Nehemiah 7:31 — Word Study
WLCאַנְשֵׁ֣י מִכְמָ֔ס מֵאָ֖ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ס
BSAof MichmashMikmâç [Mikmash, a hidden city, a hundred and twenty-two, one hundred twenty-two] 122mêʼâh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אַנְשֵׁ֣י | [the] men of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| מִכְמָ֔ס | Micmash | Noun proper |
| מֵאָ֖ה | one hundred | Adj |
| וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים | and twenty | Conjunction |
| וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ס | and two | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the men of Michmash, 122; |
| KJV | The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two. |
| ASV | The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty and two. |
| YLT | Men of Michmas: a hundred and twenty and two. |
| WEB | The men of Michmas: one hundred twenty-two. |
| BBE | The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty-two. |
The translations agree on the key phrases and numbers presented in this verse.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by a numeral phrase, presenting a straightforward enumeration.
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 7:31
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 7:31 is part of a list that records the names and numbers of those who returned from exile to Jerusalem. This census serves to establish the community's structure and organization. Michmash is mentioned specifically, indicating its significance among the returning families, much like other towns listed in this chapter.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Samuel 13:5–23 | Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. |
| 2 | Ezra 2:27 | the men of Michmash, 122; |
| 3 | Isaiah 10:28 | Assyria has entered Aiath and passed through Migron, storing their supplies at Michmash. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אַנְשֵׁ֣י, 'an.Sheigenerated
The word אַנְשֵׁי ('an.Shei) is a masculine plural noun derived from אִישׁ (ish), meaning 'man' or 'men.' It denotes individuals or people as a collective group. In this context, it refers specifically to the male inhabitants of Michmash.
The parsing indicates that it is in the construct state, linking it to the following noun, מִכְמָ֔ס (mikh.Mas), forming the phrase 'the men of Michmash.' This structure emphasizes the identity of the group being counted.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the phrase the men of Michmash and the number 122.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb is not explicit in this verse, as it is a listing of names and numbers, but the structure is clear: אַנְשֵׁ֣י מִכְמָ֔ס serves as the subject, followed by the numeral phrase מֵאָ֖ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם indicating the count of 122.
This construction reflects a common Hebrew practice of listing groups and their corresponding numbers, emphasizing the community's organization.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אַנְשֵׁי as ἄνδρες (andres), meaning 'men.' This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the focus on the male population.
The translation of מִכְמָ֔ס as μαξεμας indicates a direct correspondence to the Hebrew name, preserving the identity of the location.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 7:31 lists the men from Michmash, totaling 122. This verse is part of a census that records the numbers of those returning from exile to Jerusalem, showing the importance of Michmash in the community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Michmash is noted as a city in the territory of Benjamin, indicating its historical and geographical relevance during the time of the return from exile.
The census serves to document the returning exiles, establishing the population and organization of the community in Jerusalem.
Similar census accounts can be found in Ezra and other parts of Nehemiah, which aim to record the people of Israel and their restoration after exile.
The specific counting of individuals emphasizes the importance of community and identity for the returning exiles, highlighting their restoration and re-establishment.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the listing of names and numbers tell us about the importance of community in biblical times?
- How can we apply the idea of counting and recognizing individuals in our own communities today?
- What significance does the city of Michmash hold in the history of Israel?
- In what ways can we honor and remember those who have contributed to our communities, similar to this census?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 7:31 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 men of Michmash, 122;
The men of Michmas: one hundred twenty-two.
the men of Michmash, 122;
the men of Micmash, 122;
Tyndale line
The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two.
The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty and two.
The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two.
The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty two.
The men of Michmas, an hundreth and two and twentie.
Strictly literal
The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty-two.
Men of Michmas: a hundred and twenty and two.
men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two;
The men of Michmass, one hundred twenty and two.
The men of Michmas, 122.
From the Latin
The men of Machmas, a hundred twenty-two.
Simplified
the people from Michmas, 122;
The men of Michmas, a 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 אַנְשֵׁ֣י מִכְמָ֔ס מֵאָ֖ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם, which matches closely with the Septuagint, where four out of five words correspond directly. The Septuagint's wording reflects its own structure but conveys the same essential information.
אַנְשֵׁ֣י מִכְמָ֔ס מֵאָ֖ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ס
4 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 Nehemiah 7:31
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.
אֱנוֹשׁ (enowsh) refers to man or mankind, often used in a poetic context. It denotes a mortal individual, distinguishing humans from more dignified terms for man. The word encompasses both singular and collective meanings, indicating people or persons in general. Its Aramaic equivalent is אֱנָשׁ (e.nash), also meaning 'man'.
אֱנוֹשׁ n.m. man, mankind, mostly poet.
of individ.
coll. men
man, mankind
base
H582 אֱנוֹשׁ man, mankind, mostly poet.
582 'enowsh en-oshe'
from 605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the
more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or
collectively):--another, X (blood-)thirsty, certain,
chap(-man); divers, fellow, X in the flower of their age,
husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some
( X of them), + stranger, those, + their trade. It is often
unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in
apposition with another word . Compare 376.
see HEBREW for 0605
see HEBREW for 0120
see HEBREW for 0376
אֱנוֹשׁ (e.nosh) — human.
1) man, mortal man, person, mankind
1a) of an individual
1b) men (collective)
1c) man, mankind
Aramaic equivalent: e.nash (אֱנָשׁ "man" H0606)
HNcmpc — 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…
מִכְמָס (Mikmac) refers to a city in the territory of Benjamin, located north of Jerusalem. The name is derived from a root meaning 'hidden.' It appears in biblical texts such as Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 11:31, indicating its historical significance in the region.
מִכְמָס n.pr.loc.; = מִכְמָשׂ;—city in Benjamin, N. fr. Geba and Jerusalem (E. fr. Bethaven)
base
H4363 מִכְמָס; = מִכְמָשׂ;—city in Benjamin, N. fr. Geba and Jerusalem (E. fr. Bethaven)
4363 Mikmac mik-maws'
(Ezra 2:2 or Mikmash {mik-mawsh'}; or Mikmash (Neh. 11:31)
{mik-mash'}; from 3647; hidden; Mikmas or Mikmash, a place in
Palestine:--Mikmas, Mikmash.
see HEBREW for 03647
מִכְמָס, מִכְמָשׂ (mikh.mas) — Michmash.
§ Michmas or Michmash = "hidden"
a city in Benjamin lying near Ramah and approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Jerusalem; probably modern 'Mukhmas'
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
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)
Adj — AdjHAcfsa
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)
HC/Acmpa — ConjunctionHC/Acmpa
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.