Verses 4-9 give a list of the leaders from the sons of Judah and the sons of Benjamin. These refer to those people who belonged to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Good News Translation includes part of the beginning of this verse with the preceding verse. It also avoids repetition of the reference to the tribe of Benjamin here. Instead, Good News Translation offers this information as subheadings: “Members of the tribe of Judah” at the beginning of this verse, and “Members of the tribe of Benjamin” at the beginning of verse 7.

Two leaders from the tribe of Judah are named in verses 4-5 and their ancestry is given: Athaiah and “Maaseiah.” Athaiah was descended from Perez, the son of Judah by the widow of his son Er (Gen 38). In these verses Revised Standard Version reflects the Hebrew expression of ancestry in the form of son of … son of …. Good News Translation interprets and renders these verses in contemporary terms of descent (see also Bible en français courant). Of the sons of Perez is a more general description than son of. New International Version therefore says “a descendant of Perez,” and New English Bible and New Living Translation say “of the family of Perez.” For sons of, see the comment at Ezra 2.3-20.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .