Nehemiah 7:32 — Word Study
WLCאַנְשֵׁ֤י בֵֽית־ אֵל֙ וְהָעָ֔י מֵאָ֖ה עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ ס
BSAofBêyth-ʼÊl BethelBêyth-ʼÊl [house of God, sacred place] and AiʻAy [heap of ruins, a city in Palestine] 123mêʼâh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אַנְשֵׁ֤י | [the] men of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| בֵֽית־ | Beth- | Noun proper |
| אֵל֙ | -el | Noun proper |
| וְהָעָ֔י | and Ai | Conjunction, particle, noun proper |
| מֵאָ֖ה | one hundred | Adj |
| עֶשְׂרִ֥ים | twenty | |
| וּשְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ ס | and three | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the men of Bethel and Ai, 123; |
| KJV | The men of Beth-el and Ai, an hundred twenty and three. |
| ASV | The men of Beth-el and Ai, a hundred twenty and three. |
| YLT | Men of Bethel and Ai: a hundred twenty and three. |
| WEB | The men of Bethel and Ai: one hundred twenty-three. |
| BBE | The men of Beth-el and Ai, a hundred and twenty-three. |
The translations agree on the identification of the men from Bethel and Ai.
The verse consists of a main clause identifying the men and a numeral phrase indicating their total 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 7:32
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
Nehemiah 7:32 provides a record of the men who returned from exile, specifically noting those from Bethel and Ai. This census is part of a larger effort to document the people who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, emphasizing the rebuilding of the community and its structures.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 8:9–17 | So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people. |
| 2 | Ezra 2:28 | the men of Bethel and Ai, 223; |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֲנָשֵׁי, 'an.Sheigenerated
The word אֲנָשֵׁי ('an.Shei) is the plural form of אִישׁ (ish), meaning 'men' or 'people.' It signifies human beings in a collective sense, representing individuals or groups within the community.
This noun is in the masculine plural construct form, indicating a group of males. It is commonly used to denote men in various contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible, highlighting their role in society.
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 structure of the verse centers around the noun phrase אֲנָשֵׁי ('an.Shei), which serves as the subject. Following this, there are two noun phrases identifying the locations, בֵֽית־אֵל (Bethel) and הָעָי (Ai), along with a numeral phrase indicating the total count of 123.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the subjects and their locations, highlighting the community's identity as they return from exile.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֲנָשֵׁי as ἄνδρες (andres), meaning 'men.' This choice retains the focus on the male population of the returning exiles.
The translation of בֵֽית־אֵל and הָעָי aligns closely with their Hebrew meanings, maintaining the significance of these locations.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 7:32 lists the number of men who returned from exile, specifically noting that there were 123 men from the cities of Bethel and Ai. This verse is part of a larger census documenting those who returned to Jerusalem.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Bethel is known as the 'house of God,' a significant spiritual site, while Ai, meaning 'heap of ruins,' reflects its history of destruction.
The census serves to document the returning exiles, emphasizing the rebuilding of the community and the restoration of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity.
The number 123 represents the total count of men from the cities of Bethel and Ai who returned from exile.
This verse connects to other census accounts in the Bible, such as those found in Joshua 8:1-17 and Ezra 2:28, which also document the people of Israel.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the return of the exiles from Bethel and Ai signify for the community of Israel?
- How can understanding the significance of Bethel and Ai deepen our appreciation for their history?
- In what ways can we document and honor our own communities' histories?
- What lessons can we learn from the rebuilding efforts of the exiles in Nehemiah's time?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 7:32 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 men of Bethel and Ai, 123;
The men of Bethel and Ai: one hundred twenty-three.
the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;
the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;
Tyndale line
The men of Beth-el and Ai, an hundred twenty and three.
The men of Beth-el and Ai, a hundred twenty and three.
The men of Beth-el and Ai, an hundred twenty and three.
The men of Beth-el and Ai, a hundred and twenty three.
The men of Beth-el and Ai, an hundreth and three and twentie.
Strictly literal
The men of Bethel and Ai, a hundred and twenty-three.
Men of Bethel and Ai: a hundred twenty and three.
men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred twenty-three;
The men of Beth-el and 'Ai, one hundred twenty and three.
The men of Bethel and Ai, 123.
From the Latin
The men of Bethel and Hai, a hundred twenty-three.
Simplified
the people from Bethel and Ai, 123;
The men of Beth-el and Ai, a hundred and twenty-three.
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 on this verse, with five of the seven words matching. The Septuagint's word order differs, reflecting its own grammatical structure.
אַנְשֵׁ֤י בֵֽית־ אֵל֙ וְהָעָ֔י מֵאָ֖ה עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ ס
5 of the 7 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 7:32
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…
בֵּֽיתְאֵל (Bethel) means 'house of God' and refers to a significant ancient location in Palestine, identified with Luz. It is described as a seat of worship situated in Ephraim on the border of Benjamin, as well as a place in the southern region of Judah.
בֵּֽיתְאֵל 71 n.pr.loc. Bethel
ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identif. with Luz (former name)
place in south country of Judah, not far from Beersheba & Ziklag
base
H1008 בֵּֽיתְאֵל Bethel
1008 Beyth-'El bayth-ale'
from 1004 and 410; house of God; Beth-El, a place in
Palestine:--Beth-el.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 0410
בֵּֽיתְ־אֵל (bet-el) — Bethel.
§ Bethel = "house of God"
ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name)
בֵּֽיתְ־אֵל (bet-el) — Bethel.
§ Bethel = "house of God"
a place in south country of Judah
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
Beth
Occurs frequently as the appellation for a house, or dwelling-place, in such compounds as the words immediately following:
the most general word for a house or habitation. It has the special meaning of a temple or house of worship Beth is more frequently employed in compound names of places than any other word.
House, forms a part of many compounds names of places, and sometimes means the place or dwelling; and at others the temple. This word becomes Beit in modern Arabic.
בֵּֽיתְאֵל (Bethel) means 'house of God' and refers to a significant ancient location in Palestine, identified with Luz. It is described as a seat of worship situated in Ephraim on the border of Benjamin, as well as a place in the southern region of Judah.
בֵּֽיתְאֵל 71 n.pr.loc. Bethel
ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identif. with Luz (former name)
place in south country of Judah, not far from Beersheba & Ziklag
base
H1008 בֵּֽיתְאֵל Bethel
1008 Beyth-'El bayth-ale'
from 1004 and 410; house of God; Beth-El, a place in
Palestine:--Beth-el.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 0410
בֵּֽיתְ־אֵל (bet-el) — Bethel.
§ Bethel = "house of God"
ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name)
בֵּֽיתְ־אֵל (bet-el) — Bethel.
§ Bethel = "house of God"
a place in south country of Judah
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
See GOD, NAMES OF.
Strength, one of the names of God, especially in poetry,
Ge 33:18-20. It is very often found in proper names, as Bethel, Daniel, Elijah, etc. Eloi, like Eli, means, My God.
עַי (Ay) refers to an ancient city in Canaan, known as Ai or Aija, which is described as a 'heap of ruins.' It is located east of Bethel and near Jericho, and it is mentioned as the second city taken during the invasion of Canaan. Additionally, it is noted as a city of the Ammonites east of the Jordan, associated with Heshbon.
עַי, עַיָּ֑ת, עַיָּה 40 n.pr.loc.
old Canaanit. city
E. Jordan city
base
H5857 עַי, עַיָּ֑ת, עַיָּה . old Canaanit. city
. E. Jordan city
5857 `Ay ah'ee
or (feminine) uAya( (Neh. 11:31) {ah-yaw'}; or eAyath (Isaiah
10:28) {ah-yawth'}; for 5856; Ai, Aja or Ajath, a place in
Palestine:--Ai, Aija, Aijath, Hai.
see HEBREW for 05856
עַי (ay) — Ai.
§ Ai or Aija or Aiath or Hai = "heap of ruins"
a city lying east of Bethel and beside Bethaven near Jericho and the second city taken on the invasion of Canaan
עַי (ay) — Ai.
§ Ai or Aija or Aiath or Hai = "heap of ruins"
a city of the Ammonites on the east of the Jordan and apparently attached to Heshbon
Conj | Art | N-proper — Conjunction · particle · noun properHC/Td/Npl
a'-i (`ay, written always with the definite article, ha-`ay, probably meaning "the ruin," kindred root, `awah):
(1) A town of central Palestine, in the tribe of Benjamin, near and just east of Bethel (Ge 12:8). It is identified with the modern Haiyan, just south of the village Der Diwan (Conder in HDB; Delitzsch in Commentary on Ge 12:8) or with a mound, El-Tell, to the north of the modern village (Davis, Dict. Biblical). The name first appears in the earliest journey of Abraham through Palestine (Ge 12:8), where its location is given as east of Bethel, and near the altar which Abraham built between the two places. It is given similar mention as he returns from his sojourn in Egypt (
Ai
Ruins. (1.) One of the royal cities of the Canaanites (Josh. 10:1; Gen. 12:8; 13:3). It was the scene of Joshua’s defeat, and afterwards of his victory. It was the second Canaanite city taken by Israel (Josh. 7:2-5; 8:1-29). It lay rebuilt and inhibited by the Benjamites (Ezra 2:28; Neh. 7:32; 11:31). It lay to the east of Bethel, “beside Beth-aven.” The spot which is most probably the site of this ancient city is Haiyan, 2 miles east from Bethel. It lay up the Wady Suweinit, a steep, rugged valley, extending from the Jordan valley to Bethel.
(heap of ruins). A city lying east of Bethel and "beside Bethaven." (Joshua 7:2; 8:9) It was the second city taken by Israel after the passage of the Jordan, and was "utterly destroyed." (Joshua 7:3-5; 8:1; Joshua 9:3; 10:1,2; 12:9) A city of the Ammonites, apparently attached to Heshbon. (Jeremiah 49:3)
Called also Hai, Ge 12:8; Aija, Ne 11:31; and Aiath, Isa 10:28. A royal city of the Canaanites, east of Bethel, near which Abraham once sojourned and built an altar, Ge 12:8; 13:3. It is memorable for Joshua’s defeat on account of Achan, and his subsequent victory, Jos 7:2-5; 8:1-29. It was rebuilt, and is mentioned by Isaiah. Its ruins are spoken of by Eusebius and Jerome, but the exact site cannot now be fixed with certainty.
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.
The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.
שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad
base
H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad
7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'
or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};
or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;
occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,
+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.
Compare 7991.
see HEBREW for 07991
שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.
1) three, triad
1a) 3, 300, third
Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)
HC/Acbsa — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa
(shalosh; treis).
See NUMBER.
The phrase "three days and three nights," Mt 12:40, was equivalent in Hebrew to the English "three days;" the Jews employing the expression "a day and a night" to denote our "day" of twentyfour hours. Nor did "three days," 1Sa 30:13, literally "this third day," according to their usage, necessarily include the whole of three days, but a part of three days, a continuous period including one whole day of twenty-four hours, and a portion of the day preceding it and the day following it. Compare Ge 7:12,17 1Sa 30:12-13.