UNROLL
Early morning at a plain open gate in a rough-stone wall: a family with one laden donkey and a few bundles walks in toward a thin scatter of houses, seen from behind; above, a calm, pale, empty sky.

The Book of

Nehemiah 11

The wall is finished and the city is nearly empty. Someone has to move in.

36 verses≈ 5 min3 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–2The callA cupbearer prays and is sent
  2. 3–6The wallBuilt under fire in 52 days
  3. 7The peopleThe families remembered
  4. 8–10The WordRead, confessed, sworn
  5. 11–12The citySettled and dedicatedChapter 11
  6. 13The endingPromises broken, reforms again

Jerusalem’s New Settlers

Morning on a village threshing floor: older men and family heads stand in a ring as one man shakes small plain stones from a fold of his cloak onto the ground, hills behind.

Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the remaining nine were to dwell in their own towns.

0:11

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

At a village's edge in warm late light, older neighbors with raised open hands see off three men with laden donkeys, bound for the far ridge of Jerusalem.

And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 11:2

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

Family line

Judah and Benjamin in the city

  1. Heads of the provinces

    These are the heads of the provinces who settled in Jerusalem. (In the villages of Judah, however, each lived on his own property in their towns—the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants—

  2. Athaiah

    A descendant of Perez

    while some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem.) From the descendants of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez;

  3. Maaseiah

    A descendant of Shelah

    and Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah.

  4. 468 men of valor

    The descendants of Perez who settled in Jerusalem totaled 468 men of valor.

  5. Sallu

    From Benjamin

    From the descendants of Benjamin: Sallu 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;

  6. Gabbai, Sallai: 928 men

    and his followers Gabbai and Sallai—928 men.

  7. Joel and Judah, officers

    Joel son of Zichri was the officer over them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was over the Second District of the city.

From the flat top of the rough-stone wall, looking down into a thin town: a few roofs, wide stony gaps, a woman sweeping a doorway, a small garden among old rubble, a plain temple beyond.

Priests

Priests in the holy city

  1. Jedaiah and Jachin

    From the priests:

    Jedaiah son of Joiarib; Jachin;

  2. Chief official

    Seraiah

    Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief official of the house of God;

  3. 822 at the temple; Adaiah

    and their associates who did the work at the temple—822 men;

    Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah;

  4. 242 leaders; Amashai

    and his associates, the leaders of families—242 men;

    Amashai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer;

  5. 128 mighty men of valor

    and his associates—128 mighty men of valor.

  6. Zabdiel, their overseer

    Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was their overseer.

Reflect

Moving in

Nobody chose Jerusalem for comfort. The city was thinly settled, and those who came left homes and fields behind. Where might God be asking you to move toward a need rather than away from it? Write it down.

Residents Outside Jerusalem

A stone-terraced Judean hillside in spring with young vines and olive trees: a father and son mend a low field wall, a small village above.

The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the villages of Judah, each on his own inheritance.

The temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, with Ziha and Gishpa over them.

Now the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. He was one of Asaph’s descendants, who were the singers in charge of the service of the house of God. For there was a command from the king concerning the singers, an ordinance regulating their daily activities.

Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah son of Judah, was the king’s agent in every matter concerning the people.

Question

Quick question

The leaders were already in the city. The rest of the people had to settle who would join them.

How was it decided who would move into Jerusalem?

JerusalemBeershebaZiklag (site uncertain)LachishHebronAdullamZorahBethelLodOno

Stylised map · locations approximate

Where it happened

From Beersheba to Hinnom

Judah’s villages ran south and west, Benjamin’s north. Kiriath-arba is Hebron, and the Valley of Hinnom runs along Jerusalem’s south side.

Towns of Judah

The villages with their fields

  1. Kiriath-arba, Dibon, Jekabzeel

    As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba, Dibon, Jekabzeel, and their villages;

  2. Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-pelet

    in Jeshua, Moladah, and Beth-pelet;

  3. Hazar-shual and Beersheba

    in Hazar-shual; in Beersheba and its villages;

  4. Ziklag and Meconah

    in Ziklag; in Meconah and its villages;

  5. En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth

    in En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth,

  6. Zanoah, Adullam, Lachish, Azekah

    Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages; in Lachish and its fields; and in Azekah and its villages.

So they settled from Beersheba all the way to the Valley of Hinnom.

Towns of Benjamin

From Geba northward

  1. Michmash, Aija, Bethel

    The descendants of Benjamin from Geba lived in Michmash, Aija, and Bethel with its villages;

  2. Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah

    in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

  3. Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim

    Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

  4. Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat

    Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

  5. Lod, Ono, Valley of the Craftsmen

    Lod, and Ono; and in the Valley of the Craftsmen.

  6. Levites of Judah in Benjamin

    And some divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin.

Pray

Where You need us

Thank God for those who go where they are needed, often without being noticed. Pray for a settled, faithful people in every town, and ask that the place He has given you would be kept as His.

You’ve experienced

Nehemiah 11

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A verse to carry with you

And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 11:2

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