In Ezra, chapter two, verse one, describes two of three waves of exiled Israelites who returned to Judah. The first occurred under the leadership of Zerubbabel, in verse two, chapter three, verse eight, Haggai one, verses one and fourteen, and Zechariah four, verse nine, respectively. Approximately fifty thousand people returned, as in verses sixty-four through sixty-five, and rebuilt the temple, completing it. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah ministered there during this time, as in Ezra five, verses one to two.
The second return occurred under Ezra’s leadership in chapters seven through ten. As leader, Ezra focuses on furthering the people’s spiritual side and encouraging their obedience to the law of God, as in chapter seven, verse ten, and chapter ten, verses one through six, respectively.
The third return took place under the leadership of Nehemiah, who went to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall, as in Nehemiah two, verse seventeen. The prophet Malachi probably ministered in Judah during the latter days of Ezra and Nehemiah.
The children of the province: That is, of Babylon, for they are of whom Nebuchadnezzar had brought captive to Babylon, and not those of the ten tribes, who had been dispersed before, by the kings of Assyria, into various provinces; and who afterward returned to Jerusalem in separate companies. Zerubbabel was in the province of Babylon, and to him, those captives joined themselves who lived nearest to the same province. The reason why those of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin returned first was through the liberty of returning granted to all the tribes. Another reason is the rebuilding of the temple principally concerned them, as Jerusalem was within their dominion. The theme title “Went Out of Captivity,” means they seem to have been transported to Babylon as a colony to serve the king only.