Nehemiah 7:6

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;)

Nehemiah 7:6 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 7:6

These are the children of the province that went up out of the
captivity
Who were of the province of Judea, as it was now reduced, and came up out of the captivity of Babylon through the edict of Cyrus; see ( Ezra 2:1 ) , where the same preface is given to the list of names as here; and from hence to the end of ( Nehemiah 7:69 ) the same account is given of persons and families as there, with some little difference of numbers and names; in some instances there are more in this list, in others fewer, which may be thus accounted for; that list was made in Babylon, when, upon the edict of Cyrus, the Jews, who intended to go up with Zerubbabel, gave in their names, and they were registered; but this was made when they came to Jerusalem; now some of those that gave in their names changed their minds, and tarried in Babylon, and some might die by the way, which makes the numbers fewer in some instances; and others who did not give in their names at first, but, being better disposed towards their own country, followed after and joined those which were returning, and increased the number of others; to which may be added what Abendana observes, that in Ezra an account is given of those that came out of the captivity by the companies, in which they came not genealogized, and had a mixture of persons of other families in them, and some that had no genealogy; but afterwards, when they were genealogized according to their families, a register of their genealogies was made, and is what Nehemiah now found, and here gives; and, as for difference of names, that may be owing to the carelessness of copiers, or to the different pronunciation of names, or some men might have two names; the matter is of no great moment.

Nehemiah 7:6 In-Context

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;)

7 Joshua, that is to say, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, (and) Baanah. And the number of the men of the people of Israel is this; (and their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, or Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. And the number of the men of the people of Israel was this;)

8 the sons of Parosh, two thousand an hundred and two and seventy;