Nehemiah 7

After the wall was rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites were given their assignments.

1Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,

NoteLevites were members of the tribe of Levi who were not priests; they did the supporting work of the temple, music, gatekeeping, maintenance, and assisting at the sacrifices. Gatekeepers and singers were hereditary temple offices, not casual jobs.

2Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a trustworthy man who respected God more than most people do.

2That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.

NoteThe "fortress" (Hebrew *birah*) was the citadel next to the temple that controlled access to it. The King James "he was a faithful man" leaves it unclear whether the description belongs to Hanani or to Hananiah; the Hebrew is equally ambiguous.

3I told them, "Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot. While the guards are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint people who live in Jerusalem as guards, each at his own post, and each one near his own house."

3And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.

NoteCity gates were normally opened at first light. Holding them shut until the sun was high meant opening them only when the streets were busy and the guards fully alert, and closing them again while the guards were still at their posts rather than after they had gone off duty.

4The city was large and spread out, but there were few people living in it, and the houses had not been rebuilt.

4Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.

5Then my God gave me the idea to gather the leading men, the officials, and the people, so they could be registered by family line. I found the family register of those who had come back first, and this is what was written in it:

5And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,

NoteFamily records mattered practically: they established who could claim ancestral land, who counted as an Israelite, and above all who was eligible to serve as a priest. See verses 61-65, where men who could not produce their records lost their standing.

6These are the people of the province who came back from being prisoners in exile. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried them away. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town.

6These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;

Note"The province" is Judah as an administrative district of the Persian Empire (called Yehud). Nebuchadnezzar deported the population of Judah to Babylon in stages, ending with the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC; the first groups returned about fifty years later under Persian rule.

7They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. This is the count of the men of the people of Israel:

7Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;

NoteThe Nehemiah named here is not the author of the book: this is a list of leaders from the earlier return, roughly a century before Nehemiah's own time. Nearly the same list appears in Ezra 2, though some of the numbers differ between the two copies.

8the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;

8The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.

Note"The descendants of Parosh" and the entries like it name extended family groups by their ancestor; the figures count adult males, so the actual population of each group was larger.

9the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

9The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.

10the descendants of Arah, 652;

10The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.

11the descendants of Pahath-moab, through the family lines of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818;

11The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen.

12the descendants of Elam, 1,254;

12The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

13the descendants of Zattu, 845;

13The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.

14the descendants of Zaccai, 760;

14The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.

15the descendants of Binnui, 648;

15The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight.

16the descendants of Bebai, 628;

16The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight.

17the descendants of Azgad, 2,322;

17The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.

18the descendants of Adonikam, 667;

18The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.

19the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067;

19The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven.

20the descendants of Adin, 655;

20The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five.

21the descendants of Ater, through Hezekiah, 98;

21The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.

22the descendants of Hashum, 328;

22The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.

23the descendants of Bezai, 324;

23The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.

24the descendants of Hariph, 112;

24The children of Hariph, an hundred and twelve.

25the descendants of Gibeon, 95;

25The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.

NoteFrom here the list changes basis: instead of naming an ancestor, it names a town, and counts the men whose families belonged to that place. Both ways of registering appear side by side because some returning families identified themselves by clan and others by ancestral home.

26the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;

26The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, an hundred fourscore and eight.

27the men of Anathoth, 128;

27The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.

28the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42;

28The men of Bethazmaveth, forty and two.

29the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

29The men of Kirjathjearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and three.

30the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

30The men of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.

31the men of Michmash, 122;

31The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two.

32the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;

32The men of Bethel and Ai, an hundred twenty and three.

33the men of the other Nebo, 52;

33The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two.

Note"The other Nebo" distinguishes this village in Judah from the better-known Mount Nebo east of the Jordan.

34the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254;

34The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

35the descendants of Harim, 320;

35The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.

36the people of Jericho, 345;

36The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.

37the people of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721;

37The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one.

38the descendants of Senaah, 3,930.

38The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

39The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah, through the family of Jeshua, 973;

39The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.

NotePriests were the descendants of Aaron, a subgroup within the tribe of Levi, and alone could offer sacrifices. Note the proportion: over four thousand priests returned but only seventy-four Levites (verse 43).

40the descendants of Immer, 1,052;

40The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.

41the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;

41The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.

42the descendants of Harim, 1,017.

42The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

43The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua, through Kadmiel and the family line of Hodevah, 74.

43The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four.

44The singers: the descendants of Asaph, 148.

44The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred forty and eight.

NoteAsaph was a temple musician appointed in David's time; his descendants formed a guild responsible for the singing that accompanied worship.

45The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, 138 in all.

45The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, an hundred thirty and eight.

46The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth,

46The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

NoteThe King James "Nethinims" transliterates a Hebrew word meaning "the given ones", a class of servants assigned to the temple for its heavy and menial work, such as hauling wood and water. Many of the names in this list are foreign, suggesting the group originated as prisoners of war or resident foreigners attached to the sanctuary.

47the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Sia, the descendants of Padon,

47The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,

48the descendants of Lebana, the descendants of Hagaba, the descendants of Shalmai,

48The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,

49the descendants of Hanan, the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar,

49The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,

50the descendants of Reaiah, the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda,

50The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,

51the descendants of Gazzam, the descendants of Uzza, the descendants of Paseah,

51The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,

52the descendants of Besai, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephushesim,

52The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim,

53the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur,

53The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

54the descendants of Bazlith, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha,

54The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

55the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah,

55The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Tamah,

56the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha.

56The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

57The descendants of Solomon's servants: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida,

57The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,

NoteA second servant class, understood as descendants of the labor force Solomon conscripted for his building projects. They are counted together with the temple servants in verse 60.

58the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel,

58The children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

59the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pochereth of Zebaim, and the descendants of Amon.

59The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Amon.

60All the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants added up to 392.

60All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred ninety and two.

61These are the ones who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove which family they came from, or show that they were descended from Israel:

61And these were they which went up also from Telmelah, Telharesha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not shew their father’s house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.

NoteTel-melah, Tel-harsha and the rest were settlements in Babylonia where deported Judeans had lived. These families came back with everyone else but had no documents proving Israelite descent.

62the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, 642 in all.

62The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.

63And from among the priests: the descendants of Habaiah, the descendants of Koz, and the descendants of Barzillai, who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai from Gilead and took that family's name.

63And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.

NoteOrdinarily a family line was traced through the father. This priest had married into the prominent Gileadite family of Barzillai and taken their name instead, which is exactly what made his own priestly descent impossible to document.

64These men looked for their names in the family records, but their records could not be found. So they were treated as unclean and were not allowed to serve as priests.

64These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.

Note"Unclean" here is a matter of ritual status, not morality or misconduct: without proof of descent they were not qualified to handle holy things, so they were barred from priestly duty.

65The governor told them they must not eat any of the most holy food until a priest was serving who could use the Urim and Thummim.

65And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.

NoteThe King James "Tirshatha" is a Persian title for a provincial governor. The "most holy things" were the portions of the offerings reserved for priests to eat, a right that came with the office. The Urim and Thummim were objects kept by the high priest and used to obtain a yes-or-no answer from God; the ruling effectively suspends the question indefinitely, since no such priest was available.

66The whole group together numbered 42,360,

66The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,

NoteThe individual figures listed above add up to roughly 31,000, well short of this total. The same gap appears in the parallel list in Ezra 2, and no explanation is given in either text.

67not counting their male and female servants, who numbered 7,337. They also had 245 men and women who sang.

67Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.

NoteThese singers are not the temple singers of verse 44; they were household performers, an indication that some of the returning families were wealthy.

68They had 736 horses and 245 mules,

68Their horses, seven hundred thirty and six: their mules, two hundred forty and five:

69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

69Their camels, four hundred thirty and five: six thousand seven hundred and twenty asses.

70Some of the heads of families gave gifts for the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold coins, 50 bowls, and 530 sets of clothing for the priests.

70And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests’ garments.

NoteThe gold coins were darics, a Persian coin of about a third of an ounce (8.4 grams) of gold, a substantial sum each. The bowls were vessels for catching and pouring the blood of sacrifices. The clothing was the specialized garments a priest had to wear on duty.

71Some of the heads of families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 units of silver.

71And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver.

NoteThe King James "pound" here renders the mina, a weight of silver of roughly 1.25 pounds (about 570 grams), reckoned at fifty or sixty shekels depending on the standard used.

72The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 units of silver, and 67 sets of clothing for the priests.

72And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pound of silver, and threescore and seven priests’ garments.

73So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their own towns. By the time the seventh month came, the Israelites were living in their towns.

73So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.

NoteThe seventh month, Tishri, falls in September-October and carried three major observances: the day of trumpet blasts, the Day of Atonement, and the week-long Feast of Booths. The remark sets up the assembly described in the next chapter.