The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.

EZRA 2:23KJV
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Ezra 2:23 (KJV)

What does Ezra 2:23 mean?

Ezra 2:23 records that 128 men from the town of Anathoth returned from exile. This verse is part of a list naming the people and families who came back to Judah after being held captive in Babylon.

Ezra, a Jewish leader and scribe, is presenting a careful record to show who returned to rebuild their homeland. The mention of Anathoth, a small town near Jerusalem, highlights that people from even lesser-known places were included in the restoration of the community. This verse emphasizes the thoroughness of the record and the importance of every group, no matter how small.

The Hebrew behind Ezra 2:23

  • אֲנָשִׁים (anashim, "men"): This word refers specifically to male members of the group, indicating that the count is of adult men, not the entire population.
  • עֲנָתוֹת (Anathoth, "Anathoth"): This is the name of a town just northeast of Jerusalem, known in other parts of the Bible as a priestly city, which may suggest many returnees were from priestly families.
  • מֵאָה (me'ah, "hundred"), עֶשְׂרִים (esrim, "twenty"), שְׁמֹנֶה (shemoneh, "eight"): These numbers are listed separately in Hebrew, showing the exactness and care in counting each group.

Why Ezra 2:23 matters

  • Ezra 2:23 shows that the return from exile included people from both large and small towns, underlining the broad scope of the restoration.
  • The verse connects to the larger list, demonstrating the importance of every family and community in rebuilding the Jewish nation.
  • By naming Anathoth, the verse reminds readers that even places with fewer people played a role in the renewal of the community after exile.

Where else these words appear

“Anathoth” Hebrew H6068 · used in 15 verses

  • Joshua 21:18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.
  • Nehemiah 7:27 The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.
  • Jeremiah 11:21 Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand:

“eight” Hebrew H8083 · used in 105 verses

  • Genesis 5:4 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
  • 1 Kings 7:10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.
  • 2 Chronicles 34:8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.