Nehemiah · chapter 11 of 13
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Nehemiah 11 tells how the leaders of the people settle in Jerusalem and the rest cast lots so that one out of ten lives in the holy city, while the other nine remain in other towns. The people bless the volunteers, and the chapter lists the sons of Judah and Benjamin, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers and the villages where the others settled.
With the wall finished and the covenant signed, Jerusalem still needs to be inhabited. This chapter shows how the problem of a large city with few inhabitants, noted in chapter 7, was solved. The text combines a practical decision, the casting of lots, with the willing offer of some, and presents a list of names and places.
The leaders of the people settle in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine remain in the other towns. The people bless all who willingly offer to live in Jerusalem.
The text presents the leaders of the province who lived in Jerusalem. First the sons of Judah: Athaiah and his line, and the sons of Perez, men of ability. Then the sons of Benjamin, with Sallu and others. After that come the priests who carried out the work of the house, and their leaders, men of ability. Next are the Levites, among them Shemaiah, Mattaniah and Abda, who led the praise and thanksgiving. The total of the Levites in the holy city is two hundred eighty-four. The gatekeepers, who guarded the gates, number one hundred seventy-two. It is also noted that a royal command governed the life of the singers, with a daily portion assigned.
The rest of Israel lives in the other towns and villages of Judah, and towns such as Kiriath-arba, Dibon, Jekabzeel, Beersheba and Lachish are listed, among others. The sons of Benjamin live from Geba to Michmash, Aija, Bethel and their villages. Some divisions of the Levites of Judah were joined to Benjamin.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
The leaders live in Jerusalem and the rest cast lots so that one out of ten will settle in the holy city. The city of God needed inhabitants, and everyone takes on part of the cost.
The people bless all who willingly offer to live in Jerusalem. The text honors those who agreed to move out of love for the city, even if it was not the most comfortable choice.
Mattaniah, who led the thanksgiving in prayer, appears among the Levites. Music and worship are part of the city's ordered life.
The Levites in the holy city number two hundred eighty-four. Though few compared with other times, each one has a place in the service of God.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: They cast lots so that one out of ten lived in Jerusalem and the other nine in the other towns. — Nehemiah 11:1
Answer: They blessed them. — Nehemiah 11:2
Answer: Two hundred eighty-four. — Nehemiah 11:18
Answer: One hundred seventy-two. — Nehemiah 11:19
Answer: Mattaniah. — Nehemiah 11:17
Answer: In the other towns and villages of Judah and Benjamin. — Nehemiah 11:20
Nehemiah 11 shows that caring for the city of God means sharing the burden and sometimes making sacrifices. In a Sunday school class you can ask what uncomfortable place God is calling you to fill, or which people are willing to serve in areas nobody wants. The people blessed those who volunteered: thanking those who serve is a way of honoring God.
It also teaches the importance of deciding with order and prayer, as in casting lots, so that no one feels excluded or unfairly pressured. And the list of names reminds us that every person counts, even if not famous. In a church, the work of many unnamed people sustains the life of the community.
Nehemiah 11 ends with the villages of Judah and Benjamin settled and Jerusalem inhabited. Chapter 12 gathers the lists of priests and Levites and describes the dedication of the wall with two great choirs and much joy.
Casting lots was an accepted way in Israel of making hard decisions while leaving the result in God's hands, and it avoided conflicts among families. In this case it allowed the burden of moving to a dangerous, newly rebuilt city to be shared. Volunteering was another way to take part, and the people blessed those who did.
Because the temple, the house of God, was there and it was the center of Israel's worship. Calling it the holy city recalls that it was not merely a political city: it was the place where God had put his name. That is why life in it had special meaning and its population mattered to the whole people.