The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

EZRA 2:7KJV
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Ezra 2:7 (KJV)

What does Ezra 2:7 mean?

Ezra 2:7 records that 1,254 descendants of Elam returned from exile. This verse is part of a list naming the families and groups who came back to Jerusalem and Judah after being held captive in Babylon.

Ezra, a Jewish leader and scribe, is documenting the people who returned to their homeland when the Persian king allowed them to rebuild. The verse simply counts the group connected to Elam, showing the careful record-keeping and the importance of each family in the restoration of the community.

Why Ezra 2:7 matters

  • This verse highlights the detailed nature of the return from exile, showing that every family and group was counted and valued in the rebuilding process.
  • By naming the children of Elam and their exact number, the text emphasizes the continuity of Israel’s identity and heritage, even after years in captivity.
  • Seeing this list in context helps readers understand the scale and organization of the return, and how the restoration of the nation was built on the contributions of many distinct families.

Where else these words appear

“Elam” Hebrew H5867 · used in 27 verses

  • Genesis 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
  • Ezra 10:2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
  • Jeremiah 25:25 And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes,

“fifty” Hebrew H2572 · used in 141 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • Numbers 4:30 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.
  • 2 Kings 21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah.