Nehemiah 7:12 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵ֣י עֵילָ֔ם אֶ֕לֶף מָאתַ֖יִם חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וְאַרְבָּעָֽה׃ ס
BSAthe descendantsbên [sons, children, or family line] of ElamʻÊylâm [a son of Shem, a region, or its people, one thousand two hundred fifty and four, a large company] 1,254ʼeleph
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֣י | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| עֵילָ֔ם | Elam | Noun proper masculine |
| אֶ֕לֶף | one thousand | Adj |
| מָאתַ֖יִם | two hundred | |
| חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים | fifty | |
| וְאַרְבָּעָֽה׃ ס | and four | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the descendants of Elam, 1,254; |
| KJV | The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four. |
| ASV | The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four. |
| YLT | Sons of Elam: a thousand two hundred fifty and four. |
| WEB | The children of Elam: one thousand two hundred fifty-four. |
| BBE | The children of Elam, a thousand, two hundred and fifty-four. |
Where they part company is in the details of the translation, but they all agree on the core elements of the verse.
The structure is straightforward, with a main clause identifying the descendants followed by a numeral phrase indicating their count.
2 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott & 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 — Nehemiah 7:12
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 Those Who Returnedgenerated
Nehemiah 7:12 provides a record of the descendants of various families returning from exile, highlighting their numbers as they reestablish themselves in Jerusalem. This verse specifically notes the descendants of Elam, who are part of the larger community of returnees, emphasizing the importance of lineage and heritage in the restoration of the nation.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezra 2:7 | the descendants of Elam, 1,254; |
| 2 | Ezra 8:7 | from the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men; |
| 3 | Ezra 10:26 | From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עֵילָם, 'ei.Lamgenerated
The term עֵילָם (*'Eylam*) refers to both a son of Shem and a region associated with his descendants. The name is linked to the idea of 'eternity' and has historical significance, appearing in genealogies and contexts related to the Exile.
In this verse, it identifies a particular group within the returning exiles, emphasizing their heritage and connection to the broader narrative of Israel's restoration.
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 verse, with the subject being the noun phrase בְּנֵי עֵילָם — the descendants of Elam. The numeral phrase follows, indicating the specific count of 1,254.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the family line before the number, reflecting the importance of lineage in the context of the returning exiles.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עֵילָם as αιλαμ, which maintains the identification of Elam as a significant figure and region. This choice reflects the continuity of the name and its importance in both texts.
The LXX preserves the essence of the Hebrew while adapting it for a Greek-speaking audience, ensuring that the historical context remains clear.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 7:12 lists the descendants of Elam, totaling 1,254 individuals. This verse is part of a larger genealogical record that documents the families returning to Jerusalem after the exile, emphasizing their heritage.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Elam refers to a son of Shem and his descendants, as well as a region, and means eternity.
The number signifies the size of the family line returning to Jerusalem, highlighting the restoration of the community.
This verse is part of a genealogical record that emphasizes the importance of lineage and community as the exiles return to re-establish their nation.
Genealogies establish identity, heritage, and the fulfillment of God's promises to His people.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this verse teach us about the importance of heritage in our own lives?
- How can understanding the genealogies help us appreciate the narrative of the Bible?
- In what ways can we honor our own family lines and histories?
- What does the return of the exiles signify about God's faithfulness to His promises?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 7:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThese are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem
Read Robert Jamieson on Nehemiah 7 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5-73) The genealogical reckoning of the people, as the first step towards increasing the population of the metropolis, is determined on, not without express Divine suggestion; the allusion to this inspiration from God, is, as in Nehemiah 2:12, very emphatic. The original register of Zerubbabelis found and copied. The express language of both Ezra and Nehemiah makes it plain that this is no other than the list of those who came up with Zerubbabel and Joshua after the decree of Cyrus, in B.C. 538. Nehemiah’s own census follows, in Nehemiah 11. The exposition, especially as compared with Ezra 2, has been given on that chapter.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Nehemiah 7 →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 Elam, 1,254;
The children of Elam: one thousand two hundred fifty-four.
the descendants of Elam, 1,254;
the descendants of Elam, 1,254;
Tyndale line
The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty four.
The sonnes of Elam, a thousand, two hundreth fiftie and foure.
Strictly literal
The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four.
Sons of Elam: a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four;
The children of 'Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty and four.
The descendants of Elam, 1,254.
From the Latin
The children of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.
Simplified
the sons of Elam, 1,254;
The children of Elam, a thousand, two hundred and fifty-four.
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 five of the six words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the core elements of the genealogy and numbers remain consistent.
בְּנֵ֣י עֵילָ֔ם אֶ֕לֶף מָאתַ֖יִם חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וְאַרְבָּעָֽה׃ ס
5 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 Nehemiah 7:12
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…
The Hebrew word עֵילָם (*Eylam*) refers primarily to Elam, a region and its people, descendants of Shem. It encompasses various individuals, including heads of families among the exiles, a chief in Benjamin, and a Levite. The term is linked to the concept of 'eternity' and appears in contexts related to the Exile and Return, as well as genealogies from the time of the Patriarchs.
עֵילָם n.pr.gent. et terr. Elam
base
עֵילָם n.pr.m.
heads of families of returned exiles
a chief of people
name in Benjamin
Levite name
a priest
base
H5867a עֵילָם n. pr. gent. et terr. Elam H5867b עֵילָם . heads of families of returned exiles
. a chief of people
. name in Benjamin
. Levite name
. a priest
5867 `Eylam ay-lawm'
or mOwlam (Ezra 10:2; Jeremiah 49:36) {o-lawm'}; probably
from 5956; hidden, i.e. distant; Elam, a son of Shem and his
descendants, with their country; also of six
Israelites:--Elam.
see HEBREW for 05956
עֵילָם (e.lam) — Elam.
§ Elam = "eternity"
a province east of Babylon and northeast of the lower Tigris
עֵילָם (e.lam) — Elam.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.7
§ Elam = "eternity"
1) a Korhite Levite in the time of David
2) a chief man of the tribe of Benjamin
3) ancestor of a family of exiles who returned with Zerubbabel
4) a chief of the people who signed the covenant with Nehemiah
5) another ancestor of another family of exiles who returned with Zerubbabel
6) a priest who assisted at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah
7) another head of a family of returning exiles
עֵילָם (e.lam) — Elam.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.22;
son of: Shem (H8035);
brother of: Asshur (H0804H), Arpachshad (H0775), Lud (H3865) and Aram (H0758)
§ Elam = "eternity"
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Elam
Highland, the son of Shem (Gen. 10:22), and the name of the country inhabited by his descendants (14:1, 9; Isa. 11:11; 21:2, etc.) lying to the east of Babylonia, and extending to the shore of the Mediterranean, a distance in a direct line of about 1,000 miles. The name Elam is an Assyrian word meaning “high.”
“The inhabitants of Elam, or ‘the Highlands,’ to the east of Babylon, were called Elamites. They were divided into several branches, speaking different dialects of the same agglutinative language. The race to which they belonged was brachycephalic, or short-headed, like the pre-Semitic Sumerians of Babylonia.
“The earliest Elamite kingdom seems to have been that of Anzan, the exact site of which is uncertain; but in the time of Abraham, Shushan or Susa appears…
(eternity). This seems to have been originally the name of a man, the son of Shem. (Genesis 10:22; 1 Chronicles 1:17) Commonly, however, it is used as the appellation of a country. (Genesis 14:1,9; Isaiah 11:11; 21:2) The Elam of Scripture appears to be the province lying south of Assyria and east of Persia proper, to which Herodotus gives the name of Cissia (iii. 91, v. 49, etc.), and which is termed Susis or Susiana by the geographers. Its capital was Susa. This country was originally people by descendants of Shem. By the time of Abraham a very important power had been built up in the same region. It is plain that at this early time the predominant power in lower Mesopotamia was Elam, which for a while held the place…
1. The region afterwards called Persia, Ge 14:1. It was called Elam after a son of Shem, Ge 10:22. It corresponded to the Elymais of Greek and Roman writers, which comprehended a part of Susiana, now Khusistan or more probably included the whole of Susiana. The city Susa, or Shushan, was in it, Da 8:2. See also Ac 2:9.
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.
חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishshiym) means 'fifty' and is a cardinal number. It can also refer to a multiple of fifty or the ordinal number 'fiftieth.' The entries consistently define it as a numerical term without significant variation.
חֲמִשִּׁים 164 n.pl. (a) fifty
base
H2572 חֲמִשִּׁים (a) fifty
2572 chamishshiym kham-ish-sheem'
multiple of 2568; fifty:--fifty.
see HEBREW for 02568
חֲמִשִּׁים (cha.mish.shim) — fifty.
1) fifty
1a) fifty (cardinal number)
1b) a multiple of fifty (with other numbers)
1c) fiftieth (ordinal number)
HAcmpa — HAcmpa
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
HC/Acbsa — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa
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;