Nehemiah 11: Who lived in Jerusalem and who lived in the towns

In plain English: The princes (or: leaders) of the people lived in Jerusalem. The rest of the people also cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts in the other cities.

The Hebrew word: "Lots" is goral, the same word as in 10:34, where the lots are for the wood offering. The verse says they cast lots "to bring one of ten" to live in Jerusalem, "the holy city" (the Hebrew is "the city of holiness").

Good to know: The verse does not say how the lots were cast, who came out of the lots, or what happened to those chosen, and verse 2 then speaks of men who volunteered.

In plain English: The people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to live in Jerusalem.

In plain English: Now these are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem. But in the cities of Judah, each one lived on his own property in their own cities: Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants.

Good to know: Verses 3 to 19 have a parallel in 1 Chronicles 9:2-22, which lists who lived in Jerusalem. The two lists share many names, and they differ. For example: 1 Chronicles 9:3 names the children of Ephraim and Manasseh along with Judah and Benjamin, and Nehemiah 11:4 names only Judah and Benjamin. Benjamin's men are 928 here (verse 8) and 956 in 1 Chronicles 9:9. The gatekeepers are 172 here (verse 19) and 212 in 1 Chronicles 9:22. The text does not explain the differences.

In plain English: Some of the children of Judah and of the children of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. 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 Mahalalel, of the children of Perez;

In plain English: and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite.

In plain English: All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were four hundred sixty-eight valiant (or: strong) men.

In plain English: 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 Jeshaiah.

In plain English: After him, Gabbai and Sallai, nine hundred twenty-eight.

In plain English: Joel the son of Zichri was overseer over them, and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second over the city.

In plain English: Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin,

In plain English: Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler (or: supervisor) of God's house,

In plain English: and their brothers who did the work of the house, eight hundred twenty-two; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,

In plain English: and his brothers, heads of fathers' households, two hundred forty-two; and Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

In plain English: and their brothers, mighty men of valor (or: strength), one hundred twenty-eight; and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of Haggedolim.

In plain English: Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

In plain English: and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who had the oversight of the outward (or: outside) work of God's house;

In plain English: and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the chief to begin the thanksgiving in prayer (or: who led the giving of thanks at the prayer), and Bakbukiah, the second among his brothers; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

The Hebrew words: The phrase "the chief to begin the thanksgiving in prayer" is short in Hebrew: rosh ha-techillah yehodeh la-tefillah, literally "head of the beginning, he gave thanks at the prayer". Techillah is given by the dictionary as "a commencement", yadah as "to revere or worship (with extended hands)" (the WEB says "thanksgiving" here), and tefillah as "intercession, supplication; by implication, a hymn".

What changes: The WEB reads Mattaniah as the chief who began the thanksgiving in prayer. Since the Hebrew word is "beginning", it could also be read as the head who led the thanks at the beginning of the prayer. The verse does not say more about what the prayer was.

In plain English: All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty-four.

In plain English: Also the gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers, who kept watch at the gates, were one hundred seventy-two.

In plain English: The rest of Israel, of the priests, and of the Levites were in all the cities of Judah, each one on his own inheritance.

In plain English: But the temple servants lived on Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were over the temple servants.

Good to know: Ophel is in 3 verses of Nehemiah. Nehemiah 3:26 also says the temple servants lived in Ophel, and 3:27 speaks of the wall of Ophel.

In plain English: The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the singers, for the work of God's house.

In plain English: For the commandment of the king was on them, and a firm ordinance (or: settled provision) was on the singers, the matter of each day in its day.

Good to know: "The king" is not named in this verse. It says only that the king's commandment was on them, and that a settled provision for the singers was given for each day.

In plain English: Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's hand (or: at the king's side) in every matter concerning the people.

In plain English: As for the villages with their fields, some of the children of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba and its towns (literally: its daughters), in Dibon and its towns, in Jekabzeel and its villages,

The Hebrew word: "Its towns" is literally "its daughters", the Hebrew bath, which the dictionary gives as "a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)".

How it is translated: Bath is in 14 verses of Nehemiah. The WEB says "daughter" or "daughters" in 9 of them and "towns" in 5: 11:25, 11:27, 11:28, 11:30 and 11:31.

In plain English: in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Beth Pelet,

In plain English: in Hazar Shual, in Beersheba and its towns,

In plain English: in Ziklag, in Meconah and its towns,

In plain English: in En Rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth,

In plain English: Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its towns. So they encamped from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom.

In plain English: The children of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, and at Bethel and its towns,

In plain English: at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

In plain English: Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

In plain English: Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

In plain English: Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.

In plain English: Some of the Levites, divisions in Judah (or: divisions of Judah), settled in Benjamin's territory (the Hebrew says only: belonged to Benjamin).

Good to know: The Hebrew of this verse has no verb. It reads literally "and from the Levites, divisions of Judah, to Benjamin", and the WEB supplies "settled in Benjamin's territory". The dictionary gives the word for "divisions" as "a section (of Levites, people or soldiers)". The verse does not say more about which divisions or where.