Nehemiah7
New King James Version
1 Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,
2 that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.
3 And I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.”
4 Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt.
5 Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come up in the first return, and found written in it:
6 These are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.
7 Those who came with Zerubbabel were Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
8 the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two;
9 the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two;
10 the sons of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two;
11 the sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen;
12 the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
13 the sons of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five;
14 the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;
15 the sons of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight;
16 the sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight;
17 the sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two;
18 the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven;
19 the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven;
20 the sons of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five;
21 the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight;
22 the sons of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight;
23 the sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four;
24 the sons of Hariph, one hundred and twelve;
25 the sons of Gibeon, ninety-five;
26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight;
27 the men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight;
28 the men of Beth Azmaveth, forty-two;
29 the men of Kirjath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three;
30 the men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one;
31 the men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two;
32 the men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three;
33 the men of the other Nebo, fifty-two;
34 the sons of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
35 the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;
36 the sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five;
37 the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one;
38 the sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three;
40 the sons of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two;
41 the sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven;
42 the sons of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.
43 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the sons of Hodevah, seventy-four.
44 The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.
45 The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, one hundred and thirty-eight.
46 The Nethinim: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
47 the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,
48 the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Salmai,
49 the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,
50 the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,
51 the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,
52 the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephishesim,
53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54 the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
55 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Tamah,
56 the sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha.
57 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida,
58 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth of Zebaim, and the sons of Amon.
60 All the Nethinim, and the sons of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred and ninety-two.
61 And these were the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not identify their father’s house nor their lineage, whether they were of Israel:
62 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two;
63 and of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Koz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name.
64 These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but it was not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled.
65 And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.
66 Altogether the whole assembly was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,
67 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five men and women singers.
68 Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five,
69 their camels four hundred and thirty-five, and donkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
70 And some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury one thousand gold drachmas, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priestly garments.
71 Some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the treasury of the work twenty thousand gold drachmas, and two thousand two hundred silver minas.
72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priestly garments.
73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the Nethinim, and all Israel dwelt in their cities. When the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.
People in this chapter — 94
All people →- Levi
- Solomon
- Joshua
- Joab
- Hezekiah
- Nebuchadnezzar
- Mordecai
- Azariah
- Hananiah
- Zerubbabel
- Asaph
- Shallum
- Jeshua
- Sisera
- Bani
- Jedaiah
- Shephatiah
- Tobiah
- Hanani
- Immer
- Rezin
- Hanan
- Baanah
- Harim
+70 more
- Nehemiah
- Uzza
- Barzillai
- Israel
- Judah
- Gilead
- Elam
- Anathoth
- Pashhur
- Rehum
- Akkub
- Kadmiel
- Delaiah
- Hodaviah
- Bigvai
- Parosh
- Talmon
- Hakkoz
- Arah
- Zattu
- Bebai
- Ater
- Hashum
- Giddel
- Nekoda
- Paseah
- Zaccai
- Azgad
- Adonikam
- Adin
- Ziha
- Reaiah
- Bilshan
- Mispar
- Reelaiah
- Bezai
- Hariph
- Jorah
- Hatita
- Shobai
- Hasupha
- Tabbaoth
- Keros
- Padon
- Siaha
- Hagabah
- Lebanah
- Shalmai
- Gahar
- Gazzam
- Besai
- Bakbuk
- Hakupha
- Harhur
- Bazluth
- Harsha
- Mehida
- Barkos
- Temah
- Hatipha
- Neziah
- Peruda
- Sophereth
- Sotai
- Darkon
- Jaalah
- Ami
- Hattil
- Habaiah
- Nahamani
Study
Nehemiah 7Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Nehemiah 7. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The city committed to Hananiah. (1–4). Register of those that first returned. (5–73).
vv1-4
Nehemiah, having finished the wall, returned to the Persian court, and came to Jerusalem again with a new commission. The public safety depends on every one's care to guard himself and his family against sin.
vv5-73
Nehemiah knew that the safety of a city, under God, depends more upon the inhabitants than upon its walls. Every good gift and every good work are from above. God gives knowledge, he gives grace; all is of him, and therefore all must be to him. What is done by human prudence, must be ascribed to the direction of Divine Providence. But woe to those who turn back from the Lord, loving this present world! and happy those who dedicate themselves, and their substance, to his service and glory!
Key Words
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
חוֹמָה: a wall of protection
בָּנָה: to build (literally and figuratively)
עָמַד: to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)
דֶּלֶת: something swinging, i.e. the valve of adoor
שׁוֹעֵר: a janitor
שִׁיר: to sing
לֵוִיִּי: a Levite or descendant of Levi
פָּקַד: to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc.
צָוָה: (intensively) to constitute, enjoin
Cross References
Nehemiah 7The foundational parallel register of those returning with Zerubbabel, which Nehemiah explicitly finds and transcriptions.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel list detailing the genealogical search and exclusion of these specific priestly families.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies Hanani, Nehemiah's brother, who previously brought report of Jerusalem's ruin to Shushan.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
JFB notes Hariph in Nehemiah is the same as Jorah in Ezra's register.
Supported by JFB
JFB notes Sia is spelling variant of Siaha in the parallel register.
Supported by JFB
Direct parallel text tracking those returning from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Defines the Urim and Thummim, which the Tirshatha required to resolve genealogical doubt.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Direct parallel confirming the resettlement of the priests, Levites, and people in their cities.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel account of the assembly of Israel in the seventh month after settling in cities.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Establishes context: the wall is completed and doors set up, initiating public order.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Shows the immediate next step to address the large city's small, scattered population.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels God putting earnest care and wisdom directly into the heart of His servants.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Direct parallel in Ezra's list of those returning with Zerubbabel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel register entry where Gibeon corresponds to Gibbar in Ezra.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel record of the men of Anathoth returning from exile.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel listing for the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel record of the men of Ramah and Geba.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel listing of the families of Lod, Hadid, and Ono.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel listing for the priests of the house of Jedaiah.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel listing for the priestly family of Immer.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Establishes historical origin of Nethinim as temple servants from Joshua's treaty.
Identifies origin of Solomon's servants from subjugated Canaanite populations.
Provides historical background of Barzillai the Gileadite, whose descendants lost their register.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Further historical background on David showing kindness to the sons of Barzillai.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identical ruling by the Tirshatha regarding eating the most holy things.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Biblical precedent for seeking divine judgment through the Urim before the priest.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel account of the donations and gifts offered by the heads of families.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Davidic institution of singers, gatekeepers, and Levites for organized temple service.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The Mosaic standard for appointing rulers: able, God-fearing, trustworthy men.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Contrasts corrupt rulers with those who act uprightly specifically because of the fear of God.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Nehemiah's strict security protocols regarding the shutting of Jerusalem's gates.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Direct parallel list of leaders who returned under Zerubbabel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
JFB references David's priestly courses which these returning priests reconstructed.
Supported by JFB
Direct parallel in Ezra's list of the children of Pashur.
Supported by JFB, Matthew Poole
Direct parallel in Ezra's list of the children of Harim.
Supported by JFB, Matthew Poole
Direct parallel in Ezra's list of Levites.
Supported by JFB, Matthew Poole