Question 1

Why does this chapter list so many names and numbers?

Accepted Answer

This chapter reads like a census because it is exactly that. After the exile, the people who went back to the land needed to know who belonged to Israel, which towns they came from, and who was fit to serve in the temple. The list shows God did not forget His people, even in a foreign land. It also gives honor to those who chose the hard road of returning. Their names and numbers show that real families, with real stories, stepped out in faith to rebuild life and worship in a broken land.

Question 2

Who are Zerubbabel and Jeshua in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Zerubbabel is the main leader of the group that returns from captivity. He is from the royal line and serves as the civil ruler under the Persian king. Jeshua is the high priest who returns with him. Together they are like a new pair of leader and priest, guiding the people as they rebuild the altar, the temple, and their common life with God. Their names at the front of the list show that God raised up both governing and spiritual leadership for this new beginning.

Question 3

Who are the Nethinims and the children of Solomon’s servants?

Accepted Answer

The Nethinims were people set apart to help with the work around the temple. They likely did humble tasks like cutting wood and carrying water so that the priests and Levites could focus on sacrifices and teaching. The children of Solomon’s servants came from groups whom Solomon had also assigned to temple work. Both groups remind us that serving God’s house is not just about the more visible roles. People with less noticed jobs were still counted, named, and needed in the life of worship.

Question 4

Why were some priests kept from eating the most holy things?

Accepted Answer

Some men claimed to be from priestly families but could not show written proof of their family line. Since the law required priests to come from a certain line, they were treated as unfit for priestly service for the time being. The governor, called the Tirshatha, ordered that they should not eat the special holy portions until a priest could seek God’s will by Urim and Thummim. This guarded the purity of temple service and showed that feelings or claims were not enough without clear proof.

Question 5

What does it mean that the Tirshatha spoke about Urim and Thummim?

Accepted Answer

The Tirshatha was the governor over the returned people. When there was doubt about the priestly family lines, he said they should wait for a priest who had Urim and Thummim. These were special objects carried by the high priest that were used to ask God’s guidance in hard cases. The point is that such a serious question about who could act as a priest should be settled by God’s answer, not human guesswork. It shows respect for God’s rules about worship and service.

Question 6

How many people returned, and what does that tell us?

Accepted Answer

The passage says the whole congregation was 42,360 people, not counting a large number of servants and singers. Compared to the old kingdom, this is a small group, and there are fewer Levites and temple helpers than before. This shows how much the exile had reduced the nation. At the same time, the clear total shows that God still had a people. They were fewer and weaker in worldly terms, but they were back in the land, ready to rebuild the temple and begin again.

Question 7

Why are animals and gifts for the temple mentioned?

Accepted Answer

The record of horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and the amounts of gold, silver, and priestly garments shows that the return was not just about people. They needed animals for travel and work and resources to rebuild the temple. Some leading families gave freely according to what they had. This shows a willing heart to support God’s house. The amounts remind readers that worship often involves giving, and that God sees both the big and small gifts that people offer for His work.

Question 8

Why does this passage stress family lines and towns?

Accepted Answer

Family lines and home towns mattered because the people were returning to an old promise. God had given the land to their ancestors, and different families had their own towns and areas. By listing who came from where, the passage shows that the same people, though fewer and humbled, were coming back to the same land. It also protected the community from confusion or false claims. Knowing who you are and where you belong helped them rebuild both their farms and their shared worship.

Question 9

What does this list teach about God’s character?

Accepted Answer

This long list quietly shows that God is faithful and pays attention to details. He brought back real people with names, families, and histories, not just a nameless crowd. Even servants and temple helpers are counted. Though the nation had sinned and been brought low, God still kept His promise and let them return. The care for right worship, priestly lines, and temple service shows that God cares how He is approached, and that He lovingly orders His people’s life together.

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;

The List of Returning Exiles

Number of Those Returning

Priests Returning

Levites Returning

Priests Removed

Offerings by the Exiles

The List of Returning Exiles

Number of Those Returning

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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;

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The List of Returning Exiles

Number of Those Returning

Priests Returning

Levites Returning

Priests Removed

Offerings by the Exiles

The List of Returning Exiles

Number of Those Returning

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