Ezra 2:5 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵ֣י אָרַ֔ח שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה וְשִׁבְעִֽים׃ ס
BSAthe descendantsbên [sons, children, or people] of ArahʼÂrach [seven hundred seventy and five, a total count] 775shebaʻ
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֣י | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| אָרַ֔ח | Arah | Noun proper masculine |
| שְׁבַ֥ע | seven | Adj |
| מֵא֖וֹת | hundred | |
| חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה | five | |
| וְשִׁבְעִֽים׃ ס | and seventy | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the descendants of Arah, 775; |
| KJV | The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five. |
| ASV | The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five. |
| YLT | Sons of Arah, seven hundred five and seventy. |
| WEB | The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy-five. |
| BBE | The children of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five. |
Where they part company is in the presentation of the total count — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is straightforward, presenting the descendants first and then their numerical count.
3 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Poole, 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 2:5
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 List of Returneesgenerated
Ezra 2:5 is part of a larger passage that details the names and numbers of the Israelites who returned from exile in Babylon. This list serves to establish the continuity of the people of Israel and their heritage, emphasizing the importance of lineage and family in the restoration of the nation. It highlights the significance of each family unit in the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nehemiah 6:18 | For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. |
| 2 | Nehemiah 7:10 | the descendants of Arah, 652; |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בְּנֵי, be.Neigenerated
The word בְּנֵי (be.Nei) is a masculine plural noun meaning 'sons' or 'descendants'. It signifies not just immediate offspring but can also refer to a broader group, such as a clan or tribe. This word emphasizes familial relationships and lineage, which are central themes in the genealogies of the Old Testament.
In this verse, it introduces the descendants of Arah, indicating a specific family line among the returning exiles. The use of the construct form suggests a close relationship between the descendants and their ancestor, Arah.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is governed by the subject בְּנֵי (the descendants), followed by the proper noun אָרַח (Arah) and then the numeral phrase indicating the count שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה וְשִׁבְעִֽים (seven hundred seventy and five). The structure is straightforward, listing the family and their number in a clear manner.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the descendants first, highlighting their identity before presenting the numerical total, which is typical in genealogical lists.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בְּנֵי as υἱοὶ (sons), which aligns with the Hebrew meaning but also carries a broader implication of descendants. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of lineage as not just immediate family but also extended descendants.
The name אָרַח is rendered as ηρα, maintaining the personal name's significance while the numerical count is omitted, which may suggest a different focus in the Greek tradition.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezra 2:5 lists the descendants of Arah, totaling 775 individuals. This verse is part of a larger record that documents the families returning from Babylonian exile, emphasizing their heritage and the importance of family in the restoration of Israel.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Arah is a personal name referring to one of the Israelites mentioned in the genealogies, associated with the return from exile.
Genealogies establish heritage and identity, showing the continuity of the Israelite people and their connection to their ancestors.
The number 775 represents the total count of Arah's descendants returning from exile, highlighting the size of this particular family group.
This verse contributes to the overall narrative of the return from exile, illustrating the rebuilding of Israel and the restoration of its people.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What significance does your family heritage hold for you today?
- How can understanding genealogies in the Bible deepen your appreciation for the history of God's people?
- In what ways do you see the importance of community and family in your own life?
- How can you apply the lessons of restoration and continuity found in this passage to your own experiences?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezra 2:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five. The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five. The number is stated in Nehemiah 7:1-73 to have been only 652.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezra 2 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIn , they were only six hundred and fifty-two. It seems seven hundred and seventy-five marched out of Babylon, or gave in their names that they would go; but some of them died, others changed their minds, others were hindered by sickness, or other casualties, happening to themselves or near relations; and so there came only six hundred and fifty-two to Jerusalem. And the like is to be said in the like differences; which it suffices to hint once for all.
Read Matthew Poole 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 Arah, 775;
The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy-five.
the descendants of Arah, 775;
the descendants of Arah: 775;
Tyndale line
The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.
The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.
The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.
The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.
The sonnes of Arah, seuen hundreth, and seuentie and fiue:
Strictly literal
The children of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five.
Sons of Arah, seven hundred five and seventy.
sons of Arah, seven hundred seventy-five;
The children of Arach, seven hundred seventy and five.
The descendants of Arah: 775.
From the Latin
The children of Area, seven hundred seventy-five.
Simplified
the sons of Arah, 775;
The children of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five.
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 content, with four of the six words matched. The Septuagint's rendering shows some differences in word order and structure, but the essential information regarding the descendants of Arah is consistent.
בְּנֵ֣י אָרַ֔ח שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה וְשִׁבְעִֽים׃ 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 2:5
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…
אָרַח (Arach) refers to a name meaning "traveller" and is associated with three individuals from the tribe of Asher during the time of the Exile and Return. The entries indicate that Arah is noted as a head of a family of returning exiles, appearing in 1 Chronicles 7:39, Ezra 2:5, and Nehemiah 6:18.
אָרַח n.pr.m. (traveller?)
a man of Asher
head of family of returning exiles
base
H733 אָרַח
733 'Arach aw-rakh'
from 732; way faring; Arach, the name of three Israelites:
Arah.
see HEBREW for 0732
אָרַח (a.rach) — Arah.
A man of the tribe of Asher living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.7.39;
son of: Shual (H7777B);
brother of: Hanniel (H2592H) and Rizia (H7525)
§ Arah = "traveller"
1) a man of Asher
2) the prominent head of a family of returning exiles
3) another returned exile
אָרַח (a.rach) — Arah.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.5
§ Arah = "traveller"
1) a man of Asher
2) the prominent head of a family of returning exiles
3) another returned exile
אָרַח (a.rach) — Arah.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.6.18;
father of: Shecaniah (H7935M)
§ Arah = "traveller"
1) a man of Asher
2) the prominent head of a family of returning exiles
3) another returned exile
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
a'-ra ('arach, "traveler"?):
(1) The son of Ulla, an Asherite (1Ch 7:39).
(2) The head of a family that returned from the exile with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:5; Ne 7:10). He is sometimes identified with Arah of Ne 6:18 whose grand-daughter became the wife of Tobiah, the Ammonite who tried to thwart Nehemiah in rebuilding Jerusalem.
(wayfaring). An Asherite, of the sons of Ulla. (1 Chronicles 7:39) The sons of Arah returned with Zerubbabel in number 775 according to (Ezra 2:5) but 652 according to (Nehemiah 7:10) (B.C. 536.) One of his descendants, Shechaniah, was the father-in-law of Tobiah the Ammonite. (Nehemiah 6:18)
the way; a traveler
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)
Adj — AdjHAcbsc
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…
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.
חָמֵשׁ (chamesh) means 'five' in Hebrew. It serves as both a cardinal number and can indicate a multiple of five when combined with another number. The word also has an ordinal form, 'fifth.' The entries consistently define this numeral without any noted disagreement.
חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה 342 n.m. and f. five
base
H2568 חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה five
2568 chamesh khaw-maysh'
masculine chamishshah {kham-ish-shaw}; a primitive numeral;
five:--fif(-teen), fifth, five (X apiece).
חָמֵשׁ (cha.mesh) — five.
1) five
1a) five (cardinal number)
1b) a multiple of five (with another number)
1c) fifth (ordinal number)
HAcbsa — HAcbsa
fiv (chamesh; pente).
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