Nehemiah 7

1 And now the wall had been rebuilt, the gates had all been put in place, and the Temple guards, the members of the sacred choir, and the other Levites had been assigned their work.
2 I put two men in charge of governing the city of Jerusalem: my brother Hanani and Hananiah, commanding officer of the fortress. Hananiah was a reliable and God-fearing man without equal.
3 I told them not to have the gates of Jerusalem opened in the morning until well after sunrise and to have them closed and barred before the guards went off duty at sunset. I also told them to appoint guards from among the people who lived in Jerusalem and to assign some of them to specific posts and others to patrol the area around their own houses.
4 Jerusalem was a large city, but not many people were living in it, and not many houses had been built yet.
5 God inspired me to assemble the people and their leaders and officials and to check their family records. I located the records of those who had first returned from captivity, and this is the information I found:
6 Many of the exiles left the province of Babylon and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own hometown. Their families had been living in exile in Babylonia ever since King Nebuchadnezzar had taken them there as prisoners.
7 Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
8 This is the list of the clans of Israel, with the number of those from each clan who returned from exile: Parosh - 2,172
9 Shephatiah - 372
10 Arah - 652
11 Pahath Moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) - 2,818
12 Elam - 1,254
13 Zattu - 845
14 Zaccai - 760
15 Binnui - 648
16 Bebai - 628
17 Azgad - 2,322
18 Adonikam - 667
19 Bigvai - 2,067
20 Adin - 655
21 Ater (also called Hezekiah) - 98
22 Hashum - 328
23 Bezai - 324
24 Hariph - 112
25 Gibeon - 95
26 People whose ancestors had lived in the following towns also returned: Bethlehem and Netophah - 188
27 Anathoth - 128
28 Beth Azmaveth - 42
29 Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth - 743
30 Ramah and Geba - 621
31 Michmash - 122
32 Bethel and Ai - 123
33 The other Nebo - 52
34 The other Elam - 1,254
35 Harim - 320
36 Jericho - 345
37 Lod, Hadid, and Ono - 721
38 Senaah - 3,930
39 This is the list of the priestly clans that returned from exile: Jedaiah (descendants of Jeshua) - 973
40 Immer - 1,052
41 Pashhur - 1,247
42 Harim - 1,017
43 Clans of Levites who returned from exile: Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah) - 74
44 Temple musicians (descendants of Asaph) - 148
45 Temple guards (descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai) - 138
46 Clans of temple workmen who returned from exile: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
47 Keros, Sia, Padon,
48 Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,
49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
52 Besai, Meunim, Nephushesim,
53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
54 Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha,
55 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
56 Neziah, and Hatipha.
57 Clans of Solomon's servants who returned from exile: Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
58 Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,
59 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth Hazzebaim, and Amon.
60 The total number of descendants of the temple workmen and of Solomon's servants who returned from exile was 392.
61 There were 642 belonging to the clans of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda who returned from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer;
62 but they could not prove that they were descendants of Israelites.
63 The following priestly clans could find no record to prove their ancestry: Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai. (The ancestor of the priestly clan of Barzillai had married a woman from the clan of Barzillai of Gilead and taken the name of his father-in-law's clan.)
64 Since they were unable to prove who their ancestors were, they were not accepted as priests.
65 The Jewish governor told them that they could not eat the food offered to God until there was a priest who could use the Urim and Thummim. 1
66 Total number of exiles who returned - 42,360 Their male and female servants - 7,337
67 Male and female musicians - 245
68 Horses - 736, Mules - 245
69 Camels - 435, Donkeys - 6,720
70 Many of the people contributed to help pay the cost of restoring the Temple: The governor 8 kilogrammes of gold, 50 ceremonial bowls, 530 robes for priests
71 eads of clans 168 kilogrammes of gold, 1,250 kilogrammes of silver,
72 he rest of the people 168 kilogrammes of gold, 140 kilogrammes of silver, 67 robes for priests
73 The priests, the Levites, the temple guards, the musicians, many of the ordinary people, the temple workmen - all the people of Israel - settled in the towns and cities of Judah. 2

Nehemiah 7 Commentary

Chapter 7

The city committed to Hananiah. (1-4) Register of those that first returned. (5-73)

Verses 1-4 Nehemiah, having finished the wall, returned to the Persian court, and came to Jerusalem again with a new commission. The public safety depends on every one's care to guard himself and his family against sin.

Verses 5-73 Nehemiah knew that the safety of a city, under God, depends more upon the inhabitants than upon its walls. Every good gift and every good work are from above. God gives knowledge, he gives grace; all is of him, and therefore all must be to him. What is done by human prudence, must be ascribed to the direction of Divine Providence. But woe to those who turn back from the Lord, loving this present world! and happy those who dedicate themselves, and their substance, to his service and glory!

Cross References 2

  • 1. 7.65Exodus 28.30;Deuteronomy 33.8.
  • 2. 7.731 Chronicles 9.2;Nehemiah 11.3.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. urim and thummim: [Two objects used by the priest to determine God's will; it is not known precisely how they were used.]

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NEHEMIAH 7

Nehemiah having built the wall, and set up the doors, appointed two persons to take the charge of the city, and set watches for the safety of it, and to take special care about opening and shutting the gates of it, Ne 7:1-3, and concerned he was for the peopling of it, and having found a register of the first comers to it, gives their names, Ne 7:4-69 and some account of the freewill offerings made for the work they came about, Ne 7:70-73.

Nehemiah 7 Commentaries

Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.