Nechemyah 11

1 1 And the rulers of the people dwelt at Yerushalayim; the rest of the people also cast goralot, to bring one of ten to dwell in Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.
2 And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Yerushalayim.
3 Now these are the chiefs of the province that dwelt in Yerushalayim, but in the towns of Yehudah dwelt every one in his possession in their towns—Yisroel, the Kohanim, and the Levi’im, and the Netinim, and the Bnei Avdei Sh’lomo.
4 And at Yerushalayim dwelt certain of the Bnei Yehudah, and of the Bnei Binyamin. Of the Bnei Yehudah; Atayah ben Uziyah, ben Zecharyah, ben Amaryah, ben Shephatyah, ben Mahalal’el, of the children of Peretz;
5 And Ma’aseiyah ben Baruch, ben Colchozeh, ben Chazayah, ben Adayah, ben Yoyariv, ben Zecharyah, ben Shelah.
6 All the Bnei Peretz that dwelt at Yerushalayim were four hundred threescore and eight anshei chayil.
7 And these are the Bnei Binyamin: Sallu ben Meshullam, ben Yoed, ben Pedayah, ben Kolayah, ben Ma’aseiyah, ben Itiel, ben Yeshayah.
8 And after him Gabai, Sallai, 928.
9 And Yoel ben Zichri was their pakid (overseer), and Yehudah ben Hasnuah was second over the Ir.
10 Of the Kohanim; Yedayah ben Yoyariv, Yachin,
11 Serayah ben Chilkiyah ben Meshullam ben Tzadok ben Merayot ben Achituv the Nagid Bais HaElohim.
12 And their brethren that did the work of the Beis {HaMikdash] were eight hundred twenty and two; and Adayah ben Yerocham, ben Pelalyah, ben Amtzi, ben Zecharyah, ben Pashchur, ben Malkiyah.
13 And his brethren, chief of the avot, two hundred forty and two; and Amashsai ben Azare’el ben Achzai ben Meshillemot ben Immer,
14 And their brethren, gibborei chayil, one hundred twenty and eight; and their overseer was Zavdiel ben HaGedolim.
15 Also of the Levi’im; Shemayah ben Chashuv ben Azrikam ben Chashavyah ben Bunni;
16 And Shabtai and Yozavad, of the chief of the Levi’im, had the oversight of the outside work of the Beis HaElohim.
17 And Matanyah ben Micha ben Zavdi ben Asaph was the Rosh leading techillah in tefillah, and Bakbukyah the second among his brethren, and Avda ben Shammua ben Galal ben Yedutun.
18 All the Levi’im in the Ir HaKodesh were two hundred fourscore and four.
19 Moreover the gatekeepers, Akuv, Talmon, and their brethren that kept the gates, were one hundred seventy and two.
20 And the rest of Yisroel, of the Kohanim, and the Levi’im, were in all the cities of Yehudah, every one in his nachalah.
21 But the Netinim dwelt in Ophel, and Tzicha and Gishpa were over the Netinim.
22 The overseer also of the Levi’im at Yerushalayim was Uzzi ben Bani, ben Chashavyah ben Matanyah ben Micha. Of the Bnei Asaph, the singers were responsible for the Beis HaElohim.
23 For it was the king’s commandment concerning them, that a regulation be for the singers, over their daily actities.
24 And Petachyah ben Mesheizav’el, of the Bnei Zerach ben Yehudah, was the king’s deputy in all matters concerning the people.
25 And for the villages, with their fields, some of the children of Yehudah dwelt at Kiryat-Arba, and in the villages thereof, and at Divon, and in the villages thereof, and at Yekabze’el, and in the villages thereof,
26 And at Yeshua, and at Moladah, and at Beit-Pelet,
27 And at Chatzar Shual, and at Beer Sheva, and in the villages thereof,
28 And at Tziklag, and at Mechonah, and in the villages thereof,
29 And at En-Rimmon, and at Tzorah, and at Yarmut,
30 Zanoach, Adulam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof. And they dwelt from BeerSheva unto the valley of Gehinnom.
31 The children also of Binyamin from Geva dwelt at Michmas, and Ayah, and Beit-El, and in their villages.
32 And at Anatot, Nov, Ananyah,
33 Chatzor, Ramah, Gittayim,
34 Chadid, Tzvo’im, Nevalat,
35 Lud, and Ono, the Gey-HaCharashim.
36 And of the Levi’im were divisions in Yehudah and in Binyamin.

Nechemyah 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.

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.

Nechemyah 11 Commentaries

The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.