The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.

NEHEMIAH 7:21KJV
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Nehemiah 7:21 (KJV)

What does Nehemiah 7:21 mean?

Nehemiah 7:21 lists a group returning from exile: “The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.” This means that 98 descendants from the family line of Ater, who was associated with Hezekiah, returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity.

This verse is part of a census Nehemiah recorded as he organized the repopulation of Jerusalem. The list names families and the number of their members who came back to help rebuild the city. It shows the careful record-keeping and the importance of each family group in restoring the community.

The Hebrew behind Nehemiah 7:21

  • The word “children” (בֵּן, ben) often means “descendants” or “members of a family line,” not just literal sons. Here, it refers to all those belonging to the family of Ater.
  • “Ater” (עָטֵר, ‘ater) is a personal name, likely the ancestor of this family group. The name means “leftover” or “remnant,” which may have special meaning for a group returning from exile.
  • “Hezekiah” (חִזְקִיָּה, ḥizqiyyah) is a name meaning “Yahweh strengthens.” This may refer to a notable ancestor or a branch of the family distinguished by this name.
  • The numbers “ninety” (תִּשְׁעִים, tish‘im) and “eight” (שְׁמוֹנֶה, shemoneh) simply state the exact count of this family group, showing the precision of the census.

Why Nehemiah 7:21 matters

  • This verse highlights the careful documentation of families returning from exile, showing the value placed on each group’s identity and heritage.
  • Naming “Ater of Hezekiah” distinguishes this family from others, suggesting there may have been more than one Ater, or that this group had a notable ancestor.
  • The census in Nehemiah 7 connects the returning exiles to their ancestral roots, emphasizing continuity and belonging as Jerusalem is rebuilt.

Where else these words appear

“Ater” Hebrew H333 · used in 5 verses

  • Ezra 2:16 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.
  • Ezra 2:42 The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all an hundred thirty and nine.
  • Nehemiah 7:45 The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, an hundred thirty and eight.

“ninety” Hebrew H8673 · used in 20 verses

  • Genesis 5:9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:
  • 1 Samuel 4:15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
  • Nehemiah 7:25 The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.

“Hezekiah” Hebrew H2396 · used in 78 verses

  • 2 Kings 16:20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
  • 2 Kings 20:3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
  • Isaiah 36:16 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;

“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.