Lexical Summary Qeros: Keros Original Word: קֵירֹס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Keros Or Qeroc {kay-roce'}; from the same as qarcol; ankled; Keros, one of the Nethinim -- Keros. see HEBREW qarcol NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom qaras Definition father of some postexilic temple servants NASB Translation Keros (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs קֵרֹס proper name, masculine post-exilic, Ezra 2:44, Καδης, A Κηραος; = קֵירֹס Nehemiah 7:47, Κειρα(ς), ᵐ5L (both) Κορες. Topical Lexicon Name and Biblical Mentions Kēros appears only in the restored–exile rosters of Ezra 2:44 and Nehemiah 7:47. In each passage he (or his household) is numbered among “the Nethinim,” the temple servants who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. The parallel lists, recorded about ninety years before Nehemiah’s wall-building mission yet recopied in his day, underline the reliability of Israel’s public records and the continuity of covenant worship. Historical Background The “Nethinim” trace their functional origin to the Gibeonites pressed into tabernacle service in Joshua 9 and were augmented by later royal grants (compare Ezra 8:20). Although not Levites by blood, they were permanently assigned to assist priests and Levites in menial but indispensable tasks—water-drawing, wood-cutting, cleansing vessels, and guarding gates. Their inclusion in the return lists demonstrates how seriously post-exilic leaders regarded even the most modest support ministries of the house of God. Textual Notes on the Two Lists Ezra’s record (circa 538 BC) counts “the descendants of Kēros” among forty-one named Nethinim families; Nehemiah re-affirms the same name nearly a century later. The slight numeric differences between the two chapters reflect population growth or later census corrections, not contradiction. The preservation of Kēros in both lists shows an unbroken line of service despite political upheavals. Ministry Significance 1. Continuity of Worship: By carrying their hereditary duties back to Jerusalem, the household of Kēros ensured that sacrificial rituals could resume immediately (Ezra 3:2–6). Theological Reflections • Ezra’s meticulous listing portrays a redeemed community ordered according to divine calling, a pattern echoed in the New Testament’s listing of gifts and offices (1 Corinthians 12:28). Practical Lessons for Today • God values anonymous faithfulness; the modern Church should likewise recognize and record those who labor behind the scenes. Related References for Study Ezra 2; Nehemiah 7; Joshua 9; Ezra 8:15–20; Isaiah 56:6–7; Malachi 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Hebrews 6:10. Forms and Transliterations קֵירֹ֥ס קֵרֹ֥ס קירס קרס keiRos keRos qê·rōs qêrōsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 2:44 HEB: בְּנֵי־ קֵרֹ֥ס בְּֽנֵי־ סִֽיעֲהָ֖א NAS: the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, KJV: The children of Keros, the children INT: the sons of Keros the sons of Siaha Nehemiah 7:47 2 Occurrences |
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