Limitless Word
The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four.
Nehemiah 7:43 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the children of Hodevah, seventy-four.
  • BSB The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel, through the line of Hodevah), 74.
  • NKJV The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the sons of Hodevah, seventy-four.
  • NASB The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah, 74.
  • NLT These are the Levites who returned from exile: The families of Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah) 74

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 Levites of Jeshua and Kadmiel, through Hodevah, returned, numbering only 74. Few Levites came back.

Overview

In contrast to the thousands of priests, only 74 Levites returned, a strikingly small number that later required special recruitment (cf. Ezra 8:15-19). The Levites assisted in temple service, teaching, and worship, so their scarcity was a real concern. Their faithful, if small, return shows God preserving even the supporting ministries needed for His worship.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 2

  • Ezra 2:40The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four.
  • Neh 3:9And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Nehemiah videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Nehemiah 7:43YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on NehemiahMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 7:43 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.