New Living Translation
Nehemiah 11:1
1The leaders of the people were living in Jerusalem, the holy city. A tenth of the people from the other towns of Judah and Benjamin were chosen by sacred lots to live there, too, while the rest stayed where they were.
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
The leaders of the people were living in Jerusalem, the holy city. A tenth of the people from the other towns of Judah and Benjamin were chosen by sacred lots to live there, too, while the rest stayed where they were. 2And the people commended everyone who volunteered to resettle in Jerusalem. 3Here is a list of the names of the provincial officials who came to live in Jerusalem. (Most of the people, priests, Levites, Temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants continued to live in their own homes in the various towns of Judah,
Read all of Nehemiah 11Nehemiah 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the rulersשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- dweltיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- at Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- the restשְׁאָרshe'âr · remnantH7605
- also castנָפַלnâphal · to fall: allotH5307
- lotsגּוֹרָלgôrâl gôrâl · allottedH1486
- to bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- of tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
- the holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
- cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and nineתֵּ֫שַׁעtêsha‛ tish‛âh · nineH8672
- partsיָדyâd · hand: timesH3027
Cross-references for Nehemiah 11:1
- Nehemiah 7:4At that time the city was large and spacious, but the population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt.
- Deuteronomy 17:8“Suppose a case arises in a local court that is too hard for you to decide—for instance, whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter, or a difficult lawsuit, or a case involving different kinds of assault. Take such legal cases to the place the Lord your God will choose,
- Psalms 122:5Here stand the thrones where judgment is given, the thrones of the dynasty of David.
- Nehemiah 10:34“We have cast sacred lots to determine when—at regular times each year—the families of the priests, Levites, and the common people should bring wood to God’s Temple to be burned on the altar of the Lord our God, as is written in the Law.
- Joshua 18:10And there at Shiloh, Joshua cast sacred lots in the presence of the Lord to determine which tribe should have each section.
- 1 Chronicles 26:13They were assigned by families for guard duty at the various gates, without regard to age or training, for it was all decided by means of sacred lots.
- Proverbs 16:33We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.
- Acts 1:24Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen
- Judges 20:9Instead, this is what we will do to Gibeah; we will draw lots to decide who will attack it.
- Nehemiah 11:18In all, there were 284 Levites in the holy city.
- Isaiah 48:2even though you call yourself the holy city and talk about depending on the God of Israel, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
- Isaiah 52:1Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer.
- Matthew 4:5Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple,
- Matthew 27:53They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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