“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;”
Cross references: : Neh. 7:6 Meaning, Judea, which was a province, that is, a country which was in subjection.
“Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel: Seraiah: also called, Azariah, nehe.7.7.”
Zerubbabel was chief captain, and Jeshua the high Priest: but Nehemiah a man of great authority went not now, but came after 64 years. This was not that Mordecai which was Esther’s kinsman. Meaning, of the common people.
“The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.”
Which were of the posterity of Hezekiah.
“The children of Bethlehem, an hundred twenty and three.”
That is, inhabitants, for so this word (some) signifieth when it is joined with the names of places.
“The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.”
Before he hath declared the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and now cometh to the tribe of Levi, and beginneth at the Priests.
“The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,”
So called, because they were given to the Temple, to cut wood and bear water for the use of the sacrifices, and came of the Gibeonites, which were appointed to this use by Joshua, Josh. 9:23 .
“The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda, Peruda: or, Perida”
Which came of them that Solomon had appointed for the work of the Temple.
“And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name:”
Of him is made mention, 2 Sam. 17:27 and 19:31, and because the Priest’s office was had in contempt, these would have changed their estate by their name, and so by God’s just judgment lost both the estimation of the world and the dignity of their office.
“And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim. Tirshatha: or, governor”
Read Exod. 28:30 . This is a Chaldean name, and signifieth him that hath authority over others.
“They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests' garments.”
Which are called, mina , and contain a piece two marks: so 50,000 minas make 55,000 franks, which mount to of our money 69,666 pounds, 13 shillings 4 pence so that the whole sum was 94,493 pounds, 6 shillings, 8 pence. Which mount to of our money, 24,826 pounds, 13 shillings and 4 pence, esteeming the French crown at 6 shillings and 4 pence for the dram is the eighth part of an ounce, and the ounce the eighth part of a mark.