Ezra 2:8
the descendants of Zattu, 945;
the descendants of Zattu
The mention of "the descendants of Zattu" refers to one of the family groups that returned from the Babylonian exile to Jerusalem and Judah. Zattu is listed among the leaders who returned with Zerubbabel, as seen in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7. This highlights the importance of family lineage and tribal identity in post-exilic Jewish society. The name Zattu itself is not widely mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, suggesting that this family may not have been prominent before the exile but gained significance in the restoration period. The return of these families fulfills the prophecies of restoration found in books like Isaiah and Jeremiah, where God promises to bring His people back to their land.

945
The specific number, 945, indicates the number of male members from the family of Zattu who returned. This precise counting reflects the careful record-keeping and organization of the returning exiles, emphasizing the importance of each family unit in the rebuilding of the nation. The detailed census underscores the fulfillment of God's promise to restore His people numerically and spiritually. The number also suggests a substantial family group, indicating that the descendants of Zattu were a significant part of the community tasked with rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple. This restoration effort is a type of the ultimate restoration that Christ brings, as He rebuilds the spiritual temple, the Church, through His redemptive work.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Zattu
Zattu is the head of a family or clan that returned from the Babylonian exile. The mention of Zattu in Ezra 2:8 highlights the importance of family lineage and the restoration of the Jewish community in Jerusalem.

2. Babylonian Exile
This was a period when the Israelites were taken captive by the Babylonians. The return from exile marks a significant event in Jewish history, symbolizing restoration and renewal.

3. Return to Jerusalem
The return of the exiles to Jerusalem is a pivotal event in the book of Ezra, representing the fulfillment of God's promise to restore His people to their land.
Teaching Points
Importance of Lineage and Heritage
The mention of Zattu and his descendants underscores the value of family heritage and the role it plays in God's redemptive plan. Believers are encouraged to honor their spiritual heritage and recognize their place in God's family.

Faithfulness in Restoration
The return of the exiles, including the descendants of Zattu, illustrates God's faithfulness in restoring His people. Christians can trust in God's promises for restoration and renewal in their own lives.

Active Participation in God's Work
The descendants of Zattu were part of the rebuilding efforts in Jerusalem. This teaches believers the importance of being active participants in God's work, contributing to the spiritual and communal restoration.

Community and Identity
The listing of families and their numbers highlights the significance of community and identity in the faith journey. Believers are reminded of the importance of being part of a faith community and contributing to its growth and health.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the mention of Zattu and his descendants teach us about the importance of family and heritage in the biblical account?

2. How does the return from exile in Ezra 2:8 reflect God's faithfulness to His promises, and how can this encourage us in our personal faith journey?

3. In what ways can we actively participate in the restoration and rebuilding of our own faith communities, similar to the descendants of Zattu?

4. How does understanding our spiritual lineage and identity in Christ impact our daily lives and decisions?

5. What lessons can we learn from the post-exilic community in Ezra about the importance of unity and collaboration in achieving God's purposes?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Nehemiah 7:13
This verse also lists the descendants of Zattu, confirming the consistency and importance of genealogical records in the post-exilic community.

Ezra 8:5
This passage mentions Shecaniah, a descendant of Zattu, who played a role in the return to Jerusalem, showing the active participation of Zattu's descendants in the restoration efforts.

1 Chronicles 9:3
Chronicles the return of the Israelites to their cities, including those from the tribe of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, emphasizing the broader context of the return from exile.
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
945, Forty-five, Hundred, Nine, Sons, Zattu
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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