MPV Commentary

1. The people who had been living in Judea, now reduced to a province under Persian rule, returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each person going back to their own city.

This was either the city where their ancestors had lived before the exile, or a new city that had been rebuilt and assigned to them after their return.

2. These people came with Zerubbabel, who led the first group of exiles returning from Babylon. Other influential individuals associated with him in leading the caravans included Jeshua, the high priest, and Nehemiah.

3. The descendants listed here refer to the posterity or family lines of these individuals.

5. The children of Arah numbered 775, but this number is stated as only 652 in Nehemiah 7:10. It's likely that some people had initially enrolled their names for the return journey but later died or were unable to make the trip.

23. Many from Anathoth, a city originally inhabited by Levites, returned to Jerusalem. This town was known for spurning Jeremiah's warnings and facing severe consequences as a result (Jeremiah 32:27-35). Despite its past, the people of Anathoth had undergone a change in mindset during their time in captivity and were now rebuilding their city.

36-39. The priests returned with their families, each under the leadership of their respective princes or heads. As a reminder, the entire priestly body was divided into 24 courses, with one course serving as priests every week. It appears that only four of these courses had returned from Babylon, but they were later divided into the full 24 courses established by David (1 Chronicles 23:6-13). This is evident in the fact that the course of Abijah or Abia was still present at the beginning of the Christian era (Luke 1:5).

55. The children of Solomon's servants likely refers to foreigners who had been enlisted for temple construction work or those living in the palace, which was considered a great honor.

61-62. Barzillai chose to be associated with the noble family of Solomon rather than his own lineage, but this decision cost him the dignity and benefits of being a priest.

63. The title "Tirshatha" was borne by Persian governors of Judea (also seen in Nehemiah 7:65-70; 8:9; 10:1). It is derived from the Persian word for "severe" or "awesome."

64. In total, there were 42,360 people who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel. This number includes those listed in the catalog and other groups such as servants and singers (Ezra 2:65), which brings the total to around 50,000 people with 8,000 beasts of burden.

68. When some of the leaders arrived at the temple site, they made generous contributions towards its restoration before taking any practical steps for their own accommodation.

69. The chief contributors gave a significant amount in gold coins (darics) and offered priests' garments as gifts (compare Nehemiah 7:70). This was an appropriate offering given the circumstances, and it aligns with Eastern customs of presenting usable items as gifts.