Nehemiah 7:23 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵ֣י בֵצָ֔י שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וְאַרְבָּעָֽה׃ ס
BSAthe descendantsbên [sons, children, or family] of BezaiBêtsay [a leader of the exiles, three hundred and twenty-four, a specific count] 324shâlôwsh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֣י | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| בֵצָ֔י | Bezai | Noun proper masculine |
| שְׁלֹ֥שׁ | three | Adj |
| מֵא֖וֹת | hundred | |
| עֶשְׂרִ֥ים | twenty | |
| וְאַרְבָּעָֽה׃ ס | and four | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the descendants of Bezai, 324; |
| KJV | The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four. |
| ASV | The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four. |
| YLT | Sons of Bezai: three hundred twenty and four. |
| WEB | The children of Bezai: three hundred twenty-four. |
| BBE | The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four. |
The translations agree on the count of Bezai's descendants as three hundred and twenty-four.
The sentence is composed of a main clause followed by a numeral phrase, providing a clear and concise statement.
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 — Nehemiah 7:23
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 List of Returning Exilesgenerated
Nehemiah 7:23 is part of a broader list detailing the families and numbers of those who returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile. This record emphasizes the restoration of the community and the importance of lineage in Israel's history, as seen in the context of Ezra 2:17.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezra 2:17 | the descendants of Bezai, 323; |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בְּנֵי, be.Neigenerated
The word בְּנֵי (be.Nei) is a masculine plural construct form of בֵּן (ben), which means 'son' or 'descendant.' It signifies not just immediate offspring but can also refer to a broader lineage, including children and family.
This term is used frequently in genealogical contexts throughout the Old Testament, highlighting familial relationships and inheritance rights. The parsing indicates that it functions as a noun in the plural form, specifically denoting a group of descendants.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations of this verse agree on the count of Bezai's descendants as three hundred and twenty-four.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is structured around the noun phrase בְּנֵי בֵצָי (the descendants of Bezai), which serves as the subject. This is followed by a numeral phrase indicating the specific count of descendants.
The sentence is straightforward, presenting the subject and its corresponding number in a clear and concise manner.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בְּנֵי as υἱοὶ (huioi), which also means 'sons' or 'children.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, preserving the familial context.
The Greek term used for Bezai is βεσι (besi), which indicates a direct correspondence with the Hebrew name, maintaining the identity of this leader among the exiles.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 7:23 states that the descendants of Bezai number three hundred and twenty-four. This verse is part of a list that records the families returning to Jerusalem from exile, showing the importance of lineage and community restoration.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Bezai was a leader among the returning exiles, as noted in the genealogical records of Ezra and Nehemiah.
The numbers signify the restoration of the community and the importance of family lineage in the re-establishment of Jerusalem.
This verse connects to other genealogies by emphasizing the continuity of family lines and the fulfillment of God's promises to restore His people.
In this context, 'descendants' implies not just immediate children but also the broader family and lineage, reflecting the community's heritage.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean to be part of a lineage or family in my own life?
- How can I appreciate the importance of community and heritage in my faith?
- In what ways can I contribute to the restoration of my community?
- How do genealogies in the Bible help us understand God's promises?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 7:23 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 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges21–23. Ater … Hashum … Bezai … Hariph] In Ezra the order is Ater, Bezai, Jorah (= Hariph), Hashum. For Hariph see Nehemiah 10:19.
Read Cambridge 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 Bezai, 324;
The children of Bezai: three hundred twenty-four.
the descendants of Bezai, 324;
the descendants of Bezai, 324;
Tyndale line
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.
The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty four.
The sonnes of Bezai, three hundreth and foure and twentie.
Strictly literal
The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four.
Sons of Bezai: three hundred twenty and four.
sons of Bezai, three hundred twenty-four;
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.
The descendants of Bezai, 324.
From the Latin
The children of Besai, three hundred twenty-four.
Simplified
the sons of Bezai, 324;
The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four.
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 largely agree in this verse, with four out of six words matched. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, but the key terms align closely.
בְּנֵ֣י בֵצָ֔י שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וְאַרְבָּעָֽה׃ ס
4 of the 6 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 7:23
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…
בֵּצָ֑י (Betsay) refers to a personal name, specifically Bezai, who is noted as a chief among the returning exiles during the time of Ezra. The name is associated with the meaning 'conqueror' and appears in contexts related to the Exile and Return, specifically in Ezra 2:17 and Nehemiah 10:18.
בֵּצָ֑י n.pr.m. one of the chiefs of the people; i.e. a family
base
H1209 בֵּצָ֑י
1209 Betsay bay-tsah'-ee
perhaps the same as 1153; Betsai, the name of two
Israelites:--Bezai.
see HEBREW for 01153
בֵּצָ֑י (be.tsay) — Bezai.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.17
§ Bezai = "conqueror"
a chief of the returning exiles in the time of Ezra
בֵּצָ֑י (be.tsay) — Bezai.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.10.18
§ Bezai = "conqueror"
a chief of the returning exiles in the time of Ezra
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
(conqueror). "Children of Bezai," to the number of 328, returned from captivity with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:17; Nehemiah 7:23; 10:18)
eggs
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)
Adj — AdjHAcbsc
(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.
אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
base
H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
702 'arba` ar-bah'
masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.
see HEBREW for 07251
אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.
four
HC/Acbsa — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa
for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;