Ezra 10:34 — Word Study
WLCמִבְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔י מַעֲדַ֥י עַמְרָ֖ם וְאוּאֵֽל׃ ס
BSAFrom the descendantsbên [sons, offspring, or family line] of BaniBânîy [a Gadite warrior, a Levite, or a man from Judah] MaadaiMaʻăday△ [ornament, or gift] AmramʻAmrâm [exalted people, or high nation] UelʼÛwʼêl△ [descendant, or one who is lifted up]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִבְּנֵ֣י | of [the] sons of | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
| בָנִ֔י | Bani | Noun proper masculine |
| מַעֲדַ֥י | Maadai | Noun proper masculine |
| עַמְרָ֖ם | Amram | Noun proper masculine |
| וְאוּאֵֽל׃ ס | and Uel | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, |
| KJV | Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel, |
| ASV | Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel, |
| YLT | Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel, |
| WEB | Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, |
| BBE | Of the sons of Bani, Maadai, Amram, and Uel, |
Where they part company is over the names listed, which are consistent across translations.
The sentence is straightforward, with a main clause followed by a list of names, emphasizing the familial connections.
2 commentators on this verse
Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
2 of 5 occur nowhere else in the Old Testament — words chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezra 10:34
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Return from Exilegenerated
Ezra 10:34 lists the descendants of Bani who returned from Babylonian exile, emphasizing the restoration of Israel's community and the importance of lineage. This verse is part of a larger narrative detailing the efforts to re-establish the Jewish people in their homeland after years of captivity, highlighting their commitment to God’s laws and their heritage.
Cross References
The Key Word — בֵּן, mi.be.Neigenerated
The word בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'descendant.' It is used here to indicate familial relationships, showing the connection of individuals to their ancestors. This term encompasses a wide range of meanings, including not just immediate offspring but also broader familial ties.
In this verse, it signifies the lineage of Bani, linking him to his descendants and emphasizing the importance of family in the context of the returning exiles.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is introduced by a prepositional phrase: מִבְּנֵ֣י (of the sons of), leading into a noun phrase that specifies the descendants: בָנִ֔י (Bani). The structure is straightforward, listing names in succession.
This construction emphasizes the familial relationships and the collective identity of the returning exiles, with each name contributing to the heritage of the community.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בֵּן as υἱῶν (huión), meaning 'sons.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew, maintaining the familial aspect of the term.
The Greek rendering preserves the emphasis on lineage, which is crucial in the context of the return from exile.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezra 10:34 provides a list of names from the descendants of Bani who returned from exile. This verse highlights the importance of family lineage in the restoration of the Jewish community after their time in Babylon.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Bani is a name that refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a Gadite warrior and a Levite, who returned from exile.
Maadai means 'ornament of Jehovah' and refers to one of the exiles mentioned in Ezra 10:34.
Lineage is significant as it establishes the identity and heritage of the returning exiles, affirming their connection to the covenant community.
The verse indicates that the returning exiles were organized by their family lines, which was crucial for re-establishing the community in accordance with their heritage.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding the lineage of the returning exiles help us appreciate their commitment to restoring their community?
- What can we learn from the names listed in this verse about the diversity of those who returned from exile?
- In what ways does family heritage influence our faith and community today?
- How can we honor our own family lines while also embracing the broader community of faith?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezra 10:34 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(18-44) List of the transgressors. (19) They gave their hands.—The four members of the high priest’s family were peculiarly dealt with. They gave their distinct pledge, and offered each a special trespass offering. It is one among a multitude of similar tokens of authenticity in the history; and inventor would have given some reason for the peculiarity. (22) Pashur.—Comparing Ezra 2:36-39, we find that all the priestly families that returned with Zerub-babel were implicated in the national offence. (25) Of Israel.—Of the laity eighty-six are mentioned, belonging to ten races which returned with Zerubbabel. (34) Bani.—Probably this should be some other name, as Bani occurs before. The…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezra 10 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18–44. The List of those who ‘had married strange women’The record of the names was probably one of the documents officially preserved. The publicity of such a list was in itself a punishment to the offenders and a warning to others. As in chap. 2, the list falls into the three groups of Priests, Levites, and Israel (or Laity), i.e. 17 Priests, 10 Levites, 86 ‘of Israel’—113 in all.
Read Cambridge on Ezra 10 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
Tyndale line
Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel;
Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Of the sonnes of Bani, Maadai, Amram, and Vel,
Strictly literal
Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Of the sons of Bani: Ma'adai, 'Amram, and Uel,
Among the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
From the Latin
Of the sons of Bani, Maaddi, Amran, and Uel,
Simplified
From the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
Of the sons of Bani, Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in listing the same names, showing consistency in the transmission of this verse. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the content remains aligned with the Hebrew text.
מִבְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔י מַעֲדַ֥י עַמְרָ֖ם וְאוּאֵֽל׃ ס
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezra 10:34
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural constructHR/Ncmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
בָּנִי (Bani) is a Hebrew name meaning "built." It refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a Gadite warrior, Levites, and a man from Judah. Bani appears in various contexts, such as during the time of David and the return from Babylonian exile, with mentions in passages like 2 Samuel 23:36 and Ezra 10:34.
בָּנִי n.pr.m.
one of David’s heroes
Levites
a man of Judah
rd.
heads of families of Isr.
an Israelite
base
H1137 בָּנִי
1137 Baniy baw-nee'
from 1129; built; Bani, the name of five Israelites:--Bani.
see HEBREW for 01129
בָּנִי (ba.ni) — Bani.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Sa.23.36
§ Bani = "built"
1) a Gadite, one of David's mighty warriors
2) a Levite of the line of Merari, and forefather to Ethan
3) a man of Judah of the line of Pharez
4) "children of Bani" returned from captivity with Zerubbabel
5) one or up to three Levites in Nehemiah's time
בָּנִי (ba.ni) — Bani.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.6.46;
son of: Shemer (H8106);
father of: Amzi (H0557)
§ Bani = "built"
1) a Gadite, one of David's mighty warriors
2) a Levite of the line of Merari, and forefather to Ethan
3) a man of Judah of the line of Pharez
4) "children of Bani" returned from captivity with Zerubbabel
5) one or up to three Levites in Nehemiah's time
בָּנִי (ba.ni) — Bani.
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
ba'-ni (bani, "posterity"):
(1) A Gadite, one of David's mighty men (2Sa 23:36).
(2) A Levite whose son was appointed for service in the tabernacle at David's time (1Ch 6:46).
(3) A Judahite whose son lived in Jerusalem after the captivity (1Ch 9:4).
(4) The descendants of Bani (called Binnui, Ne 7:15) returned with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:10) and had taken "strange wives" (Ezr 10:29).
(5) Bani who had taken a "strange wife" (Ezr 10:38) mentioned with his brothers, the sons of Bani who also had taken "strange wives" (
Bani
Built. (1.) 1 Chr. 6:46. (2.) One of David’s thirty-seven warriors, a Gadite (2 Sam. 23:36). (3.) Ezra 2:10; 10:29,34,38. (4.) A Levite who was prominent in the reforms on the return from Babylon (Neh. 8:7; 9:4,5). His son Rehum took part in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 3:17).
(built). A Gadite, one of David’s mighty men. (2 Samuel 23:36) (B.C. 1046.) A Levite of the line of Merari, and forefather to Ethan. (1 Chronicles 6:46) A man of Judah of the line of Pharez. (1 Chronicles 9:4) "Children of Bani" returned from captivity with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:10; 10:29,34; Nehemiah 10:14) 1 Esd. 5:12. [BINNUI; MANI] An Israelite "of the sons of Bani." (Ezra 10:38) A Levite. (Nehemiah 3:17) A Levite. (Nehemiah 8:7; 9:4,5; 10:13) Another Levite…
מַעֲדַּי (Ma`aday) refers to a man mentioned in the context of the Exile and Return, specifically in Ezra 10:34, where he is noted for having put away a foreign wife. The name is derived from a root meaning 'ornamental,' and it is associated with the idea of being an 'ornament of Jehovah.'
מַעֲדַּי (van d. H מַעֲדַי) n.pr.m. one of those who had taken strange wives Ezr 10:34.
ref
H4572 מַעֲדַּי, מַעֲדַי
4572 Ma`aday mah-ad-ah'-ee
from 5710; ornamental; Maadai, an Israelite:--Maadai.
see HEBREW for 05710
מַעֲדַי (ma.a.day) — Maadai.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.34
§ Maadai = "ornament of Jehovah"
an exile of the sons of Bani who put away a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
עַמְרָם (Amram) refers to a name meaning 'exalted people.' It identifies two individuals: the father of Moses, a Levite mentioned in Exodus 6:18, and a descendant of Bani noted in Ezra 10:34. The name is likely derived from roots meaning 'high' and 'people.'
base
H6019 עַמְרָם . father of Moses
. Ezr
6019 `Amram am-rawm'
probably from 5971 and 7311; high people; Amram, the name of
two Israelites:--Amram.
see HEBREW for 05971
see HEBREW for 07311
עַמְרָם (am.ram) — Amram.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.18;
son of: Kohath (H6955);
brother of: Izhar (H3324), Hebron (H2275B) and Uzziel (H5816); married to Jochebed (H3115);
father of: Moses (H4872), Aaron (H0175) and Miriam (H4813)
Also named: am.ra.mi (עַמְרָמִי "Amramite" H6020)
§ Amram = "exalted people"
1) a descendant of Kohath and Levi and father of Moses
2) one of the sons of Bani who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
עַמְרָם (am.ram) — Amram.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.34
§ Amram = "exalted people"
1) a descendant of Kohath and Levi and father of Moses
2) one of the sons of Bani who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
am'-ram (`amram, "people exalted"):
(1) Father of Aaron, Moses and Miriam (Ex 6:20; Nu 26:59; 1Ch 6:3; 23:13); and a son of Kohath, the son of Levi (Ex 6:18; Nu 3:19, etc.). It is not certain that he was literally the son of Kohath, but rather his descendant, since there were ten generations from Joseph to Joshua (1Ch 7:20-27), while only four are actually mentioned from Levi to Moses for the corresponding period. Moreover the Kohathites at the time of the Exodus numbered 8,600 (Nu 3:28), which would therefore have…
Amram
Kindred of the High; i.e., “friend of Jehovah.” (1.) The son of Kohath, the son of Levi. He married Jochebed, “his father’s sister,” and was the father of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses (Ex. 6:18, 20; Num. 3:19). He died in Egypt at the age of 137 years (Ex. 6:20). His descendants were called Amramites (Num. 3:27; 1 Chr. 26:23). (2.) Ezra 10:34.
(an exalted people). A Levite of the family of the Kohathites, and father of Moses. (Exodus 6:18,20) (B.C. 1571.) A son of Dishon and descendant of Seir, (1 Chronicles 1:41) properly "Hamram" = HEMDAN in (Genesis 36:26) One of the sons of Bani in the time of Ezra, who had married a foreign wife. (Ezra 10:34) (B.C. 459).
an exalted people; their sheaves; handfuls of corn
אוּאֵל (Uw'el) is a personal name meaning 'wish of God,' derived from roots meaning 'wish' and 'God.' It refers to a Judean man mentioned in
אוּאֵל n.pr.m. a Judæan (will of God) Ezr 10:34.
ref
H177 אוּאֵל
177 'Uw'el oo-ale'
from 176 and 410; wish of God; Uel, and Israelite:--Uel.
see HEBREW for 0176
see HEBREW for 0410
אוּאֵל (u.el) — Uel.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.34
§ Uel = "wish or will of God"
a Judean who had taken a foreign woman during the exile
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
u'-el, 'u'el,, "will of God"): One of the sons of Bani who had taken foreign wives (Ezr 10:34). The name in 1 Esdras 9:35 is "Juel" (Codex Vaticanus Ouel; Codex Alexandrinus Iouel).
(will of God), one of the family of Bani, who during the captivity had married a foreign wife. (Ezra 10:34) (B.C. 458.)
desiring God
→ An Israelite who put away (divorced) his Gentile wife Ezr 10:34