The number 2272 has no direct occurrence in the Bible. The closest biblical number is 2172, which in Ezra 2:3 indicates the number of descendants of Parosh who returned from the Babylonian exile.
The number 2272 does not appear directly in the biblical texts and has no well-established symbolic meaning in Jewish numerology or gematria tradition. The closest biblical number is 2172, which in Ezra 2:3 indicates the number of descendants of Parosh who returned to Judah after the Babylonian exile under Zerubbabel's leadership. The census list in Ezra chapter 2 serves as an important historical and theological marker of God's faithfulness in restoring His people to the promised land. The clan of Parosh was among the largest groups that returned, testifying to this family's prominent role in the post-exilic community. The family of Parosh is also mentioned in Nehemiah 7:8, where the number in the Masoretic text is likewise given as 2172. Minor numerical variations between the Ezra and Nehemiah lists occur for other clans, and in some manuscript traditions (including LXX variants and 1 Esdras 5) the numbers may differ slightly, but for Parosh, 2172 is the dominant reading. The name Parosh (פַּרְעֹשׁ) means 'flea' in Hebrew. Despite the humble name, this was a significant clan also mentioned among those who sealed the covenant in Nehemiah 10:15. The census list in Ezra 2 has parallels in Nehemiah 7 and in the apocryphal book 1 Esdras 5. These lists were kept as official documents and served as proof of lineage, which was crucial for claiming property rights and participating in temple worship after the return. There is no textual-critical tradition supporting the reading of 2272 in Ezra 2:3. The difference of 100 between 2272 and the biblical 2172 may be due to a scribal error or confusion, but this is not documented in known manuscript variants.*