What Does Ezra 2:54 Mean in the King James?
The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
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
The Hebrew word for “children” carries an image of building: these households are part of the living structure of the returning people.
THE MEANING
Two named households have a place in the return, making the community visible as people carried in family lines rather than an anonymous crowd. The word behind “children” also opens an image of building: continuity takes shape through people and the names they carry together.
THE ROOT
בְּנֵי
benei
GROWS FROM
בנה
to build, establish
The Hebrew word benei, “children of,” is linked with banah, “to build.” The family line is more than a record of descent: each household belongs to what builds the returning people.
ALSO GROWS
banah: to build
בָּנָה
This is the root behind the family word, bringing an image of households as part of a people’s structure.
ibaneh: I may be built up
אִבָּנֶה
In Genesis 16:2, this form describes a family line being built; it makes the building image in “children” more visible.
THE PATTERN
A people becomes visible through names carried in family lines.
And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,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 word translated “obtain” is a form of ibaneh, “be built up,” from the same build-root linked with benei, “children,” here. Genesis makes explicit the building image tucked inside Ezra’s compact family list.
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