Ezra 2:1
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;
Original Language Analysis
בְּנֵ֣י
Now these are the children
H1121
בְּנֵ֣י
Now these are the children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
2 of 17
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
הַמְּדִינָ֗ה
of the province
H4082
הַמְּדִינָ֗ה
of the province
Strong's:
H4082
Word #:
3 of 17
properly, a judgeship, i.e., jurisdiction; by implication, a district (as ruled by a judge); generally, a region
הָֽעֹלִים֙
that went up
H5927
הָֽעֹלִים֙
that went up
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
4 of 17
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
מִשְּׁבִ֣י
out of the captivity
H7628
מִשְּׁבִ֣י
out of the captivity
Strong's:
H7628
Word #:
5 of 17
exiled; captured; as noun, exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); by extension, booty
הַגּוֹלָ֔ה
of those which had been carried away
H1473
הַגּוֹלָ֔ה
of those which had been carried away
Strong's:
H1473
Word #:
6 of 17
exile; concretely and collectively exiles
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
7 of 17
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
הֶגְלָ֛ה
had carried away
H1540
הֶגְלָ֛ה
had carried away
Strong's:
H1540
Word #:
8 of 17
to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal
נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥ור
whom Nebuchadnezzar
H5019
נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥ור
whom Nebuchadnezzar
Strong's:
H5019
Word #:
9 of 17
nebukadnetstsar (or nebukadretsts(-ar, or)), king of babylon
לְבָבֶ֑ל
of Babylon
H894
לְבָבֶ֑ל
of Babylon
Strong's:
H894
Word #:
11 of 17
babel (i.e., babylon), including babylonia and the babylonian empire
לְבָבֶ֑ל
of Babylon
H894
לְבָבֶ֑ל
of Babylon
Strong's:
H894
Word #:
12 of 17
babel (i.e., babylon), including babylonia and the babylonian empire
וַיָּשׁ֛וּבוּ
and came again
H7725
וַיָּשׁ֛וּבוּ
and came again
Strong's:
H7725
Word #:
13 of 17
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);
לִירֽוּשָׁלִַ֥ם
unto Jerusalem
H3389
לִירֽוּשָׁלִַ֥ם
unto Jerusalem
Strong's:
H3389
Word #:
14 of 17
jerushalaim or jerushalem, the capital city of palestine
וִֽיהוּדָ֖ה
and Judah
H3063
וִֽיהוּדָ֖ה
and Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
15 of 17
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
Cross References
2 Kings 25:11Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carry away.Acts 23:34And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;
Historical Context
The return (538 BC) fulfilled Jeremiah's seventy-year prophecy (Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10). The preservation of genealogical records through exile enabled proper restoration to ancestral cities. Each family's return to 'his city' restored tribal territories despite seventy years' disruption. Archaeological evidence shows many sites were reoccupied during Persian period after decades of abandonment. This meticulous documentation served legal, religious, and theological purposes.
Questions for Reflection
- How does preservation of genealogies through seventy years of exile demonstrate God's sovereignty over historical continuity?
- What does return to specific ancestral cities teach about God's attention to particular covenant promises?
Analysis & Commentary
The chapter heading 'Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity' identifies returnees as those who had been exiled. The phrase 'whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon' acknowledges the exile's source. The statement 'they returned unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city' emphasizes restoration to ancestral territories. This geographical and genealogical precision demonstrates God's faithfulness in returning people to specific covenant inheritance.