Nehemiah 7:5
in Nehemiah 7Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. I found the genealogical register of those who had first returned, and I found the following written in it:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And my God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of them that came up at the first, and I found written therein:
KJV
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,
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This verse in Nehemiah 7
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
It is argued by some that the entire catalogue which follows Neh. 7:7-73 is not the register of them “which came up ‘at the first’,” but of the Jewish people in Nehemiah’s time. Neh 7:7 and Ezr 2:2 are, however, very positive in their support of the usual view; and some of the arguments against it are thought to be met by considering the Nehemiah of Neh 7:7 and Ezr 2:2 a person different from Nehemiah the governor; and “Tirshatha” an official title likely to have belonged to others besides Nehemiah (see the Ezr 2:63 note.)
This site's exposition
put into mine heart
on Nehemiah 7:5-7
Nehemiah credits the idea itself to God: my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. What he uses is not a fresh census but a document already on file, a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, providence working through an old archive rather than a new survey. The list that follows names Zerubbabel, Jeshua and ten other leaders and largely repeats Ezra 2's roll with different numbers in places; the readings offered for the gap, that copyists let numerals drift in transmission, or that the two lists record separate stages of one register, are both held by the commentators, and neither text is set aside for the other.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Note, Whatever good motion is in our minds, either prudent or pious, we must acknowledge it to come from God. It was he that put it into our hearts; for every good gift and every good work are from above. He gives knowledge; he gives grace; all is of him, and therefore all must be to him.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It is transcribed in the following verses, and differs in some few particulars from that given in Ezr 2:1-61. But the discrepancy is sufficiently accounted for from the different circumstances in which the two registers were taken; that of Ezra having been made up at Babylon, while that of Nehemiah was drawn out in Judea, after the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּתֵּ֤ן | vaiyiten | and he put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֱלֹהַי֙ | ʾelohai | God my | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לִבִּ֔י | libi | heart my | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וָאֶקְבְּצָ֞ה | vaekbetzah | and I assembled ! | H6908 → | 127 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַחֹרִ֧ים | hachorim | the nobles | H2715 → | 13 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַסְּגָנִ֛ים | haseganim | the officials | H5461 → | 17 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָ֖ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| לְהִתְיַחֵ֑שׂ | lehityaches | to have themselves enrolled | H3187 → | |
| וָֽאֶמְצָ֗א | vaemtza' | and I found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| סֵ֤פֶר | sefer | [the] document of | H5612 → | 186 times |
| הַיַּ֙חַשׂ֙ | haiyachas | the genealogy | H3188 → | |
| הָעוֹלִ֣ים | haolim | the [ones who] came up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| בָּרִאשׁוֹנָ֔ה | barishonah | at the first | H7223 → | 182 times |
| וָאֶמְצָ֖א | vaemtza' | and I found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| כָּת֥וּב | katuv | [was] written | H3789 → | 224 times |
| בּֽוֹ׃ פ | bo | in it |
וַיִּתֵּ֤ןand he put
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
אֱלֹהַי֙God my
ʾelohaiH430 →2601 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
לִבִּ֔יheart my
libiH3820 →595 times
וָאֶקְבְּצָ֞הand I assembled !
vaekbetzahH6908 →127 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַחֹרִ֧יםthe nobles
hachorimH2715 →13 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַסְּגָנִ֛יםthe officials
haseganimH5461 →17 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הָעָ֖םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
לְהִתְיַחֵ֑שׂto have themselves enrolled
lehityachesH3187 →
וָֽאֶמְצָ֗אand I found
vaemtza'H4672 →455 times
סֵ֤פֶר[the] document of
seferH5612 →186 times
הַיַּ֙חַשׂ֙the genealogy
haiyachasH3188 →
הָעוֹלִ֣יםthe [ones who] came up
haolimH5927 →890 times
בָּרִאשׁוֹנָ֔הat the first
barishonahH7223 →182 times
וָאֶמְצָ֖אand I found
vaemtza'H4672 →455 times
כָּת֥וּב[was] written
katuvH3789 →224 times
בּֽוֹ׃ פin it
bo
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of…
it leads to
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- Ephesians 3:7–8
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.
- Ephesians 2:7–8
in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:13
Through
2 Corinthians 3:5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 12:9
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of…
- 1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of…
- John 15:5
I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.