Ezra 8:1-14
Those Who Went Up with Ezra
1These are the family heads and genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
2from the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom; from the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel; from the descendants of David, Hattush
3of the descendants of Shecaniah; from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men;
4from the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;
5from the descendants of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;
6from the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;
7from the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men;
8from the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men;
9from the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men;
10from the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men;
11from the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;
12from the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;
13from the later descendants of Adonikam, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;
14and from the descendants of Bigvai, both Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.
Berean Standard Bible
Ezra lists the family heads and genealogical records of those who returned with him from Babylon. The list includes priestly families, descendants of David, and families who had already appeared in the first return.
These are the family heads and genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
The passage names people and numbers people. Some groups are large, others are small. The trip is not carried by Ezra alone, and it is not filled with unnamed support. A return is made of households who agree to go together.
The list also reaches backward and forward at once. It remembers family lines, but it is making a new decision in the present. A name in a record is not a substitute for present faithfulness; it is part of the story those people now have to live.
The list has a quiet tension in it. A family history can tell people where they come from, but it cannot make the journey for them. The families named here must still decide to leave Babylon and travel with Ezra. The priests and descendants of David are remembered among the others, yet no single line carries the whole return. The passage treats the journey as shared work: people with names, histories, and different numbers moving toward one place together.
The families are named before the journey is described, so the reader sees who will carry the return before hearing how the road goes. Some lines are ancient, some groups are large, and some are small. The passage does not promise that a family history will make obedience easy. It shows people receiving a place in a shared story and then taking the next step together.
Questions
1 What did Ezra record at the beginning of this chapter?
AnswerHe recorded the family heads and genealogical records of those who returned with him from Babylon.
2 Which kinds of family lines appear?
AnswerPriestly families, the descendants of David, and many Israelite families appear in the list.
3 Were all the returning groups the same size?
AnswerNo. The numbers differed from one family group to another.
4 What does the list show about Ezra's journey?
AnswerIt was a shared undertaking involving families and leaders who chose to travel together.
What This Means for Us
Remember that important work is carried by people with names, histories, and limits. Invite specific people into a responsibility instead of speaking only in generalities. Ask who needs to be present for the journey to be faithful and sustainable.
Prayer
God, thank you for the people you place alongside us. Help us remember their names, honor their histories, and invite them into work that matters. Make us faithful companions on the road. Amen.