And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem. Nehemiah 11:2
The Residents of Jerusalem
Now Nehemiah repopulates Jerusalem. The people have been scattered in smaller communities. Now, partly as a security measure, Nehemiah moves a 10th of the population to Jerusalem. He moves one of every 10 families to the city and calls for additional volunteers. This action means that a cross section of the population will reside in the holy city, while the others occupy outlying settlements.
Lots (11:1). The casting of lots, small stones or pieces of wood, was viewed by the Jews as a pious way of determining God’s will. Thus Nehemiah left the choice of those who should move to Jerusalem up to God. The practice was used in choosing portions of land to be occupied by the original conquerors of Canaan in Joshua’s time.
1 Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities. 2 And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
Ancestral property (11:20). The phrase refers to family lands granted at the time of conquest.
Kirjath Arba (11:25) is another name for Hebron.
