The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.

NEHEMIAH 7:9KJV
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Nehemiah 7:9 (KJV)

What does Nehemiah 7:9 mean?

Nehemiah 7:9 records that 372 descendants of Shephatiah returned to Jerusalem after the exile. This verse is part of a list that counts the families and groups who came back to rebuild the city.

Nehemiah, the governor of Judah, is compiling a census of those who returned from Babylonian captivity. The verse simply names the family of Shephatiah and the exact number of its members. This careful record-keeping shows the importance of each family in restoring the Jewish community and reestablishing their homeland.

Why Nehemiah 7:9 matters

  • Nehemiah 7:9 highlights the attention to detail in tracking the returning exiles, showing that every family and individual counted in the rebuilding effort.
  • This verse connects to the broader theme of restoration, emphasizing that the return from exile was not just about numbers but about reuniting families and preserving their heritage.
  • By listing specific families like Shephatiah, the text underlines the continuity of Israel’s identity and the fulfillment of God’s promises to bring His people back to their land.

Where else these words appear

“Shephatiah” Hebrew H8203 · used in 13 verses

  • 2 Samuel 3:4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
  • 1 Chronicles 27:16 Furthermore over the tribes of Israel: the ruler of the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri: of the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maachah:
  • Ezra 8:8 And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males.

“seventy” Hebrew H7657 · used in 90 verses

  • Genesis 4:24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
  • Numbers 7:73 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • 1 Chronicles 21:14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.