Nehemiah 11:1

Nehemiah 11:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.
• New International Version (NIV)Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten remained in the other towns.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities.

Context of Nehemiah 11:1

Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, but the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths remained in the other cities. 2And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. 3Now these are the heads of the provinces who lived in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah each lived on his own property in their cities--the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon’s servants.

Nehemiah 11:1 word by word

וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ שָׂרֵֽי־הָעָ֖ם בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וּשְׁאָ֣ר הָ֠עָם הִפִּ֨ילוּ גוֹרָל֜וֹת לְהָבִ֣יא׀ אֶחָ֣ד מִן־הָעֲשָׂרָ֗ה לָשֶׁ֙בֶת֙ בִּֽירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ עִ֣יר הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וְתֵ֥שַׁע הַיָּד֖וֹת בֶּעָרִֽים׃Read the interlinear

• the leadersשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• livedיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
• but the restשְׁאָרshe'âr · remnantH7605
• castנָפַלnâphal · to fall: allotH5307
• lotsגּוֹרָלgôrâl gôrâl · allottedH1486
• to bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• out of tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
• the holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• while nine-tenthsתֵּ֫שַׁעtêsha‛ tish‛âh · nineH8672
• while nine-tenthsיָדyâd · hand: timesH3027

Cross-references for Nehemiah 11:1

• Nehemiah 7:4Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.
• Deuteronomy 17:8“If a case is too difficult for you to decide, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, that are cases of dispute in your courts, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord your God chooses.
• Psalms 122:5For thrones were set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David.
• Nehemiah 10:34Likewise we cast lots for the supply of wood among the priests, the Levites, and the people so that they could bring it to the house of our God, according to our fathers’ households, at set times annually, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law;
• Joshua 18:10Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land for the sons of Israel according to their divisions.
• 1 Chronicles 26:13They cast lots, the small and the great alike, according to their fathers’ households, for every gate.
• Proverbs 16:33The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.
• Acts 1:24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all people, show which one of these two You have chosen
• Judges 20:9But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up against it by lot.
• Nehemiah 11:18All the Levites in the holy city were 284.
• Isaiah 48:2For they name themselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel; The Lord of armies is His name.
• Isaiah 52:1Awake, awake, Clothe yourself in your strength, Zion; Clothe yourself with your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city; For the uncircumcised and the unclean Will no longer come into you.
• Matthew 4:5Then the devil took Him along into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,
• Matthew 27:53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 11:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1To bring one of ten - Jerusalem certainly had many inhabitants at this time; but not sufficient to preserve the city, which was now encompassed with a wall, and the rebuilding of which was going on fast. Nehemiah therefore obliged one tenth of the country people to come and dwell in it, that the population might be sufficient for the preservation and defense of the city. Ten were set apart, and the lot cast among them to see which one of the ten should…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1To bring one of ten - Artificial enlargements of capitals by forcible transfers of population to them, were not unusual in ancient times. About 500 B.C., Syracuse became a great city in this way. Tradition ascribed the greatness of Rome, in part, to this cause.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The distribution of the people. --In all ages, men have preferred their own ease and advantage to the public good. Even the professors of religion too commonly seek their own, and not the things of Christ. Few have had such attachment to holy things and holy places, as to renounce pleasure for their sake. Yet surely, our souls should delight to dwell where holy persons and opportunities of spiritual improvement most abound. If we have not this love to the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2Sacred lots were likely the Urim and Thummim (Nehemiah 10:34; Joshua 7:14, 16–18; 14:2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1Ne 11:1, 2. The Rulers, Voluntary Men, and Every Tenth Man Chosen by Lot, Dwell at Jerusalem. 1. the rulers ... dwelt at Jerusalem--That city being the metropolis of the country, it was right and proper that the seat of government should be there. But the exigency of the times required that special measures should be taken to insure the residence of an adequate population for the custody of the buildings and the defense of the city. From the annoyances of…Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 11:1

• Election
• Jerusalem
• Lot, the

In the dictionaries

• Jerusalem
• holy city
• City
• Chronicles, Books of
• Divination
• Genealogy
• Hacaliah
• Jachin
• Number
• Prince

Commentaries on Nehemiah 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings