Ezra 2:25-28 · Bible study
Ezra 2:25-28 Commentary: Gibeonite Cities Restored
Hebrew · 4 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does the listing of Gibeonite towns among the returnees mean? Historical background and interpretive significance of Ezra 2:25, 28.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A census of returning exiles from Gibeonite and Benjaminite towns, affirming God’s detailed care for each community.
- Key words: b’nei (descendants of), ’anshei (men of), and place names, each rooted in historical and geographical memory.
- Main debate: Whether Kiriath Arim is a scribal error for Kiriath Jearim, and the significance of including Bethel and Ai alongside Gibeonite towns.
- Theological theme: God restores his people to their ancestral homes, even those with fraught histories, fulfilling covenant promises.
- Best use: To affirm God’s faithfulness in the return from exile and to encourage believers that no place or person is beyond his redemptive plan.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
25the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;
26the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;
27the men of Michmash, 122;
28the men of Bethel and Ai, 223;
WEB World English Bible 2000
25The children of Kiriath Arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty-three.
26The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty-one.
27The men of Michmas, one hundred twenty-two.
28The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty-three.
KJV King James Version 1769
25The children of Kirjath–arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.
26The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.
27The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two.
28The men of Beth–el and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
25The children of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.
26The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.
27The men of Michmas, a hundred twenty and two.
28The men of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
25Sons of Kirjath-Arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.
26Sons of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.
27Men of Michmas, a hundred twenty and two.
28Men of Beth-El and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
25The children of Kirjath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three.
26The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one.
27The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty-two.
28The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
25The children of Cariathiarim, Cephira, and Beroth, seven hundred forty-three.
26The children of Rama and Gabaa, six hundred twenty-one.
27The men of Machmas, a hundred twenty-two.
28The men of Bethel and Hai, two hundred twenty-three.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Ezra 2:25
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The Cambridge Bible identifies these verses as recording returnees from Gibeonite cities, Kiriath Arim (variant of Kiriath Jearim), Chephirah, and Beeroth, along with Ramah, Geba, Michmas, Bethel, and Ai. The spelling ‘Kiriath Arim’ is considered a probable early scribal error for Kiriath Jearim, as seen in Nehemiah 7:29. These towns were assigned to the tribe of Benjamin (and Kiriath Jearim to Judah) and carry rich historical associations: the ark rested at Kiriath Jearim after its return from the Philistines (1 Samuel 6:21); Samuel judged at Ramah (1 Samuel 7:17); Jonathan’s victory occurred at Michmas (1 Samuel 14); Bethel was a patriarchal sanctuary later tainted by Jeroboam’s calf-worship (1 Kings 12:29). The consensus holds that this list is a faithful census of the returning remnant, demonstrating that God’s restoration included even cities with compromised pasts. No strong interpretive disagreement appears in the supplied sources; the main focus is historical identification and the significance of the Gibeonite connection.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Textual correction view: Kiriath Arim is a scribal error for Kiriath Jearim (as in Nehemiah 7:29); the list is otherwise straightforward.
- Gibeonite inclusion view: The first three cities are explicitly Gibeonite (Joshua 9:17); their presence highlights the incorporation of a people once under a curse into the restored community.
- Broader geographic list view: Bethel and Ai are not Gibeonite but are included because they lie nearby; the list is simply a regional census of Benjaminite and border towns.
What is clear: This passage is part of the official census of returning exiles, listing specific towns and their numbers to document the restoration of the community.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Textual variant: Kiriath Arim vs Kiriath Jearim | The city is the same place, a Gibeonite town also called Kiriath Jearim, Baalah, or Kirjath-baal. | Some argue the spelling ‘Arim’ is an early scribal error; others note it may be a contracted form. Both readings point to the same location. |
| Inclusion of Bethel and Ai | These towns were historically significant sites in Israel’s story, patriarchal Bethel and conquered Ai. | Some see them as a continuation of the Gibeonite list; others note they were not part of the Gibeonite league and may represent a separate grouping. |
| Historical reliability of the numbers | The parallel list in Nehemiah 7:29, 31 confirms the same places and comparable numbers, suggesting careful recordkeeping. | Minor discrepancies exist between Ezra and Nehemiah totals for some groups, leading to discussion of scribal transmission or intentional rounding. |
| Significance of the Gibeonite connection | These cities were part of a group that entered Israel under a covenant of service (Joshua 9) and later were assigned to Benjamin. | Some interpreters emphasize the ongoing inclusion of Gibeonites as a model of grace; others focus on the historical continuity of land inheritance. |
Historical & Cultural Context
These verses belong to the great census of returnees in Ezra 2, a document that preserves the identity of the community that rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple after the Babylonian exile (circa 538 BC). The towns named here carry deep historical resonance.
The first three, Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, were part of the Gibeonite league that deceived Joshua (Joshua 9:17). As a result, the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers for the sanctuary. This history might have made their inclusion unexpected; yet here they are, counted among the returning people of God. Kiriath Jearim later housed the ark of the covenant (1 Samuel 6:21, 7:1).
Ramah was Samuel’s hometown and seat of his circuit judging (1 Samuel 7:17). Geba was a Levitical city in Benjamin and a fortress fortified by King Asa (1 Kings 15:22). Michmas, on a strategic hill opposite Geba, was the scene of Jonathan’s daring victory (1 Samuel 13, 14).
The last two towns, Bethel and Ai, stand apart. Bethel was where Jacob dreamed of a ladder (Genesis 28:19) but later became the southern site of Jeroboam’s golden calf (1 Kings 12:29). Ai had been destroyed under Joshua after Achan’s sin (Joshua 8). Both were repopulated in the return. The list thus weaves together towns marked by covenant, judgment, and grace. The parallel account in Nehemiah 7:29, 31 confirms the record, showing careful preservation of the community’s origins.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources (Cambridge Bible) note that the spelling ‘Kiriath Arim’ in Ezra 2:25 differs from the usual ‘Kiriath Jearim’ found in parallel passages such as Nehemiah 7:29 and Joshua 9:17. Cambridge describes this as probably due to an early error in the text. No other significant textual variants are reported for this passage. The core identification of the city is not in doubt.
Reception History
This passage has been read primarily as historical documentation. Reformation-era commentators (e.g., Geneva Bible, Matthew Henry) treated it as reliable evidence of the post-exilic restoration, affirming that God brought his people back to their ancestral towns. The Cambridge Bible (1880s) focused on geographical identification, linking Kiriath Arim to modern Abu Ghosh and Michmas to Mukhmas. More broadly, the list has been used to trace the continuity of Israel’s identity from the conquest through the kingdom to the return, and to illustrate God’s faithfulness in rebuilding a community from scattered families. The inclusion of Gibeonite cities has occasionally been noted as a sign of grace toward those who had entered the covenant under unusual circumstances.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The God Who Counts the Remnant. Each town is listed with its precise number, no one is overlooked. This shows God’s intimate knowledge of his people and his care for every family and place.
- The God Who Restores Broken Ground. Gibeonite towns, Bethel with its idolatry, Ai as a site of judgment, all are resettled. God’s restoration reaches into history’s hardest stories.
- The God Who Gathers from Every Place. The list points forward to the assembly of all God’s people. These scattered towns become one community again, foreshadowing the unity of the Church from every tribe and language.
Five-point outline
- A list that seems tedious reveals God’s attention to detail.
- The Gibeonite cities show that prior failure does not disqualify a place or people from God’s purposes.
- Bethel and Ai, with their heavy memories, are included, grace can reclaim the past.
- The numbers (743, 621, 122, 223) are modest compared to other groups (e.g., 1,254 from Elam), reminding us that small communities matter.
- This census was for those who “came again to Jerusalem and Judah, every one to his city” (Ezra 2:1). God restores individual callings, not just a mass.
Illustration hooks
- A family reunion where every branch, even the estranged ones, is listed and welcomed.
- A town devastated by war; the first returnees arrive, slowly rebuilding homes one by one.
- A classroom where the teacher learns every student’s name and hometown, signaling that each belongs.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still care about small, forgotten places and people?
- How can a place with a bad history become part of God’s story again?
- What does it mean to “return to your city” in a spiritual sense today?
Leading a Discussion
This list may read like a dry record, but it pulses with a living hope. The returning exiles are identified by their ancestral towns, places with memories of both faithfulness and failure. As your group works through these verses, pay attention to the geography: these specific towns tell a story of God’s restorative reach. He brings people home, one city at a time.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the cities named in these verses? Why do you think the writer included them?
- Why might the Gibeonite history of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth matter for understanding this passage?
- How does the inclusion of Bethel and Ai (sites of idolatry and judgment) shape your view of God’s restoration?
- What does it tell us about God that he kept records of exactly who returned and from where?
- How does this list connect to the broader promise of the return from exile?
- In what ways might we today be “returning” to our own places of calling or healing after a season of exile?
- How can this passage encourage someone who feels forgotten or disqualified by their past?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Joshua 9:17 | The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. |
| Nehemiah 7:29 | The men of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth: seven hundred forty-three. |
| Joshua 18:24 | Chephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages. |
| Joshua 18:25 | Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, |
| Nehemiah 7:30 | The men of Ramah and Geba: six hundred twenty-one. |
| I Samuel 13:5 | The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven. |
| I Samuel 13:23 | The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. |
| Nehemiah 7:31 | The men of Michmas: one hundred twenty-two. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
4 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator observes that this register lists the returning exiles by starting with Jerusalem, then the
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note records the precise numbers of exiles returning from each town listed. This detailed census demonstrates the careful preservation of family and tribal identities among the restored community. The exact count underscores God's faithfulness in bringing back a remnant from each place.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues the sum of 42,360 returning exiles does not match the detailed numbers because the detailed list counted only heads of families, while the total included all males old enough to exercise discretion, an ancient custom that explains the difference without resorting to copyist errors.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees this lengthy list of returning exiles as a living testimony to God's covenant faithfulness. Every name and number proves that God preserved a remnant and brought them back to their land, fulfilling His promises. The careful count shows each family was known and valued by God.