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Texts -- Nehemiah 7:1-44 (NET)

Context
7:1 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had positioned the doors , and the gatekeepers , the singers , and the Levites had been appointed , 7:2 I then put in charge over Jerusalem my brother Hanani and Hananiah the chief of the citadel , for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many do. 7:3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened in the early morning , until those who are standing guard close the doors and lock them. Position residents of Jerusalem as guards , some at their guard stations and some near their homes .” 7:4 Now the city was spread out and large , and there were not a lot of people in it. At that time houses had not been rebuilt . 7:5 My God placed it on my heart to gather the leaders , the officials , and the ordinary people so they could be enrolled on the basis of genealogy . I found the genealogical records of those who had formerly returned . Here is what I found written in that record: 7:6 These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of the exiles , whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile . They returned to Jerusalem and to Judah , each to his own city . 7:7 They came with Zerubbabel , Jeshua , Nehemiah , Azariah , Raamiah , Nahamani , Mordecai , Bilshan , Mispereth , Bigvai , Nehum , and Baanah . The number of Israelite men was as follows: 7:8 the descendants of Parosh , 2,172 ; 7:9 the descendants of Shephatiah , 372 ; 7:10 the descendants of Arah , 652 ; 7:11 the descendants of Pahath-Moab (from the line of Jeshua and Joab ), 2,818 ; 7:12 the descendants of Elam , 1,254 ; 7:13 the descendants of Zattu , 845 ; 7:14 the descendants of Zaccai , 760 ; 7:15 the descendants of Binnui , 648 ; 7:16 the descendants of Bebai , 628 ; 7:17 the descendants of Azgad , 2,322 ; 7:18 the descendants of Adonikam , 667 ; 7:19 the descendants of Bigvai , 2,067 ; 7:20 the descendants of Adin , 655 ; 7:21 the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah ), 98 ; 7:22 the descendants of Hashum , 328 ; 7:23 the descendants of Bezai , 324 ; 7:24 the descendants of Harif , 112 ; 7:25 the descendants of Gibeon , 95 ; 7:26 The men of Bethlehem and Netophah , 188 ; 7:27 the men of Anathoth , 128 ; 7:28 the men of the family of Azmaveth , 42 ; 7:29 the men of Kiriath Jearim , Kephirah , and Beeroth , 743 ; 7:30 the men of Ramah and Geba , 621 ; 7:31 the men of Micmash , 122 ; 7:32 the men of Bethel and Ai , 123 ; 7:33 the men of the other Nebo , 52 ; 7:34 the descendants of the other Elam , 1,254 ; 7:35 the descendants of Harim , 320 ; 7:36 the descendants of Jericho , 345 ; 7:37 the descendants of Lod , Hadid , and Ono , 721 ; 7:38 the descendants of Senaah , 3,930 . 7:39 The priests : the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua ), 973 ; 7:40 the descendants of Immer , 1,052 ; 7:41 the descendants of Pashhur , 1,247 ; 7:42 the descendants of Harim , 1,017 . 7:43 The Levites : the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel , through the line of Hodaviah ), 74 . 7:44 The singers : the descendants of Asaph , 148 .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Nehemiah

    [ebd] comforted by Jehovah. (1.) Ezra 2:2; Neh. 7:7. (2.) Neh. 3:16. (3.) The son of Hachaliah (Neh. 1:1), and probably of the tribe of Judah. His family must have belonged to Jerusalem (Neh. 2:3). He was one of the "Jews of the d...
    [isbe] NEHEMIAH - ne-he-mi'-a, ne-hem-i'-a (nechemyah, "comforted of Yah"): 1. Family 2. Youth 3. King's Cupbearer 4. Governor of Judea 5. Death LITERATURE Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah, is the Jewish patriot whose life is recorded...
    [smith] (consolation of the Lord). Son of Hachaliah, and apparently of the tribe of Judah. All that we know certainly concerning him is contained in the book which bears his name. We first find him at Shushan, the winter residence o...
    [nave] NEHEMIAH 1. Son of Hachaliah, Neh. 1:1. Cupbearer of Artaxerxes, Neh. 1:11; 2:1. Is grieved over the desolation of his country, Neh. 1. Is sent by the king to rebuild Jerusalem, Neh. 2:1-8. Register of the people whom he...

  • Genealogy

    [nave] GENEALOGY, Num. 1:18; 2 Chr. 12:15; Ezra 2:59; Neh. 7:5; Heb. 7:3. Of no spiritual significance, Matt. 3:9; 1 Tim. 1:4; Tit. 3:9. From Adam to Noah, Gen. 4:16-22; 5; 1 Chr. 1:1-4; Luke 3:36-38; to Abraham, Gen. 11:10-32; ...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • GENEALOGY, 8 part 2

    [isbe] GENEALOGY, 8 part 2 - I. Primeval Genealogies (1 Chronicals 1:1-54). To show Israel's place among the nations; follows Genesis closely, omitting only the Cainites; boldly, skillfully compressed, as if the omitted facts were ...

  • Harim

    [ebd] flat-nosed. (1.) The head of the second course of priests (1 Chr. 24:8). (2.) Ezra 2:32, 39; Neh. 7:35, 42. (3.) Neh. 3:11. (4.) 12:3. (5.) 10:5
    [isbe] HARIM - ha'-rim (charim): A family name. (1) A non-priestly family that returned from captivity with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:32; Neh 7:35); mentioned among those who married foreign wives (Ezr 10:31); also mentioned among those wh...
    [smith] (flat-nosed). A priest who had charge of the third division in the house of God. (1 Chronicles 24:8) (B.C. 1014.) Bene-Harim, probably descendants of the above, to the number of 1017, came from Babylon with Zerubbabel. (E...
    [nave] HARIM 1. A priest, 1 Chr. 24:8. 2. An Israelite whose descendants returned from Babylon, Ezra 2:32, 39; 10:31; Neh. 7:35, 42. 3. The men who sealed the covenant, Neh. 10:5, 27; 12:15.

  • Jeshua

    [ebd] (1.) Head of the ninth priestly order (Ezra 2:36); called also Jeshuah (1 Chr. 24:11). (2.) A Levite appointed by Hezekiah to distribute offerings in the priestly cities (2 Chr. 31:15). (3.) Ezra 2:6; Neh. 7:11. (4.) Ezra 2:...
    [smith] (a saviour), another form of the name of Joshua of Jesus. Joshua the son of Nun. (Nehemiah 8:17) [JOSHUA] A priest in the reign of David, to whom the nine course fell by David, to whom the ninth course fell by lot. (1 Chr...
    [nave] JESHUA 1. Called also Jeshuah. A priest, head of the ninth course, 1 Chr. 24:11. Nine hundred and seventy-three of his descendants returned from Babylon, Ezra 2:36; Neh. 7:39. 2. A Levite, had charge of the tithes, 2 Chr. ...

  • Priest

    [ebd] The Heb. kohen, Gr. hierus, Lat. sacerdos, always denote one who offers sacrifices. At first every man was his own priest, and presented his own sacrifices before God. Afterwards that office devolved on the head of the famil...
    [nave] PRIEST. Before Moses Melchizedek, Gen. 14:18; Heb. 5:6, 10, 11; 6:20; 7:1-21. Jethro, Ex. 2:16. Priests in Israel before the giving of the law, Ex. 19:22, 24. Called angel, Eccl. 5:6. Mosaic Ex. 28:1-4; 29:9, 44; Num....

  • Bigvai

    [isbe] BIGVAI - big'-va-i (bighway; Baogei, Bagoua): (1) The head of one of the families who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:2; Neh 7:7), having a large number of his retainers (2,056, according to Ezr 2:14; 2,067, acc...
    [smith] (happy). "Children of Bigvai," 2056 (Neh. 2067) in number, returned from the captivity with Zerubbabel, (Ezra 2:14; Nehemiah 7:19) and 72 of them at a later date with Ezra. (Ezra 8:14) (B.C. 536.) Apparently one of the chief...
    [nave] BIGVAI, head of Jewish family, Ezra 2:2; 8:14; Neh. 7:7, 19; 10:16.

  • Elam

    [isbe] ELAM - e'-lam (`elam): (1) A son of Shem (Gen 10:22; 1 Ch 1:17; see ELAMITES). (2) A Benjamite (1 Ch 8:24). (3) A Korahite (1 Ch 26:3). (4) Heads of families in the return (Ezr 2:7 parallel Neh 7:12; Ezr 2:31 parallel Neh 7:...
    [smith] (eternity). This seems to have been originally the name of a man, the son of Shem. (Genesis 10:22; 1 Chronicles 1:17) Commonly, however, it is used as the appellation of a country. (Genesis 14:1,9; Isaiah 11:11; 21:2) The...
    [nave] ELAM 1. A district southeast of Babylon, on Persian Gulf, Gen. 14:1, 9; Dan. 8:2. Prophecies concerning, Isa. 11:11; 21:2; 22:6; Jer. 25:25; 49:34-39; Ezek. 32:24. Jews from, Acts 2:9. See: Elamites. 2. A Korhite Levite,...

  • Hananiah

    [ebd] Jehovah has given. (1.) A chief of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chr. 8:24). (2.) One of the sons of Heman (1 Chr. 25:4,23). (3.) One of Uzziah's military officers (2 Chr. 26:11). (4.) Grandfather of the captain who arrested Jere...
    [isbe] HANANIAH - han-a-ni'-a (chananyahu, chananyah; Ananias; also with aspirate, "Yahweh hath been gracious"): This was a common name in Israel for many centuries. (1) A Benjamite (1 Ch 8:24). (2) A captain of Uzziah's army (2 Ch...
    [smith] (gift of God). One of the fourteen sons of Heman, and chief of the sixteenth course of singers. (1 Chronicles 25:4,5,23) (B.C. 1014.) A general in the army of King Uzziah. (2 Chronicles 26:11) Father of Zedekiah, in th...
    [nave] HANANIAH 1. Son of Heman, 1 Chr. 25:4, 23. 2. A captain of Uzziah's army, 2 Chr. 26:11. 3. Father of Zedekiah, Jer. 36:12. 4. A prophet of Gibeon who uttered false prophecies in the temple during the reign of Zedekiah, Je...

  • Abijah

    [ebd] father (i.e., "possessor or worshipper") of Jehovah. (1.) 1 Chr. 7:8. (2.) 1 Chr. 2:24. (3.) The second son of Samuel (1 Sam. 8:2; 1 Chr. 6:28). His conduct, along with that of his brother, as a judge in Beer-sheba, to which...

  • JESHUA; JESHUAH

    [isbe] JESHUA; JESHUAH - jesh'-u-a, je-shu'-a (yeshua`, "Yahweh is deliverance" or "opulence"; compare JOSHUA): (1) the King James Version "Jeshuah," head of the 9th course of priests, and possibly of "the house of Jeshua" (1 Ch 24...

  • Raamiah

    [ebd] thunder of the Lord, one of the princes who returned from the Exile (Neh. 7:7); called also Reelaiah (Ezra 2:2).
    [isbe] RAAMIAH - ra-a-mi'-a (ra`amyah; Codex Vaticanus Naamia; Codex Alexandrinus, Rheelma): One of the leading men who returned with Zerubbabel from captivity (Neh 7:7). In the corresponding passage in Ezr 2:2, where the same list...
    [smith] (thunder of Jehovah), one of the chiefs who returned with Zerubbabel. (Nehemiah 7:7) In (Ezra 2:2) he is called REELAIAH. (B.C. 445.)
    [nave] RAAMIAH One of those who returned to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon, Neh. 7:7. Called Reelaiah in Ezra 2:2.

  • Zattu

    [ebd] id., one whose descendants returned from the Captivity with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:8; Neh. 7:13); probably the same as Zatthu.
    [isbe] ZATTU - zat'-u (zattu', meaning unknown): Head of a large family that returned with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem from Babylon (Ezr 2:8; 10:27; Neh 7:13; 10:14 (15)). According to Ezr 10:27, some of his sons had married foreign wi...
    [smith] The sons of Zattu were a family of laymen of Israel who returned with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:8; Nehemiah 7:13)
    [nave] ZATTU 1. One whose descendants returned with Zerubbabel, Ezra 2:8; 10:27; Neh. 7:13. 2. Probably identical with Zatthu. One who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah, Neh. 10:14.

  • Senaah

    [ebd] thorny, a place many of the inhabitants of which returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:35; Neh. 7:38).
    [isbe] SENAAH - se-na'-a, sen'-a-a (cena'ah; Codex Vaticanus Sanana; Sananat; Codex Alexandrinus Sanana, Sennaa, Hasan): The children of Senaah are mentioned as having formed part of the company returning from the captivity with Ze...
    [smith] (thorny). The "children (i.e. the inhabitants) of Senaah" are enumerated among the "people of Israel" who returned from the captivity with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:35; Nehemiah 7:38) (B.C. 536.) The Magdal Senna of Eusebius and Je...
    [nave] SENAAH, a city of unknown location, Ezra 2:35; Neh. 7:38.

  • Netophah

    [ebd] distillation; dropping, a town in Judah, in the neighbourhood, probably, of Bethlehem (Neh. 7:26; 1 Chr. 2:54). Two of David's guards were Netophathites (1 Chr. 27:13, 15). It has been identified with the ruins of Metoba, or...
    [isbe] NETOPHAH - ne-to'-fa (neTophah; Septuagint Netopha, Nephota, and other variants): The birthplace of two of David's heroes, Maharai and Heleb (2 Sam 23:28,29), also of Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, one of the...
    [smith] (distillation), a town the name of which occurs only in the catalogue of those who returned with Zerubbabel from the captivity. (Ezra 2:22; Nehemiah 7:26) 1 Esdr. 5:18. But, though not directly mentioned till so late a period...
    [nave] NETOPHAH, a city in Judah, Ezra 2:22; Neh. 7:26.

  • Jericho

    [ebd] place of fragrance, a fenced city in the midst of a vast grove of palm trees, in the plain of Jordan, over against the place where that river was crossed by the Israelites (Josh. 3:16). Its site was near the 'Ain es-Sultan, ...
    [isbe] JERICHO - jer'-i-ko (the word occurs in two forms. In the Pentateuch, in 2 Ki 25:5 and in Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles it is written yerecho; yericho, elsewhere): In 1 Ki 16:34 the final Hebrew letter is he (h), instead of waw...
    [smith] (place of fragrance), a city of high antiquity, situated in a plain traversed by the Jordan, and exactly over against where that river was crossed by the Israelites under Joshua. (Joshua 3:16) It was five miles west of the Jo...
    [nave] JERICHO 1. A city E. of Jerusalem and near the Jordan, Num. 22:1; 26:3; Deut. 34:1. Called the City of Palm Trees, Deut. 34:3. Situation of, pleasant, 2 Kin. 2:19. Rehab the harlot lived in, Josh. 2; Heb. 11:31. Joshua s...

  • Bilshan

    [ebd] son of the tongue; i.e., "eloquent", a man of some note who returned from the Captivity with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2; Neh. 7:7).
    [isbe] BILSHAN - bil'-shan (bilshan): An Israelite who returned with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:2 = Neh 7:7). The name may be explained as "inquirer" (new Hebrew and Aramaic), balash, the ("b" being an abbreviation of ben, as in bidhqar, an...
    [smith] (eloquent), one of Zerubbabel?s companions on his expedition from Babylon. (Ezra 2:2; Nehemiah 7:7) (B.C. 536).
    [nave] BILSHAN, a Jew of the captivity, Ezra 2:2; Neh. 7:7.

  • Hadid

    [ebd] pointed, a place in the tribe of Benjamin near Lydda, or Lod, and Ono (Ezra 2:33; Neh. 7:37). It is identified with the modern el-Haditheh, 3 miles east of Lydda.
    [isbe] HADID - ha'-did (chadhidh): A city in Benjamin (Neh 11:33 f) named with Lod and Ono (Ezr 2:33; Neh 7:37), probably identical with Adida Septuagint Hadida) of 1 Macc 12:38; 13:13, "over against the plain," which was fortified...
    [smith] (sharp), a place named, with Lod (Lydda) and Ono, only in the later books of the history. (Ezra 2:33; Nehemiah 7:37; 11:34) In the time of Eusebius a town called Aditha or Adatha existed to the east of Diospolis (Lydda). This...
    [nave] HADID, a city of Benjamin. Captives of, returned from Babylon, Ezra 2:33; Neh. 7:37; 11:34.

  • Hariph

    [ebd] autumnal rain. (1.) Neh. 7:24. (2.) 10:19.
    [isbe] HARIPH - ha'-rif (chariph, chariph): One of those who returned from exile under Zerubbabel and helped to seal the covenant under Nehemiah and Ezra (Neh 7:24; 10:19 (20)). Ezr 2:18 has "Jorah."
    [smith] (a plucking-off). A hundred and twelve of the Bene-Hariph returned from the captivity with Zerubbabel. (Nehemiah 7:24) The name occurs again among the "heads of the people" who sealed the covenant. ch. (Nehemiah 10:19)
    [nave] HARIPH 1. One of the exiles, Neh. 7:24. Probably the same with Jorah, Ezra 2:18. 2. One who sealed the covenant, Neh. 10:19.
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Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • This chapter contains a record of the people who responded to Cyrus' decree and returned to the Promised Land. It is a list of families rather than individuals and the towns in Babylon from which they came. Almost all of thes...
  • The designations "sons of"and "men of"in these verses point out the two ways whereby the exiles demonstrated their Jewish ancestry: by family genealogy or by residence in Palestine. Few of the returning exiles had personally ...
  • "We may infer from this pericope as it is clearly stated in 1 Chr. 5:17 and Neh. 7:5 that Jewish families kept genealogies to prove their Jewish descent, and to ascertain that mixture with foreign groups was somehow excluded....
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah. London: SCM Press, 1973._____. "The Temple Vessels--A Continuity Theme."Vetus Testamentum Supplement23 (1972):166-81.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmilla...
  • The years of history the book covers are 445-431 B.C. or perhaps a few years after that.In 445 B.C. (the twentieth year of Artaxerxes' reign, 1:1) Nehemiah learned of the conditions in Jerusalem that led him to request permis...
  • I. The fortification of Jerusalem chs. 1-7A. The return under Nehemiah chs. 1-21. The news concerning Jerusalem 1:1-32. The response of Nehemiah 1:4-113. The request of Nehemiah 2:1-84. The return to Jerusalem 2:9-20B. The re...
  • The month Chislev (v. 1) corresponds to our late November and early December. The year in view was the twentieth year of Artaxerxes' reign (i.e., 445-444 B.C.). Susa (or Shushan, in Hebrew) was a winter capital of Artaxerxes ...
  • The builders finished the walls only 52 days after construction had begun (v. 15). "Elul"is late August and early September. Israel's enemies viewed their rapid progress as evidence that God had helped the workers (v. 16)."Th...
  • This is not a list of the people who accompanied Nehemiah to Jerusalem in 444 B.C. but a record of those who returned with Sheshbazzar, Zerubbabel, and Jeshua in 537 B.C. (v. 7). It is almost identical to the list in Ezra 2.W...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah. London: SCM Press, 1973.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed., New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William F. The...
  • Zechariah began ministering among the Jews who had returned from captivity in Babylon (i.e., the restoration community) two months after Haggai began preaching (1:1; 7:1; cf. Neh. 12:10-16; Hag. 1:1). In a sense, Zechariah's ...
  • This is the first of four oracles that appear within the visions that Zechariah saw. These were messages that the prophet was to deliver along with the revelation of the vision."The vision had lifted the veil which hides the ...
  • 2:1-2 In the next scene of his vision, Zechariah saw a man (i.e., an angel who looked like a man) with a measuring line in his hand (cf. 1:11; 6:12; Ezek. 40:2-3). When the prophet asked him where he was going, he replied tha...
  • 3:1 Zechariah's guiding angel next showed the prophet, in his vision, Joshua (lit. Yahweh saves), Israel's current high priest (6:11; Ezra 5:2; Neh. 7:7; Hag. 1:1), standing before the angel of the Lord (1:11-12). "The accuse...
  • 7:1 Another prophetic message came to Zechariah from the Lord in 518 B.C. The fourth day of the ninth month would have been in early December. Chislev is the Babylonian name of the month. This message, which comprises the fol...
  • Paul concluded his exhortations concerning Christian living with instructions pertaining to three essential practices for those in Christ. He wanted to impress their importance on his readers. One exhortation dealt with his r...
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