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All of Ezra

Bible Chapter Summary

Ezra 2 Summary

Census of Returning Exiles

The chapter records the genealogy and numbers of the children of the province who returned from captivity under Zerubbabel and Jeshua—over forty-two thousand people in total, along with their servants and handmaidens. It lists all the families of Israel by their fathers' houses and counts the priests, Levites, singers, porters, and servants of the temple. The returning exiles settled in their cities, and the chief fathers gave freely to the treasure of the work for the house of God.

Key themes

Returning exiles countedGenealogy of familiesTemple servants numberedFreewill contributionsSettlement in cities

Key verses

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;

Ezra 2:2

Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

Ezra 2:64

The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,

Ezra 2:70

So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

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