· Translation: KJV

Nehemiah 11:18All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty-four.

The setting

Jerusalem, Israel, ~445 BC. Nehemiah completes his census of those living in the rebuilt holy city after decades of exile...

The emotion here: reverent record-keeping of God's faithfulness

The original word

Leviyim (לְוִיִּם) — the tribe set apart for temple service and worship

Why it matters

Only 284 Levites lived in Jerusalem — a tiny remnant compared to pre-exile numbers

Read with care

What most readers miss in Nehemiah 11:18

This small number shows how devastated the priesthood was by exile

Common misconceptionPeople skip census passages as boring, but they show God's meticulous care for individuals and His faithfulness to preserve His people through catastrophe.

Bible Genome reading

Nehemiah 11:18 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNehemiah
EraPost-Exile
Primary emotionresting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability20%
Memorability20%
Crisis relevance10%
Standalone30%
Themes:organizationcommunity

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Nehemiah 11

Nehemiah 11:18 comes from the book of Nehemiah, written during the Post-Exile period. These words are attributed to Nehemiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include organization, community. Notable phrases: holy city; two hundred eighty-four.

Your reflection

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