Nehemiah 7:17 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵ֣י עַזְגָּ֔ד אַלְפַּ֕יִם שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ס
BSAthe descendantsbên [sons, children, or family] of AzgadʻAzgâd [an Israelite who lived during the Exile and Return, two thousand three hundred twenty and two, a large number] 2,322ʼeleph
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֣י | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| עַזְגָּ֔ד | Azgad | Noun proper masculine |
| אַלְפַּ֕יִם | two thousand | Adj |
| שְׁלֹ֥שׁ | three | |
| מֵא֖וֹת | hundred | |
| עֶשְׂרִ֥ים | twenty | |
| וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ס | and two | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the descendants of Azgad, 2,322; |
| KJV | The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two. |
| ASV | The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two. |
| YLT | Sons of Azgad: two thousand three hundred twenty and two. |
| WEB | The children of Azgad: two thousand three hundred twenty-two. |
| BBE | The children of Azgad, two thousand, three hundred and twenty-two. |
Where they part company is in the additional context provided by the BSB — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is straightforward, comprising a main clause followed by a numeral phrase indicating the count.
2 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott & 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 — Nehemiah 7:17
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 Census of Returning Exilesgenerated
Nehemiah 7:17 is part of a list documenting the families that returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile. This census emphasizes the importance of lineage and community restoration in the post-exilic period, reflecting the rebuilding of the nation and its identity. The mention of Azgad highlights a specific family line, contributing to the overall narrative of return and renewal.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezra 2:12 | the descendants of Azgad, 1,222; |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בְּנֵי, be.Neigenerated
The word בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'descendant' and can refer to a range of familial relationships, including children and grandchildren. It signifies lineage and inheritance, emphasizing the importance of family ties in Israelite culture.
In this verse, it denotes the descendants of Azgad, indicating a collective identity. The plural form used here shows that it refers to a group rather than an individual, which is common in genealogical listings.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the rendering of בְּנֵי as 'the descendants of' and עַזְגָּד as 'Azgad.' The number is consistently translated as '2,322' across versions.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause centers on the subject בְּנֵי (the descendants) followed by the proper noun עַזְגָּד (Azgad) and concludes with the numeral phrase indicating the count of descendants. The structure is straightforward, typical of genealogical lists.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the family name first, highlighting the importance of lineage in the context of returning exiles.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בְּנֵי as υἱοὶ (huioi), meaning 'sons' or 'children,' which aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning. This choice reflects the continuity of familial importance across translations.
The name עַזְגָּד is rendered as ασγαδ (Asgad), maintaining its identity while the number is presented differently, indicating a different approach to numerical representation in the Greek text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 7:17 lists the descendants of Azgad, numbering 2,322. This verse is part of a larger record of families who returned from exile, showing the importance of lineage in rebuilding the community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Azgad was an Israelite mentioned in the context of the Exile and Return, noted for being an ancestor of a family that returned with Zerubbabel.
The number represents the total count of Azgad's descendants who returned, indicating the size of the family and their role in the community.
Genealogy emphasizes the restoration of the community and the continuity of Israel's heritage after the Exile.
This verse contributes to the overall theme of rebuilding and re-establishing the Jewish community in Jerusalem after returning from Babylon.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this verse tell us about the importance of family and lineage in our own lives?
- How can understanding our heritage help us in our community today?
- In what ways can we honor our ancestors as we build our own communities?
- What lessons can we learn from the process of returning and rebuilding after hardship?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 7:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThese are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem
Read Robert Jamieson on Nehemiah 7 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5-73) The genealogical reckoning of the people, as the first step towards increasing the population of the metropolis, is determined on, not without express Divine suggestion; the allusion to this inspiration from God, is, as in Nehemiah 2:12, very emphatic. The original register of Zerubbabelis found and copied. The express language of both Ezra and Nehemiah makes it plain that this is no other than the list of those who came up with Zerubbabel and Joshua after the decree of Cyrus, in B.C. 538. Nehemiah’s own census follows, in Nehemiah 11. The exposition, especially as compared with Ezra 2, has been given on that chapter.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Nehemiah 7 →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 Azgad, 2,322;
The children of Azgad: two thousand three hundred twenty-two.
the descendants of Azgad, 2,322;
the descendants of Azgad, 2,322;
Tyndale line
The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.
The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.
The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.
The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty two.
The sonnes of Azgad, two thousand, three hundreth and two and twentie.
Strictly literal
The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two.
Sons of Azgad: two thousand three hundred twenty and two.
sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty-two;
The children of 'Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.
The descendants of Azgad, 2,322.
From the Latin
The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty-two.
Simplified
the sons of Azgad, 2,322;
The children of Azgad, two thousand, three hundred and twenty-two.
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 lists בְּנֵי עַזְגָּד followed by the count, while the Septuagint matches only 4 of the 7 words in a different order. This suggests a level of consistency in the core elements of the text, though variations in wording and structure exist.
בְּנֵ֣י עַזְגָּ֔ד אַלְפַּ֕יִם שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ס
4 of the 7 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 Nehemiah 7:17
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…
עַזְגָּד (Azgad) refers to a man from the time of the Exile and Return, specifically mentioned in Ezra 2:12 and Nehemiah 10:15. The name means "Gad is mighty" and denotes an ancestor of a family that returned with Zerubbabel, as well as a signatory of the covenant with Nehemiah.
עַזְגָּד n.pr.m.
head of family returning with Zerub.
returning with Ezra
one of those sealed
base
H5803 עַזְגָּד
5803 `Azgad az-gawd'
from 5794 and 1409; stern troop; Azgad, an
Israelite:--Azgad.
see HEBREW for 05794
see HEBREW for 01409
עַזְגָּד (az.gad) — Azgad.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.12
§ Azgad = "Gad is mighty"
1) ancestor of a family of laymen who returned from exile with Zerubbabel
2) a man who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah
עַזְגָּד (az.gad) — Azgad.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.10.15
§ Azgad = "Gad is mighty"
1) ancestor of a family of laymen who returned from exile with Zerubbabel
2) a man who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
az'-gad (`azgadh, "strong is Gad"): In the list of those who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel are mentioned "the children of Azgad" (1,222, Ezr 2:12; 2,322, Ne 7:17). 110 males with their chief returned with Ezra (Ezr 8:12). Azgad was among the leaders who signed the Covenant after Nehemiah (Ne 10:15).
(strength of fortune). The children of Azgad, to the number of 1222 (2322 according to) (Nehemiah 7:17) were among the laymen who returned with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:12; 8:12) With the other heads of the People they joined in the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:15) (B.C. 536.)
a strong army; a gang of robbers
אֶ֫לֶף (eleph) means 'thousand' in Hebrew. It can refer to the numeral itself or denote a company or clan, particularly a group of men under one leader. The word is built from the concept of a thousand, and it is associated with the ox's head, which is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand
base
H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand
505 'eleph eh'-lef
prop, the same as 504; hence (the ox's head being the first
letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral)
a thousand:--thousand.
see HEBREW for 0504
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.
: thousand
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.
: clan
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
Adj — AdjHAcbda
thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).
See NUMBER.
The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.
שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad
base
H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad
7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'
or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};
or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;
occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,
+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.
Compare 7991.
see HEBREW for 07991
שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.
1) three, triad
1a) 3, 300, third
Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)
HAcbsc — HAcbsc
(shalosh; treis).
See NUMBER.
The phrase "three days and three nights," Mt 12:40, was equivalent in Hebrew to the English "three days;" the Jews employing the expression "a day and a night" to denote our "day" of twentyfour hours. Nor did "three days," 1Sa 30:13, literally "this third day," according to their usage, necessarily include the whole of three days, but a part of three days, a continuous period including one whole day of twenty-four hours, and a portion of the day preceding it and the day following it. Compare Ge 7:12,17 1Sa 30:12-13.
מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.
מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred
as simple number
as part of larger number
a hundredth part
base
H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number
. as part of larger number
. a hundredth part
3967 me'ah may-aw'
or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a
hundred; also as a multiplicative and a
fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.
מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.
1) hundred
1a) as simple number
1b) as part of larger number
1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)
Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)
HAcfpa — HAcfpa
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.
עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.
עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
base
H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
6242 `esriym es-reem'
from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,
twenty(-ieth).
see HEBREW for 06235
עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.
twenty, twentieth
Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)
HAcmpa — HAcmpa
twen'-ti.
See NUMBER.
שְׁנַ֫יִם (shnayim) means 'two' and serves as both a cardinal and ordinal number. It can denote 'both,' 'double,' or 'twice,' and is used in various combinations with other numbers. The word is derived as a dual form of שָׁנָה (shanah), which relates to the concept of pairs.
שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם 768 n.m. et f. du. two
base
H8147 שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם two
8147 shnayim shen-ah'-yim
dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also
(as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, +
twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.
see HEBREW for 08145
שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) — two.
1) two
1a) two (the cardinal number)
1a1) two, both, double, twice
1b) second (the ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
1d) both (a dual number)
HC/Acbda — ConjunctionHC/Acbda
too.
See NUMBER.