Nehemiah 7:4

4 civitas autem erat lata nimis et grandis et populus parvus in medio eius et non erant domus aedificatae

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.

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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 praecepi Aneni fratri meo et Ananiae principi domus de Hierusalem ipse enim quasi vir verax et timens Deum plus ceteris videbatur

3 et dixi eis non aperiantur portae Hierusalem usque ad calorem solis cumque adhuc adsisterent clausae portae sunt et oppilatae et posui custodes de habitatoribus Hierusalem singulos per vices suas et unumquemque contra domum suam

4 civitas autem erat lata nimis et grandis et populus parvus in medio eius et non erant domus aedificatae

5 dedit autem Deus in corde meo et congregavi optimates et magistratus et vulgum ut recenserem eos et inveni librum census eorum qui ascenderant primum et inventum est scriptum in eo

6 isti filii provinciae qui ascenderunt de captivitate migrantium quos transtulerat Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis et reversi sunt in Hierusalem et in Iudaeam unusquisque in civitatem suam