Nehemiah 11:2

2 The people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell in Yerushalayim.

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 The princes of the people lived in Yerushalayim: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Yerushalayim the holy city, and nine parts in the [other] cities.

2 The people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell in Yerushalayim.

3 Now these are the chiefs of the province who lived in Yerushalayim: but in the cities of Yehudah lived everyone in his possession in their cities, [to wit], Yisra'el, the Kohanim, and the Levites, and the temple servants, and the children of Shlomo's servants.

4 In Yerushalayim lived certain of the children of Yehudah, and of the children of Binyamin. Of the children of Yehudah: `Atayah the son of `Uzziyah, the son of Zekharyah, the son of Amaryah, the son of Shefatyah, the son of Mahalal'el, of the children of Peretz;

5 and Ma`aseyah the son of Barukh, the son of Kolchozeh, the son of Hazayah, the son of `Adayah, the son of Yoiariv, the son of Zekharyah, the son of the Shiloni.