Nehemiah 11:1

1 Forsooth the princes of the people dwelled in Jerusalem; but the residue people sent lot, for to take one part of ten, which should dwell in Jerusalem, in the holy city; and the (other) nine parts dwelled in other cities. (Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem; but the rest of the people cast lots, to take one part in ten, as to who would live in Jerusalem, in the holy city; and those who took the other nine parts lived in the other cities.)

Nehemiah 11:1 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 11:1

And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem
Where it was proper they should, being the metropolis of the nation, both for the performance of their offices, and to protect and defend it, as well as to set an example to the people, and encourage them to dwell there also:

the rest of the people also cast lots to bring one of ten to dwell in
Jerusalem the holy city;
so called, because of the temple and the worship of God in it; and so it is called by Julian the emperor ^F7; and some ^F8 have thought that the Cadytis of Herodotus ^F9 is the same with Jerusalem, which had its name from (hvdq) , "holy", and is now called by the Turks "cuds", that is, "holy" ^F11: now, though it was the chief city, and the place of public worship, yet the people were not forward of settling in it, partly because of the rage of the enemy, which this city was the butt of, and partly because it was more to their worldly advantage to dwell in the country, and where they could have better supplies; they consulted their own ease, safety, and profit; wherefore this method was taken to oblige some to dwell in it, by taking one out of ten by lot, that there might be a sufficient number to rebuild the houses of it, repopulate and defend it:

and nine parts to dwell in other cities;
to which they belonged, or where they pleased, any where in the land of Israel.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Ep. 25. p. 154.
F8 Prideaux's Connection, par. 1. p. 56, 57.
F9 Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 159. & Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 5.
F11 Sandys's Travels, l. 5. p. 121. Ed. 5.

Nehemiah 11:1 In-Context

1 Forsooth the princes of the people dwelled in Jerusalem; but the residue people sent lot, for to take one part of ten, which should dwell in Jerusalem, in the holy city; and the (other) nine parts dwelled in other cities. (Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem; but the rest of the people cast lots, to take one part in ten, as to who would live in Jerusalem, in the holy city; and those who took the other nine parts lived in the other cities.)

2 And the people blessed all men, that proffered themselves by free will to dwell in Jerusalem. (And the people blessed all those, who freely offered themselves to live in Jerusalem.)

3 And so these be the princes of the province, that dwelled in Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah; and each man dwelled in his possession, in their cities of Israel, that is, priests, deacons, Nethinims, and the sons of the servants of Solomon. (And so these named below be the leaders of the province, who lived in Jerusalem; and the other Israelites lived in the other cities of Judah, that is, the priests, the Levites, the Temple workers, and the sons of Solomon's servants, each on his own property, in their own cities.)

4 And (these be the) men of the sons of Judah, and of the sons of Benjamin (who) dwelled in Jerusalem; of the sons of Judah; Athaiah, the son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalaleel, of the sons of Perez;

5 (and) Maaseiah, the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shilonites (of the sons of Shelah);