Nehemiah 7:25 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵ֥י גִבְע֖וֹן תִּשְׁעִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה׃ ס
BSAthe descendantsbên [sons, children, or offspring] of GibeonGibʻôwn [a Levitical city in Benjamin, ninety and five, a large quantity] 95tishʻîym
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֥י | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| גִבְע֖וֹן | Gibeon | Noun proper masculine |
| תִּשְׁעִ֥ים | ninety | Adj |
| וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה׃ ס | and five | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the descendants of Gibeon, 95; |
| KJV | The children of Gibeon, ninety and five. |
| ASV | The children of Gibeon, ninety and five. |
| YLT | Sons of Gibeon: ninety and five. |
| WEB | The children of Gibeon: ninety-five. |
| BBE | The children of Gibeon, ninety-five. |
Where they part company is in the details of the translations, but all agree on the essential meaning.
The sentence is straightforward, consisting of a main clause followed by a numeral phrase indicating the count.
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 7:25
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 the Returning Exilesgenerated
Nehemiah 7:25 is part of a census that records the families and numbers of those who returned from Babylonian exile. This verse specifically mentions the descendants of Gibeon, highlighting their inclusion in the community that was rebuilding Jerusalem after the exile. The census serves to establish the identity and lineage of the returning exiles, emphasizing their connection to the land and their heritage.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezra 2:20 | the descendants of Gibbar, 95; |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בְּנֵ֥י, be.Neigenerated
The word בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'descendant' and is used here in the plural form to indicate the descendants of a family or tribe. It encompasses a wide range of meanings, including children and offspring, and is often used to denote lineage and inheritance in the Old Testament.
In this verse, it establishes the familial connection of the Gibeonites, linking them to their ancestral heritage. The use of the construct form emphasizes their identity as a group descended from a common ancestor.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the rendering of בְּנֵי as 'the descendants of' Gibeon.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is straightforward, with a noun phrase serving as the subject: בְּנֵי גִבְע֖וֹן, the descendants of Gibeon, followed by a numeral phrase indicating their number: תִּשְׁעִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה, ninety and five.
This simple structure highlights the focus on the identity of the descendants and their numerical count, which is typical in census records.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בְּנֵי as υἱοὶ (huioi), meaning 'sons' or 'children.' This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the familial aspect of the Gibeonites.
The Greek translation maintains the focus on lineage and descent, consistent with the Hebrew text's intent.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 7:25 lists the descendants of Gibeon, stating that there are 95 of them. This verse is part of a larger census that records the families returning from exile, emphasizing their connection to the land and their heritage.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The descendants of Gibeon were a group of people who were part of the Levitical city in Benjamin, known for their role in the community after the Babylonian exile.
The number 95 indicates the total count of the descendants of Gibeon who returned from exile, reflecting their presence in the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
Lineage is important as it establishes the identity and rights of the returning exiles to the land, reinforcing their heritage and connection to the community.
This verse connects to the larger narrative by showing the organized return of the exiles and the restoration of the community in Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What significance does the lineage of the Gibeonites hold in the context of the returning exiles?
- How can understanding the numbers in the census help us appreciate the community's efforts in rebuilding Jerusalem?
- In what ways does this verse reflect the importance of heritage and identity in the biblical narrative?
- How does this census relate to God's promises to His people regarding their return to the land?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 7:25 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 Colleges25. Gibeon] = Gibbar (probably a mistake) in Ezra.
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 Gibeon, 95;
The children of Gibeon: ninety-five.
the descendants of Gibeon, 95;
the descendants of Gibeon, 95;
Tyndale line
The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.
The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.
The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.
The children of Gibeon, ninety five.
The sonnes of Gibeon, ninetie and fiue.
Strictly literal
The children of Gibeon, ninety-five.
Sons of Gibeon: ninety and five.
sons of Gibeon, ninety-five;
The children of Gib'on, ninety and five.
The descendants of Gibeon, 95.
From the Latin
The children of Gabaon, ninety-five.
Simplified
the sons of Gibeon, 95;
The children of Gibeon, ninety-five.
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 their wording for this verse. The Septuagint's translation aligns closely with the Hebrew, confirming the descendants of Gibeon and their count.
בְּנֵ֥י גִבְע֖וֹן תִּשְׁעִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה׃ ס
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 Nehemiah 7:25
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…
גִּבְעוֹן (Gib`own) refers to Gibeon, a Levitical city in the tribe of Benjamin, described as a 'hill city.' It is located near modern 'el-Jib,' about 5 miles from Jerusalem. The word is derived from a root meaning 'hilly,' linking it to its geographical features.
גִּבְעוֹן n.pr.loc. Levitical city in tribe of Benjamin; cf. also as n.pr.m.
base
H1391 גִּבְעוֹן Levitical city in tribe of Benjamin
1391 Gib`own ghib-ohn'
from the same as 1387; hilly; Gibon, a place in
Palestine:--Gibeon.
see HEBREW for 01387
גִּבְעוֹן (giv.on) — Gibeon.
§ Gibeon = "hill city"
a Levitical city of Benjamin, modern 'el-Jib', which lies 5 miles or 8 km from Jerusalem
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
gib'-e-un (gibh`on): One of the royal cities of the Hivites (Jos 9:7). It was a greater city than Ai; and its inhabitants were reputed mighty men (Jos 10:2). It fell within the territory allotted to Benjamin (Jos 18:25), and was one of the cities given to the Levites (Jos 21:17).
1. The Gibeonites:
By a stratagem the Gibeonites secured for themselves and their allies in Chephirah, Beeroth and Kirjath-jearim immunity from attack by the Israelites. Terrified by the fate of Jericho and Ai, a company disguised as ambassadors from a far country, their garments and shoes worn, and their provisions moldy as from the length of their journey, went to Joshua at Gilgal, and persuaded…
Gibeon
Hill-city, “one of the royal cities, greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty” (Josh. 10:2). Its inhabitants were Hivites (11:19). It lay within the territory of Benjamin, and became a priest-city (18:25; 21:17). Here the tabernacle was set up after the destruction of Nob, and here it remained many years till the temple was built by Solomon. It is represented by the modern el-Jib, to the south-west of Ai, and about 5 1/2 miles north-north-west of Jerusalem.
A deputation of the Gibeonites, with their allies from three other cities (Josh. 9;17), visited the camp at Gilgal, and by false representations induced Joshua to enter into a league with them, although the Israelites had been specially warned against any league with the inhabitants of Canaan (Ex. 23:32…
(hill city), one of the four , cities of the Hivites, the inhabitants of which made a league with Joshua, (Joshua 9:3-15) and thus escaped the fate of Jericho and Ai. Comp. ch. (Joshua 11:19) Gibeon lay within the territory of Benjamin, ch. (Joshua 18:25) and with its "suburbs" was allotted to the priests, ch. (Joshua 21:17) of whom it became afterwards a principal station. It retains its ancient name almost intact, el-Jib . Its distance from Jerusalem by the main road is about 6 1/2 miles; but there is a more direct road reducing it to five miles.
A considerable city of the Hivites, afterwards a Levitical city in the tribe of Benjamin, Jos 18:25 21:17. It lay near Geba and Gibeah, and is sometimes wrongly taken for Geba. Its Canaanite inhabitants secured a treaty with Joshua and the elders of Israel by strategem, and were made hewers of wood for the sanctuary. Five neighboring kings unitedly fell upon them; but were defeated by the Jews in a great battle, during which "the sun stood still upon Gibeon," Jos 9:10. Here the tabernacle was set up for many years, 1Ch 16:39 21:29 2Ch 1:3,4; and here god communed by night with young king Solomon, 1Ki 3:4-15. It is also…
תִּשְׁעִים (tish`iym) means 'ninety' and is derived from the root word for 'nine.' It is used as a numeral in the Old Testament, specifically denoting the quantity ninety. The entries consistently define it as a number without any significant disagreement.
תִּשְׁעִים 20 n.indecl. ninety
base
H8673 תִּשְׁעִים ninety
8673 tish`iym tish-eem'
multiple from 8672; ninety:--ninety.
see HEBREW for 08672
תִּשְׁעִים (tish.im) — ninety.
ninety
Adj — AdjHAcmpa
חָמֵשׁ (chamesh) means 'five' in Hebrew. It serves as both a cardinal number and can indicate a multiple of five when combined with another number. The word also has an ordinal form, 'fifth.' The entries consistently define this numeral without any noted disagreement.
חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה 342 n.m. and f. five
base
H2568 חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה five
2568 chamesh khaw-maysh'
masculine chamishshah {kham-ish-shaw}; a primitive numeral;
five:--fif(-teen), fifth, five (X apiece).
חָמֵשׁ (cha.mesh) — five.
1) five
1a) five (cardinal number)
1b) a multiple of five (with another number)
1c) fifth (ordinal number)
HC/Acbsa — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa
fiv (chamesh; pente).
See NUMBER.