The people of Israel are given the primary focus in the list of those who returned from Babylonia as is made clear in verse 1 above. The introduction to the list of people is continued here by telling whom they came back with. They returned with eleven leaders, or with twelve leaders if Sheshbazzar from chapter 1 is included. Neh 7.7 lists twelve leaders, who are representative of all Israel. In the translation of this verse, the leaders’ names should simply be listed as they are given, without adding a twelfth name to make this list conform to Neh 7.7. Nothing is said here about these leaders apart from listing their names, but some information is available from elsewhere.
Two of the leaders have Babylonian names (Bilshan and Mordecai) and one has a Persian name (Bigvai). Zerubbabel is a Hebrew name, perhaps meaning “branch of Babel” or “scattered in Babel,” but it may be Babylonian in origin. Zerubbabel was the governor of Judah during the time of Darius. He set up the first altar, laid the foundation of the Temple, and took part in its rebuilding. He was the grandson of the exiled king of Judah, Jehoiachin, and the son of either the king’s first son Shealtiel (according to Ezra 3.2; Neh 12.1; Hag 1.1) or the king’s third son Pedaiah (according to 1 Chr 3.19).
In Haggai and Zechariah, Jeshua is called Joshua. He was the high priest after the return from exile (Zech 3.1-10). He was a descendant of Jozadak/ Jehozadak, the last high priest before the exile (1 Chr 6.15; Ezra 3.2; Hag 1.1; Zech 6.11). Jeshua is the Hebrew form of this person’s name that is used in Ezra and Nehemiah. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version use the name “Joshua” for this person to identify him clearly (see also Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The form “Jeshua” is retained by Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version in Ezra and Nehemiah where the name refers to people other than this high priest and Joshua the son of Nun. To keep the identity of these people clear, this is a good model to follow.
Nehemiah refers either to Nehemiah the governor who rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem (Neh 1.1) or Nehemiah who ruled half the district of Bethzur (Neh 3.16). Seraiah is the name of the father of Ezra (Ezra 7.1).
The number of the men of the people of Israel is the formal heading or title for the list that follows in verses 3-35. The list gives only the number of men. The Hebrew word that is used here for people is the same word that was used in Ezra 1.3.
Good News Translation makes quite explicit the full meaning of verses 1 and 2. It provides a formal explanatory introduction to the list and the numbers that follow in verses 3-35. Translators may use this as a model, restructuring the Hebrew narrative as reflected by Revised Standard Version according to the style of the receptor language for introducing a list such as this one.
Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .