Bible Commentaries
Ezra 2

Verses 1-70

Ezra 2:1-70 The Registry of the First Return of Jews from Captivity Ezra 2:1-70 records the registry of the first return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. This registry is recorded in again in Nehemiah 7:5-72 /73.

Ezra 2:62 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.

Ezra 2:62 Comments - The absence of certain names can be a type of New Testament analogy of church members not being found written in the book of life (Matthew 22:12-13, Revelation 20:15).

Matthew 22:12-13, “And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Revelation 20:15, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Ezra 2:63 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.

Ezra 2:63 Word Study on “the Urim and Thummim” The Hebrew word “urim” (H224) literally means “lights,” or “revelation.” The Hebrew word “thummim” (H8550) literally means “perfection,” or “truth.”

Ezra 2:63 Comments - The Urim and Thummim were stones kept in a pouch on the high-priest’s breastplate, used in determining God's decision in certain questions and issues. Adam Clarke cites the Latin poet Ovid, who writes of just such a casting of stones. In the ancient custom of casting lots, two stones of black and white were used in casting a vote. The white stone was a symbol of good fortune or of innocence while the black stone symbolized bad luck or guilt.

“It was the custom in ancient times to use white and black pebbles, the black for condemning prisoners and the white for freeing them from the charge. At this time also the fatal vote was taken in this way; and every pebble that was dropped into the pitiless urn was black! But when the urn was turned and the pebbles poured out for counting, the colour of them all was changed from black to white; and so, by the will of Hercules, the vote was made favourable, and Alemon's son was freed.” ( Metamorphoses 15.41) [33]

[33] Ovid, Metamorphoses, vol. 2, trans. Frank J. Miller, in The Loeb Classical Library, eds. T. E. Page, E. Capps, and W. H. D. Rouse (London: William Heinemann Ltd, 1958), 367-368. See Adam Clarke, Revelation, in Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database (Seattle, WA: Hendrickson Publishers Inc., 1996), in P.C. Study Bible, v. 3.1 [CD-ROM] (Seattle, WA: Biblesoft Inc., 1993-2000), notes on Revelation 2:17.

Listed are all uses of the Urim and Thummim in the Holy Bible:

Exodus 28:30, “And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim ; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.”

Leviticus 8:8, “And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the

breastplate the Urim and the Thummim .”

Numbers 27:21, “And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”

Deuteronomy 33:8, “And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;”

1 Samuel 28:6, “And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim , nor by prophets.”

Ezra 2:63, “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 .”

Nehemiah 7:65, “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 Thummim .”

Ezra 2:69 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.

Ezra 2:69 “one thousand drams of gold” Word Study on “drams” - The Hebrew word “drams” “ dar-kem-one’ ” ( דַּרְכְּמוֹן ) (H1871) was probably a Persian coin. Scholars say the king of Persia minted a golden coin called the “daric.” [34]

[34] R. F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, R. K. Harrison, and Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, rev. ed. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), in Libronix Digital Library System, v. 2.1c [CD-ROM] (Bellingham, WA: Libronix Corp., 2000-2004), “Daric,” and “Money of the Bible.”

Ezra 2:69 “and five thousand pound of silver” Word Study on “pound” - Gesenius says the Hebrew word “pound” “ mo-neh ” ( מֹנֶֶה ) (H4488) means, “a portion, a number, a mina,” which was equivalent to one hundred shekels.