Nehemiah 7:4

Nehemiah 7:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
• New International Version (NIV)Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt.

Context of Nehemiah 7:4

2I put in charge over Jerusalem, my brother Hanani along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, for he was a man of integrity and feared God more than many. 3I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened until the sun is hot. While those are still on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their post and some near their homes.” Now the city was spacious and large, but there were few people within it and no houses were being built. 5So my God put into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the scroll of the genealogical record of those who formerly returned. I found the following written there: 6These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of the exile, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had taken away, and who returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each man to his own town.

Nehemiah 7:4 word by word

וְהָעִ֞יר רַחֲבַ֤ת יָדַ֙יִם֙ וּגְדוֹלָ֔ה וְהָעָ֥ם מְעַ֖ט בְּתוֹכָ֑הּ וְאֵ֥ין בָּתִּ֖ים בְּנוּיִֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• largeיָדyâd · hand: spaciousH3027
• largeרָחָבrâchâb · broad: wideH7342
• and greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• but the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• fewמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
• thereinתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• and the housesבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• not buildedבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129

Cross-references for Nehemiah 7:4

• Isaiah 58:12Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins, will raise up the age-old foundations, will be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets for Dwelling.
• Haggai 1:4“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this House lies in ruins?
• Matthew 6:33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 7:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The houses were not builded - The city was not yet rebuilt, only a row of houses in the inside of the wall all round.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The people were few - The number of those who returned with Zerubbabel was no more than 42,360 Nehemiah 7:66. Less than 2,000 people had come with Ezra Ezra 8:1-20.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5Most people lived in the countryside near their fields, so Jerusalem's population was small. A registration would likely encourage more people to settle in and near Jerusalem (Nehemiah 7:73).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Now the city was large and great--The walls being evidently built on the old foundations, the city covered a large extent of surface, as all Oriental towns do, the houses standing apart with gardens and orchards intervening. This extent, in the then state of Jerusalem, was the more observable as the population was comparatively small, and the habitations of the most rude and simple construction--mere wooden sheds or coverings of loose, unmortared…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Charge
• Acud
• Addus
• Adin
• Ammidioi; Ammidoi
• Augia
• Baiterus
• Barodis
• Canon of the Old Testament
• Ezra-Nehemiah

Commentaries on Nehemiah 7

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings