A list of people returning from Babylon
1
Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors,
and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
2
That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace,
charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.
3
And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the
sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them:
and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch,
and every one to be over against his house.
4
Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the
houses were not builded.
5
And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the
rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I
found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and
found written therein,
When the wall was finished, I (Nehemiah) found records for the people who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon.
6
These 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 and to Judah, every one unto
his city;
7
Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani,
Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of
the men of the people of Israel was this;
8
The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.
9
The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.
10
The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.
Six hundred fifty and two [
2]
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.
Two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen. [
3]
13
The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.
14
The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.
Eight hundred forty and five [
4]
15
The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight.
Six hundred forty and eight [
5]
16
The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight.
Six hundred twenty and eight [
6]
17
The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.
Two thousand three hundred twenty and two [
7]
18
The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.
Six hundred threescore and seven [
8]
19
The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven.
Two thousand threescore and seven [
9]
20
The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five.
21
The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.
22
The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.
Six hundred fifty and five [
10]
23
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.
24
The children of Hariph, an hundred and twelve.
25
The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.
Three hundred twenty and four [
11]
26
The men of Bethlehem
and Netophah, an hundred fourscore and eight.
27
The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.
28
The men of Bethazmaveth, forty and two.
29
The men of Kirjathjearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and
three.
30
The men of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.
31
The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two.
An hundred fourscore and eight [
12]
32
The men of Bethel and Ai,
an hundred twenty and three.
33
The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two.
34
The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
35
The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
36
The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.
37
The children of Lod,
Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one.
Seven hundred twenty and one [
14]
38
The children of Senaah,
three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39
The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred
seventy and three.
40
The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.
41
The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
42
The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.
43
The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the children of
Hodevah, seventy and four.
Three thousand nine hundred and thirty [
15]
44
The singers: the
children of Asaph, an hundred forty and eight.
An hundred forty and eight [
16]
45
The porters: the
children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the
children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, an
hundred thirty and eight.
46
The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the
children of Tabbaoth,
47
The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,
48
The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,
49
The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,
50
The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,
51
The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,
52
The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of
Nephishesim,
53
The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
54
The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
55
The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Tamah,
56
The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
57
The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of
Sophereth, the children of Perida,
58
The children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
59
The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of
Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Amon.
60
All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three
hundred ninety and two.
61
And these were they which went up also from Telmelah, Telharesha, Cherub,
Addon, and Immer: but they could not shew their father's house, nor their
seed, whether they were of Israel.
An hundred thirty and eight [
17]
62
The children of
Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred
forty and two.
63
And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the
children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the
Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.
Six hundred forty and two [
18]
64
These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy,
but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the
priesthood.
They consulted genealogies to see who qualified to be priests, but they couldn't find the records.
So they were considered polluted and were excluded from the priesthood.
65
And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most
holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.
The Tirshatha told them that they couldn't eat the most holy things until a priest could be found with a Urim and Thummim.
[
19]
66
The whole congregation
together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,
The whole congregation totaled 42,360. [
20]
67
Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven
thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and
five singing men and singing women.
68
Their horses, seven hundred thirty and six: their mules, two hundred forty
and five:
69
Their camels, four hundred thirty and five: six thousand seven hundred and
twenty asses.
70
And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha
gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred
and thirty priests' garments.
71
And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work
twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound of
silver.
Two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women [
21]
72
And that which the rest
of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two
thousand pound of silver, and threescore and seven priests'
garments.
73
So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and
some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their
cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in
their cities.
Twenty thousand drams of gold, and two
thousand pound of silver, and threescore and seven priests' garments. [
22]
Notes
- These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity (v.6)
Here we find the same long, boring list
that is given in the second chapter of Ezra. The
only interesting thing about these two lists is that they directly contradict
one another. For instance, Neh.10
says that 652 children of Arah returned from captivity in Babylon, while Ezra 2:5 says that 775 of them returned. There are
15 similar contradictions between the two accounts.
- Six hundred fifty and two. (v.10)
How many children of Arah returned from Babylon?
- Two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen (v.11)
How many children of Pahathmoab, Jeshua, and Joab?
- Eight hundred forty and five. (v.13)
How many children of Zattu?
- Six hundred forty and eight (v.15)
How many children of Binnui?
- Six hundred twenty and eight (v.16)
How many children of Bebai?
- Two thousand three hundred twenty and two (v.17)
How many children of Azgad?
- Six hundred threescore and seven (v.18)
How many children of Adonikam?
- Two thousand threescore and seven (v.19)
How many children of Bigvai?
- Six hundred fifty and five (v.20)
How many children of Adin?
- Three hundred twenty and four (v.21)
How many children of Bezaiof Bezai?
- An hundred fourscore and eight (v.26)
How many of men of Bethlehem and Netophah?
- Ai (v.32)
Joshua 8:28
says that Ai was never again occupied after it was destroyed by Joshua. But this
verse lists it among the cities of Israel at the time of the Babylonian captivity.
- seven hundred twenty and one (v.37)
How many children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono?
- Three thousand nine hundred and thirty (v.38)
How many children of Senaah?
- An hundred forty and eight (v.44)
How many singers?
- An hundred thirty and eight (v.45)
How many porters?
- Six hundred forty and two (v.62)
How many children of of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda?
- Urim and with Thummim (v.63)
The Urim and Thummim were like the two sides a magic coin that could be flipped to to give a
yes or no answer to any question. They were also what
Joseph Smith used to translate the Book of
Mormon.
- The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore
(v.66)
Here we are told that the whole congregation
totaled 42,360. But if we just total up the numbers given in verse 8-62 we come up with only 31,089.
- Two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women (v.67)
How many singers?
- Twenty thousand drams of gold, and two
thousand pound of silver, and threescore and seven priests' garments. (v.72)
Nehemiah says the people gave 20,000 drams of gold, 2000 pounds of silver, and 67 priestly garments. Yet in
Ezra 2:29 these values are given as 1060, 5000, and 100, respectively.
How much gold, silver, and clothing did the people give?
- Christian Response
- SAB Author Answered