Nehemiah 7

The original text of this chapter is in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 73 verses.

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes Codex Leningradensis (1008).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=36-37}}{{efn|Since the anti-Jewish riots in Aleppo in 1947, the whole book of Ezra-Nehemiah has been missing from the text of the Aleppo Codex.{{citation | author=P. W. Skehan | contribution=BIBLE (TEXTS) | title=New Catholic Encyclopedia | edition=2nd | volume=2 | publisher=Gale | year=2003 | pages=355–362}}}}

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^A; 5th century).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=73-74}}

An ancient Greek book called 1 Esdras (Greek: {{lang|grc|Ἔσδρας Αʹ}}) containing some parts of 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah is included in most editions of the Septuagint and is placed before the single book of Ezra–Nehemiah (which is titled in Greek: {{lang|grc|Ἔσδρας Βʹ}}). 1 Esdras 9:37-55 is an equivalent of Nehemiah 7:73-8:12 (The reading of the Law).[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05535a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Esdras: THE BOOKS OF ESDRAS: III Esdras][http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=463&letter=E&search=Books%20of%20Esdras#1248 Jewish Encyclopedia: Esdras, Books of: I Esdras]

The wall around Jerusalem was not the ultimate security but 'a necessary defense and dynamic distinctive symbol' of the Jews among the surrounding nations, so the inhabitants have to participate in the system to protect the city.{{sfn|Larson|Dahlen|Anders|2005|pp=206–207}}

:{{sup|1}} Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, {{sup|2}} I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many.{{bibleref2|Nehemiah|7:1–2|ESV}} ESV

• "Castle": "citadel" (NKJV) or "palace" (KJV).Note on Nehemiah 7:2 in NKJV

:Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt.{{bibleref2|Nehemiah|7:4|NKJV}}: New King James Version

The Revised Standard Version reads ... no houses had been built, the Revised Version, the houses were not builded. H. E. Ryle counsels against a literal interpretation of these words, suggesting that the real meaning was that there were large open spaces within the walls where more houses could be built.Ryle, H. E., [https://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/nehemiah/7.htm Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges] on Nehemiah 7], accessed 7 September 2020

The defensive measures implemented by Nehemiah, Hanani and Hananiah were only for short-term, because the bigger goal was to reestablish Jerusalem as the center of Jewish culture and religious purity, so it has to be repopulated from some people who then lived outside the city.{{sfn|Larson|Dahlen|Anders|2005|p=208}} Nehemiah was looking for Jews with veriable heritage to send some family members to populate Jerusalem, but instead of starting a census, he used the original listing of those who had been the first to return which specified clan origins.{{sfn|Larson|Dahlen|Anders|2005|p=208}} This list is almost an exact replication of the one in Ezra 2, with slight variations likely due to the transcribing and transmission over time.{{sfn|Larson|Dahlen|Anders|2005|p=208}}

:Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;{{bibleverse|Nehemiah|7:7|KJV}} KJV

"Zerubbabel": is the leader of the group and of the Davidic line (see {{bibleverse|1 Chronicles|3:19|KJV}}). He is associated with the messianic hope in the Book of Zechariah, although nothing of this is mentioned in Nehemiah.{{sfn|McConville|1985|p=14}} His office is not named in this book, but he is identified as the "governor of Judah" in Haggai 1:1, {{bibleverse|Haggai|1:14|KJV|14}}, and {{bibleverse-nb|Haggai|2:2|KJV}}.{{sfn|Grabbe|2003|p=314}}

The office of Jeshua (or "Joshua")Notes [a] on Ezra 3:2 in NKJV is not mentioned in this book, but he is identified as the "High Priest of Israel" in Haggai 1:1, {{bibleverse|Haggai|1:12|KJV|12}}, {{bibleverse|Haggai|1:14|KJV|14}}; {{bibleverse-nb|Haggai|2:2|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Zechariah|3:1|KJV}}.{{sfn|Grabbe|2003|p=314}} Some names are written differently in the Book of Ezra (2:2):Notes [a], [b], [c], [d] on Ezra 2:2 and notes [a], [b] on Nehemiah 7:7 in NKJV

Most versions of Ezra 2:2 do not include Nahamani, and therefore only list eleven returnees.E.g. {{bibleverse|Ezra|2:2|NKJV}}: NKJV

• Jerusalem
• Nebuchadnezzar II
• Related Bible parts: Ezra 2, Nehemiah 1

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last= Fensham| first=F. Charles | title=The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah | series=New international commentary on the Old Testament | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |edition= illustrated | date = 1982 | isbn = 978-0802825278 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IfxMeDl6BZgC | access-date=October 28, 2019}}
• {{cite book|last= Grabbe| first= Lester L.|authorlink= Lester L. Grabbe | chapter = Nehemiah | title=Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible | editor-first1=James D. G.| editor-last1=Dunn |editor1-link = James Dunn (theologian) | editor-first2=John William| editor-last2= Rogerson |editor2-link = John W. Rogerson | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |edition= illustrated | date = 2003 | pages = 320–328| isbn = 978-0802837110 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Vo-11umIZQC | access-date=October 28, 2019}}
• {{cite book|last= Halley| first= Henry H.| authorlink= Henry Hampton Halley| title= Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary |edition=24th (revised)|publisher= Zondervan Publishing House |date= 1965 |url= https://archive.org/details/halleysbiblehand00henr |url-access= registration| isbn= 0-310-25720-4}}
• {{cite book|last1= Larson| first1= Knute|last2=Dahlen |first2=Kathy |last3=Anders|first3= Max E. | title=Holman Old Testament Commentary - Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther | series= Holman Old Testament commentary|volume= 9 | editor-first=Max E.| editor-last=Anders | publisher = B&H Publishing Group|edition= illustrated | date = 2005 | isbn = 978-0805494693 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4MmHIVtd6r0C | access-date=October 28, 2019}}
• {{cite book|last= Levering| first=Matthew | title=Ezra & Nehemiah | series=Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible | publisher = Brazos Press | date = 2007| isbn = 978-1587431616 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYhGQVLlL4IC | access-date=October 28, 2019}}
• {{cite book|last= McConville| first=J. G. | title=Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther | series=The daily study Bible : Old Testament | publisher = Westminster John Knox Press | date = 1985 | isbn = 978-0664245832 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AhyPOmOzZhoC | access-date=October 28, 2019}}
• {{cite book|last= Smith-Christopher| first= Daniel L.|authorlink= Daniel L. Smith-Christopher | chapter = 15. Ezra-Nehemiah | title=The Oxford Bible Commentary | editor-first1=John| editor-last1=Barton |editor1-link = John Barton (theologian) | editor-first2=John| editor-last2= Muddiman |editor2-link = John Muddiman | publisher = Oxford University Press |edition= first (paperback) | date = 2007 | pages = 308–324 | isbn = 978-0199277186 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJdVkgEACAAJ| access-date=February 6, 2019}}
• {{cite book | last = Würthwein | first = Ernst | authorlink = Ernst Würthwein | title = The Text of the Old Testament | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans |location = Grand Rapids, MI | year= 1995 | translator-first1 = Erroll F.| translator-last1 = Rhodes |isbn = 0-8028-0788-7 | url= https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Text_of_the_Old_Testament.html?id=FSNKSBObCYwC | access-date= January 26, 2019}}

• [https://books.google.com/books?id=3PvirfZkfvQC Blenkinsopp, Joseph, "Ezra-Nehemiah: A Commentary" (Eerdmans, 1988)]
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=m1V1DeBS6P0C Blenkinsopp, Joseph, "Judaism, the first phase" (Eerdmans, 2009)]
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=qRw7AAAAIAAJ Coggins, R.J., "The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah" (Cambridge University Press, 1976)]
• [http://www.ronaldecker.com/ezra.html Ecker, Ronald L., "Ezra and Nehemiah"], Ecker's Biblical Web Pages, 2007.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=S2MSzgZ8DMMC Grabbe, L.L., "Ezra-Nehemiah" (Routledge, 1998)]
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=VK2fEzruIn0C Grabbe, L.L., "A history of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period, Volume 1" (T&T Clark, 2004)]
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=VI1bMiMXLs0C Throntveit, Mark A. (1992) "Ezra-Nehemiah". John Knox Press]

• Jewish translations:
• [https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16514 Nechemiah - Nehemiah - Chapter 7 (Judaica Press)] translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org
• Christian translations:
• [http://www.gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php?passage=Nehemiah+7 Online Bible at GospelHall.org] (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
• [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=16&chapter=7&version=9 Book of Nehemiah Chapter 7. Bible Gateway]

{{Book of Nehemiah}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nehemiah 7}}

07