Nehemiah 7:4

4 Now the city was large and great, but there were few people in it, and the houses were not rebuilt.

Nehemiah 7:4 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 7:4

Now the city was large and great
The circumference of it, all within the wall; for that was built on its old foundation, and enclosed as much ground as ever it did: Hecataeus ^F2, an Heathen writer, says the circumference of Jerusalem was fifty furlongs, which was more than six miles; but Josephus ^F3 makes the circuit of it but thirty three furlongs or about six miles:

but the people were few therein;
in comparison of the largeness of the place; for though there were 42,360 that came up at first with Zerubbabel, and many more with Ezra, yet a great number chose to settle in the towns and cities in the country, Jerusalem being in such a desolate condition:

and the houses were not builded;
some were, but they were but few, many of them still lay in ruins.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F2 Apud Euseb. Praepar. par. Evangel. l. 9. c. 4. p. 408. & apud Joseph. contr. Apion, l. 1. c. 22.
F3 De Bell. Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 3.

Nehemiah 7:4 In-Context

2 that I commanded my brother Hanani, and Hananiah, the prince of the palace in Jerusalem (for he was as a man of truth and feared God above many);

3 and I said unto them, Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot and even with the guards present, let them shut the doors and bar them. And appoint guards of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each one in his watch and each one to be in front of his house.

4 Now the city was large and great, but there were few people in it, and the houses were not rebuilt.

5 And my God put it into my heart to gather together the principals and the rulers and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found the register of the genealogy of those who had come up before and found written therein:

6 These are the sons of the province, that came up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had carried away and returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each one unto his city,