Ezra 2:23
the men of Anathoth, 128;
the men of Anathoth
The phrase "the men of Anathoth" refers to the inhabitants of a specific town in the territory of Benjamin. Anathoth is historically significant as it was the hometown of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1). The Hebrew root for Anathoth is "עֲנָתוֹת" (Anatot), which may be derived from a Canaanite goddess named Anat, indicating the town's ancient origins. Anathoth was a Levitical city, meaning it was designated for the Levites, the priestly tribe of Israel (Joshua 21:18). This connection to the Levites underscores the town's religious importance and its role in the spiritual life of Israel. The mention of "the men of Anathoth" in Ezra 2:23 highlights the continuity of the Jewish community's return from exile, emphasizing the restoration of both the people and their ancestral lands.

128
The number "128" specifies the count of men from Anathoth who returned from the Babylonian exile. This precise enumeration reflects the meticulous record-keeping of the returning exiles, underscoring the importance of each individual in the re-establishment of the Jewish community in Jerusalem and its surrounding areas. The return of these 128 men signifies not just a physical return to their homeland but also a spiritual renewal and commitment to rebuild their society according to God's covenant. Historically, the return from exile was a fulfillment of God's promise to restore His people, as prophesied by Jeremiah and other prophets. The inclusion of this number in the genealogical record serves as a testament to God's faithfulness and the perseverance of His people in maintaining their identity and heritage despite the challenges of exile.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Anathoth
A town in the territory of Benjamin, known as the birthplace of the prophet Jeremiah. It was a Levitical city, meaning it was designated for the Levites, who were the priestly tribe of Israel.

2. The Men of Anathoth
This refers to the group of 128 men who returned from the Babylonian exile to resettle in their ancestral town. Their inclusion in the list highlights the restoration of the community and the reestablishment of their heritage.

3. The Return from Exile
This event marks the return of the Jewish people from Babylonian captivity, a significant moment in Jewish history that fulfilled God's promise of restoration.
Teaching Points
Faithfulness in Small Numbers
The mention of 128 men from Anathoth reminds us that God values faithfulness, not numbers. Even small groups can play a significant role in God's plan.

Heritage and Identity
The return to Anathoth signifies the importance of reclaiming one's spiritual heritage and identity. Believers today are called to remember and uphold their spiritual roots.

God's Promises Fulfilled
The return of the exiles is a testament to God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. This encourages believers to trust in God's timing and faithfulness in their own lives.

Community Restoration
The rebuilding of communities post-exile highlights the importance of unity and collective effort in restoring spiritual and communal life.
Bible Study Questions
1. What significance does the town of Anathoth hold in the broader account of Israel's history, and how does this impact our understanding of God's faithfulness?

2. How does the return of the men of Anathoth illustrate the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecies, and what can we learn about the reliability of God's word?

3. In what ways can we, as modern believers, reclaim and uphold our spiritual heritage and identity in a world that often challenges it?

4. How does the concept of faithfulness in small numbers apply to our personal and communal spiritual lives today?

5. What steps can we take to contribute to the restoration and strengthening of our own faith communities, drawing inspiration from the returnees' efforts in rebuilding their towns and lives?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Jeremiah's Prophecies
Jeremiah, who hailed from Anathoth, prophesied about the Babylonian exile and the eventual return of the exiles. His connection to Anathoth underscores the fulfillment of God's promises through the return of its people.

Levitical Cities
Anathoth being a Levitical city connects to the broader biblical theme of the Levites' role in Israel's spiritual life, as seen in the distribution of cities to the Levites in the book of Joshua.

Nehemiah's Census
The list in Ezra 2 is paralleled in Nehemiah 7, which also records the returnees, emphasizing the importance of community and continuity in the post-exilic period.
Spiritual SignificancesW. Clarkson Ezra 2:1-67
Men Forsaking the Worldly LifeJ.S. Exell Ezra 2:1-70
A Suggestive RecordWilliam Jones.Ezra 2:2-64
Religious ServiceWilliam Jones.Ezra 2:2-64
People
Akkub, Ami, Asaph, Asnah, Ater, Baanah, Bakbuk, Barkos, Barzillai, Bazluth, Besai, Bigvai, Bilshan, Darkon, Delaiah, Gahar, Gazzam, Giddel, Habaiah, Hagab, Hagabah, Hakkoz, Hakupha, Hanan, Harhur, Harsha, Hasupha, Hatipha, Hatita, Hattil, Hezekiah, Hodaviah, Immer, Israelites, Jaalah, Jedaiah, Jeshua, Joab, Jorah, Kadmiel, Keros, Koz, Lebanah, Mehida, Mehunim, Meunim, Mizpar, Mordecai, Nebuchadnezzar, Nehemiah, Nekoda, Nephusim, Neziah, Padon, Pahathmoab, Parosh, Paseah, Pashur, Peruda, Phaseah, Pochereth, Reaiah, Reelaiah, Rehum, Rezin, Seraiah, Shallum, Shalmai, Shephatiah, Shobai, Siaha, Sisera, Solomon, Sophereth, Sotai, Tabbaoth, Talmon, Thamah, Tobiah, Tobijah, Uzza, Zaccai, Zattu, Zerubbabel, Ziha
Places
Ai, Anathoth, Azmaveth, Babylon, Babylonia, Beeroth, Bethel, Bethlehem, Cherub, Geba, Hadid, Immer, Jericho, Jerusalem, Kiriath-arim, Lod, Michmas, Nebo, Netophah, Ono, Ramah, Tel-harsha, Tel-melah
Topics
128, An'athoth, Eight, Hundred, Twenty, Twenty-eight
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezra 2:1-65

     5249   census

Ezra 2:1-67

     7230   genealogies

Library
Altar and Temple
'And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. 2. Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. 3. And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Apocalypse.
On the Lit. and life of John, see §§ 40 and 41 (this vol.); on the authorship of the Apoc. and the time of composition, § 37 (this vol.); § 41 (this vol.); and § 84 (this vol.) 1. Modern Critical, works of German and French scholars on the Apocalypse: Lücke (Voltständige Einleitung, etc., 2d ed., 1852; 1,074 pages of introductory matter, critical and historical; compare with it the review of Bleek in the "Studien and Kritiken" for 1854 and 1855); DeWette Com., 1848,
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

Barzillai
BY REV. GEORGE MILLIGAN, M.A., D.D. "There is nothing," says Socrates to Cephalus in the Republic, "I like better than conversing with aged men. For I regard them as travellers who have gone a journey which I too may have to go, and of whom it is right to learn the character of the way, whether it is rugged or difficult, or smooth and easy" (p. 328 E.). It is to such an aged traveller that we are introduced in the person of Barzillai the Gileadite. And though he is one of the lesser-known characters
George Milligan—Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known

The Historical Books.
1. In the Pentateuch we have the establishment of the Theocracy, with the preparatory and accompanying history pertaining to it. The province of the historical books is to unfold its practiced working, and to show how, under the divine superintendence and guidance, it accomplished the end for which it was given. They contain, therefore, primarily, a history of God's dealings with the covenant people under the economy which he had imposed upon them. They look at the course of human events on the
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah
"And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth unto Me (one) [Pg 480] to be Ruler in Israel; and His goings forth are the times of old, the days of eternity." The close connection of this verse with what immediately precedes (Caspari is wrong in considering iv. 9-14 as an episode) is evident, not only from the [Hebrew: v] copulative, and from the analogy of the near relation of the announcement of salvation to the prophecy of disaster
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Ezra-Nehemiah
Some of the most complicated problems in Hebrew history as well as in the literary criticism of the Old Testament gather about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Apart from these books, all that we know of the origin and early history of Judaism is inferential. They are our only historical sources for that period; and if in them we have, as we seem to have, authentic memoirs, fragmentary though they be, written by the two men who, more than any other, gave permanent shape and direction to Judaism, then
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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