Nehemiah 7 19

Nehemiah 7:19 kjv

The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven.

Nehemiah 7:19 nkjv

the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven;

Nehemiah 7:19 niv

of Bigvai ? 2,067

Nehemiah 7:19 esv

The sons of Bigvai, 2,067.

Nehemiah 7:19 nlt

The family of Bigvai ? 2,067

Nehemiah 7 verses

Nehemiah 7 19 Meaning

Nehemiah 7:19 lists the number of descendants from the family head Bigvai who returned from the Babylonian exile to Jerusalem. This specific verse records that two thousand sixty-seven individuals belonging to the house of Bigvai came back, signifying the precise and careful documentation of the repatriated community members. This detailed record highlights the post-exilic community's emphasis on lineage, identity, and the fulfillment of divine promises regarding the return of the remnant to their land.

Nehemiah 7 19 Context

Nehemiah 7, particularly verses 6-72, contains a meticulously detailed register of those who returned from Babylonian exile and settled in Judah and Jerusalem during the time of Zerubbabel, many decades before Nehemiah's arrival. This list is essentially a copy of the one found in Ezra 2, serving a crucial administrative and religious purpose. Its placement in Nehemiah immediately after the completion of the walls (Neh 6) emphasizes the shift from physical rebuilding to re-establishing the community and restoring order. The census identified who rightfully belonged to the community of Israel, allowing for proper tribal identification, the assignment of dwelling places, and particularly for verifying the lineage of priests and Levites. For a people whose identity was strongly tied to their ancestry and their land, this comprehensive record-keeping was vital for their self-understanding and their adherence to the Law, preventing intermingling that could jeopardize their unique covenant relationship with God.

Nehemiah 7 19 Word analysis

• the children of (בְּנֵי, bᵊnê):
  • Signifies direct descendants or members of a particular family or clan.
  • Emphasizes the patrilineal nature of Israelite society where identity was passed down through the father.
  • This term, common in Hebrew, highlights the familial and communal structure critical to the post-exilic Jewish identity.
• Bigvai (בִגְוַי, Bigway):
  • A prominent family head whose descendants were among the returnees.
  • The name itself is likely Persian in origin, possibly meaning "my garden" or "one of two fortunes," reflecting the period of Persian dominion.
  • Bigvai appears again in Ezra 8:14 as a leader in a later return group with Ezra, indicating the family's continued prominence.
  • Its inclusion in such a specific census list points to the importance of documenting every clan, regardless of their original standing or post-exilic influences.
• two thousand sixty-seven (אַלְפַּיִם שִׁשִּׁים וְשִׁבְעָה, 'alpayim šištîm wᵊšiv‘â):
  • The specific number denotes meticulous record-keeping.
  • This precision reflects the administrative dedication of the scribes (like Ezra) and Nehemiah in organizing the returned community.
  • It demonstrates the scale of the return from exile, showing a significant number of people eager to re-establish life in Judah.
  • While minor numerical discrepancies exist between Nehemiah 7 and Ezra 2 for certain groups (for Bigvai, Ezra 2:14 states 2,056), these are generally understood as minor scribal variations, or perhaps reflecting slightly different moments in the accounting, rather than challenging the overall accuracy or purpose of the list. The central message remains the comprehensive documentation of the returning remnant.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "the children of Bigvai": This phrase clearly identifies a distinct family unit, crucial for tribal allocation and social organization within ancient Israel. The lineage provided identity, rights, and responsibilities. This family represents one of many ancestral houses that sustained Israel's continuity.
• "two thousand sixty-seven": This numerical figure, attached to a specific family, underscores the diligence in compiling this list. It symbolizes not just abstract numbers, but a significant human effort in resettling the land and rebuilding the nation, family by family. This census data would have been vital for resource distribution, tax collection, and military organization, reflecting the administrative thoroughness of Nehemiah's leadership and God's faithfulness in bringing so many back.

Nehemiah 7 19 Bonus section

The very act of compiling such a detailed genealogical list (as seen in Nehemiah 7, mirroring Ezra 2) was a profound theological statement. It affirmed that despite decades of exile, God had preserved a chosen people. Every family, like that of Bigvai, represented a living connection to Israel's past covenants and future hopes. The discrepancies between the numbers for certain families in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7, while minor, sometimes point to either slight textual variants arising from transmission or perhaps represent figures taken at slightly different times in the process of registration, perhaps when individuals joined or departed. The underlying intention, however, was always to establish the identity and legitimacy of the returning community. These lists also serve as a poignant reminder of the enduring importance of community and identity in the face of immense adversity. The descendants of Bigvai, numbering over two thousand, demonstrate the scale of a people who were willing to uproot themselves from comfort in Babylon to return and labor in rebuilding their devastated homeland and re-establish their covenant relationship with God in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 7 19 Commentary

Nehemiah 7:19, by meticulously listing the 2,067 individuals of the Bigvai family among the returning exiles, provides a powerful testimony to God's covenant faithfulness and the diligence of the post-exilic leadership. This precise enumeration highlights that the return was not a disorganized scattering, but a divinely orchestrated, administratively detailed restoration. It signifies the preservation of a true Israelite remnant despite generations of exile, ensuring their identity, land claims, and spiritual purity could be re-established in accordance with the Law. The verse, part of a broader census, underscores the importance of communal identity rooted in lineage, demonstrating the Jewish people's dedication to preserving their heritage and proving their claim to the Promised Land. This meticulous record keeping also provided a foundation for the reconstruction of their civic and religious life, from temple worship to tribal land distribution.