The Meaning of Nehemiah 7:5 Explained

Nehemiah 7:5

KJV: And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,

YLT: and my God putteth it unto my heart, and I gather the freeman, and the prefects, and the people, for the genealogy, and I find a book of the genealogy of those coming up at the beginning, and I find written in it: --

Darby: And my God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, for registration by genealogy. And I found a genealogical register of those that had come up at the first, and I found written in it:

ASV: And my God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of them that came up at the first, and I found written therein:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And my God  put  into mine heart  to gather together  the nobles,  and the rulers,  and the people,  that they might be reckoned by genealogy.  And I found  a register  of the genealogy  of them which came up  at the first,  and found  written  therein, 

What does Nehemiah 7:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 7:1-8 - 36-73, Public-Spirited Citizens
It is probable that Nehemiah returned to the Persian court on the completion of the first part of his enterprise, the building of the walls, and that he left Hananiah and his brother in charge until he had been able to obtain a prolongation of his mission. Hananiah's character is very aptly described in Nehemiah 7:2. These are splendid characteristics-the fear of God and faithfulness, 1 Corinthians 4:2. Sound common sense, through which God wrought, dictated the policy of appointing each man to guard his own property, Nehemiah 7:3; Nehemiah 7:5. The extent of the city walls had evidently been marked out in faith, as directed in Zechariah 8:1-23. Registration seems to have engrossed much of the care of these returned exiles, and it was necessary, not only that each might inherit his ancestral property, but that the descent of our Lord might be easily traced to David. We ought to be very sure that we and our dear ones are included in God's register. We cannot lay claim to our inheritance, unless we are heirs through the new birth, Romans 8:16-17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 7

1  Nehemiah commits the charge of Jerusalem to Hanani and Hananiah
5  A register of the genealogy of them which came at the first out of Babylon
9  of the people
39  of the priests
43  of the Levites
46  of the Nethinims
57  of Solomon's servants
63  and of the priests which could not find their pedigree
66  The whole number of them, with their substance
70  Their offerings

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 7:5 mean?

And put it my God into my heart and to gather - the nobles and the rulers the people that they might be registered by genealogy And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come up in the first [return] and found written in it -
וַיִּתֵּ֤ן אֱלֹהַי֙ אֶל־ לִבִּ֔י וָאֶקְבְּצָ֞ה אֶת־ הַחֹרִ֧ים וְאֶת־ הַסְּגָנִ֛ים הָעָ֖ם לְהִתְיַחֵ֑שׂ וָֽאֶמְצָ֗א סֵ֤פֶר הַיַּ֙חַשׂ֙ הָעוֹלִ֣ים בָּרִאשׁוֹנָ֔ה וָאֶמְצָ֖א כָּת֥וּב בּֽוֹ פ

וַיִּתֵּ֤ן  And  put  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֱלֹהַי֙  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לִבִּ֔י  my  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
וָאֶקְבְּצָ֞ה  and  to  gather 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַחֹרִ֧ים  the  nobles 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֹר  
Sense: a noble, freeborn one.
הַסְּגָנִ֛ים  the  rulers 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: סֶגֶן  
Sense: ruler, prefect, governor, a subordinate ruler.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לְהִתְיַחֵ֑שׂ  that  they  might  be  registered  by  genealogy 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hitpael, Infinitive construct
Root: יָחַשׂ  
Sense: (Hithpael) to reckon genealogically, enrol on a genealogy, enrol, be enrolled.
וָֽאֶמְצָ֗א  And  I  found 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
סֵ֤פֶר  a  register 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
הַיַּ֙חַשׂ֙  of  the  genealogy 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הִתְיַחֵשׂ 
Sense: genealogy.
הָעוֹלִ֣ים  of  those  who  had  come  up 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
בָּרִאשׁוֹנָ֔ה  in  the  first  [return] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
וָאֶמְצָ֖א  and  found 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
כָּת֥וּב  written 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
בּֽוֹ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation