Ezra 2:67 — Word Study
WLCגְּמַ֨לֵּיהֶ֔ם אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑ה חֲמֹרִ֕ים שֵׁ֣שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֔ים שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת וְעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ פ
BSA435ʼarbaʻ camelsgâmâl [four hundred thirty and five, their riding animals] and 6,720shêsh donkeyschămôwr [asses, male donkeys, their beasts of burden]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| גְּמַ֨לֵּיהֶ֔ם | camels their | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| אַרְבַּ֥ע | four | Adj |
| מֵא֖וֹת | hundred | |
| שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים | thirty | |
| וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑ה | and five | Conjunction |
| חֲמֹרִ֕ים | donkeys | Noun common, both plural absolute |
| שֵׁ֣שֶׁת | six | Adj |
| אֲלָפִ֔ים | thousand | |
| שְׁבַ֥ע | seven | |
| מֵא֖וֹת | hundred | |
| וְעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ פ | and twenty | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. |
| KJV | Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty. |
| ASV | their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty. |
| YLT | their camels, four hundred thirty and five, asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty. |
| WEB | their camels, four hundred thirty-five; their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred twenty. |
| BBE | Four hundred and thirty-five camels, six thousand, seven hundred and twenty asses. |
Where they part company is חֲמֹרִ֕ים — see How Translations Differ.
The verse is a straightforward enumeration of animals, presenting the counts in a clear and direct manner.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
subjectחֲמוֹר
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 2:67
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 Register of Returning Exilesgenerated
Ezra 2:67 provides a count of the animals brought back by the exiles returning to Jerusalem. This list is part of a larger record that details the numbers of people and resources that were returning to rebuild the temple and restore the community after the Babylonian exile. Such accounts highlight the importance of these animals for transportation and labor as the people reestablished themselves in their homeland.
Cross References
The Key Word — גְּמַ֨לֵּיהֶ֔ם, ge.Ma.lei.Hemgenerated
The word גְּמַל (gamal) refers to camels, which were valuable for riding and carrying loads. The parsing indicates it is a masculine plural noun with a construct form, showing possession: 'their camels.' This highlights the importance of camels as property and their role in transportation and labor, as noted in the lexicons.
In this verse, the camels are part of a larger enumeration of resources, emphasizing their significance in the context of the returning exiles. The inclusion of the possessive suffix indicates these camels belonged to the returning families, underlining their personal and communal value.
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 finite verb is implied in the structure of the list, which counts the animals. The main clause presents the subject as the total number of camels and donkeys, with each number presented in a numeral phrase. The Hebrew word order emphasizes the count of camels first, followed by the count of donkeys.
The structure of the verse is straightforward, listing the animals in a clear and concise manner, which is typical for census-like records in biblical texts.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates גְּמַל as αὐτῶν, indicating possession. This choice reflects a similar understanding of the animals as belonging to the returning exiles.
The LXX does not provide a direct translation for the numbers, but it maintains the focus on the animals' ownership, which is a key aspect of the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezra 2:67 states that the returning exiles brought back 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys. This count is part of a larger list that details the resources and animals important for their journey and settlement in Jerusalem.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Camels and donkeys were essential for transportation and carrying loads, making them valuable assets for the returning exiles as they rebuilt their lives.
The large number of animals indicates that the returning exiles had substantial resources to assist in their resettlement and rebuilding efforts.
This verse is part of a census that details the people and resources returning from exile, highlighting the restoration of the community and the importance of their possessions.
The specific counts reflect the organization and planning of the returning exiles, showing their commitment to reestablishing their community and worship in Jerusalem.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What resources do I have that can support my community or help others?
- How can I be more aware of the contributions I can make to my community?
- In what ways can I prepare to support others in their journeys, similar to how these animals supported the returning exiles?
- What does this accounting of resources teach me about the importance of planning and organization in my own life?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezra 2:67 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBeside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezra 2 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(67) The asses, as throughout earlier Hebrew history, are the chief and most numerous beasts of burden.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezra 2 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges67. camels] The camel is mentioned in the O.T. chiefly as the beast of burden of nomad families and races, e.g. Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:25), Midianites and Amalekites (Judges 6:5; 1 Samuel 30:17). It would be the most serviceable of all beasts for the long journey from Babylon, on account of its great endurance and its capacity for carrying heavy weights. The camel here spoken of is probably of Arabian breed. It is what we should call the ‘dromedary’ or one-humped camel. Camels would be in frequent use in Babylon. Several Assyrian sculptures have been preserved in which we may see that the camel then as now was the favourite beast both of merchants and of robbers (Job 1:17). asses] Here and…
Read Cambridge on Ezra 2 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible65-68. Servants… horses… camels — To some of these the returning Jews were helped by their wealthy friends and neighbours who remained in Babylon, (Ezra 1:4; Ezra 1:6;) but probably not a few of the
Read Daniel Denison Whedon 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
435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
their camels, four hundred thirty-five; their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred twenty.
435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
Tyndale line
Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
Their camels foure hundreth, and fiue and thirtie: their asses, sixe thousand, seuen hundreth and twentie.
Strictly literal
their camels four hundred and thirty-five; the asses six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
their camels, four hundred thirty and five, asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
their camels, four hundred thirty-five, donkeys, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
Their camels: 435. Their donkeys: 6,720.
From the Latin
Their camels four hundred thirty-five, their asses six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
Simplified
435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
Four hundred and thirty-five camels, six thousand, seven hundred and twenty asses.
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 lists 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys, while the Septuagint does not provide a specific translation for this verse, indicating a lack of direct correspondence in the text. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls are not available for comparison in this instance, so we cannot determine if they agree or differ from the Masoretic Text.
גְּמַ֨לֵּיהֶ֔ם אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑ה חֲמֹרִ֕ים שֵׁ֣שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֔ים שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת וְעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ פ
5 of the 11 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 2:67
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.
גָּמָל (gamal) means 'camel' and is associated with labor and burden-bearing. It refers to camels as property, used for riding or as beasts of burden, and notes that they are forbidden as food. The entries consistently emphasize the camel's role in transportation and labor.
גָּמָל n.m. camel
as property
as beasts of burden
for riding
forbidden as food
base
H1581 גָּמָל camel
1581 gamal gaw-mawl'
apparently from 1580 (in the sense of labor or
burden-bearing); a camel:--camel.
see HEBREW for 01580
גָּמָל (ga.mal) — camel.
1) camel
1a) as property, as beast of burden, for riding, forbidden for food
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3mp
אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
base
H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
702 'arba` ar-bah'
masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.
see HEBREW for 07251
אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.
four
Adj — AdjHAcbsa
for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;
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.
שְׁלֹשִׁים (*shlowshiym*) means 'thirty' and can also refer to 'thirtieth' as an ordinal number. It is an indeclinable noun and is derived from the root word for 'three.' The entries indicate that it is used in various contexts, but there are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.
שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) 174 n.indecl. thirty
bef. n. sg.
as ordin.
base
H7970 שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) n. indecl. thirty . bef. n. sg.
. as ordin.
7970 shlowshiym shel-o-sheem'
or shloshiym {shel-o-sheem'}; multiple of 7969; thirty; or
(ordinal) thirtieth:--thirty, thirtieth. Compare 7991.
see HEBREW for 07969
see HEBREW for 07991
שְׁלֹשִׁים (she.lo.shim) — thirty.
thirty, thirtieth
Aramaic equivalent: te.la.tin (תְּלָתִין "thirty" H8533)
HAcmpa — HAcmpa
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)
HC/Acbsa — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa
fiv (chamesh; pente).
See NUMBER.
חֲמוֹר (chamor) refers to a male donkey, derived from a root meaning 'to be red' or 'dun.' The term is consistently translated as 'ass' or 'donkey' across various lexicons, indicating its specific reference to this animal in the Old Testament.
חֲמוֹר n.m. (he)-ass
base
H2543 חֲמוֹר (he)-ass
2543 chamowr kham-ore'
or (shortened) chamor {kham-ore}; from 2560; a male ass (from
its dun red):--(he)ass.
see HEBREW for 02560
חֲמוֹר (cha.mor) — donkey.
(he) ass
N-cp — Noun common · both plural absoluteHNcbpa
The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ, transliterated as shesh, means 'six' and can function as both a cardinal and ordinal number, indicating the sixth position. It is a primitive number that signifies an excess beyond five, as noted in the entries. The Aramaic equivalent is שֵׁת (shet).
שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה 216 n.m. et f. six
base
H8337 שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה six
8337 shesh shaysh
masculine shishshah {shish-shaw'}; a primitive number; six
(as an overplus (see 7797) beyond five or the fingers of the
hand); as ord. sixth:--six((-teen, -teenth)), sixth.
see HEBREW for 07797
שֵׁשׁ (shesh) — six.
1) six
1a) six (cardinal number)
1b) sixth (ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
Aramaic equivalent: shet (שֵׁת "six" H8353)
Adj — AdjHAcbsc
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
HAcbpa — HAcbpa
thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).
See NUMBER.
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)
HAcbsc — HAcbsc
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.
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)
HC/Acmpa — ConjunctionHC/Acmpa
twen'-ti.
See NUMBER.