Nehemiah 11:2

_AND THE PEOPLE BLESSED ALL THE MEN, THAT WILLINGLY OFFERED THEMSELVES TO DWELL AT JERUSALEM._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

Verse Nehemiah 11:2. _ALL THE MEN THAT WILLINGLY OFFERED_] Some _volunteered_ their services, which was considered a sacrifice to patriotism at that time, as Jerusalem afforded very few advantages, and was a place of considerable danger; hence the _people spoke well of them_, and no doubt prayed for God's blessing upon them....

PART III. ENLARGEMENT OF THE POPULATION OF JERUSALEM, WITH THE NUMBER OF THE ADULT MALES, AND THE NAMES OF THE CHIEFS. VARIOUS LISTS OF PRIESTS AND LEVITES AT DIFFERENT PERIODS (Nehemiah 11:1; Nehemiah 12:1). EXPOSITION THE _nexus_ of...

III. THE PEOPLE ESTABLISHED, THE DEDICATION OF THE WALL, AND NEHEMIAH'S FINAL ACTS CHAPTER 11 _ 1. The willing offerers (Nehemiah 11:1)_ 2. The heads of the residents of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11:3) 3. The inhabitants outside of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11:25) Nehemiah 11:1. A splendid example of self-sacrifice is given in these two verses. Certain men willingly offered themselves to dwell in Jerusalem, and the people blest them for the willing sacrifice. It must be explained that Jerusalem was not then a very desirable place for residence. The enemies of the city seeking to destroy the fortif

PART V (Nehemiah 11-13). THE POPULATION OF JERUSALEM AND JUDAH. THE DEDICATION OF THE WALLS INTERNAL ORGANISATION. Nehemiah 11:1. The Population of Jerusalem and Judah. This section consists of lists of the dwellers in Jerusalem and in the provincial towns of Judah. Nehemiah 11:1 f. The need of increasing the population of Jerusalem was obvious from what is said in Nehemiah 7:4, for the bulk of the people lived in the provincial towns and in the country villages (cf. Nehemiah 7:73). Nehemiah 11:3. The lists

Part III. MISCELLANEOUS Ch. Nehemiah 11:1 to Nehemiah 12:26. Lists. Ch. Nehemiah 12:27-43. Dedication of the City Walls. Nehemiah 12:44-47. Levitical Organization. Ch. Nehemiah 13:1-3. Relations with Heathen....

TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT III. Persons Bound by Vows are Listed, and Reforms on Nehemiah's Second Visit are Described: Chapter s 11-13 A. The genealogies of residents of Jerusalem and names of other cities are listed. 1. An effort is made to increase Jerusalem's population. TEXT, NEHEMIAH 11:1-2 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. 2 And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. COMMENT The story is resumed from chapter seven after the interruption of the great revival. Nehemiah had gotten the genealogical list to help trace the people's present whereabouts; now an effort was about to be made to coax some of them to Jerusalem.

MEASURES TO SUPPLEMENT THE POPULATION OF JERUSALEM 1. This v. resumes the subject of the paucity of population in Jerusalem: see Nehemiah 7:4. The rulers were already residing in the capital, and means were now taken to transport thither a proportion of the commons that had made their homes in the country towns (Nehemiah 11:3). The city had received fortifications; but these were useless unless they were manned....

The leaders of the people lived in the city. They would help Hanani and Hananiah to rule the people (Nehemiah 7:2). But a city can only be a great city if many people live there. The people who lived in the other towns and villages already had houses and land. If they moved to live in Jerusalem, they would have to build new houses and to find new work. The people used *lots to decide who would live in the city. They used *lots in order to find out what God wanted them to do (Proverbs 16:33). So they chose one tenth (1/10th) of the people to live in Jerusalem. All the people were grateful for those people who were willing to live in Jerusalem. V3-4 In the other towns in *Judah, the people lived on their own land.

XI. (1, 2) The history reverts to Nehemiah 7:5; lots are cast for the transfer of one-tenth of the people to the capital. (1) AND THE RULERS. — The narrative joins on to Nehemiah 7:4. The festival month had prevented the immediate carrying out of the governor’s purpose. THE REST OF THE PEOPLE. — The rulers being already in the capital, Nehemiah ordered that one man in ten should be chosen by lot to transfer his family. JERUSALEM THE HOLY CITY. — Remembering the “separation_”_ that had taken place (Nehemiah 9), and the recent covenant (Nehemiah 10), we see the solemnity of this epithet, now first used, and