Ezra 2:1

The Names of the Returning Exiles

2:1 ¹ These are the people ²  of the province who were going up, ³  from the captives of the exile whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile in Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem ⁴  and Judah, each to his own city.

Ezra 3:1

The Altar is Rebuilt

3:1 When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites ⁵  were living ⁶  in their ⁷  towns, the people assembled ⁸  in ⁹  Jerusalem. ¹⁰ 

Ezra 6:20-21

6:20 The priests and the Levites had purified themselves, every last one, ¹¹  and they all were ceremonially pure. They sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their colleagues ¹²  the priests, and for themselves. 6:21 The Israelites who were returning from the exile ate it, along with all those who had joined them ¹³  in separating themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel.

Ezra 7:7

7:7 In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, Ezra brought ¹⁴  up to Jerusalem ¹⁵  some of the Israelites and some of the priests, the Levites, the attendants, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants.

Ezra 8:15

The Exiles Travel to Jerusalem

8:15 I had them assemble ¹⁶  at the canal ¹⁷  that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I observed that the people and the priests were present, but I found no Levites there.

Ezra 9:2

9:2 Indeed, they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race ¹⁸  has become intermingled with the local residents. Worse still, the leaders and the officials have been at the forefront of all of this!”

[2:1]  ¹ sn The list of names and numbers in this chapter of Ezra has a parallel account in Neh 7:6-73. The fact that the two lists do not always agree in specific details suggests that various textual errors have crept into the accounts during the transmission process.

[2:1]  ² tn Heb “the sons of.”

[2:1]  ³ tn The Hebrew term הָעֹלִים (ha’olim, “those who were going up” [Qal active participle]) refers to continual action in the past. Most translations render this as a simple past: “went up” (KJV), “came up” (RSV, ASV, NASV, NIV), “came” (NRSV). CEV paraphrases: “were on their way back.”

[2:1]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “the sons of Israel.”

[3:1]  ⁶ tn The word “living” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied. Some translations supply “settled” (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT).

[3:1]  ⁷ tc The translation reads with some medieval Hebrew MSS and ancient versions בְּעָרֵיהֶם (be’arehem, “in their towns”), rather than the reading בֶּעָרִים (be’arim, “in the towns”) found in the MT. Cf. Neh 7:72 HT [7:73 ET].

[3:1]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds the phrase “like one man.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[3:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “to.”

[3:1]  ¹⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[6:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “as one.” The expression is best understood as referring to the unity shown by the religious leaders in preparing themselves for the observance of Passover. On the meaning of the Hebrew phrase see DCH 1:182 s.v. אֶחָד 3b. See also HALOT 30 s.v. אֶחָד 5.

[6:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “brothers.”

[6:21]  ¹³ tn Heb “who had separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to them.”

[7:7]  ¹⁷ tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּעֲל (vayya’al, “he [Ezra] brought up”) rather than the Qal plural וַיַּעַלוּ (vayya’alu, “they came up”) of the MT.

[7:7]  ¹⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:15]  ²¹ tn Or “I gathered them.”

[8:15]  ²² tn Heb “river.” So also in vv. 21, 31.

[9:2]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the holy seed,” referring to the Israelites as God’s holy people.