Nehemiah 7:60-70

60 In all, the Temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants numbered 392.

61 Another group returned at this time from the towns of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Kerub, Addan, and Immer. However, they could not prove that they or their families were descendants of Israel.

62 This group included the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda—a total of 642 people.

63 Three families of priests—Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai—also returned. (This Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai of Gilead, and he had taken her family name.)

64 They searched for their names in the genealogical records, but they were not found, so they were disqualified from serving as priests.

65 The governor told them not to eat the priests’ share of food from the sacrifices until a priest could consult the LORD about the matter by using the Urim and Thummim—the sacred lots.

66 So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah,

67 in addition to 7,337 servants and 245 singers, both men and women.

68 They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules,

69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

70 Some of the family leaders gave gifts for the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold coins, 50 gold basins, and 530 robes for the priests.

Nehemiah 7:60-70 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. As in parallel text at Ezra 2:59 ; Hebrew reads Addon.
• [b]. As in some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ezra 2:66 ); most Hebrew manuscripts lack this verse. Verses 7:69-73 are numbered 7:68-72 in Hebrew text.
• [c]. Hebrew 1,000 darics of gold, about 19 pounds or 8.6 kilograms in weight.