KJV ORIGINAL
The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
The men from Bethel and Ai numbered 223.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse lists how many men from the towns of Bethel and Ai returned from exile in Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem.
📚 Historical Context
This is part of a detailed census recorded in Ezra 2, documenting the Jewish exiles who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem around 538 BC under Cyrus the Persian king's decree. Bethel and Ai were ancient Israelite towns north of Jerusalem, with Bethel being particularly significant as a place where Abraham and Jacob had encounters with God. The careful recording of numbers shows the importance of documenting this historic return and restoration of the Jewish people to their homeland.
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