Nehemiah 7 Pioneers

[seekeroftruth]

Nehemiah 7:Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5 So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:​

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6 These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 7 in company with Zerubbabel,Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):​

The list of the men of Israel:​

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8 the descendants of Parosh​	2,172​
9 of Shephatiah​	372​
10 of Arah​	652​
11 of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab)​	2,818​
12 of Elam​	1,254​
13 of Zattu​	845​
14 of Zakkai​	760​
15 of Binnui​	648​
16 of Bebai​	628​
17 of Azgad​	2,322​
18 of Adonikam​	667​
19 of Bigvai​	2,067​
20 of Adin​	655​
21 of Ater (through Hezekiah)​	98​
22 of Hashum​	328​
23 of Bezai​	324​
24 of Hariph​	112​
25 of Gibeon​	95​

26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah​	188​
27 of Anathoth​	128​
28 of Beth Azmaveth​	42​
29 of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth​	743​
30 of Ramah and Geba​	621​
31 of Mikmash​	122​
32 of Bethel and Ai​	123​
33 of the other Nebo​	52​
34 of the other Elam​	1,254​
35 of Harim​	320​
36 of Jericho​	345​
37 of Lod, Hadid and Ono​	721​
38 of Senaah​	3,930​

39 The priests:​

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the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua)​	973​
40 of Immer​	1,052​
41 of Pashhur​	1,247​
42 of Harim​	1,017​

43 The Levites:​

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the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah)​

74

44 The musicians:​

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the descendants of Asaph​

148​

45 The gatekeepers:​

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the descendants of​
Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai​	138​

46 The temple servants:​

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the descendants of​

Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,​

47 Keros, Sia, Padon,​

48 Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,​

49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,​

50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,​

51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,​

52 Besai, Meunim, Nephusim,​

53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,​

54 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,​

55 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,​

56 Neziah and Hatipha​

57 The descendants of the servants of Solomon:​

the descendants of​

Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,​

58 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,​

59 Shephatiah, Hattil,​

Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon​

60 The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon​

392​

61 The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:​

62 the descendants of​
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda​	642​

63 And from among the priests:​

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the descendants of​

Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).​

64 These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 65 The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.​

66 The whole company numbered 42,360, 67 besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers. 68 There were 736 horses, 245 mules,[a] 69 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.​

70 Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics(b) of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests.71 Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics[c] of gold and 2,200 minas[d] of silver. 72 The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas[e] of silver and 67 garments for priests.​

73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.​

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When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,​

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a. Nehemiah 7:68 Some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ezra 2:66); most Hebrew manuscripts do not have this verse.
b. Nehemiah 7:70 That is, about 19 pounds or about 8.4 kilograms
c. Nehemiah 7:71 That is, about 375 pounds or about 170 kilograms; also in verse 72
d. Nehemiah 7:71 That is, about 1 1/3 tons or about 1.2 metric tons
e. Nehemiah 7:72 That is, about 1 1/4 tons or about 1.1 metric tons

 

[seekeroftruth]

Sorry.... the list was so long.... the commentary wouldn't fit no matter how slim I made it.....The commentary this morning is from enduringword.com.

Then God put it into my heart: Nehemiah wanted Jerusalem to grow and prosper. But before that could happen he must first know who he had already. Just as when he toured the broken-down walls in 2:11-16, he needed to know the problem well. So, he took a census and looked at the registry first written by Ezra in Ezra 2:1-70​

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These are the people… who returned to Jerusalem and Judah: This list was important because each of these people were important to God, in that they did what so few of their fellow Jews did – they took the trouble to return back to the promised land after they had already set down roots for seventy years in the Babylonian empire. ​

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These are the people: Since only about 2% of the Jews who were carried away into exile by the Babylonians came back, these one who did have the pioneer spirit are worthy of mention – and they are mentioned twice in God’s eternal word (Here and in Ezra 2).​

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These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but it was not found: Some could not be priests until their lineage was determined. In the Old Testament, one could not be a priest unless it was established that they descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses, and the first high priest over Israel.​

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This was the 2% who trusted God enough to pull up stakes and move back to Jerusalem..... It was a four month march.... then when they got there... these people were laughed at... they were threatened.... they had to work with a weapon in one hand and a tool in the other.... they had to haul rubbish and build a wall without power tools or bobcats..... which, by the way, they did in record time.... four miles of wall.... all hand constructed.... 20' thick in some places.... and in record time..... four miles of wall..... in less than two months..... and they did not work on the Sabbath to make the deadline.