Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Nehemiah 11:29

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Lists of Jerusalem residents (11:1-36)

Most of the people who returned from exile had settled in the country around Jerusalem rather than in the city itself. Therefore, because Jerusalem was thinly populated, a resettlement scheme was put into practice. Under this scheme one tenth of the residents from the country areas came to live in Jerusalem and so increase its stability. In addition to these, a large group offered willingly to come and live in the city (11:1-2).

A list is then given of the heads of the families who returned with Zerubbabel. (The descendants of these families would have been the old established residents of Jerusalem at the time the resettlement program was planned.) Apart from those belonging to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (3-9), most seem to have been priests, Levites or other temple servants (10-21. See also notes on 1 Chronicles 9:1-34, where the same list is given, with a few variations and additions). Arrangements were also made for overseeing the work of the Levites, regulating the temple singers, and having a Jewish representative at the court of the Persian king (22-24). Then follows a list of reoccupied towns in the former tribal territories of Judah and Benjamin (25-36).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

A ROSTER OF TOWNS AND VILLAGES NEAR JERUSALEM

"And as for the villages, with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt in Kireath-arba and the towns thereof, and in Dihon and the towns thereof, and in Jekabzeel and the villages thereof, and in Jeshua, Moladah, and Beth-pelet, and in Hazar-shual and in Beer-sheba and the towns thereof, and in Ziklag and in Meconah and in the towns thereof, and in En-rimmon, and in Zorah, and in Jarmuth, Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and the fields thereof, Azekah and the towns thereof. So they encamped from Beer-sheba unto the valley of Hinnom. The children of Benjamin also dwelt from Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, and at Beth-el and the towns thereof, at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, Hazer, Ramah, Gittaim, Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen. And of the Levites, certain courses in Judah were joined to Bethlehem."

There is hardly a place-name in this list that is not loaded with many associations concerning events and persons mentioned in the long history of Israel; and it is impossible to note all of such connections here. Kiriath-arba, for example is Hebron; but during the long absence of Israel, it had again become known by its ancient name. As Hebron, it was one of the cities of Refuge; Ziklag is the city that the king of Gath gave to David; Anathoth was the home of Jeremiah; Nob is where Saul murdered the priests; Adullam was noted for a nearby cave where David was a fugitive from Saul; Lachish, the second largest city of Judea was taken by Sennacherib; the valley of Ono was the place to which Sanballat and Tobiah sought to lure Nehemiah to his death; Beer-sheba, the southernmost place in ancient Israel was frequently mentioned; Ramah featured prominently in the history of Ahab; "Lod, now Ludd, is the Lydda of Acts of Apostles; it was on the eastern edge of the Shephelah, about nine miles southeast of Joppa."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 7c, p. 120. Bethel, another famous town, was where Jeroboam I installed one of his golden calves. "It is strange that Gibeon, Mizpah and Jericho are not mentioned, although they are listed in Nehemiah 3."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 443 Perhaps this should alert us to the truth that this record is abbreviated.

This brings us near to the dedication of the wall, related in the next chapter; but Nehemiah was by no means finished with providing security and safety for Jerusalem. There yet remained the treacherous infiltration of the holy city itself by the godless Tobiah, aided and abetted by the High Priest himself; and that would be the subject of the final chapter.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Many of the places mentioned in these verses are mentioned in Joshua 15:27-39; Joshua 18:21-28.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 11

And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, that one in ten might dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities ( Nehemiah 11:1 ).

So when they came back, they actually inhabited quite a bit of the territory down towards Hebron, Beersheba, on up to Ramallah, Bethel, and all. Quite a bit of territory. There was only about 50,000 of them. And so they decided that one in ten, which means about 5,000 would dwell in Jerusalem. They wanted to maintain the capital city so they'd have a place of worship and all and the rest of the people... of course, Jerusalem isn't that good a farm territory. There's much better farming down in some of the valleys around Jerusalem than there is in Jerusalem itself. Down into, down towards Hebron, the Eshcol Valley and all, much better farming. Even down towards Bethlehem and the valley is down through there. So one in ten with... So they cast lots to find out which one would stay in Jerusalem and the rest would move into the surrounding territories and live in the surrounding territories. And so we have the names of the families upon whom the lots were drawn who should dwell in Jerusalem. And then beginning with verse Nehemiah 11:20 , the names of the families that were to dwell in the other cities round about. And some of the cities and the villages where they were to dwell. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. The residents of the outlying towns 11:25-36

The towns south of Jerusalem, from the Hinnom Valley just south of the city as far as Beersheba, were those in the territory belonging to the tribe of Judah. Those north of Jerusalem stretching to the neighboring province of Samaria were towns of Benjamin. These were the two sections of the Persian province of Yehud (Judah). Nehemiah mentioned 17 prominent towns in Judah here (Nehemiah 11:25-30), and 15 in Benjamin (Nehemiah 11:31-35). The Levites lived among the general population, as when the Israelites first entered the Promised Land under Joshua, in order to be a good influence and to act as spiritual resource persons (Nehemiah 11:36).

"In a time when self-centeredness seems to dominate Western life-styles, the Word of God calls us to work and live together as a community, to be dependent upon one another, and to help one another in achieving the task God has set before us." [Note: Breneman, p. 263.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

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Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      20 And the residue of Israel, of the priests, and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance.   21 But the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa were over the Nethinims.   22 The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God.   23 For it was the king's commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.   24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people.   25 And for the villages, with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjath-arba, and in the villages thereof, and at Dibon, and in the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel, and in the villages thereof,   26 And at Jeshua, and at Moladah, and at Beth-phelet,   27 And at Hazar-shual, and at Beer-sheba, and in the villages thereof,   28 And at Ziklag, and at Mekonah, and in the villages thereof,   29 And at En-rimmon, and at Zareah, and at Jarmuth,   30 Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beer-sheba unto the valley of Hinnom.   31 The children also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija, and Bethel, and in their villages,   32 And at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,   33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,   34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,   35 Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.   36 And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin.

      Having given an account of the principal persons that dwelt in Jerusalem (a larger account of whom he had before, 1 Chronicles 9:2-34, c.), Nehemiah, in these verses, gives us some account of the other cities, in which dwelt the residue of Israel,Nehemiah 11:20; Nehemiah 11:20. It was requisite that Jerusalem should be replenished, yet not so as to drain the country. The king himself is served of the field, which will do little service if there be not hands to manage it. Let there therefore be no strife, no envy, no contempt, no ill will, between the inhabitants of the cities and those of the villages; both are needful, both useful, and neither can be spared. 1. The Nethinims, the posterity of the Gibeonites, dwelt in Ophel, which was upon the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:26; Nehemiah 3:26), because they were to do the servile work of the temple, which therefore they must be posted near to, that they might be ready to attend, Nehemiah 11:21; Nehemiah 11:21. 2. Though the Levites were dispersed through the cities of Judah, yet they had an overseer who resided in Jerusalem, superior of their order and their provincial, to whom they applied for direction, who took care of their affairs and took cognizance of their conduct, whether they did their duty, Nehemiah 11:22; Nehemiah 11:22. 3. Some of the singers were appointed to look after the necessary repairs of the temple, being ingenious men, and having leisure between their hours of service; they were over the business of the house of God,Nehemiah 11:22; Nehemiah 11:22. And, it seems, the king of Persia had such a kindness for their office that he allotted a particular maintenance for them, besides what belonged to them as Levites, Nehemiah 11:23; Nehemiah 11:23. 4. Here is one that was the king's commissioner at Jerusalem. He was of the posterity of Zerah (Nehemiah 11:24; Nehemiah 11:24); for of that family of Judah there were some new settled in Jerusalem, and not all of Pharez, as appears by that other catalogue, 1 Chronicles 9:6. He is said to be at the king's hand, or on the king's part, in all matters concerning the people, to determine controversies that arose between the king's officers and his subjects, to see that what was due to the king from the people was duly paid in and what was allowed by the king for the temple service was duly paid out, and happy it was for the Jews that one of themselves was in this post. 5. Here is an account of the villages, or country towns, which were inhabited by the residue of Israel--the towns in which the children of Judah dwelt (Nehemiah 11:25-30; Nehemiah 11:25-30), those that were inhabited by the children of Benjamin (Nehemiah 11:31-35; Nehemiah 11:31-35), and divisions for the Levites among both, Nehemiah 11:36; Nehemiah 11:36. We will now suppose them safe and easy, though few and poor, but by the blessing of God they were likely to increase in wealth and power, and they would have been more likely if there had not been that general profaneness among them, and lukewarmness in religion, with which they were charged in God's name by the prophet Malachi, who, it is supposed, prophesied about this time, and in whom prophecy ceased for some ages, till it revived in the great prophet and his forerunner.