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Nehemiah Appoints Administrators

After the wall had been completed and its doors installed, then the gatekeepers, singers, and descendants of Levi were appointed. I appointed my brother Hanani and fortress commander Hananiah to be over Jerusalem, since he was a faithful person who revered God more than many others did. I charged them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until mid-day.[a] Until then, let everyone stand watch, keeping the gates shut and locked. Appoint security watches from those who live in Jerusalem. Everyone should maintain his own watch near his house.” Even though the city was large and spread out, not many people were living there and not many houses had been built. So my God gave me the idea to gather together the nobles, the officials, and the people so they could be registered according to their genealogies.

A List of Those who Returned(A)

I found a register of the original inhabitants in which there was recorded a list of descendants[b] of the province of Judah[c] who returned from captivity, from those who had been exiled by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. They had come back to Jerusalem and to Judah, each one to his town. They were coming with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani,[d] Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth,[e] Bigvai, Nehum,[f] and Baanah. Here is the enumeration of:

The Men of Israel:

Parosh’s descendants:[g] 2,172

Shephatiah’s descendants: 372

10 Arah’s descendants: 652[h]

11 Pahath-moab’s descendants; that is, through Jeshua and Joab: 2,818[i]

12 Elam’s descendants: 1,254

13 Zattu’s descendants: 845[j]

14 Zaccai’s descendants: 760

15 Binnui’s descendants:[k] 648[l]

16 Bebai’s descendants: 628[m]

17 Azgad’s descendants: 2,322[n]

18 Adonikam’s descendants: 667[o]

19 Bigvai’s descendants: 2,067[p]

20 Adin’s descendants: 655[q]

21 Ater’s descendants through Hezekiah: 98

22 Hashum’s descendants: 328[r]

23 Bezai’s descendants: 324[s]

24 Hariph’s descendants:[t] 112

25 Gibeon’s descendants:[u] 95

26 People from Bethlehem and Netophah: 188[v]

27 People from Anathoth: 128

28 People from Beth-azmaveth:[w] 42

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 7:3 Lit. until the sun is hot
  2. Nehemiah 7:6 Lit. These are the descendants
  3. Nehemiah 7:6 The Heb. lacks of Judah
  4. Nehemiah 7:7 MT of Ezra 2:2 lacks Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani
  5. Nehemiah 7:7 Cf. MT of Ezra 2:2 Mispar
  6. Nehemiah 7:7 Cf. MT of Ezra 2:2 Rehum
  7. Nehemiah 7:8 Lit. Sons of; and so throughout the chapter
  8. Nehemiah 7:10 Cf. Ezra 2:3 775
  9. Nehemiah 7:11 Cf. Ezra 2:6 2,812
  10. Nehemiah 7:13 Cf. Ezra 2:8 945
  11. Nehemiah 7:15 Cf. Ezra 2:10 Bani
  12. Nehemiah 7:15 Cf. Ezra 2:10 642
  13. Nehemiah 7:16 Cf. Ezra 2:11 623
  14. Nehemiah 7:17 Cf. Ezra 2:12 1,222
  15. Nehemiah 7:18 Cf. Ezra 2:13 666
  16. Nehemiah 7:19 Cf. Ezra 2:14 2,056
  17. Nehemiah 7:20 Cf. Ezra 2:15 454
  18. Nehemiah 7:22 Cf. Ezra 2:19 223
  19. Nehemiah 7:23 Cf. Ezra 2:17 323
  20. Nehemiah 7:24 Cf. Ezra 2:18 Jorah
  21. Nehemiah 7:25 Cf. Ezra 2:19 Gibbar
  22. Nehemiah 7:26 Cf. Ezra 2:21-22 where the total is 179
  23. Nehemiah 7:28 Cf. Ezra 2:24 Azmaveth