Nehemiah 11:2

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.)

Nehemiah 11:2 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 11:2

And the people blessed all the men that willingly offered
themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
] Who were not taken by lot, but of their own accord settled at Jerusalem; they praised them for it, and wished them all happiness and prosperity, since they denied themselves of ease and profit for the sake of the public good; and it is this which makes the difference between the list of the inhabitants of Jerusalem in ( 1 Chronicles 9:2 ) &c. and this here, that takes in all that settled there, whether voluntarily or by lot; this only such as were fixed by the lot, and of them only those who were of greatest note and esteem, as Jarchi observes, and so it follows.

Nehemiah 11:2 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);