What Does Nehemiah 7:68 Mean in the King James?

Their horses, seven hundred thirty and six: their mules, two hundred forty and five:

Nehemiah 7:68 · KJV

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 for “mules” shares its three-letter root with the verb “to separate,” giving this animal count an echo English leaves hidden.

THE MEANING

Horses and mules stand here as counted, physical means of movement. Their exact numbers make practical capacity part of a community’s visible record, alongside its people and households.

THE ROOT

פִּרְדֵיהֶם

pirdêhem

GROWS FROM

פרד

to separate, divide, or part

“mules” in this verse is pirdêhem. The Hebrew word for mule, ⁨פֶּרֶד⁩ (pered), shares its root with the verb for separating or dividing. The verse uses it plainly as an animal in an inventory, while the shared root adds an echo of distinction beside the separately counted horses.

ALSO GROWS

parad: to separate, divide

פָּרַד

This verb shares the seed in “mules,” adding an echo of separation to the inventory’s distinct animal categories.

nifrad: to be separated, part from

נִפְרַד

This form carries the same root into the state of being apart, reinforcing the root’s sense of distinction.

THE PATTERN

A community’s life is recorded through the concrete means it moves and shares.

And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

Exodus 12:38 · KJVThe account includes the animals that travel with the people, making their practical means of movement part of the record.

Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;

Ezra 2:66 · KJVThe same animal tally appears in Ezra’s register, preserving the community’s means of movement as a counted detail.

Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

Acts 4:34 · KJVThe community’s shared life is shown through tangible resources and what happens to them.

THE THREAD

Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;

Ezra 2:66 · KJV

Ezra 2:66 repeats this same tally, including the Hebrew words for horses and mules. The shared root of ⁨פֶּרֶד⁩ (pered, mule) and ⁨פָּרַד⁩ (parad, separate) appears in both lines, where the animals are listed as distinct counts.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us