1The rulers, together with every tenth man taken by lot, and those that offered voluntarily, dwell at Jerusalem. 3A catalogue of their names. 20The residue of the people dwell in other cities.
1AND the rulers of the people 1dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the 2holy city, and nine 3parts to dwell in other cities.
1 See Neh. 7:4, 5.
2 Hebr. city of holiness; also verse 18.
3 Hebr. hands.
2And the people 4blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
4 That is, they highly commended them, and wished the blessing of the Lord to light upon them, because of their own accord, without tarrying for the lot, they offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem; forasmuch as this city was (as it were) the mother and preservation of them all, and without valiant and courageous inhabitants could not be kept and preserved against the policy and power of the enemies, and the same being kept and preserved, the other places, at which the enemies did not look, had no need to fear.
3¶Now these are the chief of the 5province that dwelt in Jerusalem: but in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in their cities, to wit, 6Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the 7Nethinims, and the children of Solomon’s 8servants.
5 Or, of the region, meaning Judea, the same being at that time as a province under the Persian Empire.
6 Hereby some understand those of Judah, as 2 Chron. 21 on verse 2. Others understand thereby some of the ten tribes, who for religion’s sake had joined themselves unto Judah. See 1 Chron. 9:3.
7 See Ezra 2 on verse 43.
8 See Ezra 2 on verse 55.
4And at Jerusalem dwelt certain 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 Mahalaleel, of the children of Perez;
5And Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.
6All the sons of Perez that dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred threescore and eight 9valiant men.
9 Or, able, rich men. Hebr. men of valour or ability.
7And these 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 Jesaiah.
8And after him Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred twenty and eight.
9And Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer: and Judah the son of Senuah 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, was the 10ruler of the house of God.
10 Or, leader, duke. See 1 Chron. 9 on verse 11.
12And their brethren that did the work 11of the house were eight hundred twenty and two: and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchiah,
11 In the house of God, that is, the temple, managing all business that pertained to the service of God.
13And his brethren, chief of the fathers, two hundred forty and two: and Amashai the son of Azareel, the son of Ahasai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,
14And their brethren, mighty men of valour, an hundred twenty and eight: and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one of 12the great men.
12 Hebr. Haggedolim. Other: of one of the great ones.
15Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hashub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;
16And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief of the Levites, had the oversight of the 13outward business of the house of God.
13 Understand to order and manage affairs outdoors of the temple which were requisite to the service of God, and to gather in the money which the congregation had freely undertaken to contribute to that end, as was related in Neh. 10:32, 33. Compare 1 Chron. 26 on verse 29.
17And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal 14to begin the thanksgiving in prayer: and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
14 As the chief singer, precentor of the psalms and songs of praise.
18All the Levites in the 15holy city were two hundred fourscore and four.
15Jerusalem.
19Moreover the porters, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren 16that kept the gates, were an hundred seventy and two.
16 Or, the watchmen.
20¶And the residue of 17Israel, of the priests, and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his 18inheritance.
17 See on verse 3.
18 See on verse 36.
21But the Nethinims dwelt in 19Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa were over the Nethinims.
19 As Neh. 3:26.
22The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were 20over the business of the house of God.
20 That is, these were to be at hand, and to be present in the temple, to mind and heed the daily necessities of the service of God, as others minded the outward business of God’s worship, verse 16. See Neh. 12:9.
23For it was the king's commandment concerning them, that a 21certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.
21 Hebr. sureness, faithfulness, certainty (as Neh. 9:38); that is here, a certain revenue or an assured maintenance out of the king’s treasury. Other, a sure rent for the singers. This they understand thus, that they were instructed by the king to receive money of his commissary, and to lay it out for daily necessities for the service of God. See Ezra 6:8, 9; 7:20, 21, 22.
24And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was 22at the king’s hand 23in all matters concerning the people.
22 That is, the king’s commissary. Compare 1 Chron. 18:17.
23 Or, in every word unto the people or of the people; that is, in what was to be presented unto the people in the king’s name, or, in what the people had to do with the king. Likewise, to advance the king’s revenues, and to see them spent according to the king’s charge. See Ezra 6:8.
25And for the villages, with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt at 24Kirjath-arba, and in the 25villages thereof, and at Dibon, and in the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel, and in the villages thereof,
24 Of this and all the following places see Joshua 15:13, 21, etc.; 18:22, etc.; 19:2, etc.
25 Hebr. daughters. Also in the following, and elsewhere often.
26And at Jeshua, and at Moladah, and at Beth-phelet,
27And at Hazar-shual, and at Beer-sheba, and in the villages thereof,
28And at Ziklag, and at Mekonah, and in the villages thereof,
29And at En-rimmon, and at Zareah, and at Jarmuth,
30Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof. And they 26dwelt from Beer-sheba unto the 27valley of Hinnom.
26 That is, they inhabited that entire region, to live there as well as they could, repairing gradually the decayed places, etc.
27 See Joshua 15:8; 2 Kings 23 on verse 10.
31The children also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija, and Beth-el, and in their villages,
32And at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
33Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
34Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
35Lod, and Ono, the valley of 28craftsmen.
28 That is, carpenters and smiths. See 1 Chron. 4:14.
36And of the Levites were 29divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin.
29 The places that, by God’s appointment, were allotted unto the Levites from those two tribes.