Historical

7 Now it came to pass, when the chomah was rebuilt, and I had set up the dalatot, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levi’im were appointed,

² That I gave my brother Chanani, along with Chananyah (the commander of the citadel), charge over Yerushalayim, for he was an ish emes, and feared HaElohim more than many.

³ And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Yerushalayim be opened until the shemesh be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the dalatot, and bar them, and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, every one in his watch, and every one to be near his bais.

⁴ Now the Ir was large and gedolah, but HaAm were few therein, and the batim (houses) were not rebuilt.

⁵ And Elohai put into mine lev to gather together the nobles, and the officials, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a Sefer HaYachash (record of the genealogy) of them which came up at the first, and found written therein:

⁶ These are the people of the province, that went up out of the Golus captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nevuchadnetzar Melech Bavel had carried away, and came again to Yerushalayim and to Yehudah, everyone unto his town;

⁷ Who came with Zerubavel, Yeshua, Nechemyah, Azaryah, Ra’amyah, Nachmani, Mordechai, Bilshan, Misperet, Bigvai, Nechum, and Ba’anah. The number of the men of the people of Yisroel was this:

⁸ The Bnei Parosh, 2,172.

⁹ The Bnei Shephatyah, 372.

¹⁰ The Bnei Arach, 652.

¹¹ The Bnei Pachat-Moav, of the Bnei Yeshua and Yoav, 2,818.

¹² The Bnei Elam, 1,254.

¹³ The Bnei Zattu, 845.

¹⁴ The Bnei Zaccai, 760.

¹⁵ The Bnei Binnui, 648.

¹⁶ The Bnei Bevai, 628.

¹⁷ The Bnei Azgad, 2,322.

¹⁸ The Bnei Adonikam, 667.

¹⁹ The Bnei Bigvai, 2,067.

²⁰ The Bnei Adin, 655.

²¹ The Bnei Ater of Yechizkiyah, 98.

²² The Bnei Chashum, 328.

²³ The Bnei Betzai, 324.

²⁴ The Bnei Chariph, 112.

²⁵ The Bnei Giveon, 95.

²⁶ The men of Beit-Lechem and Netophah, 188.

²⁷ The men of Anatot, 128.

²⁸ The men of Beit-Azmavet, 42.

²⁹ The men of Kiryat-Yearim, Kephirah, and Be’erot, 743.

³⁰ The men of Ramah and Geva, 621.

³¹ The men of Michmas, 122.

³² The men of Beit-El and Ai, 123.

³³ The men of the other Nevo, 52.

³⁴ The people of the other Elam, 1,254.

³⁵ The Bnei Charim, 320.

³⁶ The Bnei Yericho, 345.

³⁷ The Bnei Lod, Chadid, and Ono, 721.

³⁸ The Bnei Senaah, 3,930.

³⁹ The kohanim; the Bnei Yedayah, of the Bais Yeshua, 973.

⁴⁰ The Bnei Immer, 1,052.

⁴¹ The Bnei Pashchur, 1,247.

⁴² The Bnei Charim, 1,017.

⁴³ The Levi’im; the Bnei Yeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the Bnei Hodvah, 74.

⁴⁴ The singers; the Bnei Asaph, 148.

⁴⁵ The gatekeepers; the Bnei Shallum, the Bnei Ater, the Bnei Talmon, the Bnei Akuv, the Bnei Chatita, the Bnei Shovai, 138.

⁴⁶ The Netinim [servants of the Beis Hamikdash]; the Bnei Tzicha, the Bnei Chasupha, the Bnei Tabbaot,

⁴⁷ The Bnei Keros, the Bnei Sia, the Bnei Padon,

⁴⁸ The Bnei Levanah, the Bnei Chagava, the Bnei Salmai,

⁴⁹ The Bnei Chanan, the Bnei Giddel, the Bnei Gachar,

⁵⁰ The Bnei Reayah, the Bnei Retzin, the Bnei Nekoda,

⁵¹ The Bnei Gazzam, the Bnei Uzza, the Bnei Paseach,

⁵² The Bnei Besai, the Bnei Meunim, the Bnei Nephishesim,

⁵³ The Bnei Bakbuk, the Bnei Chakupha, the Bnei Charchur,

⁵⁴ The Bnei Batzlit, the Bnei Mechida, the Bnei Charsha,

⁵⁵ The Bnei Barkos, the Bnei Sisra, the Bnei Tamach,

⁵⁶ The Bnei Netziach, the Bnei Chatipha.

⁵⁷ The Bnei Avdei Sh’lomo; the Bnei Sotai, the Bnei Sopheret, the Bnei Perida, [T.N. This book teaches that the work of G-d is so difficult, that no one person can do it alone. People working together is a picture of what is involved in being in a Messianic kehillah or any ministry for G-d. We are inspired as we see how the wall came together in only 52 days (see Neh 6:15) when Nehemiah arrived in 445. However, everything was not accomplished quite so fast. The Mizbe’ach and the Beis Hamikdash were restored and the work took place from 538-515 B.C.E. and was finally completed after Darius I (522-486 B.C.E.) gave his official permission, though the foundation of the Beis Hamikdash was laid as early as 536 B.C.E. Then came the reforming work of Ezra in 458 B.C.E. during the reign of Artaxerxes I (465-424).

⁵⁸ The Bnei Yaala, the Bnei Darkon, the Bnei Giddel,

⁵⁹ The Bnei Shephatyah, the Bnei Chattil, the Bnei Pocheret-Hatzvayim, the Bnei Amon.

⁶⁰ All the Netinim, and the Bnei Avdei Sh’lomo, were three hundred ninety and two.

⁶¹ And these were they which went up also from Tel-Melach, Tel-Charsha, Keruv, Addon, and Immer, but they could not show their bais avot, nor their zera, whether they were of Yisroel.

⁶² The Bnei Delayah, the Bnei Toviyah, the Bnei Nekoda, 642.

⁶³ And of the kohanim; the Bnei Chavayah, the Bnei Hakotz, the Bnei Barzillai, which took one of the banot of Barzillai the Gileadi to wife, and was named after their shem.

⁶⁴ These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found; therefore were they, as polluted, put from the Kehunah (Priesthood).

⁶⁵ And the Tirshata said unto them that they should not eat of the kodesh hakodashim until there stood up a kohen with Urim and Tummim.

⁶⁶ The kol hakahal together was 42,360,

⁶⁷ not counting their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were 7,337; and they had 245 meshorarim (singing men) and meshorarot (singing women).

⁶⁸ Their susim, seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;

⁶⁹ Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; six thousand seven hundred and twenty donkeys.

⁷⁰ And some of the chief of the avot gave unto the work. The Tirshata (governor) gave to the treasury a thousand drachmas of zahav, fifty basins, five hundred and thirty kasenos (garments) for the Kohanim.

⁷¹ And some of the chief of the avot gave to the treasury of the work twenty thousand drachmas of zahav, and two thousand and two hundred manim of kesef.

⁷² And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drachmas of zahav, and two thousand manim of kesef, and threescore and seven kasenos for the Kohanim.

⁷³ So the Kohanim, and the Levi’im, and the gatekeepers, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Netinim, and kol Yisroel, dwelt in their towns; |8:1| and when the seventh month [Tishri] came, the Bnei Yisroel were in their towns.

8 And kol HaAm gathered themselves together as one man into the rechov that was before the Water Gate; and they spoke unto Ezra HaSofer to bring the Sefer Torat Moshe, which Hashem had commanded to Yisroel.

² And Ezra HaKohen brought the Torah before the Kahal both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month [Rosh Hashanah].

³ And he read therein before the rechov that was before the Water Gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of kol HaAm were attentive unto the Sefer HaTorah.

⁴ And Ezra HaSofer stood upon a platform of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattityah, and Shema, and Anayah, and Uriyah, and Chilkiyah, and Ma’aseiyah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedayah, and Mishael, and Malkiyah, and Chashum, and Chashbadana, Zecharyah, and Meshullam.

⁵ And Ezra opened the Sefer before the eyes of kol HaAm (for he was above kol HaAm); and when he opened it, all the people stood up.

⁶ And Ezra blessed Hashem, HaElohim HaGadol. And kol HaAm answered, Omein, Omein, with lifting up their hands; and they bowed, and worshiped Hashem with their faces to the ground.

⁷ Also Yeshua, and Bani, and Sherevyah, Yamin, Akuv, Shabtai, Hodiyah, Ma’aseiyah, Kelita, Azaryah, Yozavad, Chanan, Pelayah, and the Levi’im caused the people to understand the Torah; and the people stood in their place.

⁸ So they read from the Sefer Torat HaElohim distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

⁹ And Nechemyah the Tirshata, and Ezra HaKohen HaSofer, and the Levi’im that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is kadosh unto Hashem Eloheichem; mourn not, nor weep. For kol HaAm wept, when they heard the words of the Torah.

¹⁰ Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the choice foods, and drink the sweet things, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is kadosh unto Adoneinu; neither be ye grieving; for the chedvah (joy) of Hashem is your strength.

¹¹ So the Levi’im calmed kol HaAm, saying, Be still, for the day is kadosh; neither be ye grieved.

¹² And kol HaAm went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make simchah gedolah, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

¹³ And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the avot of kol HaAm, the Kohanim, and the Levi’im, unto Ezra HaSofer, to understand the words of the Torah.

¹⁴ And they found written in the Torah which Hashem had commanded by Moshe, that the Bnei Yisroel should dwell in sukkot in the Chag of the seventh month,

¹⁵ And that they should publish and proclaim in all their towns, and in Yerushalayim, saying, Go forth unto the hill country, and bring back olive branches, and wild olive branches, and myrtle, and palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make sukkot, as it is written.

¹⁶ So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves sukkot, every one upon the roof of his bais, and in their courtyards, and in the khatzerot Bais HaElohim, and in the rechov of the Water Gate, and in the rechov of the Ephrayim Gate.

¹⁷ And kol HaKahal of them that were come again out of the captivity made sukkot, and sat under the sukkot; for since the days of Yeshua ben Nun unto that day had not the Bnei Yisroel done so. And there was simchah gedolah.

¹⁸ Also day by day, from the first day unto the last, he read from the Sefer Torat HaElohim. And they kept the Chag seven days; and then came Shmini Atzeret, according unto the mishpat.