The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.

Lists of Returned Exiles

Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of (A)those who came up at the first, and I found written in it:

(B)These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, (C)Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.

The number of the men of the people of Israel: the sons of Parosh, 2,172. The sons of Shephatiah, 372. 10 The sons of Arah, (D)652. 11 The sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818. 12 The sons of (E)Elam, 1,254. 13 The sons of Zattu, 845. 14 The sons of Zaccai, 760. 15 The sons of (F)Binnui, 648. 16 The sons of Bebai, 628. 17 The sons of Azgad, 2,322. 18 The sons of Adonikam, 667. 19 The sons of Bigvai, 2,067. 20 The sons of Adin, 655. 21 The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98. 22 The sons of Hashum, 328. 23 The sons of (G)Bezai, 324. 24 The sons of Hariph, 112. 25 The sons of (H)Gibeon, 95. 26 The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188. 27 The men of Anathoth, 128. 28 The men (I)of Beth-azmaveth, 42. 29 The men of (J)Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743. 30 The men of Ramah and Geba, 621. 31 The men of Michmas, 122. 32 The men of Bethel and Ai, 123. 33 The men of the other Nebo, 52. 34 The sons of (K)the other Elam, 1,254. 35 The sons of Harim, 320. 36 The sons of Jericho, 345. 37 The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721. 38 The sons of Senaah, 3,930.

39 The priests: the sons of (L)Jedaiah, namely the house of Jeshua, 973. 40 The sons of (M)Immer, 1,052. 41 The sons of (N)Pashhur, 1,247. 42 The sons of (O)Harim, 1,017.

43 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, namely of Kadmiel of the sons of (P)Hodevah, 74. 44 The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148. 45 The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138.

46 The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, 47 the sons of Keros, the sons of (Q)Sia, the sons of Padon, 48 the sons of Lebana, the sons of (R)Hagaba, the sons of (S)Shalmai, 49 the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, 50 the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, 51 the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, 52 the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of (T)Nephushesim, 53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 54 the sons of (U)Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 55 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, 56 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.

57 The sons of Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of (V)Perida, 58 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of (W)Amon.

60 All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants were 392.

61 (X)The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, (Y)Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove their fathers' houses nor their descent, whether they belonged to Israel: 62 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642. 63 Also, of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai (who had taken a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name). 64 These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 65 (Z)The (AA)governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food until a priest with Urim and Thummim should arise.

Totals of People and Gifts

66 The whole assembly together was 42,360, 67 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337. And they had 245 singers, male and female. 68 Their horses were 736, their mules 245,[a] 69 their camels 435, and their donkeys 6,720.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 7:68 Compare Ezra 2:66 and the margins of some Hebrew manuscripts; Hebrew lacks Their horses… 245

Now the city was spread out[a] and large, and there were not a lot of people in it.[b] At that time houses had not been rebuilt. My God placed it on my heart to gather the leaders,[c] the officials, and the ordinary people so they could be enrolled on the basis of genealogy. I found the genealogical records[d] of those who had formerly returned. Here is what I found written in that record:[e]

These are the people[f] of the province who returned[g] from the captivity of the exiles, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile.[h] They returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his own city. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of Israelite men[i] was as follows:

the descendants[j] of Parosh: 2,172;

the descendants of Shephatiah: 372;

10 the descendants of Arah: 652;

11 the descendants of Pahath Moab (from the line[k] of Jeshua and Joab): 2,818;

12 the descendants of Elam: 1,254;

13 the descendants of Zattu: 845;

14 the descendants of Zaccai: 760;

15 the descendants of Binnui: 648;

16 the descendants of Bebai: 628;

17 the descendants of Azgad: 2,322;

18 the descendants of Adonikam: 667;

19 the descendants of Bigvai: 2,067;

20 the descendants of Adin: 655;

21 the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah): 98;

22 the descendants of Hashum: 328;

23 the descendants of Bezai: 324;

24 the descendants of Harif: 112;

25 the descendants of Gibeon: 95;

26 The men of Bethlehem and Netophah: 188;

27 the men of Anathoth: 128;

28 the men of the family[l] of Azmaveth: 42;

29 the men of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth: 743;

30 the men of Ramah and Geba: 621;

31 the men of Micmash: 122;

32 the men of Bethel and Ai: 123;

33 the men of the other Nebo: 52;

34 the descendants of the other Elam: 1,254;

35 the descendants of Harim: 320;

36 the descendants of Jericho: 345;

37 the descendants of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: 721;

38 the descendants of Senaah: 3,930;

39 The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family[m] of Jeshua): 973;

40 the descendants of Immer: 1,052;

41 the descendants of Pashhur: 1,247;

42 the descendants of Harim: 1,017.

43 The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel, through the line of Hodaviah): 74.

44 The singers: the descendants of Asaph: 148.

45 The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai: 138.

46 The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth, 47 the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Sia, the descendants of Padon, 48 the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Shalmai, 49 the descendants of Hanan, the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, 50 the descendants of Reaiah, the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, 51 the descendants of Gazzam, the descendants of Uzzah, the descendants of Paseah, 52 the descendants of Besai, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephussim, 53 the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur, 54 the descendants of Bazluth, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha, 55 the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah, 56 the descendants of Neziah, the descendants of Hatipha.

57 The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida, 58 the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel, 59 the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pokereth Hazzebaim, and the descendants of Amon.

60 All the temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon, 392.

61 These are the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify[n] their family connection[o] or their ancestry,[p] as to whether they were really from Israel):

62 the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, 642.

63 And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a woman from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name). 64 They searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but none were found. They were therefore excluded[q] from the priesthood. 65 The governor[r] instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult[s] the Urim and Thummim.

66 The entire group numbered 42,360— 67 not counting their 7,337 male and female servants. They also had 245 male and female singers. 68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 69 (7:68)[t] 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 7:4 tn Heb “wide of two hands.”
  2. Nehemiah 7:4 tn Heb “the people were few in its midst.”
  3. Nehemiah 7:5 tn Heb “nobles”; NCV “important men.”
  4. Nehemiah 7:5 tn Heb “the book of genealogy.”
  5. Nehemiah 7:5 tn Heb “in it”; the referent (the genealogical record) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  6. Nehemiah 7:6 tn Heb “the sons of”; KJV, ASV “the children of”; NAB “the inhabitants of.”
  7. Nehemiah 7:6 tn Heb “who were going up.”
  8. Nehemiah 7:6 tc One medieval Hebrew manuscript has “to Babylon.” Cf. Ezra 2:1.
  9. Nehemiah 7:7 tn Heb “the men of the people of Israel.” Some English versions translate as “the people from Israel” (NCV) or “the Israelite people” (NRSV), but “men” should be retained because the following numbers presumably include only adult males.
  10. Nehemiah 7:8 tn Heb “the sons of.”
  11. Nehemiah 7:11 tn Heb “to the sons of.”
  12. Nehemiah 7:28 tc The translation reads בְּנֵי (bene, “the sons of”) rather than the MT reading אַנְשֵׁי בֵית (ʾanshe vet, “men of the house of”). Cf. Ezra 2:24.
  13. Nehemiah 7:39 tn Heb “to the house of.”
  14. Nehemiah 7:61 tn Heb “relate.”
  15. Nehemiah 7:61 tn Heb “the house of their fathers.”
  16. Nehemiah 7:61 tn Heb “their seed.”
  17. Nehemiah 7:64 tn Heb “they were desecrated.”
  18. Nehemiah 7:65 tn The Hebrew term תִּרְשָׁתָא (tirshataʾ; KJV “Tirshatha”) is the official title of a Persian governor in Judea. In meaning it may be similar to “excellency” (cf. NAB). See further BDB 1077 s.v.; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 395; HALOT 1798 s.v.
  19. Nehemiah 7:65 tn Heb “stood.”
  20. Nehemiah 7:69 tc Most Hebrew mss omit 7:68 ET, which reads “They had 736 horses, 245 mules,” and thus have one less verse in chap. 7, ending the chapter at 7:72. This verse is included in the LXX and most English versions. Cf. Ezra 2:66.