Nehemiah 7:21
“The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety-eight.”
What does Nehemiah 7:21 mean?
This line is part of a long list in Nehemiah recording the families who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. Ater was a family name, and "of Hezekiah" likely identifies which branch of that family we're talking about (since Ater appears to have had multiple family lines). The ninety-eight refers to how many people from this particular group came back to rebuild their homeland. These genealogies might seem like just names and numbers, but they mattered deeply to the returning exiles: they proved who belonged, reconnected families torn apart by displacement, and showed that God's people were genuinely coming home. If your own family story includes displacement or loss, this ancient record reminds us that God doesn't forget who we are.