the sons of Parosh, 2,172.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the number seems like a dry detail, "children of Parosh" doesn't just mean descendants of a man named Parosh; it refers to the entire clan or family unit, highlighting that their return wasn't just individual but a re-establishment of their ancestral lines. This census underscores that rebuilding a nation involves not just people, but the very fabric of their social and familial structures re-rooted in their homeland.
the sons of Parosh, 2,172.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This chapter begins a detailed list of the families and individuals returning to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. Verse 3 is the third entry in this extensive tally, specifically naming the descendants of a man named Parosh and noting their significant number. This meticulous record-keeping highlights the careful organization of the returned exiles as they re-established their community and rebuilt their lives in Judah.
After decades in exile, God's people are returning to Jerusalem. This isn't just a random crowd; it's an organized return of families, each with a name and a history.
A People Reclaimed
The return from Babylonian exile wasn't a free-for-all. The book of Ezra meticulously lists the families, or clans, making their way back. Each name mentioned, like 'Parosh,' represents a lineage, a group of people tied together by ancestry.
Why list the numbers? These aren't just statistics; they represent the tangible reality of God's people making their way back home.
Counting the Cost and the Hope
The numbers accompanying each family name are crucial. They paint a vivid picture of the scale of the return and the faithfulness of God in bringing His people back.
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Understand the original words
ben · Hebrew Noun
A term used to describe the descendants or the collective people group tracing their lineage to a specific ancestor or clan head, emphasizing covenant identity and tribal belonging.
This detailed list of families returning to Jerusalem, with Parosh being one of the largest, highlights the massive scale of the Babylonian exile and the significant portion of the population that eventually chose to return and rebuild their homeland after decades away.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah, beginning the Babylonian exile by deporting some of the Jewish nobility and skilled workers, including Daniel.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, further waves of exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel, are taken to Babylon, intensifying the Babylonian captivity.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar utterly destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, bringing the Babylonian exile to its peak and scattering the remaining Jewish population.
538 BC
Cyrus's Decree Allowing Return
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon and issues a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
c. 537-536 BC— this verse
First Return of Exiles
A large group of Jews, led by Zerubbabel, returns to Jerusalem under the Persian Empire, beginning the process of rebuilding the city and the Temple.
c. 458 BC
Ezra's Return to Jerusalem
The scribe Ezra leads another group of exiles back to Judah, focusing on religious reform and the restoration of Jewish law.
c. 445-433 BC
Nehemiah's Return and Wall Rebuilding
Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls, facing significant opposition and leading further social and political reforms.
This passage provides a parallel account of the same return from exile, offering a slightly different number for the descendants of Parosh, highlighting the human element and potential variations in ancient record-keeping.
Ezra 8:3This verse names a specific descendant of Parosh, Shecaniah, who returned with Ezra later on, showing how different branches and individuals within the same family line continued to be significant throughout the post-exilic period.
Ezra 10:25This verse records members of the Parosh family marrying foreign wives, illustrating the ongoing challenges and internal struggles faced by the returning community as they sought to re-establish their identity and covenant faithfulness.
1 Corinthians 1:26While very different in context, this New Testament passage speaks about the nature of God's call, noting that 'not many were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.' This echoes the sense in Ezra that the returned exiles were a diverse group, not necessarily the elite, but the faithful remnants.
henryEzra 2:1-35: "Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;"
2:1-35 An account was kept of the families that came up out of captivity. See how sin lowers a nation, which righteousness would exalt!
pooleEzra 2:3: "The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two."
i.e. The posterity (as that word is for the most part, if not constantly, taken in this catalogue) that descended either from Parosh, or from that family whereof Parosh was the chief. And so for the rest.
While the number seems like a dry detail, "children of Parosh" doesn't just mean descendants of a man named Parosh; it refers to the entire clan or family unit, highlighting that their return wasn't just individual but a re-establishment of their ancestral lines. This census underscores that rebuilding a nation involves not just people, but the very fabric of their social and familial structures re-rooted in their homeland.
This chapter begins a detailed list of the families and individuals returning to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. Verse 3 is the third entry in this extensive tally, specifically naming the descendants of a man named Parosh and noting their significant number. This meticulous record-keeping highlights the careful organization of the returned exiles as they re-established their community and rebuilt their lives in Judah.
This chapter begins a detailed list of the families and individuals returning to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. Verse 3 is the third entry in this extensive tally, specifically naming the descendants of a man named Parosh and noting their significant number. This meticulous record-keeping highlights the careful organization of the returned exiles as they re-established their community and rebuilt their lives in Judah.
"the sons of Parosh, 2,172." — While the number seems like a dry detail, "children of Parosh" doesn't just mean descendants of a man named Parosh; it refers to the entire clan or family unit, highlighting that their return wasn't…
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Last reviewed October 2026