Nehemiah 7:8 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔שׁ אַלְפַּ֕יִם מֵאָ֖ה וְשִׁבְעִ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ס
BSAthe descendantsbên [sons, children, or family] of ParoshParʻôsh [an Israelite ancestor, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two, a large number] 2,172ʼeleph
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֣י | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| פַרְעֹ֔שׁ | Parosh | Noun proper masculine |
| אַלְפַּ֕יִם | two thousand | Adj |
| מֵאָ֖ה | one hundred | |
| וְשִׁבְעִ֥ים | and seventy | 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 descendants of Parosh, 2,172; |
| KJV | The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two. |
| ASV | The children of Parosh, two thousand a hundred and seventy and two. |
| YLT | Sons of Parosh: two thousand a hundred and seventy and two. |
| WEB | The children of Parosh: two thousand one hundred seventy-two. |
| BBE | The children of Parosh, two thousand, one hundred and seventy-two. |
All translations agree on the meaning and details of this verse.
The structure is straightforward, listing the family followed by their count, reflecting a typical enumeration style.
3 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott, AdamClarke & 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 7:8
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 7:8 is part of a larger account that details the families of those who returned from Babylonian exile. This census emphasizes the importance of lineage and community among the Israelites as they rebuild their lives and restore their identity in Jerusalem after returning from captivity. The mention of specific families, like that of Parosh, highlights their roles in the restoration process.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nehemiah 10:14 | And the leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, |
| 2 | Ezra 2:3 | the descendants of Parosh, 2,172; |
| 3 | Ezra 8:3 | of the descendants of Shecaniah; from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men; |
| 4 | Nehemiah 10:25 | Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בְּנֵי, be.Neigenerated
The word בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'descendant' and is used here in the plural form to indicate the descendants of a particular ancestor, Parosh. This word conveys familial relationships and inheritance, emphasizing the continuity of lineage within the Israelite community.
In this context, בְּנֵי serves as a construct noun, linking the descendants directly to their ancestor, Parosh, thus establishing their identity and heritage as part of the larger narrative of the returning exiles.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree that this verse refers to the descendants of Parosh and the specific number of 2,172.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb is absent in this verse, as it is a straightforward enumeration of a family and their number. The structure presents a noun phrase followed by a numeral phrase, which clearly identifies the descendants and their count.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the family name, פַרְעֹ֔שׁ (Parosh), placing it at the forefront of the sentence, followed by the count, which is a common structure in lists.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בְּנֵי as υἱοὶ, which also means 'sons' or 'descendants.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the focus on lineage.
The translation of פַרְעֹ֔שׁ as φορος shows a consistent identification of the family name, though the Septuagint's overall structure differs from the Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 7:8 lists the descendants of Parosh, showing that there were 2,172 individuals in this family. This count is part of a larger census of the Israelites returning from exile, highlighting the importance of family and lineage in the restoration of the community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Parosh was an Israelite ancestor noted for leading a family that returned from exile with Zerubbabel and signed the covenant with Nehemiah.
The number 2,172 represents the total count of Parosh's descendants, indicating a significant family unit within the returning exiles.
Lineage is crucial for establishing identity and inheritance among the Israelites as they rebuild their community after exile.
This verse contributes to the overall account of the returning exiles, emphasizing the restoration of Israelite identity and community through the acknowledgment of families and their roles.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean to be part of a lineage or family in the context of faith?
- How can understanding our own family histories help us in our spiritual journeys?
- What role does community play in our lives today, similar to the families listed in this verse?
- How 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 Nehemiah 7:8 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 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 8. The children of Parosh] As this chapter is almost entirely the same with the second chapter of the book of Ezra, it is not necessary to add any thing to what is said there; and to that chapter, and the accompanying notes, the reader is requested to refer.
Read AdamClarke 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 Parosh, 2,172;
The children of Parosh: two thousand one hundred seventy-two.
the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;
the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;
Tyndale line
The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.
The children of Parosh, two thousand a hundred and seventy and two.
The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred and seventy and two.
The children of Parosh, two thousand a hundred and seventy two.
The sonnes of Parosh, two thousande an hundreth seuentie and two.
Strictly literal
The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two.
Sons of Parosh: two thousand a hundred and seventy and two.
sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two;
The children of Par'osh, two thousand one hundred and seventy and two.
The descendants of Parosh, 2,172.
From the Latin
The children of Pharos, two thousand one hundred seventy-two.
Simplified
The sons of Parosh, 2,172;
The children of Parosh, two thousand, one hundred and seventy-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 and the Septuagint largely agree on this verse, with five of the six words matching. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ but convey the same essential information about the descendants of Parosh.
בְּנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔שׁ אַלְפַּ֕יִם מֵאָ֖ה וְשִׁבְעִ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ס
5 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 7:8
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…
פַּרְעֹשׁ (Par`osh) refers to a man from the time of the Exile and Return, meaning "flea." He is noted as an ancestor of a family that returned with Zerubbabel and Ezra, and as a leader who signed the covenant with Nehemiah. The name appears in several verses, including Ezra 2:3 and Nehemiah 10:14.
base
H6551 פַּרְעֹשׁ
6551 Par`osh par-oshe'
the same as 6550; Parosh, the name of our
Israelite:--Parosh, Pharosh.
see HEBREW for 06550
פַּרְעֹשׁ (par.osh) — Parosh.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.3
§ Parosh or Pharosh = "flea"
1) ancestor of a family who returned from exile with Zerubbabel and a 2nd group who returned with Ezra
2) a leader of the people who signed the covenant with Nehemiah
פַּרְעֹשׁ (par.osh) — Parosh.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.8.3
§ Parosh or Pharosh = "flea"
1) ancestor of a family who returned from exile with Zerubbabel and a 2nd group who returned with Ezra
2) a leader of the people who signed the covenant with Nehemiah
פַּרְעֹשׁ (par.osh) — Parosh.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.3.25;
father of: Pedaiah (H6305J)
§ Parosh or Pharosh = "flea"
1) ancestor of a family who returned from exile with Zerubbabel and a 2nd group who returned with Ezra
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
pa'-rosh, par'-osh (par`osh, "flea" (leap)): a family that in part returned under Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:3; Ne 7:8), and in part under Ezra (Ezr 8:3; there spelt "Pharosh," the King James Version). Some of the family had foreign wives (Ezr 10:25). One descendant, Pedaiah (see PEDAIAH, (3)), helped to rebuild the city walls (Ne 3:25), and others were among those who "sealed" the covenant of Nehemiah (Ne 10:1,14). In 1 Esdras 5:9; 8:30; 9:26, "Phoros."
a flea; the fruit of a moth
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.
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)
HAcfsa — HAcfsa
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.
שִׁבְעִים (shib`iym) means 'seventy' in Hebrew. It is derived from a root meaning 'seven' and is used to denote the number seventy, often referenced in contexts involving counting or enumeration.
שִׁבְעִים 91 n.pl. seventy
base
H7657 שִׁבְעִים seventy
7657 shib`iym. shib-eem'
multiple of 7651; seventy:--seventy, threescore and ten
(+ -teen).
see HEBREW for 07651
שִׁבְעִים (shiv.im) — seventy.
seventy
HC/Acmpa — ConjunctionHC/Acmpa
sev'-n-ti (shibh`im; hebdomekonta).
See NUMBER.
→ The senate of the Israilites composed of seventy elders Ex 24:1,9; Nu 11:16,24,25
→ The seventy disciples sent forth by Jesus (though the best Greek mss. have “seventy-two”) Lu 10:1-17
→ The Jews in captivity in Babylon for seventy years Jer 25:11,12; 29:10; Da 9:2; Zec 1:12; 7:5
→ See ISRAEL
→ 70 Weeks in the vision of Daniel Da 9:24
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.