· Translation: KJV

Ezra 2:31The children of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.

The setting

Jerusalem, ~538 BC. The largest single family group returns - over 1,200 people from 'other Elam' beyond the main Elam clan. Modern-day Israel.

The emotion here: amazed at the scale of families choosing to return together

The original word

achêr (אַחֵר) — 'other' or 'another,' distinguishing this Elam group from the first mentioned

Why it matters

Elam was in modern Iran - these people traveled over 1,000 miles to return home

Read with care

What most readers miss in Ezra 2:31

'Other Elam' suggests there were two different Elam settlements in exile

Common misconceptionPeople assume bigger numbers mean more important, but God cares equally about the 52 from Nebo and the 1,254 from Elam.

Bible Genome reading

Ezra 2:31 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraPost-Exile
Primary emotionresting
Literary typegenealogy

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability10%
Memorability20%
Crisis relevance10%
Standalone20%
Themes:returnrestoration

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Ezra 2

Ezra 2:31 comes from the book of Ezra, written during the Post-Exile period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the genealogy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include return, restoration. Notable phrases: children of the other Elam.

Your reflection

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