King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
In the seventh year of Artach'shashta the king, some of the people of Isra'el, and some of the cohanim, L'vi'im, singers, gatekeepers and temple servants went up to Yerushalayim.
Berean Standard Bible:
So in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, he went up to Jerusalem with some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants.
American Standard Version:
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 Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And there went up{H5927} some of the children{H1121} of Israel{H3478}, and of the priests{H3548}, and the Levites{H3881}, and the singers{H7891}, and the porters{H7778}, and the Nethinims{H5411}, unto Jerusalem{H3389}, in the seventh{H7651} year{H8141} of Artaxerxes{H783} the king{H4428}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Ezra 8:1
- ¶ These [are] now the chief of their fathers, and [this is] the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king.
Ezra 8:20
- Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.
Nehemiah 2:1
- ¶ And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, [that] wine [was] before him: and I took up the wine, and gave [it] unto the king. Now I had not been [beforetime] sad in his presence.
1 Chronicles 25:1
- ¶ Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:
1 Chronicles 25:8
- ¶ And they cast lots, ward against [ward], as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar.
Ezra 6:14
- And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished [it], according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
Nehemiah 7:45
- The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, an hundred thirty and eight.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Ezra 7:7
Ezra 7:7 is a verse that captures a significant moment in the history of the Israelites following the Babylonian exile. The verse is part of a larger narrative detailing the events surrounding the decree of Artaxerxes I, the Persian king, which allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. This occurred in the seventh year of his reign, which is generally dated to around 458 BCE.
The verse specifically mentions various groups within the Israelite community who made the journey back to their homeland: the children of Israel, priests, Levites, singers, porters, and the Nethinims. These groups represent a cross-section of the Israelite society, indicating a communal effort in the return and restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple, which was central to their religious and national identity.
The priests and Levites were responsible for the religious and ritualistic aspects of the Temple, the singers for musical worship, the porters as gatekeepers, and the Nethinims, likely a group of temple servants, possibly of non-Israelite origin, who assisted in menial tasks. Their collective return signifies the resumption of proper worship and religious observance as prescribed by the Torah.
This verse is also a testament to the impact of Persian imperial policy on the region, as the king's decree reflects a broader pattern of the Persians allowing subject peoples to return to their homelands and practice their native religions, often under the oversight of officials like Ezra, who was a scribe and a priest.
In summary, Ezra 7:7 encapsulates the themes of return, restoration, and religious renewal for the Israelites after a period of exile, highlighting the communal nature of the endeavor and the role of Persian authority in facilitating the repatriation and revival of the Jewish community in Jerusalem.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H5927
There are 817 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָלָה
Transliteration: ʻâlâh
Pronunciation: aw-law'
Description: a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative; arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, [idiom] mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, [phrase] perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work. - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H3478
There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel. - Strong's Number: H3548
There are 653 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כֹּהֵן
Transliteration: kôhên
Pronunciation: ko-hane'
Description: active participle of כָּהַן; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman); chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer. - Strong's Number: H3881
There are 258 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לֵוִיִּי
Transliteration: Lêvîyîy
Pronunciation: lay-vee-ee'
Description: or לֵוִי; patronymically from לֵוִי; a Levite or descendant of Levi; Leviite. - Strong's Number: H7891
There are 79 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שִׁיר
Transliteration: shîyr
Pronunciation: sheer
Description: or (the original form) שׁוּר; (1 Samuel 18:6), a primitive root (rather identical with שׁוּר through the idea of strolling minstrelsy); to sing; behold (by mistake for שׁוּר), sing(-er, -ing man, -ing woman). - Strong's Number: H7778
There are 37 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׁוֹעֵר
Transliteration: shôwʻêr
Pronunciation: sho-are'
Description: or שֹׁעֵר active participle of שָׁעַר (as denominative from שַׁעַר); a janitor; doorkeeper, porter. - Strong's Number: H5411
There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָתִין
Transliteration: Nâthîyn
Pronunciation: naw-theen'
Description: or נָתוּן (Ezra 8:17), (the proper form as passive participle), from נָתַן; one given, i.e. (in the plural only); the Nethinim, or Temple-servants (as given to that duty); Nethinims. - Strong's Number: H3389
There are 600 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם
Transliteration: Yᵉrûwshâlaim
Pronunciation: yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im
Description: rarely יְרוּשָׁלַיִם; a dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of יְרוּשָׁלֵם)); probably from (the passive participle of) יָרָה and שָׁלַם; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine; Jerusalem. - Strong's Number: H7651
There are 345 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֶׁבַע
Transliteration: shebaʻ
Pronunciation: sheh'-bah
Description: or (masculine) (שִׁבְעָה); from שָׁבַע; a primitive cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number; ([phrase] by) seven(-fold),-s, (-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare שִׁבְעָנָה. - Strong's Number: H8141
There are 647 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁנֶה
Transliteration: shâneh
Pronunciation: shaw-neh'
Description: (in plural or (feminine) שָׁנָה; from שָׁנָה; a year (as a revolution of time); [phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly). - Strong's Number: H783
There are 122 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׁתָּא
Transliteration: ʼArtachshashtâʼ
Pronunciation: ar-takh-shash-taw'
Description: or אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׁתְּא; or by permutation אַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא; of foreign origin; Artachshasta (or Artaxerxes), a title (rather than name) of several Persian kings; Artaxerxes. - Strong's Number: H4428
There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
Transliteration: melek
Pronunciation: meh'-lek
Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal.