22. The men of Netupha, fifty-six. 23. The men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty-eight. 24. The children of Azmaveth, forty-two. 25. The children of Cariathiarim, Cephira, and Beroth, seven hundred forty-three. 26. The children of Rama and Gabaa, six hundred twenty-one. 27. The men of Machmas, a hundred twenty-two. 28. The men of Bethel and Hai, two hundred twenty-three. 29. The children of Nebo, fifty-two. 30. The children of Megbis, a hundred fifty-six. 31. The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty-four. 32. The children of Harim, three hundred twenty. 33. The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-five. 34. The children of Jericho, three hundred forty-five. 35. The children of Senaa, three thousand six hundred thirty. 36. The priests: the children of Jadaia in the house of Josue, nine hundred seventy-three. 37. The children of Emmer, a thousand fifty-two. 38. The children of Pheshur, a thousand two hundred forty-seven. 39. The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen. 40. The Levites: the children of Josue and Cedmihel, of the children of Odovia, seventy-four. 41. The singing men: the children of Asaph, a hundred twenty-eight.
42. The children of the porters: the children of Sellum, the children of Ater, the children of Telmon, the children of Accub, the children of Batita, the children of Sobai: in all a hundred thirty-nine. 43. The Nathinites: the children of Siha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth. 44. The children of Ceros, the children of Siaa, the children of Phadon, 45. the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Accub. 46. The children of Hagab, the children of Semlai, the children of Hanan, 47. the children of Geddel, the children of Gaher, the children of Raia. 48. The children of Rasin, the children of Necoda, the children of Gazam. 49. The children of Aza, the children of Phasea, the children of Besee. 50. The children of Asena, the children of Munim, the children of Nephusim. 51. The children of Bacbuc, the children of Hacupha, the children of Harhur. 52. The children of Besluth, the children of Mahida, the children of Harsa. 53. The children of Bercos, the children of Sisara, the children of Thema. 54. The children of Nasia, the children of Hatipha. 55. The children of the servants of Solomon: the children of Sotai, the children of Sopheret, the children of Pharuda. 56. The children of Jala, the children of Dercon, the children of Geddel. 57. The children of Saphatia, the children of Hatil, the children of Phochereth, who were of Asebaim, the children of Ami. 58. All the Nathinites, and the children of the servants of Solomon, three hundred ninety-two. 59. And these are they that came up from Thelmala, Telharsa, Cherub, and Adon, and Emer; and they could not shew the house of their fathers and their seed, whether they were of Israel. 60. The children of Dalaia, the children of Tobia, the children of Necoda, six hundred fifty-two. 61. And of the children of the priests: the children of Hobia, the children of Accos, the children of Berzellai, who took a wife of the daughters of Berzellai the Galaadite, and was called by their name. 62. These sought the writing of their genealogy, and found it not, and were cast out of the priesthood. 63. And Athersatha said to them, that they should not eat of the Holy of Holies, till there should arise a priest learned and perfect. 64. All the multitude as one man were forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 65. besides their menservants and maidservants, who were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven: and among them singing men and singing women, two hundred. 66. Their horses were seven hundred thirty-six, their mules two hundred forty-five; 67. their camels four hundred thirty-five, their asses six thousand seven hundred and twenty. 68. And some of the chiefs of the fathers, when they came to the temple of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem, offered freely towards the house of God, to build it up in its place. 69. According to their ability they gave to the charges of the work, of gold sixty-one thousand drams, and of silver five thousand pounds, and a hundred priestly garments. 70. And the priests and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singing men, and the porters, and the Nathinites dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.
1. The children of the province are Jews who, born or brought up in the province of Babylon, migrated from it back to the former seat of their fathers, namely to Jerusalem. For they are called sons of the Province who, born of strangers there, or brought up, long dwelt in it. For this phrase signifies birth or sojourning, says Vatablus. Hence others understand by “sons” inhabitants. So they are called “sons of Sion, sons of the East, sons of Jerusalem,” etc.; “sons,” that is, “inhabitants.” Moreover by the Province is understood Babylonia, then powerful and ruling, as by the City all now understand Rome: although Bede understands here by the Province Judea; for to this, he says, belonged the Jews returning to it from Babylon, as sons of the Church.
And they returned to Jerusalem—yet so as to remain subject to Cyrus and the Persians as servants to masters, Esdras 6:36. Hence the kings of the Persians appointed princes over them, as Zorobabel here, verse 2, and chapter 5, verse 14, and Esdras and Nehemias, chapter 7,
2. Who came with Zorobabel—their leader, and with Josue the Pontiff, who by another name is called “Jesus son of Josedec,” as is plain from Zacharias
Mardochai.—Many hold that this is Mardochai the uncle of Esther, who returned into Judea to recover his paternal possessions, and afterwards went back to Persia, where he had determined to fix his abode.
The number of the men of the people of Israel—namely of those returning from Babylon to Jerusalem, is this which I subjoin. Israel here is put for Juda and Benjamin, for only the Jews and Benjamites returning are numbered here. Elsewhere, when Israel is set against Juda, it signifies the ten tribes, which, making a schism from Juda and Benjamin, created Jeroboam their king; for these being carried off into Assyria, and there plainly dispersed and as it were overthrown, the name and glory of Israel returned and remained in Juda; for this was the noblest of the twelve tribes, indeed the royal one. So it is said in Psalm 113:2: “Juda was made his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.” “Israel,” that is “Juda,” for in the Psalms the latter half-verse often explains and confirms the former, as when it is said: “O God, incline unto my aid; O Lord, make haste to help me.” And Isaias 48: “Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, you that are called by the name of Israel, and are come out of the waters of Juda,” that is, who are propagated from the fountain and stock of Juda.
6. The children of Phahath Moab (a proper name; verse 6 Vatablus renders, children of the Leader (for the Chaldee pachat signifies leader) of Moab. He was so surnamed because he gained some victory in Moab, or did something distinguished.) Of the children of Josue, Joab—as if to say: These children of Phahath Moab, descended and begotten of the sons of Josue and Joab (for these two were men renowned and dearest in that age), were 2812. Hence Vatablus renders: of the children of the Leader of Moab, of the sons of Josue and Joab, 2812.
20. The children of Gebbar, ninety-five—so it should be read with the Hebrew, the Septuagint and the Roman text; some therefore wrongly read nine hundred.
21. The children of Bethlehem, a hundred twenty-three.—Children, that is, citizens and inhabitants, as I said on verse 4, or those sprung from the citizens and inhabitants of Bethlehem. Up to this point he distinguished the heads by fathers of families; from now on to verse 31 he distinguishes by cities, perhaps because the fathers were unknown or obscure.
You will say: The Jews had already been 70 years in Babylon, so that most of those who had been carried off from Bethlehem and other cities were already dead, and their children had been born in Babylon, etc. I answer that so it is, yet the same are called children of Bethlehem, because they were begotten of the Bethlehemites who had come from Bethlehem. Or certainly the Jews, distributed into their own villages and hamlets, gave them the names of Bethlehem and of the other cities of Judea, that they might console themselves in exile by the memory of their fatherland, as now the Spaniards in Peru and Mexico give their cities the names of Spanish cities, as they are called Granada, Cordova, Valladolid, etc. In like manner Helenus, son of Priam, fleeing after the overthrow of Troy, founding a new city, called it Troy. Hear Virgil, Aeneid book 3:
31. The children of Elam.—This Elam is another from the one in verse 7; but it is strange that both numbered equal sons and grandsons, namely 1254.
36. The priests (hitherto he has reckoned the laity of the tribes of Juda and Benjamin; now he reckons the Priests, and in verse 40 the Levites, and in verse 43 the Nathinites, servants of the temple. He says therefore:) The priests: the children of Jadaia in the house of Josue—that is, those who were of the house and family of Josue, namely the sons and grandsons of Jesus the son of Josedec the Pontiff, were in number 973; for Jadaia was of the descendants of Jesus and Josedec, as is plain from 1 Paralipomenon 9:10.
43. The Nathinites—that is, given, namely to the ministry of the temple by Josue; for these were Gabaonites (and therefore Chanaanites, not Jews), who on account of their fraud were condemned to this work. See what was said on Josue 9.
Verse 58. All the Nathinites and the children of the servants of Solomon;
as Josue the Gabaonites, so Solomon gave to the temple others taken in war or proselytes. These are called “servants of Solomon”: hence many of them were assigned to the building of the temple, 2 Paralipomenon 2:17.
59. And these are they that came up from Thelmala, Telharsa, Cherub, and Adon, and Emer—names of cities of Chaldea, from which many migrated into Judea. These could not prove that they were sprung from the Jews, as follows:
61. The children of Berzellai, who (Berzellai) took a wife of the daughters of Berzellai the Galaadite (a priest), and was called by their name (namely of the priests)—as if to say: This Berzellai married a daughter of Berzellai the priest, and through her was called a Priest, that is, sprung from the priestly race; but since he could not prove this from the public books of the Genealogies, he and his sons were rejected from the priesthood until God should be consulted.
63. And Athersatha said.—This is Nehemias, say Lyranus, Cajetan and Vatablus, and it is clear from Nehemias 7:65, where the same is related as here. Hence this history seems to have happened later under Nehemias; and Nehemias 8:9, where it is said: “And Nehemias (he is Athersatha),” that is, the king’s cupbearer; so called by the Chaldeans from the Chaldee word tersa, that is, he nourished, and scata, that is, he drank, as if to say, nourishing the king with drink, that is, the king’s cupbearer: Nehemias here speaks of himself in the third person, as in chapter 12:26; but in the book of Nehemias he speaks of himself always in the first person. Hence some have thought that the Nehemias who was a companion of Esdras is another from the Nehemias who is introduced in the second book of Esdras and is its author. Of Athersatha I shall speak again on Nehemias 8:9.
That they should not eat of the Holy (food) of Holies—that is, of the victims sanctified to God, that is, offered and sacrificed; that is, that they should not eat of the sacrifices offered for sin, or the right shoulder of the peace-offering victims: for these fell to the priests alone, which these could not prove themselves to be.
Till there should arise a priest learned and perfect.—In Hebrew, a priest with Urim and Thummim; as if to say: until some high priest, clothed in the pontifical vestments in which were the Urim and Thummim, consulting God, should be perfectly taught by him whether these were of the priestly race or not. It is therefore a metonymy.
Note: “Urim and Thummim” were inscribed or woven on the Rational of the Pontiff. “Urim” in Hebrew signifies illuminations; “Thummim,” perfections: because the high priest, clothed in the pontifical vestments, was perfectly enlightened by God concerning those matters about which he consulted him, as is plain from Numbers 27:21. Allegorically Christ the Pontiff was signified, by whom light and truth were made, John 1. Tropologically by these two both Pontiff and people were admonished to study the truth of doctrine and the perfection of life: and by these two, anagogically, to aspire to the light of glory, and the perfect enjoyment and love of God.
64. All the multitude as one man were forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty.—This verse 64 is the sum of those who returned with Jesus and Zorobabel into Judea, which however you will not find if you reckon by addition the numbers of the single families assigned here: you will find only 29,818 names; wherefore to make up the sum given here, 12,542 must be added: which make up those who returned to Jerusalem from the ten tribes together with the tribe of Juda and Benjamin; but here they are not recounted. Moreover these same people are numbered in almost the same way, a few excepted, in Nehemias 7:6, and elsewhere.
65. And among them singing men and singing women, two hundred.—The “singing men” were employed in the temple for chanting the Psalms, the “singing women” for lay songs, e.g. for singing at funerals, weddings, banquets, etc. It is signified that the return from Babylon was most joyful, so that for joy they sang and rejoiced; according to the oracle of Isaias 66: “They shall bring all your brethren out of all nations for a gift to the Lord, upon horses, and in chariots, to my holy mountain Jerusalem.” And Psalm 125: “When the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion, we became like men comforted.” (In Hebrew, like men dreaming, that is, so exulting that we seemed to dream of the return, and not truly to be returning to our country.) “Then was our mouth filled with gladness, and our tongue with joy.”
66. Their horses were 736.—So the Hebrew and the Roman text. Some therefore wrongly read six hundred.
68. When they came to the temple of the Lord.—The temple had already been burnt by the Chaldeans. The temple is therefore here called the place in which the temple had stood, because it was sacred, and destined by God for sacrifices and divine worship. Hence the Jews presently erected an altar in it, and sacrificed on it, as is plain from Jeremias 41,
69. Of gold sixty-one thousand drams.— that is, sixty and one thousand: so the Hebrew and the Roman text read. Others, for “sixty thousand,” read “forty thousand”; for so many are numbered in Nehemias 7:70, on which more in its place. This difference seems to have arisen from a ready and easy transposition of the numerals: for lx is 60, but xl is 40. See Franciscus Lucas discussing this at length in his Notes, 19.