A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 2
Ezra CHAP. II.
THIS Chapter gives a Catalogue of ſuch as returned out of the Captivity into Judea, 1. Their Quantity. And 2. Their Quality. Firſt, Their Quantity is numbred up by their Names, from ver. 2. to ver. 64.
Remark the Firſt, The ſame Catalogue is Recorded, Neh. 7.5, 6, &c. betwixt which and this here, there is ſome difference, the Subſtance of both is the ſame, and though they vary in Circumſtance in ſome Places, yet thoſe differences may well be reconciled: Take one Inſtance for all, here ver. 5. they are numbred ſeven hundred and ſeventy five, but Neh. 7.10. they are only ſix hundred and fifty two. The former of thoſe two numbers might march out of Babylon, or at leaſt liſted themſelves to do ſo, but ſome of them might Dye by the way, or change their Minds (ſo ſome abode in Babylon, 1 Chron. 4.23.) or be hindred by Caſualties; as by Sickneſs either of themſelves or of ſome near Relations, therefore might there be a Reduction of that former into the latter Number, that only reach'd Jeruſalem, where Nehemiah took his Catalogue: The ſame may be ſaid of other differences, and where more is named, in Neh. 7.5, 7, &c. then it muſt be ſaid, that more Perſons came to Jeruſalem afterwards, than ſet down their Names in Babylon.
Remark the Second, Thoſe returning Jews are call'd Children of the Province, ver. 1. ſo Judea is call'd here, and Ezra 5.8. it had been a Princeſs, that had given Laws to all Lands round about it, Ezra 4.20. but now is call'd a poor Province Solitary and Tributary, Lam. 1.1. the juſt product of their Prophaneneſs, Lam. 1.8. Ezra doth purpoſely call it a Province, to remind the Jews of the fruit of their Sins: Wolphius ſaith, Judea became a Province only at the Captivity of Zedekiah, and ſo it continued under the Chaldeans, and now under the Perſians.
Remark the Third, Relating likewiſe to the Quantity, their number is ſumm'd up together, ver. 64. to be in the whole forty two thouſand three hundred and ſixty, whereas the Summs recited in all the foregoing Verſes, amount only to twenty nine thouſand eight hundred and eighteen, to whom are added in this total Summ twelve thouſand five hundred and forty two, which either were of the other ten Tribes beſide Benjamin and Judah, or were ſuch as ſuppoſed themſelves Iſraelites, but could not prove their Pedigree by their Genealogies, though theſe be not reckon'd here by their Names (ſay Lavater and Junius) yet are they added here to make up the total ſumm, which (as Wolphius well obſerves) makes it manifeſt from comparing the number of the Captives carried away in the Books of Kings, Chronicles and Jeremy, with this number of them that returned, they were (by God's Bleſſing upon them) multiplied to more than a double number, even in the Time of their Captivity, thus had it been with Iſrael in Egypt, the more they were moleſted, the more they multiplied, Exod. 1.12. and thus it was with them in Babylon alſo. N.B. 'Tis the Motto of the Palm-tree [Depreſſa Reſurgo] the more weights to pull me down, the higher Launches I make upward: The Church is God's Camomile, the more it is troden, the better it grows: Sanctius obſerves the ſame Solution for the like Catalogue, in Neh. 7.66. his foregoing account falling ſhort alſo of his total Summ.
Secondly, Their Quality is rank'd into Princes and People.
Remark the Firſt, The Guides and Governours are named, Firſt, As Men of Renown, of which eleven are numbred here, ver. 2. The firſt of this number of the Men of Name and Note (ſaith Vatablus) is Zerubbabel, which ſignifies a Stranger at Babel, or a Diſperſer of Confuſion, ſome ſay, he was born in Babylon, however this was a Babyloniſh Name given him (as to Daniel and his three Companions, Dan. 1.7.) but his proper Name was Sheſhbazzar, Joy in Tribulation as before, Ezra 1.8. that famous Prince of Judah, and the Governour thereof, Hag. 1.1. his Hands laid the Foundation of the Second Temple, Ezra 3.8, &c. and his Hands alſo finiſh'd it, Zech. 4.6, 7, 8, 9. with the Aſſiſtance of his famous Second, namely Jehoſhuah the High-Prieſt, Ezra 5.1, 2. Hag. 1.14. Theſe two were thoſe faithful Witneſſes of God in their Generation, as before them had been Moſes and Aaron. N.B. The Work of God goeth beſt endways, when the Word goes along with the Sword, when Magiſtracy and Miniſtry do concurr, &c.
Remark the Second, Among the other nine, Nehemiah and Mordecai are named, whom ſome Learned Men ſay were not that Nehemiah that hath an Hiſtory in a Book of him after this, nor that Mordecai who was ſo famous in the Book of Eſther, but others of the ſame Name; Reaſons ſee in Mr. Pemble's Period of the Perſian Monarchy, page 30, 31. but I find Sanctius, Dr. Lightfoot, &c. Judge them the ſame Perſons, ſaying, 'twas the ſame Nehemiah who wrote the Book of that Name, and who firſt came with Zerubbabel, and then returned to Babylon upon the Obſtruction of the Temple's Building, but after ſome Years he returns to Jeruſalem again (as will be ſhewn in its Place) and then repaired the City, &c. as to Mordecai, Tirinus and Mariana ſay with Dr. Lightfoot, that he was Eſther's Ʋncle, and the overthrower of Haman, who (ſaith D' Dieu) when he ſaw the Building of the Temple and City did not ſucceed according to his deſire, went back to Shuſhan, &c. until a better Day dawned.
Remark the Third, The other ſeven were Men famous in their Generation, though little or nothing be Recorded of them, beſide their Names upon Scripture-Record, only Seraiah call'd Azar…ah, Neh. 7.7. is ſuppoſed to be Ezra call'd Seraiah after the Name of his Father, Ezra 7.1. and who is ſuppoſed to be the ſame with Malachy the laſt of the Old Teſtament Prophets (as ſome ſay) for the Word Malachy may be taken Appellatively, ſignifying my Meſſenger, ſo that Prophet was God's Meſſenger in Ezra's Time, as the Matter contained in that Prophecy plainly demonſtrates, but more of that afterwards; unto thoſe eleven Men of Fame, Nehemiah adds a Twelfth, by Name Nachamani, Neh. 7.7. for he came not up now, but before Nehemiah took that Catalogue, who likely like that Young Man in the Goſpel, at firſt ſaid [I will not, but after repented and went] Matth. 21.29, 30.
Thus far of the Princes of whom Zerubbabel was Chief; now of the People.
Remark the Firſt, The People that returned are computed to be forty two thouſand three hundred and ſixty, deſcribed by their Families (ſaith Vatablus) from ver. 2, to ver. 21. then by their Cities, to ver. 35. then by their Dignity, either Sacerdotal or Levitical, to ver. 40. then by their Employs, as Singers, ver. 41, 65. Porters of the Temple, ver. 42. and Nethinims the Sons of the Gibeonites, who were Hewers of Wood, and Drawers of Water, ver. 45, to 55. and the Sons of Solomon's Servants, ver. 55, to 58. as the Nethinims, Hebr. were Deodati, given to God or God-ſakes, devoted to his Service in his Houſe, miniſtring to the Levites, as the Levites miniſtred to the Prieſts. N.B. Whereby their Miſery (in Bondage and Burdens impoſed on them, as a Puniſhment for their beguiling Iſrael, Joſh. 9.4, 5, &c.) became their Mercy, for the nearer they were to the Church, the nearer they came to God, and this gave them occaſion to partake of the things of God, and to behold his Face in Righteouſneſs, Pſalm 17.15. N.B. So thoſe Servants of Solomon were ſuch Strangers of Canaan, that ſubmitted to Solomon (ſaith Piſcator) and ſerved him in Building the Temple, 1 Kings 9.20, 21. and becoming Proſelytes were incorporated into the Common-wealth of Iſrael, and whoſe Poſterity (ſay Lyra; Erpennius and Oſiander) Solomon devoted to a perpetual Preſervation and Reparation of the Temple in after Ages: Or thoſe Proſelytes might give their Family this Name, accounting it a great Honour to be Servants to ſo great a King. N.B. How much more may we Glory in being Servants to ſo great a God, Pſalm 34.2. 1 Cor. 1.29, 30, 31. Pſalm 18. Title. and who is ſo gracious, as takes where he likes without reſpect of Perſons, Acts 10.33. and admits Strangers, us Gentiles, when the Children of the Kingdom, the Jews, are caſt out, Matth. 8.11, 12.
Remark the Second, The Men-Servants and Maid-Servants are caſt up here likewiſe to be ſeven thouſand three hundred and thirty ſeven, ver. 67. where Sanctius-makes a wonder, that above forty thouſand Maſters ſhould have ſo few Servants at their return; to this I add, whereas we read how one Abraham (the great Father of all thoſe Jews had no fewer than three hundred and eighteen Men-Servants in his ſingle Family, Gen. 14▪ 14. yet this vaſt Multitude of Maſters had no more Servants, though there be added to them the ſinging Men and ſinging Women, who Sang at Feaſts and Funerals, Eccleſ. 2.8. who (as Funccius ſaith) might well have been ſpared; however Lavater adds, that it declared the great Joy of the Jews in their returning from Babylon, they came ſinging home, according to Iſa. 66.12, 14.
Remark the Third, Among the People, ſome could not find their Families from what Anceſtors they deſcended, ver. 59. and therefore (ſaith Junius) they could not likewiſe find their Title to any certain Poſſeſſion in the Land of Promiſe: And alſo among the Prieſts ſome ſought their Regiſter reckon'd by Genealogy, but found them not, ſo were as polluted put from the Prieſthood, ver. 61, 62. N.B. The Jews were generally very careful in their Genealogies; partly to preſerve the Diſtinction of their Tribes (ſaith Wolphius) and leſt ſtrangers ſhould mingle themſelves with Native Iſraelites: And partly (ſaith Sanctius) to govern themſelves by Moſes's Law in matter of Marriages: But principally the Jews exactneſs herein, was produced by a ſpecial Providence of God, that it might be undoubtedly known of what Tribe and Family the Meſſiah ſprang; for if they took ſuch care of all Families, how much more of the Royal Family, upon which all their Hopes did hang: It ſeems ſome of thoſe pretended Prieſts, accounted it a greater Honour to be allied to ſo noble a Family, as was Barzillai's (David's faſt Friend) than to be called the Prieſts of the Lord, therefore thoſe proud Prieſts, who had ſcorned the Pr…ſthood, now moſt juſtly the Prieſthood doth ſcorn them; for 'twas a Pollution for any but of Aaron's Seed to poſſeſs it.
Remark the Fourth, This Excluſion was acted by the Authority of the Tirſhatha (which in Chaldee ſignifies a Governour) namely, Zerubbabel called Shezbazzar, Ezra 1.8, 11. whom Nehemiah did ſucceed in this Place of Government, this Governour ordained (ver. 63.) that none of thoſe proud Prieſts ſhould make a gain of the Prieſthood at this preſent (when it was now riſing into requeſt, and had a proſpect of recovering its Ancient Priviledges and Preferments) becauſe they had ſlighted it, when little or nothing was to be got by it: They ſhall now neither do the Work, nor have the Wages thereof, until the Ʋrim and Thummim were reſtored, which was never but in Chriſt; when the Subſtance (now at hand) came, thoſe Ceremonies ceaſed, &c.
Remark the Fifth, The Jews Eſſay and Offerings to rebuild the burnt Temple, ver. 66, 67, 68, 69, 70. they went into Captivity Poor and Naked, but returned with Riches and Cattel: According to their Ability they offer, this is all that Proportion which God appoints, ſaith Wolphius, and their Drams were as acceptable as David's Talents. 1 Chron. 29.4.6, 7. N.B. Few are faulty in going beyond Ability, as the Macedonians, 2 Cor. 8.3. the whole Offering here amounts to about thirty four thouſand Pound Sterling, yet was it accepted of God from this poor People [She hath done what ſhe could, ſaith Chriſt, Mark 14.8.] and the Widows Mite was more to him than the Rich Mens Magnificence, Luke 21.1, 2, 3, 4. becauſe it came out of a Richer Mind, &c.