After the wall was completed and the doors were set up, Nehemiah appointed his brother Hanani and Hananiah the commander of the citadel over Jerusalem because Hananiah was faithful and feared God more than many, and he established protocols that the gates should not be opened until the sun was hot and should be shut and barred before the guards went off duty. Nehemiah observed that Jerusalem was large and spacious but the population was small with few houses rebuilt, so God put it in his heart to assemble the nobles, officials, and people for genealogical registration. He found the genealogical record of those who first returned with Zerubbabel, and the chapter reproduces this extensive list matching Ezra 2, recording families by ancestral houses and towns, totaling 42,360 people plus servants and singers, along with their animals and the contributions of gold, silver, and priestly garments for the temple treasury.
Read Nehemiah Chapter 7 Summary
Characters in This Chapter
Cupbearer to the king who led wall rebuilding and reform
Priest and scribe who read the Law publicly leading to revival
Samaritan opponent who tried to stop the wall building
Ammonite official who opposed Nehemiah's work
King of Babylon
Son of Jacob, Ancestor of David and Christ
Governor who Rebuilt the Temple
Guardian of Esther
Commander of David's Army
Righteous King of Judah
Levite Musician and Psalmist
Wise King of Israel
Places in This Chapter
Babylon was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and a symbol of human pride and rebellion against God. King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and took the Jews into exile here for 70 years. Daniel and his friends served in the Babylonian court. The Tower of Babel, where God confused human language, was built in this region. In Revelation, Babylon symbolizes worldly power opposed to God.
Gibeon was a Canaanite city whose inhabitants tricked Joshua into making a peace treaty. God made the sun stand still here during Joshua's battle. Solomon offered sacrifices at the great high place in Gibeon, where God appeared to him in a dream offering him anything he asked.
Bethlehem, meaning "House of Bread," is most famous as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Located about 10 kilometers south of Jerusalem, it was also the hometown of King David and the setting of the Book of Ruth. The prophet Micah foretold that the Messiah would come from this small town. Today, the Church of the Nativity marks the traditional site of Jesus' birth.
Ramah (also Ramathaim-zophim) was the hometown of Samuel the prophet. He lived here, judged Israel from here, and was buried here. It was a center for the prophets and the school of prophets. Saul first met Samuel here when searching for his father's donkeys.
Bethel means "House of God" and was where Jacob had his famous dream of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending. Abraham also built altars here. Later, Jeroboam set up a golden calf here as an alternative worship site to Jerusalem, which was condemned by prophets.
Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world, was the first Canaanite city conquered by the Israelites after crossing the Jordan River. Its walls famously fell after the Israelites marched around it for seven days as commanded by God through Joshua. Jesus later passed through Jericho, healing blind Bartimaeus and dining with the tax collector Zacchaeus.
Position in Book
Wall building despite opposition, internal problems addressed, walls completed in 52 days.