Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Ezra 2:40 - 2:40

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Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Ezra 2:40 - 2:40


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

Levites, Nethinim, and Solomon's servants. Comp. Neh. 7:43-60.

Ezra Neh.

Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodivah 74 74

Singers: sons of Asaph 128 148

Sons of the door-keepers; sons of Shallum, Ater. Etc. 139 138

Nethinim and servants of Solomon, in all 392 392

Total 733 752

The Levites are divided into three classes: Levites in the stricter sense of the word, i.e., assistants of the priests in divine worship, singers, and door-keepers; comp. 1Ch 24:20-31, 1Ch 24:25, and 26:1-19. Of Levites in the stricter sense are specified the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel of the sons of Hodaviah (וְקַדְמִיאֵל, and הֹודַוְיָה of our text are evidently correct readings; and לְקַדְמִיאֵל and הֹודְיָה, Keri לְהֹודִיָּה, Neh 7:43, errors of transcription). The addition, “of the sons of Hodaviah,” belongs to Kadmiel, to distinguish him from other Levites of similar name. Jeshua and Kadmiel were, according to Ezr 3:9, chiefs of two orders of Levites in the times of Zerubbabel and Joshua. These names recur as names of orders of Levites in Neh 10:10. We do not find the sons of Hodaviah in the lists of Levites in Chronicles.

Ezr 2:41

Of singers, only the sons of Asaph, i.e., members of the choir of Asaph, returned. In Neh 11:17 three orders are named, Bakbukiah evidently representing the order of Heman.

Ezr 2:42

Of door-keepers, six orders or divisions returned, among which those of Shallum, Talmon, and Akkub dwelt, according to 1Ch 9:17, at Jerusalem before the captivity. Of the sons of Ater, Hatita and Shobai, nothing further is known.

Ezra 2:43-58

The Nethinim, i.e., temple-bondsmen, and the servants of Solomon, are reckoned together, thirty-five families of Nethinim and ten of the servants of Solomon being specified. The sum-total of these amounting only to 392, each family could only have averaged from eight to nine individuals. The sons of Akkub, Hagab and Asnah (Ezr 2:45, Ezr 2:46, and Ezr 2:50), are omitted in Nehemiah; the name Shalmai (Ezr 2:46) is in Neh 7:48 written Salmai; and for נפיסים, Ezr 2:50, Neh 7:52 has נפושׁסים, a form combined from נְפוּסִים and נְפִישִׁים. All other variations relate only to differences of form. Because Ziha (צִיהָא, Ezr 2:43) again occurs in Neh 11:21 as one of the chiefs of the Nethinim, and the names following seem to stand in the same series with it, Bertheau insists on regarding these names as those of divisions. This cannot, however, be correct; for Ziha is in Neh 11:21 the name of an individual, and in the present list also the proper names are those of individuals, and only the sons of Ziha, Hasupha, etc., can be called families or divisions. Plural words alone, Mehunim and Nephisim, are names of races or nations; hence the sons of the Mehunim signify individuals belonging to the Mehunim, who, perhaps, after the victory of King Uzziah over that people, were as prisoners of war made vassals for the service of the sanctuary. So likewise may the sons of the Nephisim have been prisoners of war of the Ishmaelite race נָפִישׁ. Most of the families here named may, however, have been descendants of the Gibeonites (Jos 9:21, Jos 9:27). The servants of Solomon must not be identified with the Canaanite bond-servants mentioned 1Ki 9:20., 2Ch 8:7., but were probably prisoners of war of some other nation, whom Solomon sentenced to perform, as bondsmen, similar services to those imposed upon the Gibeonites. The sons of these servants are again mentioned in Neh 11:3. In other passages they are comprised under the general term Nethinim, with whom they are here computed. Among the names, that of הַצְּבָיִם פֹּכֶרֶת (Ezr 2:57), i.e., catcher of gazelles, is a singular one; the last name, אָמִי, is in Neh 7:59 אָמֹון.