Nehemiah 11

Inhabitants of Jerusalem

1 The leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the remaining nine stayed in the other towns.
2 The people blessed those who agreed to live in Jerusalem.
3 These are the leaders of the province who lived in Jerusalem; while the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants lived in the towns of Judah on their own property in their towns.
4 Some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem. From the family of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah son of Zechariah son of Amariah son of Shephatiah son of Mahalalel of the family of Perez;
5 and Maaseiah son of Baruch son of Col-hozeh son of Hazaiah son of Adaiah son of Joiarib son of Zechariah son of the Shilonite.
6 All of the family of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 courageous people.
7 From the family of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam son of Joed son of Pedaiah son of Kolaiah son of Maaseiah son of Ithiel son of Jeshaiah.
8 And after him were Gabbai and Sallai: 928.
9 Joel son of Zichri was their supervisor, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in charge of the city.
10 Of the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin,
11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah son of Meshullam son of Zadok son of Meraioth son of Ahitub the officer of God's house,
12 and their associates who carried out the work in the temple: 822. There was also Adaiah son of Jeroham son of Pelaliah son of Amzi son of Zechariah son of Pashhur son of Malchijah,
13 and his associates, heads of families: 242. There was also Amashsai son of Azarel son of Ahzai son of Meshillemoth son of Immer
14 and their associates, for a total of 128 courageous people. Their supervisor was Zabdiel, Haggedolim's son.
15 Of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub son of Azrikam son of Hashabiah son of Bunni;
16 as well as Shabbethai and Jozabad, who were some of the leaders of the Levites in charge of the outside work on God's house;
17 also Mattaniah son of Mica son of Zabdi son of Asaph the leader who began the thanksgiving with prayer, and Bakbukiah, who was the second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua son of Galal son of Jeduthun.
18 All the Levites in the holy city totaled 284.
19 The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their associates who guarded the gates totaled 172.
20 The rest of Israel, the priests, and the Levites were in all the towns of Judah, each of them in their own property.
21 But the temple servants lived in Ophel, with Ziha and Gishpa in charge of them.
22 The supervisor of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani son of Hashabiah son of Mattaniah son of Mica, from the family of Asaph, who were the singers in charge of the work of God's house.
23 There was a command from the king setting out the daily requirements of the singers.
24 Advising the king in all matters concerning the people was Pethahiah, Meshezabel's son, from the family of Zerah, Judah's son.
25 As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its villages, in Dibon and its villages, in Jekabzeel and its villages,
26 in Jeshua, in Moladah and Beth-pelet,
27 in Hazar-shual, in Beer-sheba and its villages,
28 in Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages,
29 in En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth,
30 Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its villages. So they settled from Beer-sheba to the Hinnom Valley.
31 The people of Benjamin also lived from beyond Geba, at Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages,
32 Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
35 Lod, and Ono, the valley of artisans.
36 Some divisions of the Levites in Judah were joined to Benjamin.

Nehemiah 11 Commentary

Chapter 11

The distribution of the people.

- In all ages, men have preferred their own ease and advantage to the public good. Even the professors of religion too commonly seek their own, and not the things of Christ. Few have had such attachment to holy things and holy places, as to renounce pleasure for their sake. Yet surely, our souls should delight to dwell where holy persons and opportunities of spiritual improvement most abound. If we have not this love to the city of our God, and to every thing that assists our communion with the Saviour, how shall we be willing to depart hence; to be absent from the body, that we may be present with the Lord? To the carnal-minded, the perfect holiness of the New Jerusalem would be still harder to bear than the holiness of God's church on earth. Let us seek first the favour of God, and his glory; let us study to be patient, contented, and useful in our several stations, and wait, with cheerful hope, for admission into the holy city of God.

Footnotes 1

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NEHEMIAH 11

This chapter treats of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, those of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who settled there by lot, or of their own accord, their names and numbers, Ne 11:1-9, and of the priests and Levites who dwelt there, Ne 11:10-19, and of the rest of the people, priests, and Levites, that dwelt in the other cities and villages of Judah and Benjamin, Ne 11:20-36.

Nehemiah 11 Commentaries

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