31 And sons of Benjamin `are' at Geba, Michmash, and Aija, and Beth-El, and its small towns,
And he removeth from thence towards a mountain at the east of Beth-El, and stretcheth out the tent (Beth-El at the west, and Hai at the east), and he buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and preacheth in the name of Jehovah.
and he calleth the name of that place Bethel, `house of God,' and yet, Luz `is' the name of the city at the first.
and the border hath gone over thence to Luz, unto the side of Luz (it `is' Beth-El) southward, and the border hath gone down `to' Atroth-Addar, by the hill that `is' on the south of the lower Beth-Horon;
and Chephar-Haammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities and their villages.
Men of Ramah and Gaba: six hundred twenty and one. Men of Michmas: a hundred and twenty and two. Men of Bethel and Ai: a hundred twenty and three.
He hath come in against Aiath, He hath passed over into Migron, At Michmash he looketh after his vessels.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Nehemiah 11
Commentary on Nehemiah 11 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 11
Jerusalem was walled round, but it was not as yet fully inhabited, and therefore was weak and despicable. Nehemiah's next care is to bring people into it; of that we have here an account.
Neh 11:1-19
Jerusalem is called here the holy city (v. 1), because there the temple was, and that was the place God had chosen to put his name there; upon this account, one would think, the holy seed should all have chosen to dwell there and have striven for a habitation there; but, on the contrary, it seems they declined dwelling there,
Neh 11:20-36
Having given an account of the principal persons that dwelt in Jerusalem (a larger account of whom he had before, 1 Chr. 9:2, etc.), Nehemiah, in these verses, gives us some account of the other cities, in which dwelt the residue of Israel, v. 20. It was requisite that Jerusalem should be replenished, yet not so as to drain the country. The king himself is served of the field, which will do little service if there be not hands to manage it. Let there therefore be no strife, no envy, no contempt, no ill will, between the inhabitants of the cities and those of the villages; both are needful, both useful, and neither can be spared.