The Exiles Return

Nehemiah 7

Now when the wall was built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, I put my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man and feared God above many. I said to them, “Don’t let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. While they stand guard, have them shut the doors. Then y’all lock the gate and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their posts and some near their house.”

Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built.

My God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be listed by genealogy. I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found this written in it:

These are the children of the province who went up out of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, everyone to his city, who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of the men of the people of Israel:

The children of Parosh: 2,172.

The children of Shephatiah: 372.

The children of Arah: 652.

The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab: 2,818.

The children of Elam: 1,254.

The children of Zattu: 845.

The children of Zaccai: 760.

The children of Binnui: 648.

The children of Bebai: 628.

The children of Azgad: 2,322.

The children of Adonikam: 667.

The children of Bigvai: 2,067.

The children of Adin: 655.

The children of Ater: 98.

The children of Hashum: 328.

The children of Bezai: 324.

The children of Hariph: 112.

The children of Gibeon: 95.

The men of Bethlehem and Netophah: 188.

The men of Anathoth: 128.

The men of Beth Azmaveth: 42.

The men of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth: 743.

The men of Ramah and Geba: 621.

The men of Michmas: 122.

The men of Bethel and Ai: 123.

The men of the other Nebo: 52.

The children of the other Elam: 1,254.

The children of Harim: 320.

The children of Jericho: 345.

The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: 721.

The children of Senaah: 3,930.

 

The priests: The children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua: 973.

The children of Immer: 1,052.

The children of Pashhur: 1,247.

The children of Harim: 1,017.

 

The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the children of Hodevah: 74.

The singers: the children of Asaph: 148.

The gatekeepers: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai: 138.

The temple servants: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth, the children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon, the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Salmai, the children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephushesim, the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur, the children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha, the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah, the children of Neziah, and the children of Hatipha.

The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida, the children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel, the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth Hazzebaim, and the children of Amon. All the temple servants and the children of Solomon’s servants were 392.

These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses, nor their offspring,+7:61 or, seed whether they were of Israel:

The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda: 642.

Of the priests: the children of Hobaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name.

These searched for their genealogical records, but couldn’t find them. Therefore they were deemed disqualified and removed from the priesthood. The governor told them not to eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up to minister with Urim and Thummim.

Summary of Exiles

The whole assembly together was 42,360, in addition to their male servants and their female servants, of whom there were s 7,337. They had 245 singing men and singing women. Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.

Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold,+7:70 a daric was a gold coin issued by a Persian king, weighing about 8.4 grams or about 0.27 troy ounces each. 50 basins, and 530 priests’ garments. Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 darics of gold, and 2,200 minas+7:71 A mina is about 600 grams or 1.3 U. S. pounds, so 2,200 minas is about 1.3 metric tons. of silver. That which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 darics of gold, plus 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priests’ garments.

So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel lived in their cities.

When the seventh month had come, the children of Israel were in their cities.