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More Nehemiah commentaries
Nehemiah 8:1-12
Nehemiah Called for a “Bible conference”
Nehemiah 8:13-18
The Feast of Tabernacles
Nehemiah 9:1-8
The Greatness of God
Nehemiah 9:9-25
The Goodness of God When they Didn’t Deserve it
Nehemiah 9:26-31
The Results of Rebellion
Nehemiah 9:32-39
Slaves in Their Own Land
Nehemiah 10:1-31
The Agreement of The People
Nehemiah 10:32-39
Importance of Giving The First Fruits to God
Nehemiah 11:1-19
People Asked to Move Inside The City
Nehemiah 11:20-36
The Israelites Who Lived Outside The City
Nehemiah 12:1-26
Priests and Levites Serving in The Temple
Nehemiah 12:27-47
Nehemiah Dedicates the Wall
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The Israelites Who Lived Outside The City
Nehemiah 11:20–36
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
People who refuse to get involved in problems of their community are like the two shipwrecked men in a lifeboat. From their end of the boat, the pair watched as those at the other end bailed frantically to keep the boat afloat. The one said to the other, “Thank heaven, the h … More
The towns south of Jerusalem, from the Hinnom Valley just south of the city as far as Beersheba, were those in the territory belonging to the tribe of Judah. Those north of Jerusalem stretching to the neighboring province of Samaria were towns of Benjamin. These were the two sections of the Persian province of (Judah). Nehemiah mentioned 17 prominent towns in Judah (vv. 25-30), and 15 in Benjamin (vv. 31-35). The Levites lived among the other people, as when the Israelites first entered the Promised Land under Joshua, to be a good influence (v. 36). “In a time when self-centeredness seems to dominate Western life-styles, the Word of God calls us to work and live together as a community, to be dependent upon one another, and to help one another in achieving the task God has set before us."
The gatekeepers or porters guarded the gates of the city (vv. 20-21). There were 172 of them. The rest of the people lived in their various family inheritances throughout the land. This included other priests and Levites. Also the Nethinim lived in a place named Ophel. The Nethinim were people who assisted the Levites in their jobs around the temple. (Ezra 8:20). The overseer of the Levites at Jerusalem was a man named Uzzi (vv. 22-23). He was also a descendant of Asaph, so he was one of the singers in charge of the worship in the temple. The king’s deputy states that the deputy of the king was a man named Pethahiah of the tribe of Judah (v. 24). He apparently represented the Persian king in all matters concerning the people. Though the Israelites had been allowed to return to Judah, the king of Persia still maintained power over them. This man was apparently his appointed representative. People living in the other cities of Judah are listed where various Jews lived (vv. 25-30). They generally lived south of Jerusalem (v30). We are also told that some of the Levites that had been assigned to Judea lived in the territory of Benjamin (vv.31-36).
Application
I must be willing to live in whatever community God places me in and do what He wants me to do.
Nehemiah 11:20-36 (English Standard Version)
And the rest of Israel, and of the priests and the Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, every one in his inheritance. But the temple servants lived on Ophel; and Ziha and Gishpa were over the temple servants. The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the singers, over the work of the house of God. For there was a command from the king concerning them, and a fixed provision for the singers, as every day required. And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's side in all matters concerning the people. And as for the villages, with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its villages, and in Dibon and its villages, and in Jekabzeel and its villages, and in Jeshua and in Moladah and Beth-pelet, in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its villages, in Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages, in En-rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its villages. So they encamped from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom. The people of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages, Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen. And certain divisions of the Levites in Judah were assigned to Benjamin.
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