Ezra 2:27 — Word Study
WLCאַנְשֵׁ֣י מִכְמָ֔ס מֵאָ֖ה עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ס
BSAof MichmashMikmâç [Mikmash, a hidden city] 122mêʼâh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אַנְשֵׁ֣י | [the] men of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| מִכְמָ֔ס | Micmash | Noun proper |
| מֵאָ֖ה | one hundred | Adj |
| עֶשְׂרִ֥ים | twenty | |
| 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 twenty and two. |
| ASV | The men of Michmas, a hundred twenty and two. |
| YLT | Men of Michmas, a hundred 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 wording of the verse.
The sentence is concise, providing a clear identification of the group and their number.
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 2:27
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
Ezra 2:27 provides a count of the men from Michmash who returned from exile. This verse is part of a larger list that details the various groups of people who came back to Jerusalem, emphasizing the restoration of the Jewish community after their time in Babylon. The mention of Michmash highlights its significance as a location in the territory of Benjamin, which played a role in the history of Israel.
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 | Isaiah 10:28 | Assyria has entered Aiath and passed through Migron, storing their supplies at Michmash. |
| 3 | Nehemiah 7:31 | the men of Michmash, 122; |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אַנְשֵׁ֣י, 'an.Sheigenerated
The word אַנְשֵׁ֣י ('an.Shei) is a plural noun derived from אִישׁ ('iysh), meaning 'man' or 'human.' It denotes individuals or people collectively, emphasizing their humanity. In this context, it specifies the men from a particular place, indicating a group of identifiable individuals.
This word is often used in biblical texts to refer to groups of people, distinguishing them from other forms of reference to humanity. The parsing as a masculine plural construct indicates that it is referring to a male group specifically.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree in rendering אַנְשֵׁ֣י as the men of in all versions, including the BSB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse is straightforward, with a main noun phrase — אַנְשֵׁ֣י מִכְמָ֔ס — serving as the subject, followed by a numeral phrase indicating the count. The finite verb is implied, as is common in Hebrew lists.
This construction emphasizes the enumeration of the men from Michmash, with the number following directly after the subject, typical of Hebrew syntax in census listings.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew אַנְשֵׁ֣י is rendered as ἄνδρες (andres), meaning 'men.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the focus on male individuals.
The Greek term μαξμας corresponds to מִכְמָ֔ס, preserving the name of the city without alteration, indicating a direct translation of the proper noun.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezra 2:27 lists the men of Michmash, numbering 122. This verse is part of a larger record that counts the people returning to Jerusalem after exile, emphasizing the restoration of the Jewish community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Michmash was an important city in ancient Israel, located in the territory of Benjamin, and is often associated with military events in the biblical narrative.
The number signifies the size of the group returning from exile, highlighting the restoration of the community and its ability to repopulate Jerusalem.
This verse is part of a census that documents the returning exiles, illustrating the rebuilding of the Jewish nation after their time in Babylon.
Other locations include Ramah, Geba, Bethel, and Ai, each with their own counts, showing the diverse origins of the returning exiles.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the return of the men from Michmash signify for the Jewish community?
- How can understanding the historical context of Michmash enhance our reading of Ezra?
- In what ways does this census reflect the importance of community in the biblical narrative?
- How can we apply the themes of restoration and rebuilding from this passage to our own lives?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezra 2:27 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two. The men of Michmas - or Michmash [The Hebrew letter shin (sh) in later Hebrew was softened into the Hebrew letter samech (c); Septuagint, Machmas]
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezra 2 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges27. Michmas] in the tribe of Benjamin, on a hill overlooking the gorge of the same name, which was the scene of Jonathan’s victory over the Philistines (1 Samuel 13:23; 1 Samuel 13:14). It was evidently a strong situation (cf. 1 Samuel 13:2; 1 Samuel 13:5; 1 Samuel 13:16). Geba was on the S., Michmash on the N. side of the gorge. This agrees with the passage in Isaiah 10:28-29 where the march of an invading Assyrian army from the N. is described, ‘At Michmash he layeth up his baggage: they are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba: Ramah trembleth’.
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 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 twenty and two.
The men of Michmas, a hundred twenty and two.
The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two.
The men of Michmas, a hundred twenty and 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 twenty and two.
men of Michmas, one hundred 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 Micmash, 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 and the Septuagint largely agree in this verse, with four out of the five words matching. The Septuagint maintains the essence of the Hebrew text, though its word order differs.
אַנְשֵׁ֣י מִכְמָ֔ס מֵאָ֖ה עֶשְׂרִ֥ים 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 Ezra 2:27
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)
HAcmpa — HAcmpa
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.