Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.

NEHEMIAH 7:67KJV
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Nehemiah 7:67 (KJV)

What does Nehemiah 7:67 mean?

Nehemiah 7:67 lists the number of servants and singers among the people returning to Jerusalem, stating there were 7,337 male and female servants, and 245 singing men and women. This verse is part of a detailed census showing the makeup of the community after the exile.

Nehemiah, the governor, is recording the people who returned from Babylonian captivity to rebuild Jerusalem. This verse highlights not only the families but also the support staff and musicians, showing the community’s organization and the importance of worship and daily life as they reestablish themselves in their homeland.

The Hebrew behind Nehemiah 7:67

  • The word for "manservants" is עֶבֶד (ʿeved, H5650), meaning a male servant or slave. This shows that the returning community included people in servitude, reflecting the social structure of the time.
  • The word for "maidservants" is שִׁפְחָה (shiphchah, H519), meaning a female servant or slave. Including both male and female servants emphasizes the completeness of the census.
  • The numbers use Hebrew words: שֶׁבַע (sheva, H7651) for "seven," אֶלֶף (eleph, H505) for "thousand," שָׁלוֹשׁ (shalosh, H7969) for "three," מֵאָה (me'ah, H3967) for "hundred," שְׁלוֹשִׁים (sheloshim, H7970) for "thirty," אַרְבָּעִים (arba'im, H705) for "forty," and חָמֵשׁ (chamesh, H2568) for "five." The precise numbers stress the careful record-keeping and the significance of each group within the community.
  • The word for "singing men" and "singing women" is שָׁר (shar, H7891), meaning "to sing." The mention of both male and female singers highlights the role of music and worship in the restored community.

Why Nehemiah 7:67 matters

  • This verse shows that the returnees were not just families but included servants and musicians, giving a fuller picture of the community’s makeup.
  • The mention of singers underlines the importance of worship and organized religious life as Jerusalem was being rebuilt.
  • The careful census reflects Nehemiah’s leadership and the value placed on every person’s role, from servants to musicians, in rebuilding the nation.

Where else these words appear

“maidservants” Hebrew H519 · used in 49 verses

  • Genesis 20:17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
  • Leviticus 25:44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
  • 1 Samuel 25:31 That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

“men” Hebrew H7891 · used in 79 verses

  • Exodus 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
  • Ezra 7:7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
  • Psalms 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

“forty” Hebrew H705 · used in 124 verses

  • Genesis 5:13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
  • Deuteronomy 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
  • 1 Chronicles 5:18 The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war.