Nehemiah 11 · Verse 1

Nehemiah 11:1

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.
Nehemiah 11:1, King James Version

Nehemiah 11:1 in other translations

BSBNow the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the remaining nine were to dwell in their own towns.
WEBThe princes of the people lived in Jerusalem. The rest of the people also cast lots to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts in the other cities.
ASVAnd the princes of the people dwelt in Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in the other cities.
YLTAnd the heads of the people dwell in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people have caused to fall lots to bring in one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in the cities,
DARBYAnd the princes of the people dwelt in Jerusalem; and the rest of the people cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts in the cities.
BBEAnd the rulers of the people were living in Jerusalem: the rest of the people made selection, by the decision of chance, of one out of every ten to be living in Jerusalem, the holy town; the other nine to go to the other towns.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Nehemiah 11:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Ne 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 restless and malignant enemies, who tried every means to demolish the rising fortifications, there was some danger attending a settlement in Jerusalem. Hence the greater part of the returned exiles, in order to earn as well as secure the rewards of their duty, preferred to remain in the country or the provincial towns. To remedy this state of things, it was resolved to select every tenth man of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin by lot, to become a permanent inhabitant of the capital. The necessity of such an expedient commended it to the general approval. It was the more readily submitted to because the lot was resorted to on all the most critical conjunctures of the Jewish history, and regarded by the people as a divine decision (Pr 18:18). This awakened strongly the national spirit; and patriotic volunteers came forward readily to meet the wishes of the authorities, a service which, implying great self-denial as well as courage, was reckoned in the circumstances of so much importance as entitled them to the public gratitude. No wonder that the conduct of these volunteers drew forth the tribute of public admiration; for they sacrificed their personal safety and comfort for the interests of the community because Jerusalem was at that time a place against which the enemies of the Jews were directing a thousand plots. Therefore, residence in it at such a juncture was attended with expense and various annoyances from which a country life was entirely free.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Lots are cast that a tenth of the people may constantly dwell at Jerusalem, and the other nine parts in the other cities and villages, Neh 11:1. Some willingly offer themselves to dwell in Jerusalem, and the people bless them, Neh 11:2. An enumeration of the families that dwell in Jerusalem, of Judah, and Benjamin, Neh 11:3-9; of those of the priests, Neh 11:10-12; of the chiefs of the fathers, Neh 11:13; of the mighty men, Neh 11:14; of the Levites, Neh 11:15-18; of the porters, Neh 11:19; of the residue of Israel and the officers, Neh 11:20-24. The villages at which they dwelt, Neh 11:25-35. Certain divisions of the Levites were in Judah and Benjamin, Neh 11:36. Verse 1 To 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 take up his residence in the city.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
The 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 city of our God, and to every thing that assists our communion with the Saviour, how shall we be willing to depart hence; to be absent from the body, that we may be present with the Lord? To the carnal-minded, the perfect holiness of the New Jerusalem would be still harder to bear than the holiness of God's church on earth. Let us seek first the favour of God, and his glory; let us study to be patient, contented, and useful in our several stations, and wait, with cheerful hope, for admission into the holy city of God.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Nehemiah 11:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּvai.ye.she.Vuand they dweltH3427
שָׂרֵֽי\־sa.rei-[the] leaders ofH8269
הָעָ֖םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑םbi.ru.sha.Limin JerusalemH3389
וּשְׁאָ֣רu.she.'Arand [the] rest ofH7605
הָ֠עָםHa.'omthe peopleH5971
הִפִּ֨ילוּhi.Pi.luthey castH5307
גוֹרָל֜וֹתgo.ra.LotlotsH1486
לְהָבִ֣יא\׀le.ha.Vi'to bringH935
אֶחָ֣ד'e.ChadoneH259
מִן\־min-ofH4480
הָעֲשָׂרָ֗הha.'a.sa.Rahthe tenH6235
לָשֶׁ֙בֶת֙la.She.vetto dwellH3427
בִּֽירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙bi.ru.sha.Limin JerusalemH3389
עִ֣יר'ir[the] city ofH5892
הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁha.Ko.desh<the> holinessH6944
וְתֵ֥שַׁעve.Te.sha'and nineH8672
הַיָּד֖וֹתhai.ya.Dotthe handsH3027
בֶּעָרִֽים\׃be.'a.Rim[were] in the citiesH5892

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Nehemiah 11:1

  • Isaiah 48:2

    For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is his name.

  • Isaiah 52:1

    Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

  • Nehemiah 10:34

    And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law:

  • Nehemiah 11:18

    All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four.

  • Matthew 4:5

    Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

  • Judges 20:9-10

    But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it; And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.

  • Psalms 122:5

    For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

  • Joshua 18:10

    And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.

  • Proverbs 16:33

    The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.

  • Deuteronomy 17:8-9

    If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose; And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:

  • Nehemiah 7:4-5

    Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded. And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,

  • Acts 1:24

    And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 The rulers, voluntary men, and the tenth man chosen by lot, dwell at Jerusalem.
3 A catalogue of their names.
20 The residue dwell in other cities.

the rulers.
7:4,5; De 17:8,9; Ps 122:5
cast lots.Jerusalem certainly had many inhabitants at this time, but not sufficient to preserve the city, which was now encompassed with a wall, the building 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 defence of the city. Some volunteered their services, which was at that time considered a sacrifice to patriotism; as Jerusalem then afforded very few advantages, and was a place of considerable danger: hence "the people blessed them that willingly offered themselves."
10:34; Jos 18:10; 1Ch 26:13; Pr 16:33; Ac 1:24
one of ten.
Jud 20:9,10
the holy.
18; Isa 48:2; 52:1; Mt 4:5; 27:53

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Nehemiah 11:1

    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.

  • Nehemiah 11:2

    And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

Read all of Nehemiah 11

Nehemiah 11:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y HABITARON los príncipes del pueblo en Jerusalem; mas el resto del pueblo echó suertes para traer uno de diez que morase en Jerusalem, ciudad santa, y las nueve partes en las otras ciudades.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et les chefs du peuple habitaient à Jérusalem: et le reste du peuple jeta le sort pour qu’un sur dix vienne habiter à Jérusalem, la ville sainte, et que les neuf autres parties demeurent dans les villes.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Obersten des Volkes wohnten in Jerusalem. Und das übrige Volk warf Lose, um je einen von zehn kommen zu lassen, damit er in Jerusalem, der heiligen Stadt, wohne, die neun anderen Teile aber in den Städten blieben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Habitaverunt autem principes populi in Jerusalem: reliqua vero plebs misit sortem, ut tollerent unam partem de decem qui habitaturi essent in Jerusalem civitate sancta, novem vero partes in civitatibus.