Ezra 2:38 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵ֣י פַשְׁח֔וּר אֶ֕לֶף מָאתַ֖יִם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וְשִׁבְעָֽה׃ ס
BSAthe descendantsbên [sons, children, or posterity] of PashhurPashchûwr [a priestly family, a thousand two hundred forty-seven, a large number] 1,247ʼeleph
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֣י | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| פַשְׁח֔וּר | Pashhur | Noun proper masculine |
| אֶ֕לֶף | one thousand | Adj |
| מָאתַ֖יִם | two hundred | |
| אַרְבָּעִ֥ים | forty | |
| וְשִׁבְעָֽה׃ ס | and seven | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247; |
| KJV | The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven. |
| ASV | The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven. |
| YLT | Sons of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven. |
| WEB | The children of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven. |
| BBE | The children of Pashhur, a thousand, two hundred and forty-seven. |
The translations agree on the rendering of the descendants of Pashhur, with no significant differences noted.
The verse consists of a main clause followed by a numeral phrase, presenting a straightforward enumeration.
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 2:38
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 2:38 records the names and numbers of the families that returned from Babylonian exile, highlighting their lineage and the importance of their heritage in the restoration of Israel. This census serves to establish the continuity of the people and their roles in the rebuilding of the temple and community in Jerusalem, as it follows a list of other families, such as the descendants of Immer and Harim, demonstrating the organized effort of the returning exiles.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezra 10:22 | From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. |
| 2 | 1 Chronicles 9:12 | Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer; |
| 3 | Nehemiah 7:41 | the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247; |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בְּנֵ֣י, be.Neigenerated
The word בְּנֵי (be.Nei) translates to 'sons' or 'descendants' and is a masculine plural form. It indicates not just immediate children but can also refer to a broader lineage, including grandchildren and other descendants. This word is used throughout the Old Testament to denote family connections and inheritance.
In this verse, it emphasizes the familial ties of the returning exiles, linking them to their ancestral heritage. The use of this term underscores the significance of lineage in the context of the Israelite community, particularly in priestly families such as that of Pashhur.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree here, rendering the phrase consistently across versions.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse highlights a simple declarative statement, with the main subject being the descendants of Pashhur. The finite verb is implied, as it is common in Hebrew for such lists to present information without explicitly stating the verb.
The noun phrase בְּנֵי פַשְׁח֔וּר serves as the subject, followed by a numeral phrase that quantifies the descendants, which is a typical format in genealogical records.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בְּנֵי as υἱοὶ (huioi), meaning 'sons'. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning of descendants, emphasizing the familial aspect.
However, the rest of the translation may differ in structure and word order, reflecting the translators' interpretive choices while still conveying the essential information about lineage.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezra 2:38 lists the descendants of Pashhur, totaling 1,247. This count is part of a larger census of families returning from exile, emphasizing their importance in rebuilding the community and temple in Jerusalem.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Pashhur was a priest mentioned in the Bible, known for his actions against the prophet Jeremiah.
The number reflects the size of the family and their role in the community, emphasizing the continuity of the priestly line.
It highlights their lineage and the importance of family heritage in the restoration of Israel.
It is part of a tradition of recording genealogies that establish identity and inheritance within the Israelite community.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean to be a descendant in the context of faith and community?
- How can understanding our heritage impact our identity today?
- In what ways do genealogies in the Bible help us understand God's plan?
- What lessons can we learn from the organization of the returning exiles?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezra 2:38 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven. The children of Pashur - the son of Malchijah (Jeremiah 38:1). The chief of this family had, at the time of the restoration, become the head of a priestly course.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezra 2 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges38. Pashur] This name does not occur among the 24 priestly houses. But a Pashur is mentioned 1 Chronicles 9:12; Nehemiah 11:12 as the son of Malchiah, and the name of ‘Malchiah’ is given to the fifth priestly house (1 Chronicles 24:9). Either Pashur the son of Malchiah, a prominent man in the court of king Zedekiah (Jeremiah 21:1; Jeremiah 38:1), gave his name to the branch of the house of Malchiah which returned with Zerubbabel: or the whole priestly house of Malchiah became known by the name of its distinguished member, Pashur.
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 Pashhur, 1,247;
The children of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven.
the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;
the descendants of Pashhur: 1,247;
Tyndale line
The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
The sonnes of Pashur, a thousand, two hundreth and seuen and fourtie:
Strictly literal
The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred and forty-seven.
Sons of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven;
The children of Pashchur, one thousand two hundred forty and seven.
Pashhur's descendants: 1,247.
From the Latin
The children of Pheshur, a thousand two hundred forty-seven.
Simplified
the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;
The children of Pashhur, a thousand, two hundred and forty-seven.
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 show agreement on the essential elements of the verse, with the Masoretic Text stating בְּנֵ֣י פַשְׁח֔וּר אֶ֕לֶף מָאתַ֖יִם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וְשִׁבְעָֽה׃ ס. The Septuagint matches 4 of the 6 words, indicating a close relationship between the two texts despite differences in word order.
בְּנֵ֣י פַשְׁח֔וּר אֶ֕לֶף מָאתַ֖יִם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וְשִׁבְעָֽה׃ 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 2:38
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…
פַּשְׁחוּר (pashchuwr) refers to a name meaning 'freedom' and is associated with several individuals in the Old Testament. Notably, it identifies a priest and chief prince during the reign of Zedekiah, as well as a governor of the temple who opposed Jeremiah. The entries indicate that Pashhur is linked to multiple figures, including a father of Gedaliah and a head of a family of returned exiles.
H6583 פַּשְׁחוּר . Je
. 21
. Ne
. father of one Gedaliah
. head of post-exil. family
6583 Pashchuwr pash-khoor'
probably from 6582; liberation; Pashchur, the name of four
Israelites:--Pashur.
see HEBREW for 06582
פַּשְׁחוּר (pash.chur) — Pashhur.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at 1Ch.9.12;
son of: Malchijah (H4441H);
father of: Zechariah (H2148X)
§ Pashur = "freedom"
1) a priest, son of Malchiah and one of the chief princes in the reign of king Zedekiah of Judah
2) a priest, son of Immer, chief governor of the temple, and the one who struck and then put the prophet Jeremiah into the stocks in the reign of king Jehoiakim of Judah
3) son of Malchijah, father of Zechariah, and ancestor of Adaiah who did the work of the temple in the time of Nehemiah. Probably same as 1
4) father of Gedaliah; probably the same as 1
5) head of a family of returned exiles
פַּשְׁחוּר (pash.chur) — Pashhur.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.10.3
§ Pashur = "freedom"
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
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 — AdjHAcbsa
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)
HAcfda — HAcfda
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.
אַרְבָּעִים (arba`iym) simply means 'forty' in Hebrew. It is a multiple of the number 702 and is consistently defined across various lexicons. There are no significant disagreements among the entries regarding its meaning.
אַרְבָּעִים a forty
base
H705 אַרְבָּעִים a forty
705 'arba`iym ar-baw-eem'
multiple of 702; forty:---forty.
see HEBREW for 0702
אַרְבָּעִים (ar.ba.im) — forty.
forty
HAcmpa — HAcmpa
שֶׁ֫בַע (sheba`) means 'seven' and is a cardinal number. It can also imply 'seven times' or refer to a week. The term appears in various contexts, including combinations like 17 or 700. Its Aramaic equivalent is שִׁבְעָה (shiv.ah), also meaning 'seven'.
שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה 394 n.m. et f. seven
base
H7651 שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה seven
7651 sheba` sheh'-bah
or (masculine) shibrah {shib-aw'}; from 7650; a primitive
cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also
(adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by
extension, an indefinite number:--(+ by) seven(-fold),-s,
(-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.
see HEBREW for 07650
see HEBREW for 07658
שֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) — seven.
1) seven (cardinal number)
1a) as ordinal number
1b) in combination-17, 700 etc
Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655)
HC/Acbsa — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa
sev'-'-n (shebha`; hepta).
See NUMBER.
Seven
This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Gen. 2:2, 3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. “Jacob’s seven years’ service to Laban; Pharaoh’s seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days’ siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number” (see Lev. 25:4;
The frequent recurrence of certain numbers in the sacred literature of the Hebrews is obvious to the most superficial reader, but seven so far surpasses the rest, both in the frequency with which it recurs and in the importance of the objects with which it is associated, that it may fairly be termed the representative symbolic number. The influence of the number seven was not restricted to the Hebrews; it prevailed among the Persians, ancient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The peculiarity of the Hebrew view consists in the special dignity of the seventh, and not simply in that of seen. The Sabbath being the seventh day suggested the adoption of seven as the coefficient, so to say, for their appointment of all sacred periods; and we thus find the 7th month ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, and signalized by the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Great Day of Atonement; 7…
As from the beginning this was the number of days in the week, so it often has in Scripture a sort of emphasis attached to it, and is very generally used as a round or perfect number. Clean beasts were taken into the ark by sevens, Ge 7:1-24. The years of plenty and famine in Egypt were marked by sevens, Ge 41:1-57. With the Jews, not only was there a seventh day Sabbath, but every seventh year was a Sabbath, and after every seven times seven years came a jubilee. Their great feasts of unleavened bread and of tabernacles were observed for seven days; the number of animals in many of their sacrifices was limited to seven. The golden candlestick had seven branches. Seven priests with seven trumpets went around the walls of Jericho seven days, and seven times on the seventh day. In…