Ezra 7:2

Study note

Setting — The text continues the backward genealogy of Ezra, listing Shallum, Zadok, and Ahitub as successive ancestors. It appears in Ezra 7:2 between the mention of Ezra’s father Seraiah (Ezra 7:1) and the continuation of the line through Amariah (Ezra 7:3).

The words — The phrase depends on the repeated Hebrew construct בֶּן (ben), meaning “son of,” attaching the personal names Shallum (H7967), Zadok (H6659), and Ahitub (H285) in a strict paternal chain. This structural repetition marks generational succession without adding descriptive information.

The thread — The names Zadok and Ahitub appear in priestly records such as 2 Samuel 8:17 and 1 Kings 2:35, where Zadok functions as a recognized priest during the Davidic and Solomonic transitions. Ezra 7:2 places Ezra within that established lineage while the surrounding verses clarify that Seraiah, not Shallum, is Ezra’s immediate father.

Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to track the exact generational sequence the text provides before drawing conclusions about familial proximity or religious authority. It asks the reader to align the listed names with the broader biblical record rather than assume direct ancestral closeness.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.