Nehemiah 7:4

4 And the city was full broad and great, and little people in the midst thereof (but there were few people living there), and the houses were not yet builded.

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 I commanded to Hanani, my brother, and to Hananiah, the prince of the house of Jerusalem (I put my brother Hanani, and Hananiah, the commander of the stronghold, or the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem); for he seemed a soothfast man, and dreading God more than other men did;

3 and I said to them, The gates of Jerusalem be not opened till to the heat of the sun (and I said to them, Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the heat of the sun); and, when I was yet present, the gates were closed, and locked. And I set keepers thereof (out) of the dwellers of Jerusalem, all men by their whiles, or times, and each man over against his own house.

4 And the city was full broad and great, and little people in the midst thereof (but there were few people living there), and the houses were not yet builded.

5 And God gave in mine heart, and I gathered together the principal men, and (the) magistrates, and the common people, for to number them; and I found a book of the number[ing] of them, that had gone up first from the captivity. And it was found written therein, (And God put in my heart, to gather together the leaders, and the magistrates, and the common people, to list, or to register, them; and I found a book listing those who had first returned from the captivity. And I found written in it,)

6 These be the sons of the province, which went up from the captivity of men passing over from Babylon to Jerusalem, which Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had led over into Babylon; and they that were come with Zerubbabel turned again into Jerusalem and into Judah, each man to his city; (These be the sons of the province, who came back from the captivity, yea, the list of men returning from Babylon to Jerusalem, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had led over to Babylon; they returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each man to his own city;)