Bible Strands

Ezra 8:9

from the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men;

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Ezra documents the assembly of a second wave of exiles returning to Jerusalem. The narrator lists specific clan representatives and their headcounts as the group prepares to depart.

The words — The term מִ/בְּנֵ֣י (mi./be.Nei) literally renders "from the descendants of" and marks genealogical origin. בֶּן\־ (ben-) means "son of," fixing Obadiah's identity to his father Jehiel.

The thread — This lineage surfaces in Ezra 2:6 and Nehemiah 7:11, where the text identifies the same group as descendants of Pahath-moab through Jeshua and Joab. Those records list totals of 2,812 and 2,818 men for that broader clan.

Why it lands — The verse requires tracking individual leaders and their numbers within the larger returned community. It asks readers to note how specific family lines are counted and integrated into the restoration effort.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

Cross-references

People named

JehielJoabObadiah