Study notes

Nehemiah 7

Introducing NehemiahWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

3:1–7:3 Section

Jewish men and women from many towns and cities helped rebuild the wall. So did priests, leaders, traders, people who worked with gold and people who made perfume. Temple servants helped as well. They had a clear plan.

All together they worked very hard for the same goal. They finished building the wall in 52 days. They faced many problems as they worked. Some of the problems came from the people groups around them. These groups were willing to kill the Jews to stop them from building the wall. These groups also tried to harm Nehemiah. Nehemiah made clever plans to protect the people while they kept working. And he had complete trust in God’s power to protect them.

Some of the problems came from within the Jewish community. Some Jewish nobles didn’t help rebuild the wall. They worked against Nehemiah to stop the work. A priest and many prophets tried to make him afraid of being attacked. And there were nobles and officials who took advantage of needy people. These leaders weren’t following God’s example of how to be rulers.

Nehemiah did follow God’s example. He used his authority as governor to do what was good for the Jewish people. He corrected the problems so that the needy people were taken care of. He didn’t try to get rich by making people give him money. Instead, he provided what other people needed. He used the food and supplies the Persian government gave him to do this. He made sure that honest leaders who respected God were in charge in Jerusalem.

7:1

the wall had been rebuilt: The dedication of the wall is described in Nehemiah 12:27–34.
The Levites typically helped care for the temple area and guarded its gates.

7:2

a faithful man who feared God: He showed two leadership traits that Nehemiah and God valued (see also Nehemiah 5:9, 15; Daniel 6:4; Luke 16:10–12; 1 Peter 5:12).

7:3

The gatekeepers were meant to close the gates in the afternoon when people rested and were not ready to defend the city. In other texts, similar language describes the hottest part of the day when people go inside (Genesis 18:1; 2 Samuel 4:5).

7:4–5

Most people lived in the countryside near their fields, so Jerusalem's population was small. A registration would likely encourage more people to settle in and near Jerusalem (Nehemiah 7:73).

7:4–8:18 Section

Not many people lived in Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s time. Most Jews who returned from Babylon lived in towns throughout Judah. The book of Nehemiah records times when they all gathered in Jerusalem.

They gathered for the Feast of Booths and to hear the Law of Moses read out loud. Ezra and the Levites read the law and explained it to the entire community. This included men, women and children.

This was a time of sadness as well as joy. Because God’s laws were explained to them, the people understood the Mount Sinai covenant. This meant that they understood the ways they hadn’t been faithful to God’s covenant. They were very sad about this. But Nehemiah encouraged them to celebrate the feast with joy. He reminded them that the joy of the Lord made them strong.

7:6

the exiles...returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town: These lists were incomplete (the individual numbers do not match the total in Nehemiah 7:66), but they were the best records available to verify Jewish identity.

7:7

accompanied by: Sheshbazzar (see Ezra 1:8) is not mentioned here and in Ezra 2:2. This suggests both lists were made after the people settled in their towns and after Sheshbazzar died.

7:8–38

the descendants of: This list is similar to the one in Ezra 2:3–35, but there are some differences in names and family sizes. People were listed by family (Nehemiah 7:8–25) and by the town where they settled (7:26–38). Most of these towns were north of Jerusalem.

7:39–60

Nehemiah wanted to ensure that only true priests and Levites served in God's temple.

7:60

The descendants of Solomon’s servants likely helped the Levites by carrying wood or sweeping the floor (see Ezra 2:55–58). They might have been Gibeonites (see Joshua 9:23–27; 1 Chronicles 9:35–44) or war captives (see Numbers 31:30–47).

7:61–62

they could not prove that their families were descended from Israel: They had no family records.

7:65

Urim and Thummim: See study notes on Exodus 28:30 and Leviticus 8:8.

7:66

The total number 42,360 matches Ezra 2:64, but the family numbers add up to only 31,089. The family numbers might not include young children, or the list might be incomplete.

7:70–72

Some family leaders gave gifts, following their ancestors' traditions when building sacred structures (Exodus 25:2–7; 35:4–9; 2 Kings 12:1–21). This money added to gifts from Israelites who remained in Babylon (Ezra 1:6) and from the Persian kings (Ezra 6:8).

7:73

the Israelites...in their own towns: Each family settled in their ancestral towns throughout Israel, where their ancestors lived before the Exile.

7:73–10:39

This section, possibly from Ezra’s personal memoirs, explains how Ezra’s teaching of God’s law renewed the people's commitment to serve God and follow his instructions. Spiritual revival occurred alongside the civic work of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources