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 3:2

3:2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak ⁵  and his priestly colleagues ⁶  and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his colleagues ⁷  started to build ⁸  the altar of the God of Israel so they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by ⁹  the law of Moses the man of God.

Ezra 8:18

8:18 Due to the fact that the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us a skilled man, from the descendants of Mahli the son of Levi son of Israel. This man was Sherebiah, ¹⁰  who was accompanied by his sons and brothers, ¹¹  18 men,

[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.

[3:2]  ⁵ sn Jozadak (also in 3:8) is a variant spelling of Jehozadak.

[3:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “his brothers the priests.”

[3:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[3:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “arose and built.”

[3:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “written in.” Cf. v. 4.

[8:18]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and Sherebiah.” The words “this man was” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[8:18]  ¹¹ tn Or “relatives” (so CEV; NRSV “kin”); also in v. 19.