Nehemiah 7:16 (KJV)

What does Nehemiah 7:16 mean?

Nehemiah 7:16 records that 628 descendants of Bebai returned to Jerusalem after the exile. This verse is part of a list that counts the families and groups who came back to help rebuild the city.

Nehemiah, the governor of Jerusalem, is documenting the people who returned from Babylonian captivity. The verse simply notes the number from the family of Bebai, showing their participation in restoring the Jewish community. This census helps establish who was present and involved in the rebuilding efforts.

The Hebrew behind Nehemiah 7:16

• בְּנֵי (benê, H1121): This word means "children" or "descendants." Here, it refers to the family line or clan connected to Bebai, not just literal children.
• בֵּבַי (Bebai, H893): This is a personal or family name. The mention of Bebai identifies a specific group among the returnees.
• שֵׁשׁ־ (shesh, H8337), מֵאוֹת (me'ot, H3967), עֶשְׂרִים (esrim, H6242), שְׁמֹנָה (shemoneh, H8083): These words make up the number "six hundred twenty and eight." The Hebrew lists numbers in a way that stacks the values, which is typical for Old Testament census records.

Why Nehemiah 7:16 matters

• This verse shows that the return from exile was organized by families, emphasizing the importance of lineage and community in Jewish life.
• Listing the descendants of Bebai highlights that even smaller family groups were counted and valued in the restoration of Jerusalem.
• The census in Nehemiah 7 helps confirm the continuity of the Jewish people after the exile, connecting the returning families to their ancestral heritage.