What is the meaning of Ezra 2:19?

the descendants

“the descendants” (Ezra 2:19) points to real sons and grandsons who could trace their bloodline back through generations.

• Genealogy mattered because belonging to Israel’s covenant community required verifiable family records (cf. Ezra 2:59–62; Numbers 1:18).

• God’s promise to preserve a remnant after the exile is confirmed each time a new name appears on the list (Isaiah 10:21-22; Jeremiah 23:3).

• Every family roll call shows that the Lord values individuals as well as the whole nation (Luke 12:7).

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of Hashum

The phrase identifies which household those descendants came from.

• Hashum’s clan surfaces again when Nehemiah records the same returnees decades later (Nehemiah 7:22).

• Some men from this family later repent of marrying foreign wives, demonstrating ongoing need for holiness after restoration (Ezra 10:33).

• Their presence among the returnees underscores God’s grace: exile discipline was severe, yet whole family lines like Hashum’s were spared and brought home (Ezra 9:8; Psalm 126:1).

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223

The precise headcount—“two hundred twenty-three”—carries weight.

• Exact numbers authenticate the historical accuracy of Scripture (Luke 1:1-4).

• They reveal the scale of God’s work: every single person represents a life uprooted from Babylon and replanted in Judah (Psalm 147:2).

• Nehemiah later records 328 (Nehemiah 7:22). The increase likely reflects births over time or additional family members joining the journey, illustrating God’s blessing of fruitfulness (Jeremiah 29:6-14).

• The total also fits into the grand sum of 42,360 returnees (Ezra 2:64), demonstrating order and accountability in the community (1 Corinthians 14:40).

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summary

Ezra 2:19 may read like a simple census line, yet it celebrates God’s faithfulness. Real descendants from the real house of Hashum—exactly 223 of them—walked out of captivity and back into covenant land. Their recorded names prove that the Lord keeps both promises and people, counting every soul and weaving each family into His unfolding redemption story.