עזרא, פרק ח׳, פסוק כ׳

The return from exile included not only leaders and priests but also the dedicated workers of the Temple. As these servants joined the journey back to the land of Israel, their roles, social status, and personal identities were carefully documented.

This specific group of Temple workers functioned essentially as laborers or bondsmen [רש״י]. Historically, they were the Gibeonites. Originally, Joshua assigned them the task of chopping wood for the community, but it was King David who later officially formalized their role [מלבי״ם]. David, along with his officials, specifically handed these individuals over to serve in the Temple [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These officials can be understood either as appointed leaders or as individuals operating under strict discipline [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary purpose of these servants was to assist the Levites, performing the various physical tasks required for the daily operation of God's House [מצודת דוד].

In total, two hundred and twenty of these servants made the journey. Their participation was not anonymous; rather, detailed and organized records were kept, explicitly listing them by name [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This exact registration ensured that a precise account existed of everyone returning to the land [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Furthermore, detailing them by name served to specifically recognize the important and well-known individuals within this working group [מצודת דוד].