1 Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;
2 Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
3 The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.
4 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.
5 The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.
6 The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.
7 The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
8 The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five.
9 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.
10 The children of Bani, six hundred forty and two.
11 The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three.
12 The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two.
13 The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six.
14 The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty and six.
15 The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four.
16 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.
17 The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
18 The children of Jorah, an hundred and twelve.
19 The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three.
20 The children of Gibbar, ninety and five.
21 The children of Bethlehem, an hundred twenty and three.
22 The men of Netophah, fifty and six.
23 The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.
24 The children of Azmaveth, forty and two.
25 The children of Kirjatharim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.
26 The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.
27 The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two.
28 The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.
29 The children of Nebo, fifty and two.
30 The children of Magbish, an hundred fifty and six.
31 The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
32 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
33 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five.
34 The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.
35 The children of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty.
36 The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.
37 The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.
38 The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
39 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.
40 The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four.
41 The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight.
42 The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all an hundred thirty and nine.
43 The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
44 The children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,
45 The children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub,
46 The children of Hagab, the children of Shalmai, the children of Hanan,
47 The children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,
48 The children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,
49 The children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,
50 The children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of Nephusim,
51 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
52 The children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
53 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah,
54 The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
55 The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda,
56 The children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
57 The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Ami.
58 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.
59 And these were they which went up from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not shew their father's house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:
60 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.
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:
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.
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.
64 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,
65 Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.
66 Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;
67 Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
68 And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place:
69 They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests' garments.
70 So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.
<html><b>And these are the people of the province</b> These are the Children of Israel who are from the province of the land of Israel, who are now coming up to Jerusalem from the captivity that is in the exile. <b>and they returned</b> And now they returned to Jerusalem. <b>and Judea</b> And the people of Judea returned, each one to his city.</html>
<html><b>[Those] who came</b> these people of the province, in the beginning, when they went into exile from Israel to Babylon with Zerubbabel etc. <b>Mispar…the number</b> Heb. מִסְפָּר. [This word appears twice in this verse.] In the first one, the “pay” is vowelized with a “kamatz,” and it is the name of a man; in the second, the “pay” is vowelized with a “pattah”, and it is the construct state, [meaning the number of]. <b>the important men of the people of Israel</b> These were the great and important people, and the others followed them. Therefore, they were counted after them separately.</html>
<html><b>The children of Parosh, etc.</b> There are some in the chapter for whom the father’s name is used for the family name [surname] and there are some who are called by the name of their place, i.e., “the children of such-and-such a place.”</html>
<html><b>The priests: the children of Jedaiah</b> Until here, he counted the children of Judah and Benjamin, and from now on he counts the priests and the Levites, as he says above (1:5): “So the heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose….”</html>
<html><b>The singers</b> The Levites who were singers, and likewise, the gatekeepers are Levites who were gatekeepers of the gates of the Temple.</html>
<html><b>The Nethinim</b> Now he counts those Nethinim who were woodcutters and water-drawers for the congregation, and from there they derived their livelihood.</html>
<html><b>and the children of Solomon’s slaves</b> King Solomon had slaves, and these children were of their descendants.</html>
<html><b>And these were the ones who ascended from Tel-Mela, etc.</b> And what incident happened to them? They could not tell…. <b>and their children</b> [i.e., the children] of their fathers, because they lost their genealogical records and did not know if they were Israelites.</html>
<html><b>The children of Delaiah</b> They too are included in “these were the ones who ascended from Tel- Melah.”</html>
<html><b>who took</b> Each one of the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite took a wife. <b>and was called by their name</b> And the name of Barzillai was called on their name because they took of his daughters.</html>
<html><b>These</b> referring to the priests, who had to trace their lineage with that record, and who could not find the record of their lineage. <b>and they were disqualified</b> Heb. וַיְגאַלוּ, for they were defiled and purged from the priesthood that they should no longer perform the service with the remaining priests, because their genealogical record was not found.</html>
<html><b>Hattirshatha</b> That is Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah (Neh. 8:9), and our Rabbis said (Yerushalmi Kid. 4:1) that he was named Hattirshatha because the Sages permitted him (הָתֵּר) to drink (שָּׁתָּא) wine of gentiles because he was the king’s butler. <b>of the most holy sacrifices</b> sin-offerings and guilt-offerings, like the other priests. <b>until a priest arises, etc.</b> like a person who says to his friend, “Until the Messiah comes, this matter will not come about.” I cannot interpret it to mean: until a priest arises for the Urim and Tumim in the Second Temple, because we find in Yoma, chapter 1 (21b) that the Urim and Tumim were missing in the Second Temple.</html>
<html><b>The entire congregation together</b> When they were all together with the priests, the Levites and the Nethinim, they amounted to this number; and the Children of Israel counted above were of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, and those missing from this number, which you will not find above, were of the other tribes. So it is explained in Seder Olam (ch. 29): “‘The entire congregation together was forty-two thousand etc.’ But if you add them up, they are only thirty thousand. Where are the thirteen thousand? They ascended from the other tribes.”</html>
<html><b>Besides their slaves and their bondwomen</b> who were not included in the congregation. <b>and they had two hundred male and female singers</b> because they were going up joyfully from Babylon to the land of Israel, they required male and female singers in order that they should stroll among them in their great joy.</html>
<html><b>donated</b> They were donating toward the building of the Temple.</html>
<html><b>According to their ability</b> according to their ability and their money. <b>drachmas</b> Heb. דַּרְכְּמוֹנִים, the name of a golden coin. <b>and priests’ tunics</b> in which to serve.</html>