Nehemiah 11:1 And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.
This narrative continues the story of
ch. 7:4, and gives an account of measures taken to carry out Nehemiah’s resolution to repopulate Jerusalem. Jerusalem was already the residence of the nobles or tribal heads (see
chs. 2:16; 5:17), and no increase could be expected in this direction. Nehemiah had therefore found it necessary to look to other classes of the population in order to obtain new settlers for the capital.
Anciently the Jews frequently used the lot to determine matters where human judgment seemed insufficient, in the belief that
“the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord” (
Prov. 16:33). Divine sanction had been given, in the course of the history of God’s people, to the use of the lot for the selection of persons (
Joshua 7:16-18; 1 Sam. 10:19-21), for the distribution of lands (
Num. 26:55, 56), and for determining the order in which different groups should execute their duties (
1 Chron. 24:5; 25:8).
This designation occurs in the prophecies of
Isa. 48:2; 52:1; Dan. 9:24; Joel 3:17, but is used here for the first time in a historical narrative. From now on its use becomes more frequent (see
Matt. 4:5; 27:53; Rev. 11:2; etc.), until it received the Arabic name
el-Quds,
“The Holy (place).” This it has retained as its official name until the present day.
Nehemiah 11:2 And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
In addition to those on whom the lot fell and who accepted it as indicating their responsibility to move to Jerusalem, there were certain volunteers who moved with their families into the city. Their fellow countrymen invoked blessings upon them for their patriotism.
Nehemiah 11:3 Now these are the chief of the province that dwelt in Jerusalem: but in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in their cities, to wit, Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon’s servants.
That is, the province of Judah as part of the Persian Empire. The chief men of the province are contrasted in the writer’s mind with the Jewish heads of families who lived in Babylon or in other parts of the empire.
That is, census of all “the chief of the province” living there subsequent to the transfer.
A collective designation for members of all the tribes, with the exception of the Levites. According to
1 Chron. 9:3 it is evident that among those who had returned were members of the two great tribes of Israel, Manasseh and Ephraim. The citizens are treated by classes, as in other lists, and the laity precede the Temple officers.
Nehemiah 11:4 And at Jerusalem dwelt certain of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin. Of the children of Judah; Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalaleel, of the children of Perez;
Not that all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin only; there were many Levites (
vs. 10-19), probably also Manassites and Ephraimites (
Chron. 9:3), and also the Nethinims (
Neh. 11:21), who did not belong to any tribe. There may also have been representatives of other tribes. However, men of Judah and Benjamin seem to have constituted the majority of the population, and therefore they alone are mentioned. A parallel list of the inhabitants of Jerusalem is found in 1 Chron. 9, which may be based on a somewhat later census, since all numbers are higher than in Neh. 11.
In
1 Chron. 9:4 the name is given as Uthai. The ancestors assigned to Athaiah here and in 1 Chron. 9 are different, with the exception of Pharez (Perez), the son of Judah. But each list is probably an abbreviation of a far longer one, and the two writers have not in all cases selected the same names for their genealogies.
Nehemiah 11:5 And Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.
Since it seems strange for a Jew to have come from Shiloh, a city in the northern kingdom of Israel, the Masoretic vocalization of this word is probably incorrect.
The phrase should probably be rendered,
“the son of a Shelanite,” meaning a descendant of Shelah, Judah’s third son, father of
“the family of the Shelanites” (
Num. 26:20).
Nehemiah 11:6 All the sons of Perez that dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred threescore and eight valiant men.
Judah furnished 468 men capable of bearing arms, about half as many as Benjamin, which provided 928 men (
v. 8). The cities of Judah lying south of Jerusalem may not have felt the necessity of keeping the capital strong, as did the Benjamites who dwelt in the real danger zone, the border of Samaria.
Nehemiah 11:7 And these are the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jesaiah.
Sallu the son of Meshullam.
Compare
1 Chron. 9:7. The other names in the genealogy are different, perhaps for the same reason noted in
v. 4.
Nehemiah 11:8 And after him Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred twenty and eight.
Nine hundred twenty and eight.
The census of
1 Chron. 9:9 contains 956 men. Apparently, the number of Benjamites in Jerusalem had increased but slightly between the two censuses. In contrast, Judah shows an increase in its Jerusalem population from 468 to 690 during the same period of time. The increase may have been due in part to the fact that an additional Jewish family settled in Jerusalem, that of Zerah, Judah’s fifth son (
1 Chron. 9:6).
Nehemiah 11:10 Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin.
According to
1 Chron. 9:10 the three names there given belong to three different priestly families. According, it appears that the Heb.
ben,
“the son of,” is probably a copyist’s error. Jedaiah and Joiarib represented two of the chief priestly families, and are usually mentioned together (
1 Chron. 24:7; Neh. 12:19; etc.). Jachin was a priestly family of much less distinction, probably descended from the head of the 21st priestly course in David’s time (
1 Chron. 24:17).
Nehemiah 11:11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, was the ruler of the house of God.
The high priest is meant, though his name is not given. In Nehemiah’s time Eliashib filled this office (see
chs. 12:10; 13:4), but here only the name of his ancestral family is given.
Nehemiah 11:12 And their brethren that did the work of the house were eight hundred twenty and two: and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchiah.
Their brethren that did the work.
That is, priests of ordinary rank. According to
vs. 12-14, 1,192 priests were now living in Jerusalem. Thus, of the 4,289 who returned with Zerubbabel (
Ezra 2:36-39) and others later with Ezra (
ch. 8:24; etc.), only one in three or four lived in Jerusalem. When the census of 1 Chron. 9 was taken, the priestly population of Jerusalem had grown to 1,760 (
v. 13).
Nehemiah 11:14 And their brethren, mighty men of valour, an hundred twenty and eight: and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one of the great men.
Heb. haggedolim. This, possibly, should be considered a proper name (see RSV and the margin of the KJV).
Nehemiah 11:16 And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief of the Levites, had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God.
The three Levites here named were in charge of the material requirements and financial affairs of the Temple. They are also mentioned in
Neh. 8:7; 12:34, 42 as prominent Levites (see
1 Chron. 26:29).
Nehemiah 11:18 All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four.
The small number of Levites, 284 as compared with 1,192 priests, is obvious here as in Ezra (see on
Ezra 2:40).
Nehemiah 11:19 Moreover the porters, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren that kept the gates, were an hundred seventy and two.
Nehemiah 11:21 But the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa were over the Nethinims.
Nehemiah 11:22 The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God.
This verse should be translated as a single sentence rather than as two sentences, and the word
“were,” which is not in the Hebrew, omitted. Uzzi was overseer of the singing in the Temple. As the men mentioned in
vs. 15, 16 had
“the oversight of the outward business,” so affairs within the Temple were under the supervision of Uzzi. He also participated in the wall dedication (
ch. 12:42).
Nehemiah 11:23 For it was the king’s commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.
Not that of David, who once regulated the services of the Levites (
1 Chron. 25), but of the Persian king Artaxerxes I, who, it appears, assigned a certain daily stipend from the royal revenue for the support of the singing Levites. The reason for this special favor may have been that the Levitical choir was to pray
“for the life of the king, and of his sons” (
Ezra 6:10), and that the few singing Levites who returned from Babylon had to be on constant duty in the Temple.
Nehemiah 11:24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king’s hand in all matters concerning the people.
Pethahiah’s office was similar to that held by Ezra (see on
Ezra 7:12). An intermediary between the Persian court and Judea, he may have been a courier assigned to liaison duties.
Nehemiah 11:25 And for the villages, with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjatharba, and in the villages thereof, and at Dibon, and in the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel, and in the villages thereof,
Nehemiah now leaves the city population of Jerusalem to give a list of towns apparently belonging to the province of Judea. This list makes possible a map of Judea of the time of Nehemiah on a somewhat more secure basis than would otherwise be possible, see The Province of Judah in NehemiahÕs Time. However, the list as given here is incomplete, since a number of cities mentioned in
Ezra 2:20-34 and Neh. 3known to be populated by Jews in the postexilic period are not listed.
An older name of Hebron (
Judges 1:10), and apparently based on the name of its founder Arba, one of the Anakim (
Joshua 14:15; 15:13; 21:11). It is of interest to note that the ancient name was restored after the Captivity.
Thought to be a variant spelling of Dimonah, listed among cities of the Negeb in
Joshua 15:21-26. If so, it would have been in the neighborhood of Aroer, now
‘Ar‘arah, about 12 mi. (7.4 km.) southeast of Beersheba. Dibon itself, however, has not yet been located.
This unidentified place seems to have been the same as Kabzeel, in the extreme south of Judah.
Nehemiah 11:26 And at Jeshua, and at Moladah, and at Bethphelet,
Now Tell es-Sa‘si, about 81/2 mi. (13.6 km.) east-northeast of Beersheba.
Perhaps at the site of Tell elt-Milh, about 10 mi. (16 km.) southeast of Beersheba.
Probably near Beersheba, but still unidentified (see
Joshua 15:27).
Nehemiah 11:27 And at Hazarshual, and at Beersheba, and in the villages thereof,
Another place in the vicinity of Beersheba not yet identified (
Joshua 15:28). The name means the
“Village of the Fox.”
Nehemiah 11:28 And at Ziklag, and at Mekonah, and in the villages thereof,
Celebrated as the town given to David by Achish, king of Gath (
1 Sam. 27:6), and soon afterward taken by the Amalekites (
1 Sam. 30:1). It was perhaps at the present site of
Tell el-Khuweilfeh, some 10 mi. (16 km.) to the north of Beersheba.
Nehemiah 11:29 And at Enrimmon, and at Zareah, and at Jarmuth,
Now Khirbert Umm er-Ramamîn, 81/2 mi. (12.8 km.) north of Beersheba.
Possibly the same as Zorah, now Sar‘ah, about 15 mi. (24 km.) west of Jerusalem.
Now Khirbet Yarmûk, about 14 mi. (22.4 km.) west of Bethlehem.
Nehemiah 11:30 Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beersheba unto the valley of Hinnom.
Now Khirbet Zanû‘, 2 mi. (3.2 km.) northeast of Jarmuth.
Now Tell esh-Sheikh Madhkûr, 10 mi. (16 km.) northwest of Hebron.
Now Tell ed-Duweir, about 15 mi. (25.6 km.) northwest of Hebron, where excavations of importance took place during the years 1932-38, under the direction of J. L. Starkey (see Vol. I, p. 125).
Now
Tell ez-Zakariyeh, about 18 mi. southwest of Jerusalem. Like Adullam and Lachish, it was one of the cities fortified by Rehoboam (
2 Chron. 11:9). Azekah and Lachish were the last cities to fall to Nebuchadnezzar’s forces prior to the capture of Jerusalem (
Jer. 34:7).
Beer-sheba unto the valley of Hinnom.
For practical purposes, the southernmost and northernmost regions of the former tribe of Judah are here mentioned, a distance of about 40 mi. (64 km.) as the crow flies. The Valley of Hinnom lay immediately to the south of Jerusalem. Compare the similar expression,
“from Dan even to Beer-sheba” (see on
Judges 20:1).
Nehemiah 11:31 The children also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija, and Bethel, and in their villages.
From Geba dwelt at Michmash.
Literally, “from Geba [to] Michmash.” Geba is now Jeba‘, 7 mi. (11.2 km.) north-northeast of Jerusalem, while Michmash, now called Mukhmâs, lies 2 mi. (3.2 km.) farther, to the northeast of Geba.
Identified as et-Tell, 11/2 mi. (2.4 km.) southeast of Bethel, a site excavated by a French expedition from 1933-35. It is uncertain whether Aija (et-Tell) is the Ai of Joshua 7 and 8 (see Vol. II, p. 42).
Now
Beitîn, 11 mi. 17.6 km.) north of Jerusalem. Bethel played an important role in the history of Israel. It was there that Jacob had his dream of the ladder that reached to heaven (
Gen. 28). Throughout the period of the kingdom of Israel Bethel was the location of one of the two apostate temples Jeroboam I founded (
1 Kings 12:28, 29).
Nehemiah 11:32 And at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
A Levitical city (
Joshua 21:18), which had once been the home of Jeremiah (
Jer. 1:1; 32:7). It is now called
Râs el-Kharruûbeh, and lies less than 3 mi. northeast of Jerusalem.
This city, famous for the massacre of the priests by Doeg in the time of Saul (
1 Sam. 22:18, 19, could be seen from Jerusalem (
Isa. 10:32). It has tentatively been identified with
et-Tôr on the Mt. of Olives.
This seems to be the OT name for Bethany, a town on the eastern slope of the Mt. of Olives, one that played an important role in the life of Christ. Its modern name is el-‘Azarîyeh.
Nehemiah 11:33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
Now Khirbet Hazzûr, approximately 4 mi. (6.4 km.) to the north-northwest of Jerusalem.
Probably er-Râm, 4 mi. (6.4 km.) northwest of Jerusalem.
A town in Benjamin, not yet identified.
Nehemiah 11:34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
Now el-Hadîtheh, 31/2 mi. (4.8 km.) northeast of Lydda.
A town near Hadid, not yet identified.
Now Beit Nabala, 2 mi. (3.2 km.) north of Hadid.
Nehemiah 11:35 Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.
Lydda of NT times, now called Ludd. This city became important under the Maccabees (1 Macc. 11:34; etc.). It was later called Diospolis.
First mentioned in
1 Chron. 8:12, with Lod, as also in
Ezra 2:33. It is now
Kefr‘Ana, 5 mi. (8 km.) northwest of Lydda.
This valley, apparently in the vicinity of Ono and Lod, has not yet been identified.
Nehemiah 11:36 And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin.
Verse 36 should read,
“Divisions of the Levites in Judah were joined to Benjamin” (RSV). Apparently certain divisions of Levites, who according to former arrangements had been located in Judah, were now transferred to Benjamin. The census under Nehemiah may have revealed that a disproportionately great number of Levites were living in Judah.