Bede : The number of men of the people of Israel, sons of Phares, two, etc. After the catalog of leaders, consequently the number of the people; after the sum of the people has been counted, the ranks dedicated to God follow in order. However, he speaks of the people of Israel, the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, and whoever had escaped from the hands of the Assyrians of other tribes once; but, captured by the Babylonians with these, they had nonetheless been led into captivity. Finally, it must be noted that within the very series of the catalog, and especially where the same catalog is repeated in the second part of the book, that is, in the words of Nehemiah, nearly fifteen names of cities are listed, which, unless I am mistaken, are all found only in the tribe of Judah and Benjamin. Hence it is likely that the people of Israel should be understood here, primarily from these very tribes, together with the priests and Levites who had their lot among them. However, the Nethinim, who are described in order after the priests, Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, were themselves then those who are now called subdeacons in the Church, obedient to the duties of the Levites, and receiving offerings in the temple from the people. Furthermore, the sons of Solomon's servants were called the builders of the temple, who were responsible for repairing the sacred structures, or whatever had been damaged, and restoring them again from the sacred money. What we said above about the vessels must now be said about the people; that Scripture so diligently distinguishes how many from each generation of the captives returned to their homeland; in order that we might be reminded with how much certainty the Lord inscribes the sum of His elect in the book of life and, as it were, records them in the register of heaven, how many souls each of the faithful, either by preaching or showing the examples of good works, have converted from error; for each of whom He rewards those who converted them with a certain recompense. — Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah Jerome : Whose image prefigured this in Zerubabel and Ezra, when the people returned and the city began to be built in its exalted state, and the religion of the Temple was observed, and the other things contained in the book of Ezra himself. But it was more fully and completely fulfilled in the Lord Savior and the Apostles, when the city was built on its highest point, of which it is written: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14); and the Temple was established according to its order and ceremonies, so that whatever was done in the former people carnally, would be spiritually fulfilled in the Church. — Commentary on Jeremiah Jerome : Many thought this at the time of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Jozadak, the high priest, when Haggai and Zechariah prophesied during the time of the completion of the Temple under the priest Ezra, and the walls were rebuilt under Nehemiah, that those whom He had cast out in anger, wrath, and great indignation from Jerusalem, and had scattered throughout the whole world, He had afterwards made them dwell confidently and be a people of God; and that the Lord had been their God, and the other things that the Scripture contains. But how can this be adapted to that time: That I will make them dwell confidently, and I will strike for them an everlasting covenant, or I will establish for them an eternal testament, cannot be thoroughly approved: indeed, those whom we have read and holy history narrates were often taken captive not only by neighboring nations, but also by the Persians and Macedonians, and by the Egyptians and Romans, and until now they serve. Therefore, all things must be referred to the advent of the Savior: which we see fulfilled in our time of faith, and the election of the remnant has been preserved according to the Apostle (Romans 9). — Commentary on Jeremiah