Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Ezra 7:2 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 2. 2The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse continues Ezra's genealogy through Shallum, Zadok, and Ahitub
Read It With
- Ezra 7:1–10
Read Ezra 7:1–10 together. This verse continues Ezra's genealogy through Shallum, Zadok, and Ahitub Read Ezra 7:1–10 as one complete Ezra thought unit: Decades after temple completion, Ezra is introduced through a compressed Aaronic genealogy as a skilled scribe. He travels with Israelites and temple personnel under the good hand of God because he has set his heart to seek, do, and teach Torah.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The narrator establishes Ezra's lineage, competence, imperial access, journey, and ordered vocation before readers hear the king's broad commission. Within that movement, this verse continues Ezra's genealogy through Shallum, Zadok, and Ahitub
Read Ezra 7:1–10 together
Why these verses belong together: The Artaxerxes setting, priestly genealogy, Ezra's skill, returning companions, dated journey, divine hand, and study-do-teach purpose form his introduction; verse 11 begins the royal letter.
Verse 1. 1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
Verse 2. 2 The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
Verse 3. 3 The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
Verse 4. 4 The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
Verse 5. 5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:
Verse 6. 6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.
Verse 7. 7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
Verse 8. 8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
Verse 9. 9 For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
Verse 10. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
What Remains True
Within Ezra's own literary movement, Ezra 7:2 continues Ezra's genealogy through Shallum, Zadok, and Ahitub.
How It Can Shape Life
- Evaluate teachers by textual competence, practiced integrity, teachability, and safeguards for people affected by their decisions—not by pedigree alone. Ezra 7:2 especially directs attention to how this verse continues Ezra's genealogy through Shallum, Zadok, and Ahitub.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Ezra 7:1–10 — Ezra arrives as priestly scribeSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording and complete verse coverage for this thought unit.
Exact location: Ezra 7:1–10, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew aramaic text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Ezra
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic wording, morphology, names, clause relations, and translation controls.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Ezra.xml, Hebrew and Aramaic words and morphology for 7:1–10
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Ezra with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Material lexical, grammatical, textual, Persian-period, numerical, and translation notes within the unit.
Exact location: NET Bible Ezra PDF, printed pp. 756–758, translation and translator notes on 7:1–10
Open source ↗