The number of descendants of Pahath-Moab (from the families of Joshua and Joab) in the census after the exile, as recorded in Nehemiah 7:11.
The number 2818 appears in Nehemiah 7:11 in connection with the listing of those who returned from the Babylonian exile to Judah. It indicates the number of descendants of Pahath-Moab, specifically from the lineage of Joshua and Joab. Pahath-Moab (Hebrew: פַּחַת מוֹאָב, "governor of Moab") was a prominent family among those who returned, and their large numbers testify to the significance this clan held in the restored community. The censuses in Ezra and Nehemiah serve an important theological function: they emphasize God's faithfulness in preserving a remnant of His people through the exile and bringing them back to the promised land, in accordance with prophetic promises. In the parallel passage in Ezra 2:6, the number of descendants of Pahath-Moab is given as 2812, six fewer than in Nehemiah 7:11. Such numerical differences between the two lists are common and may be due to different times of registration, copyist errors in transmission, or differing criteria for who was counted. The name פַּחַת מוֹאָב (Pahat-Moab) literally means "the governor of Moab" and may point back to a time when an Israelite leader had authority over the region of Moab, possibly during the reigns of David or Solomon (cf. 2 Sam 8:2). The descendants of Pahath-Moab are also mentioned among those who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah (Neh 10:14), showing that this family continued to play a leading role in the restored community in Jerusalem.*