Ezra 2:17 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵ֣י בֵצָ֔י שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ ס
BSAthe descendantsbên [sons, children, or posterity] of BezaiBêtsay [a leader of the exiles, three hundred twenty and three, a specific number of people] 323shâlôwsh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֣י | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| בֵצָ֔י | Bezai | Noun proper masculine |
| שְׁלֹ֥שׁ | three | Adj |
| מֵא֖וֹת | hundred | |
| עֶשְׂרִ֥ים | twenty | |
| וּשְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ ס | and three | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the descendants of Bezai, 323; |
| KJV | The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three. |
| ASV | The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three. |
| YLT | Sons of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three. |
| WEB | The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty-three. |
| BBE | The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three. |
Where they part company is בְּנֵי — see How Translations Differ.
A simple structure with a main clause and a numeral phrase providing specific detail.
2 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, 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 — Ezra 2:17
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 Genealogy of the Exilesgenerated
Ezra 2:17 is part of a list detailing the families and numbers of those who returned from exile to Jerusalem. This section emphasizes the importance of lineage and the restoration of the community after the Babylonian captivity, reflecting the fulfillment of God's promises to His people.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nehemiah 7:23 | the descendants of Bezai, 324; |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בְּנֵ֣י, be.Neigenerated
The word בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'descendant' and is used here to denote familial relationships. It can refer to a range of descendants, including children and grandchildren, and is often employed in genealogical contexts to establish lineage.
In this verse, it highlights the descendants of Bezai, indicating their role in the returning community. The use of the plural form underscores the collective identity of Bezai's family.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses descendants for בְּנֵי.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is governed by the noun phrase בְּנֵי בֵצָ֔י (the descendants of Bezai), followed by a numeral phrase that specifies the count of 323. The structure is straightforward, listing the family and their number in a genealogical format.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the descendants first, followed by their specific number, which is a common structure in genealogical records.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בְּנֵי as υἱοὶ (sons), which aligns with the Hebrew meaning of descendants or children. This choice maintains the familial aspect of the term.
The translation reflects a direct correspondence with the Hebrew, preserving the significance of lineage in the context of the returning exiles.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezra 2:17 lists the descendants of Bezai, stating that there are 323 of them. This verse is part of a larger record documenting the families returning to Jerusalem from exile, emphasizing the importance of lineage.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Bezai was a leader among the exiles returning to Jerusalem, as noted in this genealogical record.
The number signifies the size of Bezai's family, reflecting the restoration of the community after exile.
Genealogy is crucial in the Bible for establishing identity, inheritance, and community ties, especially after the exile.
It highlights the re-establishment of the Jewish community in Jerusalem, fulfilling God's promises to His people.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the genealogy of Bezai tell us about the importance of family in the biblical narrative?
- How can understanding the significance of lineage enhance our reading of the Old Testament?
- In what ways do genealogies serve as a reminder of God's faithfulness to His people?
- How might we apply the concept of community restoration seen in this verse to our own lives?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezra 2:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three. The children of Bezai - [Septuagint, Bassou].
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezra 2 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3–19. Names of households or families. Many of these names occur again in other lists, e.g. Ezra 8:1-14; Ezra 10:18-44; Nehemiah 10:1-27, and in connexion with much later events in the lifetime of Ezra and Nehemiah. These names therefore are not to be regarded as the names of the leading men of the various families who accompanied Zerubbabel, but as the titles of the families or clans into which the people were divided. These titles were probably taken from the founders of the families and were many of them of great antiquity. The mention of the same names of the ‘families’ at the return of Ezra (Ezra 8:1-14) merely shows that, though a certain number of a household had accompanied…
Read Cambridge on Ezra 2 →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, 323;
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty-three.
the descendants of Bezai, 323;
the descendants of Bezai: 323;
Tyndale line
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
The sonnes of Bezai, three hundreth and three and twentie:
Strictly literal
The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three.
Sons of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
sons of Bezai, three hundred twenty-three;
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
The descendants of Bezai: 323.
From the Latin
The children of Besai, three hundred and twenty-three.
Simplified
the sons of Bezai, 323;
The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three.
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 the wording of this verse, with four of the six words matched. The Septuagint's structure differs but retains the essential elements of the genealogy.
בְּנֵ֣י בֵצָ֔י שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ 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 Ezra 2:17
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…
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.
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)
HC/Acbsa — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa
(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.