The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 19

Yer. 36. -The priests.• Four priestly salt tract near tho Persian Gulf. Hence the families went up mth Zerubbabel. Of name, which means "Hill of Salt." Cherub these, three traced their descent to persons is no doubt Ptolemy's Chiripha, which was who h1td been heads of the priestly courses in the same region. The other places here in the reign of David, viz., Jedaiah, Immer, mentioned are unknown to us, but probably and Harim (l Chron. xxiv. 7, 8, 14). The belonged to the same tract of country. other family had for founder a priest named Tel-Harsa means " Hill of the Wood." Pashur, who was not otherwise distinguished. They could not show their father's house. The numbers assigned to the priests by Ezra It is more surprising tho,t so many of the ere identical with those in Nehemiah (vii. returning exiles had !!reserved their genealo- 39-42). Jed&i&h, of the house of 1eshu&. gies than that a certam number had omitted l'o whose house, that is, Jeshua, the existing to do so. Considering the duration of the high priest, belonged. Hence, no doubt, the exile, its hardships, and the apparent im- precedency given to the house of Jedaiah, probability of a restoration, there could have which numerically was the least important. been no cause for wonder if the great majority Ver. 40.-The Levites. The non-priestly had forgotten their descent. Lentes are divided into three classes:- Ver. 61.-0f the children of the priests. l. Ordinary Levites (ver. 40) ; 2. Choral Some of those who claimed to be descendants Levites (ver. 41) ; and Levites descended of Aaron, and therefore priests, had also lost from those who had had the charge of the the evidence of their descent. This loss was temple gates (ver. 42). Compare 1 Chron. held to disqualify them from the exercise of =iv. 20-31 ; x:xv., and xxvi. 1-19. Of the the priestly office (ver. 62). first class, only two families seem to have Ver. 63. -The Tirsha tha. As " Shesh- returned - those of J eshua aud Kad.miel, bazzar" was the Babylonian name of Zerub- both of which traced their descent to a babel (eh. i. 8), so "the Tirshatha" seems certain Hodaviah, or Judah (eh. iii 9). to have been his Persian title. The word is Ver. 41.-The singers, the children of probably a participial form from t(]Jl's or Asaph. See 2 Chron. x:xv. l. It is remark- tarsa, " to fear," and means literally "the able that no descendants of either Heman or Feared." It is used only by Ezra and Jeduthun (ibid.) took part in the return. Nehemiah (vii. 65; viii. 9). Haggai calls Ver. 42.-The porters. Six families of Zerubbabel uniformly pechah, "governor" doorkeepers returned ; three of which bear (Haggai i. 1, 14 ; ii. 2, 21}. They should old names, those of Shallum, Talman, and not eat of the most holy things. The .A.kkub (1 Chron. ix. 17), while the other three priests' portion of the offerings, called '' most have names that are new to us. One hundred holy" in Lev. ii 2, 10, is intended. Of and thirty-nine. The smallness of this and this no "stranger" might eat (ibid. xxii. 10). the two preceding numbers is remarkable. Till there stood up a priest with trrim and While the returning priests numbered 4289, Thumm.im. Zerubbabel evidently expected the returning Levites of all classes were no that the power of obtaining direct answers more than 341 (350, Nehemiah). It would from God by means of the Urim and seem as if some jealousy of the priests, like Thummim, whatever they were (see note ou that which animated Korab and his followers Exod. xxvili. 30), which had existed in the (Num. xvi 1-10), must have grown up dur- pre-captivity Church, would be restored when ing the captivity (comp. below, eh. viii 15). the Church was re-established in its ancient Ver. 43.-The Neth.inims. See note on home. The doubt whether the families of I Chron. ix. 2. Habaiah and Coz (or Haccoz) belonged to Ver. 55.-Solomon's servants. Solomon the priestly class or no might then be formed the relllllil,nt of the Canaanitish resolved. But Zerubbabel's expectation was population which survived at his day into disappointed. The gift of Urim and Thum- a separate servile class, which he employed mim, forfeited by disobedience, was never in forced labours (1 Kings ix. 20, 21). It recovered. would seem that the descendants of these Ver. 64. -The whole congregation to- 11ersons, having been carried into captivity by gether was forty and two thousand three the Chaldreans, continued to form a distinct hundred and threescore. Ezra's numbers, class, and had become attached to the sacer- as given in detail (vers. 3-60), produce dotal order, as a body of kieroduli inferior when added tc,gether a :otal of only 29,818 ; tven to the Nethinims. We may account Nehemiah's items (vii. 8-62) give a total of for their special mention at this time by the 31,089 ; those of the apocryphal Esdras a importance of their services, when such a total of 33,950. The three authorities agree, work as that of rebuilding the temple was however, in their summation, all alike .about to be taken in hand. declaring that the actual number of those Ver. 59. - Tel-melah is probably the who returned with Zeruhbabel was 42,360. 'J'helme of Ptolemy (' Geograph. ,' v. 20), a Esdras adds that children under twelve city of Lower Babylonia, situated iii tho years of age aro not incluuctl. If this were OH, ll, 1-67.] THE IlOOK OF EZRA. 19