John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities , etc.] Who first returned from Babylon upon the proclamation of Cyrus, and enjoyed their former possessions, and dwelt in the cities they had before, or in such as were allotted them, or they chose: [were], the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims ; the whole body that returned were divided into four classes, as they had been before the captivity; the Israelites were the common people in general, the body politic; the priests, the ecclesiastics, who officiated in sacred things; the Levites, who ministered to them; and the Nethinims were such persons as were “given”, as the word signifies, to do servile work for the sanctuary, as, to be hewers of wood and drawers of water; such were the Gibeonites, ( Joshua 9:27), and such as were appointed by David for such work, (see Ezra 8:20).
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Genealogies.
--This chapter expresses that one end of recording all thes genealogies was, to direct the Jews, when they returned out of captivity, with whom to unite, and where to reside. Here is an accoun of the good state into which the affairs of religion were put, on the return from Babylon. Every one knew his charge. Work is likely to be done well when every one knows the duty of his place, and makes business of it. God is the God of order. Thus was the temple a figur of the heavenly one, where they rest not day nor night from praisin God, Re 4:8. Blessed be His name, believers there shall, not in turn but all together, without interruption, praise him night and day: ma the Lord make each of us fit for the inheritance of the saints in light _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew והיושׁבים3427 הראשׁנים7223 אשׁר834 באחזתם272 בעריהם5892 ישׂראל3478 הכהנים3548 הלוים3881 והנתינים׃5411
