Nehemiah 11:14
in Nehemiah 11Amashai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer; and his associates—128 mighty men of valor. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was their overseer.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and their brethren, mighty men of valor, a hundred twenty and eight; and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of Haggedolim.
KJV
And their brethren, mighty men of valour, an hundred twenty and eight: and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one of the great men.
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This verse in Nehemiah 11
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd their brethren, mighty men of valour, an hundred twenty and eight,.... The brethren of Adaiah and Amashai, who were able men to do the work of their office as priests, and men of courage to fight the enemy, and defend the city upon occasion: and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one of the great men; or the son of Hagedolim, or Gedolim, as some, who take it to be the proper name of a man.
This site's exposition
From the priests
on Nehemiah 11:10-14
The priestly roll names Seraiah as "the chief official of the house of God." It counts by function: 822 who did the work at the temple, 242 leaders of families, and "128 mighty men of valor". The temple's daily service and the city's defense drew from the same priestly families.
This site's exposition
128 mighty men of valor
Gill reads Haggedolim two ways, as a proper name or as the great men, so that Zabdiel was a leading man's son. Amashai son of Azarel traces his line to Immer, the house of priests counted at 1,052 in Ezra 2:37. These priests were mighty men of valor.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
); it was necessary that they should be so, for the priesthood was not only a work, which required might, but a warfare, which required valour, especially now. Of one of these priests it is said that he was the son of one of the great men.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Mighty men of valor - Noted for strength of body, and military courage.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
rulers over the fathers’ houses the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priestly families.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַאֲחֵיהֶם֙ | vaacheihem | and brothers their | H251 → | 630 times |
| גִּבּ֣וֹרֵי | giborei | mighty [men] of | H1368 → | 158 times |
| חַ֔יִל | chayil | strength | H2428 → | 246 times |
| מֵאָ֖ה | meah | one hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| עֶשְׂרִ֣ים | ʾesrim | twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| וּשְׁמֹנָ֑ה | ushemonah | and eight | H8083 → | 109 times |
| וּפָקִ֣יד | ufakid | and [was] overseer | H6496 → | 13 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾaleihem | over them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| זַבְדִּיאֵ֖ל | zavdiel | Zabdiel | H2068 → | |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַגְּדוֹלִֽים׃ ס | hagedolim | Haggedolim | H1419 → | 526 times |
וַאֲחֵיהֶם֙and brothers their
vaacheihemH251 →630 times
גִּבּ֣וֹרֵיmighty [men] of
giboreiH1368 →158 times
חַ֔יִלstrength
chayilH2428 →246 times
מֵאָ֖הone hundred
meahH3967 →581 times
עֶשְׂרִ֣יםtwenty
ʾesrimH6242 →315 times
וּשְׁמֹנָ֑הand eight
ushemonahH8083 →109 times
וּפָקִ֣ידand [was] overseer
ufakidH6496 →13 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֔םover them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
זַבְדִּיאֵ֖לZabdiel
zavdielH2068 →
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
הַגְּדוֹלִֽים׃ סHaggedolim
hagedolimH1419 →526 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.