Nehemiah 7:42 — Harim's Priestly Lineage Returns
Nehemiah 7:42 records that 1,017 descendants of Harim were among the priests who returned from Babylonian exile.
Scripture
42The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.
What this passage means
Nehemiah 7:42 is a single line within the priestly section of the returning-exiles census, stating that the descendants of Harim numbered 1,017. It follows the priestly families of Jedaiah (v. 39), Immer (v. 40), and Pashhur (v. 41), and precedes the listing of Levites, singers, and porters in the following verses. The verse serves a documentary purpose: it registers a specific priestly clan and its count as part of the post-exilic community.
The clan name "Harim" appears earlier in chapter 7 (v. 35) among the non-priestly returnees, where 320 descendants of Harim are listed. Verse 42 introduces a separate group also called "children of Harim," this time within the priestly roster. This repetition of the name for two distinct family groups is a feature of the passage and is preserved as written; the text itself does not explain whether the two groups share a common ancestor.
The figure 1,017 sits between the 1,052 of Immer (v. 40) and the 74 Levites of Jeshua/Kadmiel/Hodevah (v. 43). As a census entry, the verse contributes to the totals reported later in the chapter (vv. 66–69), which sum the whole assembly, servants, livestock, and gifts. The verse by itself carries no narrative action; its function is enumeration within the priestly division.
Context
Nehemiah 7 is set after the wall of Jerusalem is completed and the gates are hung (v. 1). Nehemiah appoints guards and then, prompted by God, gathers the people to be enrolled by genealogy (vv. 2–5). He finds a previously recorded list of those who first returned under Zerubbabel, and that document is transcribed in the rest of the chapter (vv. 6–73).
Within that list, the chapter moves from lay returnees (vv. 7–38) to priests (vv. 39–42), then to Levites, singers, and porters (vv. 43–45). Verse 42 therefore falls precisely at the transition out of the priestly block and into the other temple personnel. The same census, with most numbers closely matching, also appears in Ezra 2, though the provided chapter material does not address that parallel.
Common questions
Is the Harim of verse 42 the same as the Harim of verse 35?
The chapter lists two separate groups both called "children of Harim": 320 in verse 35 among the lay returnees and 1,017 in verse 42 among the priests. The text does not state whether they share a common ancestor or are unrelated families with the same name.
Why is this verse included if it is only a number?
Nehemiah 7 functions as a genealogical and statistical record of the post-exilic community. The individual entries, including verse 42, establish who belonged to which priestly clan, confirm the legitimacy of temple personnel, and supply data for the totals given later in the chapter.
How does Nehemiah 7 relate to Ezra 2?
Both chapters contain a similar list of returnees from Babylon with closely matching numbers. Nehemiah 7:5 says Nehemiah found the previously written book of the genealogy of those who first came up, indicating he used an existing document. The provided chapter material does not discuss the Ezra 2 parallel in detail.