The men of Bethel and Ai, an hundred twenty and three.
Parallel translations
- WEB The men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred twenty-three.
- BSB the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;
- NKJV the men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three;
- NASB the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;
- NLT The people of Bethel and Ai 123
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The men of Bethel and Ai returned, numbering 123. Towns of early conquest history were resettled.
Overview
Bethel and Ai were sites of pivotal events in Israel's history (Genesis 28; Joshua 7-8), and their return ties the restored community to its ancient heritage. Repopulating these places reconnected the people with the land of promise and its memory of God's dealings. The continuity affirms that the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Joshua was still keeping His covenant.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Ezra 2:28The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.
- Josh 8:17And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.
- Josh 8:9Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The rebuilt walls and renewed covenant community foreshadow the greater builder who gathers and secures a people for God, the one who declares 'I will build my church.'
How Nehemiah 7:32 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.