Nehemiah 7:5

"Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built."

Key Reflection

Nehemiah 7:5 highlights the stark contrast between the grandeur of Jerusalem's infrastructure and its current population. The city, vast in size with room for expansion, was largely uninhabited, as only a small number of people had returned to rebuild it, and many of the houses remained unconstructed. This scenario reflects the challenges faced by those who returned from exile, struggling not just with physical rebuilding but also with repopulating and reviving their community in the face of significant manpower shortages.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

It is argued by some that the entire catalogue which followsNehemiah 7:7-73is not the register of them “which came up ‘at the first’,” but of the Jewish people in Nehemiah’s time.Nehemiah 7:7andEzra 2:2are, however, very positive in their support of the usual view; and some of the arguments against it are thought to be met by considering the Nehemiah ofNehemiah 7:7andEzra 2:2a person different from Nehemiah the governor; and “Tirshatha” an official title likely to have belonged to others besides Nehemiah (see theEzra 2:63note.)

More from Nehemiah 7

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