Ezra 2:17
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
Original Language Analysis
בְּנֵ֣י
The children
H1121
בְּנֵ֣י
The children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
1 of 6
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
וּשְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃
and three
H7969
וּשְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃
and three
Strong's:
H7969
Word #:
3 of 6
three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice
Historical Context
The census in Ezra 2 lists approximately 30,000 men, suggesting total returnee population near 50,000 when including women, children, and servants. This represented a small fraction of the exile community. Most Jews had established lives in Babylon and chose comfort over costly obedience—a pattern repeated throughout redemptive history.
Families like Bezai's faced enormous challenges. Jerusalem lay in ruins, agriculture had reverted to wilderness, and hostile neighbors opposed rebuilding. The first returnees endured hardship so subsequent generations could worship in a rebuilt temple. Their sacrifice made possible the religious infrastructure from which Jesus would emerge.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the numerical precision teach about God's attention to individual faithfulness amid corporate movements?
- How can believers today balance legitimate enjoyment of God's blessings with willingness to sacrifice comfort for kingdom advance?
- What motivates sustained effort in 'mundane' ministry when results seem slow and recognition minimal?
Analysis & Commentary
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three. Bezai's family (בֵּצָי, Betzai, possibly 'shining' or 'conqueror') numbered 323 returnees. The name appears again in Nehemiah 7:23 and 10:18, showing continued family prominence through restoration period. The root meaning suggests brilliance or victory—appropriate for those conquering exile's darkness through homeward journey.
The specificity of '323' (not rounded to 'about 300') indicates actual headcount, not symbolic estimation. Ancient census methodology counted males above certain age, meaning total family size including women and children likely exceeded 1,000 persons. This demographic reality explains how relatively 'small' census numbers could rebuild cities and cultivate land.
Bezai's family represents mid-tier clans forming the restoration's backbone. Neither elite leaders nor marginal participants, such families provided sustained effort for mundane rebuilding tasks. Kingdom work requires both visionary leadership and faithful laborers willing to lay stones, plow fields, and raise children in covenant community.