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Nehemiah 11

KJV · Chapter 11/13

1And 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.

2And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

3Now 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.

4And 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;

5And Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col–hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.

6All the sons of Perez that dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred threescore and eight valiant men.

7And 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.

8And after him Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred twenty and eight.

9And Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer: and Judah the son of Senuah was second over the city.

10Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin.

11Seraiah 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.

12And 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,

13And his brethren, chief of the fathers, two hundred forty and two: and Amashai the son of Azareel, the son of Ahasai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

14And their brethren, mighty men of valour, an hundred twenty and eight: and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one of the great men.

15Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hashub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

16And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief of the Levites, had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God.

17And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer: and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

18All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four.

19Moreover the porters, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren that kept the gates, were an hundred seventy and two.

20And the residue of Israel, of the priests, and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance.

21But the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa were over the Nethinims.

22The 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.

23For it was the king’s commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.

24And 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.

25And for the villages, with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjath–arba, and in the villages thereof, and at Dibon, and in the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel, and in the villages thereof,

26And at Jeshua, and at Moladah, and at Beth–phelet,

27And at Hazar–shual, and at Beer–sheba, and in the villages thereof,

28And at Ziklag, and at Mekonah, and in the villages thereof,

29And at En–rimmon, and at Zareah, and at Jarmuth,

30Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beer–sheba unto the valley of Hinnom.

31The children also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija, and Beth–el, and in their villages,

32And at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

33Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

34Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

35Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.

36And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Since Jerusalem was sparsely populated despite the rebuilt walls, the people cast lots so that one in ten families would move to live in the city. The residents of Jerusalem and the surrounding villages are listed.

Explanation

Despite the completed wall, the city remained nearly empty, since most people preferred to live on their own land and in their villages in the countryside. The solution found — casting lots to select one in ten families to live in the capital — shows a practical and somewhat sacrificial effort to ensure that Jerusalem, the nation's symbolic and religious center, would not be left abandoned. It is worth noting that the text specifically praises those who volunteered to live there without needing the lottery, valuing willing initiative above mere obligation. The application for today is that restoring something important sometimes requires people to accept uncomfortable life changes for the good of the whole.

Fun facts

  • Casting lots for important decisions was common in ancient Jewish culture, understood as a way of letting God decide in situations where humans might favor their own interests.
  • The list of residents includes representatives from practically every social class and religious role of the time, suggesting a deliberate effort for Jerusalem to reflect the whole diversity of the nation, not just an elite.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Nehemiah 11:1Since Jerusalem was large but sparsely populated after the wall was rebuilt, it is decided by lot that one out of every ten families from the other towns would move there. Casting lots kept the choice from looking like favoritism toward some over others.
  2. Nehemiah 11:2Since living inside the capital meant more exposure to attack and less land to farm, those who volunteered to live there received special public thanks from the rest of the people.
  3. Nehemiah 11:3After the lot of one in ten, the chapter lists who actually came to live in the capital, mixing leaders, priests, Levites, and even temple servants.
  4. Nehemiah 11:4Only two tribes appear clearly identified as living in Jerusalem, Judah and Benjamin, the same ones that had already formed the core of the people since the return from exile.
  5. Nehemiah 11:5Another leader from the tribe of Judah is named with a long genealogy, tracing back many generations before him.
  6. Nehemiah 11:6The family of Perez, tied to the lineage of King David himself, totals nearly five hundred men described here as “valiant,” perhaps for accepting the added risk of living in the exposed capital.
  7. Nehemiah 11:7Now begins the list of the tribe of Benjamin, with another extensive genealogy tracing back many generations.
  8. Nehemiah 11:8The tribe of Benjamin totals nearly a thousand people living in Jerusalem, an even larger number than the one recorded for the family of Judah.
  9. Nehemiah 11:9Two officials are appointed to oversee the lay population of the city, one of them described as second in administrative command of Jerusalem.
  10. Nehemiah 11:10Now begins the list of priests who lived in Jerusalem, including the family of Joiarib, which later in Jewish history would become associated with the family of the Maccabees.
  11. Nehemiah 11:11Seraiah appears as the chief leader of the temple, with a genealogy that traces back through several important priests in Israel's history.
  12. Nehemiah 11:12More than eight hundred priests worked directly in the service of the temple, a number that shows the scale of religious operations in Jerusalem.
  13. Nehemiah 11:13Two hundred forty-two more priests, heads of families, complete this survey of who lived in the capital.
  14. Nehemiah 11:14A further hundred twenty-eight priests, described as “mighty men of valour,” close out this part of the list, under the supervision of Zabdiel.
  15. Nehemiah 11:15Now begins the list of Levites who lived in Jerusalem, with yet another detailed genealogy tracing back many generations.
  16. Nehemiah 11:16Two Levites are placed specifically in charge of the outward business of the temple, probably maintenance and administration outside the main building.
  17. Nehemiah 11:17Mattaniah held the specific role of leading the opening of the prayers of thanksgiving, a clearly defined liturgical post within the temple.
  18. Nehemiah 11:18In all, two hundred eighty-four Levites lived in Jerusalem, a much smaller number than the priests, keeping the same historical pattern of few Levites available.
  19. Nehemiah 11:19The gatekeepers of the temple total a hundred seventy-two, responsible for physically guarding the entrances of a space regarded as sacred.
  20. Nehemiah 11:20The rest of the people, who had not been chosen by lot to live in Jerusalem, went on living as usual on their own family lands scattered throughout Judah.
  21. Nehemiah 11:21The Nethinims, servants of the temple, live in the region of Ophel, near the temple, under the leadership of two specific officials.
  22. Nehemiah 11:22Uzzi coordinates the Levites of the capital, while the singers continue to be specifically the descendants of Asaph, the same family responsible for the temple's music since the days of David.
  23. Nehemiah 11:23The Persian king himself had decreed a fixed daily allowance for the temple singers, showing how much the funding of Jewish worship depended on decisions made at a foreign court.
  24. Nehemiah 11:24Pethahiah held a position as official representative of the Jewish people before the Persian king, a kind of ambassador looking after Judah's interests at court.
  25. Nehemiah 11:25Here begins the list of towns outside Jerusalem where the tribe of Judah settled, including Kirjath-arba, the old name for the town of Hebron.
  26. Nehemiah 11:26Three more towns in the south of Judah receive settlers, continuing the territorial mapping of the tribe.
  27. Nehemiah 11:27Beersheba, a town associated since Genesis with the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac, appears among the towns resettled by Judah.
  28. Nehemiah 11:28Ziklag, a town that had already been King David's refuge centuries before he became king, is also inhabited once more.
  29. Nehemiah 11:29Three more towns in the territory of Judah receive settlers in this post-exilic territorial redistribution.
  30. Nehemiah 11:30The text sums up the geographic reach of the tribe of Judah in one simple line: from the town of Beersheba, in the far south, to the valley of Hinnom, already on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
  31. Nehemiah 11:31Now it is the tribe of Benjamin's turn to be mapped, beginning with towns north of Jerusalem, such as Michmash and Bethel.
  32. Nehemiah 11:32Anathoth, the hometown of the prophet Jeremiah, appears again among the territories resettled by Benjamin.
  33. Nehemiah 11:33Three more towns of the tribe of Benjamin complete this part of the territorial list.
  34. Nehemiah 11:34The list of towns of Benjamin keeps advancing, covering territory increasingly to the north and west of Jerusalem.
  35. Nehemiah 11:35The list of Benjamin ends at Lod and Ono, towns in a region described as “the valley of craftsmen,” probably known for specialized manual trades.
  36. Nehemiah 11:36The chapter closes by explaining that some Levites, who originally belonged to other tribes, ended up being relocated between the territories of Judah and Benjamin.

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