What Does Ezra 2:17 Mean in the King James?
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Hebrew hears “children” and “building” in the same root: the 323 are a household made visible as a family line.
THE MEANING
A community becomes visible one family at a time: Bezai’s household has a name and a count. The count holds this group together without making it faceless; belonging is both shared and particular.
THE ROOT
בְּנֵי
bnei
GROWS FROM
בנה
b-n-h
בָּנָה (banah): to build, establish.
The Hebrew בְּנֵי (bnei, sons or descendants) is tied to בָּנָה (banah, to build): a family line can be pictured as a household built across generations. English “children” preserves the kinship but leaves that building image out of view.
ALSO GROWS
ben: The singular form behind בְּנֵי (bnei): a son, descendant, or member of a family line.
בֵּן
The count identifies the household through the people who carry its family line.
’ibbaneh: A form of בנה meaning to be built or established.
אִבָּנֶה
In Genesis 16:2, family growth is pictured as being built; the same root deepens this household count.
THE PATTERN
A count makes a gathered whole visible while names preserve its particular identity.
Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.THE THREAD
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.The Hebrew phrase translated “obtain children” uses אִבָּנֶה (’ibbaneh), “I may be built up,” from בנה (banah), “to build.” Ezra’s “children of Bezai” carries that same family-building resonance: one household is named as part of a people taking shape.
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