Genealogy Ezra 2

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, everyone unto his city;"

This chapter is primarily a listing of those who went to Judah out of the captivity. It list families, Levites, singers, porters and so on.

It is important to have these records because the land to be reclaimed must have evidence from those claiming it. Certain areas were given to certain families. Some were not authenticated and so this is said of them.

"v61 and 62 "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; 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."

This was like another exodus with so many people heading out for Judah. Look at the numbers.

v64 "The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and three score, v65 Besides their servants and their maids of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women."

Add to these people their animals and it is a great company. They went first to their cities, I suppose to put up their stuff and dust the furniture.

God said he would bring them back and he is doing so.

Exodus 30:4-5 "If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou salt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers."

Returning from the captivity.