Nehemiah 7

The wall is complete

1 When the wall had been built and I had hung the doors, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.
2 Then I put my brother Hanani and Hananiah the commander of the fortress in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah was a faithful man who revered God more than many.
3 I said to them, "The gates of Jerusalem aren't to be opened during the hottest time of the day. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Also, appoint guards from among those who live in Jerusalem. Station some at their watch posts and some in front of their own houses."

Nehemiah registers the families

4 Now although the city was wide and large, only a few people were living within it, and no houses had been rebuilt.
5 My God then prompted me to assemble the officials, the officers, and the people so that they could be registered by families. I found the record of the families who were the first to return, and I found the following written in it:
6 These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of those exiles whom Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile. They all returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to their own town.
7 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of the people of Israel:
8 The family of Parosh 2,172
9 of Shephatiah 372
10 of Arah 652
11 of Pahath-moab, that is, of the descendants of Jeshua and Joab 2,818
12 of Elam 1,254
13 of Zattu 845
14 of Zaccai 760
15 of Binnui 648
16 of Bebai 628
17 of Azgad 2,322
18 of Adonikam 667
19 of Bigvai 2,067
20 of Adin 655
21 of Ater, that is, of the descendants of Hezekiah 98
22 of Hashum 328
23 of Bezai 324
24 of Hariph 112
25 of Gibeon 95
26 The people of Bethlehem and Netophah 188
27 of Anathoth 128
28 of Beth-azmaveth 42
29 of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth 743
30 of Ramah and Geba 621
31 of Michmas 122
32 of Bethel and Ai 123
33 of the other Nebo 52
34 the inhabitants of the other Elam 1,254
35 of Harim 320
36 of Jericho 345
37 of Lod, Hadid, and Ono 721
38 of Senaah 3,930
39 The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah, that is, of the house of Jeshua 973
40 of Immer 1,052
41 of Pashhur 1,247
42 of Harim 1,017
43 The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua, that is, of Kadmiel, of the descendants of Hodaviah 74
44 The singers: the descendants of Asaph 148
45 The descendants of gatekeepers: of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai 138
46 The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
47 Keros, Sia, Padon,
48 Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai,
49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
52 Besai, Meunim, Nephushesim,
53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
54 Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha,
55 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
56 Neziah, and Hatipha.
57 The descendants of Solomon's servants: Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
58 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
59 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth-hazzebaim, and Amon.
60 All of the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants totaled 392.
61 The following came up from Tel-Melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their family or their descent was from Israel:
62 the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 642.
63 And of the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by his name)
64 looked for their entries in the genealogical records, but they weren't found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
65 The governor ordered that they shouldn't eat of the most holy food until a priest arose who could consult Urim and Thummim.
66 The whole assembly together totaled 42,360.
67 This number doesn't include their 7,337 male and female servants; they also had 245 male and female singers,
68 736 horses, 245 mules,
69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
70 Some of the heads of families made a donation for the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly robes.
71 Some of the heads of families gave 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 manehs of silver to the treasury for the work.
72 The rest of the people gave 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 manehs of silver, and 67 priestly robes.
73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.

Footnotes 7

Nehemiah 7 Commentaries

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