Of the sons of Bani, Shelomith the son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men.
This verse is one line in a roll call. Shelomith, son of Josiphiah, brings 160 men out of Babylon to Jerusalem with Ezra. Why does God write such people down by name? And what did it cost them to be on the list?
A register of those who answered
Verse 10 sits inside a list that runs from verse 1 to verse 14. Ezra records it as the genealogy of those who travelled with him. One writer explains why such a list exists at all, and finds grace at both ends of it:
Edward DennettThis genealogy reaches to the end of verse 14, and it shows how precious to God were the very names of those who responded to His call at such a moment. The response itself is the fruit of His grace. But by that same grace He is glad to credit to His people what He Himself had produced in their hearts. It was a fine company of over fifteen hundred people, gathered to return to the land of their fathers. It was the land of all their traditions, and the land of all their hopes.
Shelomith's 160 men are part of that fifteen hundred, and their names were precious to God.
Nothing forced them to go
Shelomith and his men were free to stay. Going meant leaving the country where they had grown up:
Michael HardtThe men listed in the first 14 verses, together with their families, went with Ezra. It would have been so much easier for them to settle in Mesopotamia, where they had grown up. But they return to the place of God's choice (Deut. 12), and God is with them.
Faith, even with the king's backing
Ezra had a generous decree from Artaxerxes and ample supplies. That did not remove the risk, and it did not swell the numbers:
Arno Clemens GaebeleinThe names of those who gathered around Ezra and went up with him are here recorded. Artaxerxes had given a magnificent decree and been very generous, yet the company was very small. The majority preferred Babylon, and remained there. The faithful ones are known to God, and their names are here written in His Word for ever. The foreign king had given the decree, and the people had everything they needed. Even so, the venture was one of faith. They came out of Babylon trusting the LORD; they marched on in faith.
Some families whole, some families in part
The list shows an uneven pattern. Some families appear in it for the first time. Others had already sent part of their number in an earlier return, and now send more:
The Bible TreasuryOf the people some fresh families now returned; of other families a fresh part.
The door out of Babylon stayed open. A household could still walk through it later.
Why only men are counted
Each entry, including this one, counts males. Commentators differ on what that silence means. One reads the emphasis as falling on public representation and on households:
Leslie M. GrantWomen also must have been present, but are not mentioned. This is not because God thinks less of the faith of women. He often praises them for their devotion. But the emphasis here is on the public record, and the women do not hold a public place, so there was no reason to mention them. Children too are not mentioned. In fact, the emphasis in verse 1 is on "the heads of their fathers' houses," showing God's vital interest in households.
Another writer links the all-male list to the trouble that breaks out in the next chapter:
Arno Clemens GaebeleinNotice especially that only males are mentioned. The mixed marriages we read about in the next chapter were most likely the result of no women joining Ezra's expedition.
The spirit of the whole company
The character of this return was not strength in numbers but obedience in a low moment:
The Bible TreasuryAs it was the day of the people's humiliation, not power but pity and devotedness in obedience marked Ezra. God will have reality in those He honours; false pretensions He hates.
Summary
- Called. The list exists because the names of those who answered God's call at that moment were precious to Him.
- Costly. Answering meant leaving the country where they had grown up for the place of God's choice. Staying would have been far easier.
- Counted. Shelomith's 160 men are one entry in a company of about fifteen hundred. The number was small next to the king's generous decree, because the majority preferred Babylon.
- Credited. The response was itself the fruit of God's grace. Yet He credits to His people what He Himself produced in their hearts.
- Continuing. Some families appear here for the first time; others send a further part. The way out of Babylon stayed open to any household willing to take it.