Nehemiah11
New International Version
1Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.
2The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
3These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem (now some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants and descendants of Solomon’s servants lived in the towns of Judah, each on their own property in the various towns,
4while other people from both Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem): From the descendants of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez;
5and Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Kol-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah.
6The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 men of standing.
7From the descendants of Benjamin: Sallu 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 Jeshaiah,
8and his followers, Gabbai and Sallai—928 men.
9Joel son of Zikri was their chief officer, and Judah son of Hassenuah was over the New Quarter of the city.
10From the priests: Jedaiah; the son of Joiarib; Jakin;
11Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the official in charge of the house of God,
12and their associates, who carried on work for the temple—822 men; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah,
13and his associates, who were heads of families—242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,
14and his associates, who were men of standing—128. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.
15From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;
16Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the heads of the Levites, who had charge of the outside work of the house of God;
17Mattaniah son of Mika, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
18The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.
19The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon and their associates, who kept watch at the gates—172 men.
20The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, each on their ancestral property.
21The temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them.
22The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mika. Uzzi was one of Asaph’s descendants, who were the musicians responsible for the service of the house of God.
23The musicians were under the king’s orders, which regulated their daily activity.
24Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah son of Judah, was the king’s agent in all affairs relating to the people.
25As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba and its surrounding settlements, in Dibon and its settlements, in Jekabzeel and its villages,
26in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Beth Pelet,
27in Hazar Shual, in Beersheba and its settlements,
28in Ziklag, in Mekonah and its settlements,
29in En Rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth,
30Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, in Lachish and its fields, and in Azekah and its settlements. So they were living all the way from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.
31The descendants of the Benjamites from Geba lived in Mikmash, Aija, Bethel and its settlements,
32in Anathoth, Nob and Ananiah,
33in Hazor, Ramah and Gittaim,
34in Hadid, Zeboim and Neballat,
35in Lod and Ono, and in Ge Harashim.
36Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Nehemiah 11.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The distribution of the people. (1-36).
vv1-36
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.
Key Words
שַׂר: a head person (of any rank or class)
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
יָשַׁב: properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם: Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
שְׁאָר: a remainder
נָפַל: to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
גּוֹרָל: properly, a pebble, i.e. a lot (small stones being used for that purpose); figuratively, a portion or destiny (as if determined by lot)
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
אֶחָד: properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
Cross References
Nehemiah 11Direct parallel list of the first post-exilic settlers from Judah and Benjamin in Jerusalem.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel designation of the ruler of the house of God under the high priest's administration.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies the outward business of the Levites, managing external duties and administrative collection.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Illustrates the practice of using lots to decide difficult and critical civic distributions.
Supported by JFB
Identifies Jerusalem by its formal biblical title: the holy city.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel list identifying the specific priestly families (Jedaiah, Joiarib, Jachin) who settled in Jerusalem.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Provides the Pentateuchal precedent of chief priests acting as rulers over the house of God.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament usage of the term 'the holy city' in reference to Jerusalem.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Echoes the blessing given to leaders and citizens who willingly offered themselves for service.
Supported by JFB
Details the hierarchy of rulers and officers established over the house of the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Corroborates Ophel as the specific residential quarter of the temple-serving Nethinim.
Supported by JFB
Confirms the pattern of priests, Levites, and Nethinim residing in their own ancestral cities.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the Levitical lineage of Mattaniah, son of Micah, descendant of Asaph.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the identity of Abda (Obadiah) and the descendants of Jeduthun.
Supported by JFB
Identifies the Shilonites as descendants of Perez who dwelt in Jerusalem.
Supported by JFB