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:
EZRA 2:61KJVWhat does Ezra 2:61 mean?
Ezra 2:61 lists certain priestly families who returned from exile but had a complicated family background, specifically mentioning descendants of Habaiah, Koz, and Barzillai. One group had married into the family of Barzillai the Gileadite and took on his name, which made their priestly lineage harder to trace.
Ezra 2:61 is part of a record naming those who came back to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. The verse highlights that some priestly families could not clearly prove their ancestry because they had adopted the name of a prominent non-priestly family through marriage. This detail sets up the issue of their priestly status, which is addressed in the following verses.
The Hebrew behind Ezra 2:61
- בְּנֵי (bənê, "children"): This word refers to descendants or sons, emphasizing the importance of family lines in Jewish identity and priestly service.
- לָקַח (laqach, "took"): This verb means "to take" or "to marry" in this context, showing that the priestly family married into another family, which affected their lineage.
- שֵׁם (shem, "name"): The use of "name" here highlights that the descendants identified themselves by the name of Barzillai rather than their original priestly family, which caused confusion about their heritage.
Why Ezra 2:61 matters
- Ezra 2:61 explains why some priestly families could not prove their lineage, which was a serious issue for serving as priests in the restored temple.
- This verse shows how intermarriage and name changes could complicate family records, especially for roles that required clear ancestry.
- The verse connects to the larger theme in Ezra 2 of carefully re-establishing the community and its leadership after exile, emphasizing the importance of identity and tradition.