ris3n's Apologetics Codex
Page Nav

Passage

Nehemiah 7.13

Book: Nehemiah · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

There are ads on our codex that pay for hosting and keep the codex free. If you can, please consider whitelisting ris3n.com or allowing scripts to support the work.

Sponsored

Brands, events, influencers advertise here

ASV

11. The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen. 12. The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

13. The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.

  1. The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore. 15. The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight. (Nehemiah 7:11-15, ASV)
WEB

11. The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred eighteen. 12. The children of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.

13. The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty-five.

  1. The children of Zaccai, seven hundred sixty. 15. The children of Binnui, six hundred forty-eight. (Nehemiah 7:11-15, WEB)
KJV

11. The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen. 12. The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

13. The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.

  1. The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore. 15. The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight. Binnui: or, Bani (Nehemiah 7:11-15, KJV)
YLT

11. Sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab: two thousand and eight hundred [and] eighteen. 12. Sons of Elam: a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

13. Sons of Zattu: eight hundred forty and five.

  1. Sons of Zaccai: seven hundred and sixty. 15. Sons of Binnui: six hundred forty and eight. (Nehemiah 7:11-15, YLT)

See this page's graph and discover linked topics

Setting

  • Speaker: the register of the first return, which Nehemiah "found written" (Nehemiah 7:5)
  • Audience: the readers; Nehemiah used it to gather the people "that they might be reckoned by genealogy" (Nehemiah 7:5)
  • Location: compiled for Jerusalem and Judah
  • Time period: the register records the first return under Zerubbabel, from c. 538 BC; Nehemiah found it c. 445 BC (Nehemiah 7:5)

Theological reading

"The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five." The parallel list in Ezra gives "nine hundred forty and five" (Ezra 2:8). Several family figures differ between the two registers in the same way: Arah is 775 in Ezra 2:5 and 652 in Nehemiah 7:10; Bani is 642 in Ezra 2:10, while Binnui is 648 in Nehemiah 7:15.

Two explanations are commonly offered. Numerals are easily miscopied in transmission, and a difference of one digit, as here, fits that. Or the lists reflect counts taken at different stages, before departure and after arrival. The text itself does not say. Both registers give the same total, "forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore" (Ezra 2:64; Nehemiah 7:66).

Theologically the point is continuity. Nehemiah says "my God put into my heart" to gather the people by genealogy, and he finds the book "of them that came up at the first" (Nehemiah 7:5). The families of 445 BC are shown to be the same houses God brought back under Zerubbabel.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word.

  • TBD
  • TBD
  • TBD
  • TBD

Notes

Your annotations.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.