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Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not rebuilt.

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

(B)These are the [a]people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had taken away into exile, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city, who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, [b]Azariah, [c]Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, [d]Mispereth, Bigvai, [e]Nehum, Baanah.

The number of men of the people of Israel:

the sons of Parosh, 2,172;
the sons of Shephatiah, 372;
10 the sons of Arah, 652;
11 the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818;
12 the sons of 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, of Hezekiah, 98;
22 the sons of Hashum, 328;
23 the sons of Bezai, 324;
24 the sons of [g]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 of [i]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 the other Elam, 1,254;
35 the sons of Harim, 320;
36 the [k]men 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 Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973;
40 the sons of Immer, 1,052;
41 the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;
42 the sons of Harim, 1,017.

43 The Levites:

the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of [l]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 [m]Sia, the sons of Padon,
48 the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of 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 [n]Nephushesim,
53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54 the sons of [o]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 [p]Sophereth, the sons of [q]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 [r]Amon.

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

61 Now these were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, [s]Addon, and Immer; but they were not able to declare their fathers’ houses or their fathers’ seed, whether they were of Israel:

62 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642.

63 Of the priests:

the sons of [t]Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and he was called by their name.

64 These searched in their genealogical records, but it could not be found; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood. 65 (C)And the [u]governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood with [v](D)Urim and Thummim.

The Assembly and Their Gifts

66 The whole assembly together was 42,360,
67 besides their male and their female slaves, [w]of whom there were 7,337;
and they had 245 male and female singers.
68 [x](E)Their horses were 736; their mules, 245;
69 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 7:6 Lit sons
  2. Nehemiah 7:7 In Ezra 2:2, Seraiah
  3. Nehemiah 7:7 In Ezra 2:2, Reelaiah
  4. Nehemiah 7:7 In Ezra 2:2, Mispar
  5. Nehemiah 7:7 In Ezra 2:2, Rehum
  6. Nehemiah 7:15 In Ezra 2:10, Bani
  7. Nehemiah 7:24 In Ezra 2:18, Jorah
  8. Nehemiah 7:25 In Ezra 2:20, Gibbar
  9. Nehemiah 7:28 In Ezra 2:24, Azmaveth
  10. Nehemiah 7:29 In Ezra 2:25, Kiriath-arim
  11. Nehemiah 7:36 Lit sons
  12. Nehemiah 7:43 In Ezra 2:40, Hodaviah
  13. Nehemiah 7:47 In Ezra 2:44, Siaha
  14. Nehemiah 7:52 In Ezra 2:50, Nephisim
  15. Nehemiah 7:54 In Ezra 2:52, Bazluth
  16. Nehemiah 7:57 In Ezra 2:55, Hassophereth
  17. Nehemiah 7:57 In Ezra 2:55, Peruda
  18. Nehemiah 7:59 In Ezra 2:57, Ami
  19. Nehemiah 7:61 In Ezra 2:59, Addan
  20. Nehemiah 7:63 In Ezra 2:61, Habaiah
  21. Nehemiah 7:65 Heb Tirshatha, a Persian title
  22. Nehemiah 7:65 Lit the lights and perfections
  23. Nehemiah 7:67 Lit these
  24. Nehemiah 7:68 As in some ancient mss and Gr

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.