Nehemiah 11 · WEB
Repopulating Jerusalem
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The rulers of the people lived in Jerusalem. The rest of the people also cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts in the other cities.
2The people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell in Jerusalem.
3Now these are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem (but in the cities of Judah, everyone lived in his own possession in their cities — the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the children of Solomon's servants);
4and in Jerusalem there lived some of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin. 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;
5and 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.
6All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were four hundred sixty-eight valiant men.
7These 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;
8and after him Gabbai and Sallai: nine hundred twenty-eight.
9Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer; and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second over the city.
10Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin,
11Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of God's house;
12and 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,
13and his brothers, chiefs 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,
14and their brothers, mighty men of valor, one hundred twenty-eight; and their overseer was Zabdiel the son of Haggedolim.
15Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;
16and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who had the oversight of the outward business of God's house;
17and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the chief to begin the thanksgiving in prayer; and Bakbukiah, the second among his brothers; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
18All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty-four.
19Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers who kept watch at the gates, were one hundred seventy-two.
20The rest of Israel, the priests, the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance.
21But the temple servants lived in Ophel; and Ziha and Gishpa were over the temple servants.
22The overseer of the Levites at 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, over the business of God's house.
23For there was a commandment from the king concerning them, and an ordinance concerning the singers, as every day required.
24Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people.
25As for the villages, with their fields, some of the children of Judah lived in Kiriatharba and its villages, and in Dibon and its villages, and in Jekabzeel and its villages,
26and in Jeshua, and in Moladah, and in Beth Pelet,
27and in Hazar Shual, and in Beersheba and its villages,
28and in Ziklag, and in Meconah and its villages,
29and in En Rimmon, and in Zorah, and in Jarmuth,
30Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its villages. So they encamped from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom.
31The children of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmas, Aijah, and Bethel and its villages,
32Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
33Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
34Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
35Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.
36Of the Levites, certain divisions in Judah were joined to Benjamin.
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Summary
Jerusalem is resettled by lottery: one in ten Jews throughout Judah is chosen to move to the holy city, and those who volunteer to live there are praised. The chapter lists the families who settled in Jerusalem — descendants of Judah and Benjamin, priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple servants — with the towns of Judah and Benjamin stretching from Beersheba in the south to Geba in the north. The Levites are also distributed throughout the province while maintaining their temple duties in Jerusalem.
Themes
- Sacrifice for the sake of the community
- Voluntary service alongside mandatory assignment
- The holy city as a center that requires deliberate commitment to maintain
Key verses
- Neh 11:1 — “The people also cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city.”
- Neh 11:2 — “The people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell in Jerusalem.”
- Neh 11:20 — “The rest of Israel, the priests, the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance.”
Context & background
After the exile, Jerusalem was largely deserted (Nehemiah 7:4: "the people were few"). Moving to Jerusalem was not desirable — the city was newly walled but economically weak, potentially still dangerous, and required leaving established farms and homes elsewhere in Judah. The lottery system ensured equitable distribution of this burden. Those who volunteered (v. 2) were specially honored, showing that sacrifice for the common good was valued above mere compliance. The towns listed stretch across modern Israel/West Bank — from Beersheba (modern southern Israel) to Geba (modern northern Jerusalem suburbs). This repopulation project directly addresses the vulnerability noted in 7:4.
Cross-references
- Acts 2:44-45 — The early church's voluntary sharing of resources for the common good; a New Testament echo
- Nehemiah 7:4 — The problem this chapter solves: "the city was wide and large, but the people were few"
- Numbers 35:1-8 — Levitical towns distributed throughout Israel; a similar pattern of strategic placement
- Revelation 21:2-3 — The new Jerusalem filled with God's people; the earthly repopulation anticipates the ultimate city
- Romans 12:1 — "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice" — voluntary offering of self for God's purposes