We may observe here, 1. That an account was kept in writing of the
families that came up out of captivity, and the numbers of each family.
This was done for their honour, as part of their recompence for their
faith and courage, their confidence in God and their affection to their
own land, and to stir up others to follow their good example. Those
that honour God he will thus honour. The names of all those Israelites
indeed that accept the offer of deliverance by Christ shall be found,
to their honour, in a more sacred record than this, even in the Lamb's
book of life. The account that was kept of the families that came up
from the captivity was intended also for the benefit of posterity, that
they might know from whom they descended and to whom they were allied.
2. That they are called children of the province. Judah, which had been
an illustrious kingdom, to which other kingdoms had been made
provinces, subject to it and dependent on it, was now itself made a
province, to receive laws and commissions from the king of Persia and
to be accountable to him. See how sin diminishes and debases a nation,
which righteousness would exalt. But by thus being made servants (as
the patriarchs by being sojourners in a country which was theirs by
promise) they were reminded of the better country, that is, the
heavenly (Heb. xi. 16), a kingdom which cannot be moved, or changed
into a province. 3. That they are said to come every one to his city,
that is, the city appointed them, in which appointment an eye, no
doubt, was had to their former settlement by Joshua; and to that, as
near as might be, they returned: for it does not appear that any
others, at least any that were able to oppose them, had possessed them
in their absence. 4. That the leaders are first mentioned, v. 2.
Zerubbabel and Jeshua were their Moses and Aaron, the former their
chief prince, the latter their chief priest. Nehemiah and Mordecai are
mentioned here; some think not the same with the famous men we
afterwards meet with of those names: probably they were the same, but
afterwards returned to court for the service of their country. 5. Some
of these several families are named from the persons that were their
ancestors, others from the places in which they had formerly resided;
as with us many surnames are the proper names of persons, others of
places. 6. Some little difference there is between the numbers of some
of the families here and in Neh. vii., where this catalogue is
repeated, which might arise from this, that some who had given in their
names at first to come afterwards drew back--said, I go, Sir, but went
not, which would lessen the number of the families they belonged to;
others that declined, at first, afterwards repented and went, and so
increased the number. 7. Here are two families that are called the
children of Elam (one v. 7, another v. 31), and, which is strange, the
number of both is the same, 1254. 8. The children of Adonikam, which
signifies a high lord, were 666, just the number of the beast (Rev.
xiii. 18), which is there said to be the number of a man, which, Mr.
Hugh Broughton thinks, has reference to this man. 9. The children of
Bethlehem (v. 21) were but 123, though it was David's city; for
Bethlehem was little among the thousands of Judah, yet there must the
Messiah arise, Mic. v. 2. 10. Anathoth had been a famous place in the
tribe of Benjamin and yet here it numbered but 128 (v. 23), which is to
be imputed to the divine curse which the men of Anathoth brought upon
themselves by persecuting Jeremiah, who was of their city. Jer. xi. 21,
23, There shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring evil upon the
men of Anathoth. And see Isa. x. 30, O poor Anathoth! Nothing brings
ruin on a people sooner than persecution.