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 2:61KJV
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Ezra 2:61 (KJV)

What 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.

Where else these words appear

“Habaiah” Hebrew H2252 · used in 2 verses

  • Nehemiah 7:63 And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.

“Koz” Hebrew H6976 · used in 6 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 4:8 And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.
  • 1 Chronicles 24:10 The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,
  • Nehemiah 3:21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.

“Barzillai” Hebrew H1271 · used in 10 verses

  • 2 Samuel 17:27 And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
  • 2 Samuel 19:33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
  • 2 Samuel 21:8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:

“Gileadite” Hebrew H1569 · used in 11 verses

  • Numbers 26:29 Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites.
  • Judges 11:40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
  • 2 Samuel 19:31 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.