Chapter Eleven

1–2. Efforts to increase the population of Jerusalem. 3–36. A list of the heads of the country who lived in Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah.

Nehemiah 11:1. And the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots so that one out of every ten would come to live in the holy city Jerusalem, while the nine would remain in the other cities. In (Neh 7:4) it is reported that after the completion of the wall Nehemiah turned his attention to the small population of Jerusalem and was concerned with increasing it. With this purpose, he decided to conduct a census of the people. But before this could be done, the seventh month of the year arrived and the solemn assemblies mentioned in chapters VIII-X took place. Only after the completion of these solemn assemblies could Nehemiah proceed with implementing his concerns about increasing the city’s population. Verses 1 and 2 report Nehemiah’s measures. This account is very brief and not entirely clear. “And the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem.” Interpreters understand this remark differently. It seems there is no need to accept it in a strictly literal sense, as if no one else but the leaders lived in Jerusalem. The writer’s remark is intended only to emphasize that the common people, engaged in agriculture, preferred to live outside Jerusalem. Because of this, it was decided to increase the population by compulsion, and one-tenth of the inhabitants were to be moved here. According to later accounts (Sir 49:15), Nehemiah on his part contributed to increasing the city’s population by building houses in Jerusalem, and even at his own expense for priests and Levites (Jewish Antiquities XI, 5, 8). In ancient times, recourse was often made to artificial population increase in a city. Similar accounts are mentioned of Syracuse, Megalopolis, and Tigranocerta. In v. 1 Jerusalem is called the holy city, as the city in which the temple was and to which the prophecies referred (Isa 48:2).

Nehemiah 11:2. And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to live in Jerusalem. Those who were to be moved to Jerusalem were determined by lot. But from v. 2 it is evident that before they proceeded to casting lots, some agreed to move to Jerusalem voluntarily. Since by doing so they freed others from an enforced, and perhaps disadvantageous, move, they were blessed by the people.

Nehemiah 11:3. These are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem—and in the cities of Judah everyone lived in his own property, in their cities: Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants;— The beginning of v. 3 serves as a heading for the list that follows of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the entire area occupied by the Jews. “These are the chiefs of the province” (hammedinah), that is, of Judea, as a province (medinah) of the Persian kingdom (Ezra 2:1). The construction of the Hebrew text in this verse is not clear, and therefore it is translated differently. Instead of our translation “and in the cities of Judah,” a more correct translation would be “and in the cities of Judah” and to regard these and the following words not as an introductory clause. Then the heading would show that the following list includes not only the inhabitants of Jerusalem but also the inhabitants of other cities. Both in the general structure and in individual names, the list (Neh 11) is similar to the one given in (1 Chr 9:1-44). Some authors (Movers, Herzfeld) think that both lists refer to the same post-exilic period, with the list (1 Chr 9:1-44) edited somewhat later (Neh 11). The similarity between the lists is explained by the fact that they come from one source, and the difference by the relatively later revision of the list (1 Chr 9:1-44). More accurately, however, in this case is the opinion of Keil, who attributes the list in 1 Chronicles to the pre-exilic period and the book of Nehemiah to the time of Nehemiah. Keil explains the difference between the lists by the change in the composition of the population of Jerusalem and Judea by the time of Nehemiah. Instead of three families of Judah (Uthai, Asaiah, and Juel) named in (1 Chr 9:4-6), in (Neh 11:4-5) only two are mentioned—Athaiah and Maaseiah, which can be identified with Uthai and Asaiah (1 Chr 9:4-5). Of the four families of the tribe of Benjamin named in (1 Chr 9:7-8), in (Neh 11:7) again only two are mentioned. This is probably explained by the fact that some families remained in Babylon and had no representatives in the post-exilic Jerusalem. The total number of priests in (1 Chr 9:13) is determined as 1760, while in (Neh 11:12-14) it is 1192. The number of Levite names in Nehemiah is also smaller than in 1 Chronicles. Of the four families of gatekeepers ((1 Chr 9:17)—Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman) in (Neh 11:19) only two are mentioned. On the other hand, individual persons belonging to the time of Nehemiah are not named in 1 Chronicles: such are Joel, Judah (Neh 11:9), Uzzi (v. 22), Shavfay, Yozavad (v. 16). Confusion is also caused by the fact that the numbers indicated in (1 Chr 9:1-44), relating to the pre-exilic period, do not exceed significantly the numbers (Neh 11).

Nehemiah 11:4. In Jerusalem lived from the people of Judah and from the people of Benjamin. From the people of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah son of Zechariah son of Amariah son of Shephatiah son of Mahalalel, from the sons of Perez, The list begins with the tribe of Judah, whose representatives were divided into two families—Athaiah from the line of Perez and Maaseiah from the line of Shelah. The line of the third son of Judah, Zerah, appears to have ended by Nehemiah’s time.

Nehemiah 11:5. and Maaseiah son of Baruch son of Colhozeh son of Hazaiah son of Adaiah son of Joiarib son of Zechariah son of Shiloni. Instead of “Shiloni,” a name impossible in the tribe of Judah (from the Ephraimite city of Shiloh), Ryssel proposes to read “Shelanite” (from Shelah—cf. (Num 26:20)).

Nehemiah 11:7. And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam son of Joed son of Pedaiah son of Kolaiah son of Maaseiah son of Ithiel son of Isaiah, Nehemiah 11:8. and after him Gabbai, Sallai—nine hundred and twenty-eight. In vv. 7–8 are named two families of the tribe of Benjamin living in Jerusalem—the family of Sallu and the family of Gabbai Sallai. In (1 Chr 9:7-8) four lines of the tribe of Benjamin are named, with Ibnia mentioned instead of Gabbai. Bertheau and Ryssel propose to read this name in v. 8 as well, assuming that Gabbai Sallai arose from a mistake. The number 928 mentioned in v. 8 probably refers only to the family of Gabbai.

Nehemiah 11:9. Joel son of Zichri was the chief officer over them, and Judah son of Senuah was the second ruler of the city. In v. 9 are named the heads of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin separately (“over them,” that is, over those mentioned above): Joel son of Zichri, and Judah son of Senuah. Probably Joel belonged to the tribe of Judah, while Judah was a Benjaminite (1 Chr 9:7-8). Regarding Judah, it is noted that he was al hair mishne. Some interpreters understand this remark to mean that Judah was the second ruler of the city of Jerusalem, that is, over the part of the city west of the temple area and north of the middle city (2 Kgs 22:14; Zeph 1:10; 2 Chr 34:22); cf. Jewish Antiquities XV, 11, 5). But in this sense mishne would have the article (as in (2 Kgs 22:14) and (Zeph 1:10)), and it is ordinarily used of persons of the second rank (2 Kgs 23:4; 1 Sam 8:2; 1 Chr 15:18). In view of this, the remark about Judah is more correctly understood to mean that he was in the city a ruler of the second rank (LXX and Slavic: “of the city, the second”).

Nehemiah 11:10. From the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin, The list of priests begins here. “Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin.” According to (1 Chr 9:10), Jedaiah was not the son of Joiarib. Therefore, the word ben (son) is considered an error that has crept into the text of v. 10. In this way, v. names not two, but three priestly families who were already active in pre-exilic times (1 Chr 24:7). Further, in vv. 11–14 are named more recently created families of Seraiah, Adaiah, and Amashai.

Nehemiah 11:11. Seraiah son of Hilkiah son of Meshullam son of Zadok son of Meraioth son of Ahitub, chief officer of the house of God, Instead of Seraiah, in (1 Chr 9:11) Azariah is named. According to Ryssel’s opinion, the reading in (1 Chr 9:11) is more correct. But the difference in names is better explained by the fact that in the pre-exilic period, which the list of 1 Chronicles 9 has in mind, the family was called by the name Azariah, and after him began to bear the name Seraiah (cf. Neh 10:2).

Nehemiah 11:12. and his brothers, those doing the work in the house of God—eight hundred and twenty-two; and Adaiah son of Jeroham son of Pelaliah son of Amzi son of Zechariah son of Pashhur son of Malchijah, In v. 12 is given the number of those belonging to the family of Seraiah. The name Adaiah, it is supposed, replaces the name Malchijah (1 Chr 24:9), and in (Neh 12:6-7) he should be understood as one of the two Jedaiahs.

Nehemiah 11:13. and his brothers, heads of families—two hundred and forty-two; and Amashai son of Azarel son of Ahzai son of Meshillemoth son of Immer, The number 242 does not just apply to “heads of families,” because then the number would be too large. The family of Amashai or according to (1 Chr 9:12) Maaseiah in (Neh 12:6), it is supposed, is mentioned under the name Shemaiah.

Nehemiah 11:14. and his brothers, mighty men of valor—one hundred and twenty-eight. And the chief officer over them was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim. In (1 Chr 9:13) the total number of priests is determined as 1760, while according to (Neh 11:12-14) for the post-exilic period this number decreased to 1192. In v. 14 it is noted that the chief officer over the priests “was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.” The last name is understood by the LXX as an adjective (gadol—great), from which came: ὑιὸς τῶν μεγάλων or in Slavic “Sohriil son of the great.” What Zabdiel’s authority consisted of is unknown (cf. Jer 20:1-7).

Nehemiah 11:15. And from the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub son of Azrikam son of Hashabiah son of Bunni, Nehemiah 11:16. and Shavfai and Yozavad from the chief Levites over the work of the house of God, Nehemiah 11:17. and Mattaniah son of Mica son of Zabdi son of Asaph, the leader of the song of praise at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second in rank among his brothers, and Abda son of Shammua son of Galal son of Jeduthun. Nehemiah 11:18. All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and eighty-four. The list of Levitical families, from which six are named.

Nehemiah 11:16. and Shavfai and Yozavad from the chief Levites over the work of the house of God, The Levitical families of Shavfai and Yozavad are mentioned in (Neh 8:7). According to v. 16, their duty was the external affairs of the house of God; according to (1 Chr 26:29), this included record-keeping, judgment, and concern for the needs of the cult and temple personnel. The remark “from the chief Levites” indicates that the writer is speaking of Shavfai and Yozavad not as individual persons, but as representatives, by whose names known families were called.

Nehemiah 11:17. and Mattaniah son of Mica son of Zabdi son of Asaph, the leader of the song of praise at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second in rank among his brothers, and Abda son of Shammua son of Galal son of Jeduthun. The descendant of Asaph, Mattaniah, is mentioned again in (1 Chr 9:15), where his grandfather is given as Zichri (not Zabdi, as in v. 17). He was “the leader of the song of praise at prayer.” The latter remark in the Greek Vatican edition is absent, while in the texts of Alexandria and in our Slavic edition the Hebrew jehode is understood as a proper name, from which came the nonsensical reading in Slavic: “and Judah of prayer.”

Nehemiah 11:18. All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and eighty-four. In (1 Chr 9:14-16) from the Levites are mentioned Shemaiah, Bakbakar, Heresh, Galal, Mattaniah, Obadiah—that is, also six names, of which only two agree with those mentioned in (Neh 11:15-17). Probably the names Bakbukiah and Abda mentioned in the latter place correspond to Bakbakar and Obadiah (1 Chr 9:15-16). The indication of the total number of Levites in 1 Chronicles 9 is absent.

Nehemiah 11:19. And the gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon and their brothers, who kept watch at the gates—one hundred and seventy-two. The names of the gatekeepers Akkub and Talmon are mentioned in (1 Chr 9:17), where some information is also given about the gatekeepers (1 Chr 9:17-26). In (1 Chr 9:22) the number of gatekeepers is determined as 212 (instead of 172), (Neh 11:19); probably in 1 Chronicles gatekeepers living in other cities are also included.

Nehemiah 11:20. The other Israelites, priests, and Levites lived throughout all the cities of Judah, each in their own possession. “The other Israelites, priests, and Levites lived throughout all the cities of Judah.” Those who returned from the Babylonian exile were chiefly members of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, but they are given the name Israelites, since they are considered representatives of the 12 tribes, of all Israel (Ezra 2:70; Neh 2:10). They lived throughout all the cities of Judah, not only in the territory of the tribe of Judah, but throughout all Judea, each in their own inheritance.

Nehemiah 11:21. And the temple servants lived in Ophel; and Ziha and Gishpa were over the temple servants. The residence of the temple servants is indicated in accordance with (Neh 3:26). One of those in charge of the temple servants, “Ziha,” is mentioned again in (Ezra 2:43; Neh 7:46). The name Gishpa, not found elsewhere, can probably be identified with the name Hashupha, who in (Ezra 2:43; Neh 7:46) is placed after Ziha.

Nehemiah 11:22. The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani son of Hashabiah son of Mattaniah son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph, who were the singers in the service of the house of God, Nehemiah 11:23. because the king’s decree was about them, and provision was established for the singers, a fixed due each day. As is evident from v. 23, Uzzi not only had authority over the Levitical service but also distributed the provisions to the singers assigned by the king. The reference to the king should be related to the Persian king, not to David, who organized the Levitical service.

Nehemiah 11:24. And Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah son of Judah, was the king’s representative for all matters of the people. “And Pethahiah... was the king’s representative (lejad hammelech) for all matters of the people.” Judging by this remark, Pethahiah was the royal commissioner in Jerusalem, who maintained constant relations with the king and his government. What his relation to pechah (the provincial governor) was is unknown. His official duties perhaps consisted in watching over the payment of taxes in kind and money from the province that were to go for the benefit of the Jews (Ryssel). Pethahiah was from the tribe of Judah, but not from the line of Perez, from which the family of David descended (1 Chr 2:3-14).

Nehemiah 11:25. As for the towns, on the agricultural lands: the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its dependent villages, in Dibon and its dependent villages, in Jekabzeel and its villages, Nehemiah 11:26. in Jeshua, in Moladah and in Beth-pelet, Nehemiah 11:27. in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its dependent villages, Nehemiah 11:28. in Ziklag, in Meconah and its dependent villages, Nehemiah 11:29. in En-rimmon, in Zorah and in Jarmuth, Nehemiah 11:30. in Zanoah, in Adullam and its villages, in Lachish and its surrounding area, in Azekah and its dependent villages. They settled from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom. According to v. 3, one would expect to find in vv. 25–35 a list of the heads or families of the country. But the writer, apparently for brevity, limits himself to naming the localities occupied by the Jews, not mentioning the heads of the districts. “As for the towns, on the agricultural lands” (veel hachazerim bisedotham), from the Hebrew more precisely: “and regarding the towns and fields.” All the localities named in vv. 25–29, with the exception of the unknown Jeshua (v. 26) and Meconah (v. 28), are mentioned already in (Josh 15:20-62) as cities of Judah. The boundaries of the territory occupied by the Jews are indicated in v. 30 as Beersheba on the south and the Valley of Hinnom on the north of Jerusalem. According to (Josh 15:8) the Valley of Hinnom in ancient times also served as a boundary between Judah and Benjamin.

Nehemiah 11:31. The people of Benjamin from Geba, in Michmash, in Geba, in Bethel and its dependent villages, Nehemiah 11:32. in Anathoth, Nob, and Ananiah, Nehemiah 11:33. in Hazor, in Rama, in Gittaim, Nehemiah 11:34. in Hadid, in Zeboim, and Neballat, Nehemiah 11:35. in Lod, in Ono, in the Valley of the Craftsmen. The localities occupied by the tribe of Benjamin. Most of them are mentioned as already being named in (Ezra 2:21-35). The enumeration begins with Geba. According to (2 Kgs 23:8, Zech 14:10) Geba lay on the northern boundary of the southern kingdom, at a distance of about three hours’ journey north of Jerusalem. This is present-day Jibiya in Wadi El-Jib. It is noteworthy that among the cities occupied by the Jews in the verses under consideration, Jericho, Mizpah, and Gibeon are not mentioned (cf. Neh 3:2). In general, the list of occupied localities mentioned in (Neh 11:25-35) differs from the list in (Ezra 2:21-35; Neh 7:25-38). This difference can be explained not only by probable corruption of the text, but also by the fact that the population had not yet firmly settled in certain places and was still moving to others.