Ezra 2:54 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵ֥י נְצִ֖יחַ בְּנֵ֥י חֲטִיפָֽא׃
BSAthe descendantsbên [children, sons] of Neziahnᵉtsîyach [pre-eminent, a leader] and the descendantsbên [children, sons] of HatiphaChăṭîyphâʼ [a temple slave, a Nethinim]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֥י | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| נְצִ֖יחַ | Neziah | Noun proper masculine |
| בְּנֵ֥י | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| חֲטִיפָֽא׃ | Hatipha | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha. |
| KJV | The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. |
| ASV | the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. |
| YLT | Sons of Neziah, sons of Hatipha. |
| WEB | the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. |
| BBE | The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. |
All translations agree on the wording for this verse.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by a coordinating phrase, highlighting two distinct families.
3 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
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 2:54
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 of the Exilesgenerated
Ezra 2:54 is part of a list detailing the families who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. This verse specifically mentions the descendants of Neziah and Hatipha, indicating their roles within the community of temple servants, known as Nethinim, who played essential roles in the restoration of the temple and worship practices.
Cross References
The Key Word — בֵּן, be.Neigenerated
The word בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'descendant' and can refer to a wide range of familial relationships, including children and grandchildren. Its use here emphasizes lineage and inheritance, showing the connection between the individuals named and their ancestors.
This term is a masculine plural construct, indicating multiple descendants. Its frequent occurrence in genealogies throughout the Old Testament underscores its importance in establishing family ties and tribal affiliations, particularly in the context of Israel's history.
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 structure of this verse consists of two noun phrases connected by 'and'. The first phrase is בְּנֵ֥י נְצִ֖יחַ, the descendants of Neziah, and the second is בְּנֵ֥י חֲטִיפָֽא, the descendants of Hatipha. This parallel structure emphasizes the equality of both families in the context of the returning exiles.
The word order places the families at the forefront, indicating their significance in the genealogical record and the restoration of the community.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בְּנֵי as υἱοὶ (huioi), meaning 'sons'. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the emphasis on lineage.
For Neziah, the Septuagint uses νασουε, which reflects a direct transliteration rather than a translation of meaning, indicating a focus on the proper name rather than its significance.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezra 2:54 lists the descendants of Neziah and Hatipha, who were part of the group returning to Jerusalem from exile. This verse highlights their roles as temple servants, indicating their importance in the restoration of worship practices.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Neziah and Hatipha were leaders of families of temple servants, known as Nethinim, who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel.
The Nethinim were temple servants who played a vital role in the restoration of the temple and its worship after the exile.
Genealogy establishes the lineage and inheritance rights of individuals within the community, crucial for the re-establishment of the Israelite identity after exile.
The term 'descendants' indicates not only immediate children but also a broader family lineage, emphasizing the continuity of the community.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean to be a descendant in the context of faith and community today?
- How can understanding our spiritual lineage help us in our faith journey?
- What roles do we play in our communities that reflect the service of the Nethinim?
- In what ways can we honor our ancestors and their contributions to our faith?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezra 2:54 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezra 2 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(43-58) The Nethinims.—By the etymology those given: known by this name only in the later books. (See 1 Chronicles 9:2.) They were hieroduli, or temple-bondsmen: the lowest order of the ministry, performing the more laborious duties of the sanctuary. Their history runs through a long period. Moses apportioned them first, from the Midianite captives (Numbers 31:47); they were reinforced from the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:23), and probably later by David (Ezra 8:20). Three names—Akkub, Hagab, and Asnah—have dropped from Neheniiah’s list, which gives also some unimportant changes in the spelling of the names.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezra 2 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges43–54. Nethinim. This class is mentioned in the books Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 2:43; Ezra 2:58; Ezra 2:70; Ezra 7:7; Ezra 7:24; Ezra 8:17; Ezra 8:20; Nehemiah 3:26; Nehemiah 3:31; Nehemiah 7:46; Nehemiah 7:60; Nehemiah 7:73; Nehemiah 10:28; Nehemiah 11:3; Nehemiah 11:21) and only once elsewhere (1 Chronicles 9:2). From these passages it is evident that the Nethinim were a class subordinate to the Levites but ranking before ‘the servants of Solomon’ (Ezra 2:55) in the services of the Temple. Their origin is hid in great obscurity. The name denotes ‘given’. Jewish tradition identified them mainly with the Gibeonites, who had been assigned by Joshua to the Levites to assist them in the…
Read Cambridge on Ezra 2 →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
the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha.
the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha.
the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha.
Tyndale line
The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
The sonnes of Neziah, the sonnes of Hatipha,
Strictly literal
the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
Sons of Neziah, sons of Hatipha.
sons of Neziah, sons of Hatipha.
The children of Neziach, the children of Chatipha.
Neziah, and Hatipha.
From the Latin
The children of Nasia, the children of Hatipha,
Simplified
Neziah, and Hatipha.
The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
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 on the names and structure of this verse, confirming that בְּנֵי נְצִ֖יחַ and בְּנֵי חֲטִיפָֽא are accurately represented in both texts.
בְּנֵ֥י נְצִ֖יחַ בְּנֵ֥י חֲטִיפָֽא׃
4 of the 4 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 2:54
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)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
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…
נְצִיחַ (ntsiyach) refers to Neziah, a notable figure mentioned in the context of the Exile and Return, specifically as the head of a family of temple servants known as Nethinim. The name is derived from a root meaning 'conspicuous' or 'pre-eminent.' Neziah is first mentioned in Ezra 2:54.
נְצִיחַ n.pr.m. head of a family of Nethinim
base
H5335 נְצִיחַ
5335 ntsiyach nets-ee'-akh
from 5329; conspicuous; Netsiach, a Temple-
servant:--Neziah.
see HEBREW for 05329
נְצִיחַ (ne.tsi.ach) — Neziah.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.54
§ Neziah = "pre-eminent"
head of a family of temple slaves returning from exile with Zerubbabel
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
(pre-eminent). The descendants of Neziah were among the Nethinim who returned with Zerubbabel, (Ezra 2:54; Nehemiah 7:56) (B.C.536.)
conqueror; strong
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)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
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…
חֲטִיפָא (Chatiypha') refers to a person named Hatipha, identified as the head of a family of Nethinim, or temple slaves, who returned from exile with Zerubbabel. The name is linked to the root meaning 'robber' and is mentioned in Ezra 2:54.
חֲטִיפָא n.pr.m. head of a family of Nethinim, post-exil.
base
H2412 חֲטִיפָא
2412 Chatiypha' khat-ee-faw'
from 2414; robber; Chatipha, one of the Nethinim:--Hatipha.
see HEBREW for 02414
חֲטִיפָא (cha.ti.pah) — Hatipha.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.54
§ Hatipha = "seized"
head of a family of temple slaves who returned from exile with Zerubbabel
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Hatipha
Captured, one of the Nethinim (Ezra 2:54).
(captive). Bene-Hatipha (i.e. sons of Hatipha) were among the Nethinim who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:54; Nehemiah 7:56) (B.C. 536.)