Question 1

Why does this passage list so many families and numbers?

Accepted Answer

This long list is not just random names. It shows who came back from exile and proves that God kept his promise to bring his people home. The families are grouped by clans, towns, and roles in worship. This helped Nehemiah know who truly belonged to Israel, who should live in which cities, and who could serve in the temple. It also shows that God knows each family and does not forget them, even after years in a foreign land. The numbers give a real sense of how many actually returned and began again.

Question 2

What does it mean that God put it into Nehemiah’s heart to gather the people?

Accepted Answer

When Nehemiah says that God put this into his heart, he is saying that his desire and plan to gather the nobles, rulers, and people did not come from himself alone. He saw it as something God started in him. The city was large but had few people and many ruined houses, so it needed more inhabitants. By moving Nehemiah to use the genealogy register, God was guiding the rebuilding of the community, not just the walls. It shows that good plans for God’s people begin with God’s own work in human hearts.

Question 3

Why were some men put from the priesthood in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Some who claimed to be priests could not find their names in the genealogical register. Since priestly service was closely tied to family line, the people treated this very seriously. Because their records could not prove they were from priestly families, they were considered unfit, or polluted, for priestly duties. The governor, called the Tirshatha, told them not to eat from the most holy offerings until there would be a priest with Urim and Thummim to settle the matter. This guarded the holiness of temple service and showed care in obeying God’s commands.

Question 4

What are the Nethinims and the children of Solomon’s servants?

Accepted Answer

The Nethinims were a group set apart to help with practical tasks in the temple, likely doing service work connected to worship, though not as priests or Levites. The children of Solomon’s servants were another group with special duties, linked with the old royal service. This passage counts their families along with the rest, giving a total number. Including them shows that all kinds of servants, not just priests and Levites, were important for the life of God’s people. Their presence also reminds us that worship involves many different roles working together.

Question 5

What is the Tirshatha, and what did he decide about the priests?

Accepted Answer

The Tirshatha is the title used here for the governor, which in this setting points to Nehemiah. When some men claimed to be priests but could not prove their family line, he made a careful decision. He did not allow them to eat the most holy things, which belonged only to true priests, until a priest with Urim and Thummim could seek God’s will. This shows wise leadership, holding back from full acceptance until the matter could be clearly settled. He respected both the importance of the priesthood and the need to wait for clear guidance from God.

Question 6

What were Urim and Thummim, and why are they mentioned here?

Accepted Answer

Urim and Thummim were special means given to the high priest in earlier times to seek God’s judgment in hard questions. The details of how they worked are not explained here, but they were known as a way God made his will clear in difficult cases. In this passage, they are mentioned because there was uncertainty about certain men’s right to be priests. The governor says they must wait until there is a priest with Urim and Thummim, meaning until God’s answer can be sought in the proper way. It shows respect for God’s guidance and not rushing past it.

Question 7

How many people returned in total in this passage, and what does that show?

Accepted Answer

The passage says the whole congregation together was forty‑two thousand three hundred and sixty, not counting servants. Besides them, there were thousands of male and female servants and some singing men and women, along with their animals. This gives a picture of a real community, not just a few leaders. Even though Jerusalem’s population was still small compared to the size of the city, this number shows that a large group was willing to leave Babylon and start over in a ruined land. It underlines God’s care in bringing back not just a few, but a gathered people.

Question 8

Why does the passage mention their servants, singers, and animals?

Accepted Answer

Mentioning servants, singing men and women, and animals helps show the everyday life of the people who returned. Servants point to households and work life. Singers show that organized worship and music were part of the community, not an extra detail. Listing horses, mules, camels, and donkeys shows how they traveled, worked the land, and carried goods. These details remind us that God’s restoration touched every part of life, from worship in the temple to daily labor and family needs, as the people settled again in their own land.

Question 9

How does this list of names connect to God’s care for his people?

Accepted Answer

At first, a long list of names and numbers can seem dry, but it quietly shows God’s steady care. Each family and town is remembered. The text calls them the children of the province who went up out of captivity, reminding us that they were once carried away by a foreign king. Now they are counted as they return to their own cities. God did not forget them in exile, and he brings them back by name. The careful record shows that God knows who belongs to him and keeps track of them through many years and changes.

Nehemiah 7:4

Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.

The List of Returning Exiles

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Nehemiah 7:4

Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.

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The List of Returning Exiles

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