Nehemiah 7:4
New International Version
Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.

New Living Translation
At that time the city was large and spacious, but the population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt.

English Standard Version
The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.

Berean Standard Bible
Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.

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

New King James Version
Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt.

New American Standard Bible
Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.

NASB 1995
Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.

NASB 1977
Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not rebuilt.

Amplified Bible
Now the city was spacious and large, but there were few people in it and the houses had not [yet] been built.

Christian Standard Bible
The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.

American Standard Version
Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.

Contemporary English Version
Although Jerusalem covered a large area, not many people lived there, and no new houses had been built.

English Revised Version
Now the city was wide and large: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The city was large and wide-open. Few people were in it, and no houses were being built.

Good News Translation
Jerusalem was a large city, but not many people were living in it, and not many houses had been built yet.

International Standard Version
Even though the city was large and spread out, not many people were living there and not many houses had been built.

Majority Standard Bible
Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.

NET Bible
Now the city was spread out and large, and there were not a lot of people in it. At that time houses had not been rebuilt.

New Heart English Bible
Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few in it, and the houses were not built.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now the city was large and great: but the people in it were few, and the houses were not built.

World English Bible
Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the city [is] broad on both sides, and great, and the people [are] few in its midst, and there are no houses built;

Young's Literal Translation
And the city is broad on both sides, and great, and the people are few in its midst, and there are no houses builded;

Smith's Literal Translation
And the city broad of hands, and great and the people few in its midst, and the houses not built.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the city was very wide and great, and the people few in the midst thereof, and the houses were not built.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now the city was great and very wide, and the people in its midst were few, and the houses were not yet built.

New American Bible
Now, the city was quite wide and spacious, but its population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt.

New Revised Standard Version
The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few and no houses had been built.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Now the city was large and wide; but there were few people in it, and their houses were not built.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the city was great and was wide, and few people were within it, and there were no houses built for them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Now the city was wide and large; and the people were few in it, and the houses were not built.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The List of Returning Exiles
4Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. I found the genealogical register of those who had first returned, and I found the following written in it:…

Cross References
Nehemiah 11:1-2
Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the remaining nine were to dwell in their own towns. / And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

Ezra 2:64-70
The whole assembly numbered 42,360, / in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers. / They had 736 horses, 245 mules, ...

Nehemiah 2:3
and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

Nehemiah 2:17
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”

Isaiah 49:19-20
For your ruined and desolate places and your ravaged land will now indeed be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away. / Yet the children of your bereavement will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; make room for us to live here.’

Jeremiah 30:18-19
This is what the LORD says: “I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings. And the city will be rebuilt on her own ruins, and the palace will stand in its rightful place. / Thanksgiving will proceed from them, a sound of celebration. I will multiply them, and they will not be decreased; I will honor them, and they will not be belittled.

Zechariah 8:4-5
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of great age. / And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”

Isaiah 44:26
who confirms the message of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, and I will restore their ruins,’

Jeremiah 33:10-11
This is what the LORD says: In this place you say is a wasteland without man or beast, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted—inhabited by neither man nor beast—there will be heard again / the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those bringing thank offerings into the house of the LORD, saying: ‘Give thanks to the LORD of Hosts, for the LORD is good; His loving devotion endures forever.’ For I will restore the land from captivity as in former times, says the LORD.

Matthew 9:37-38
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. / Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.”

Luke 10:2
And He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.

Acts 1:15
In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (a gathering of about a hundred and twenty) and said,

Acts 2:41
Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.

Acts 4:4
But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

Acts 6:1
In those days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Grecian Jews among them began to grumble against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.


Treasury of Scripture

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

large and great.

Isaiah 58:12
And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Haggai 1:4-6
Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? …

Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

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Nehemiah 7
1. Nehemiah commits the charge of Jerusalem to Hanani and Hananiah
5. A register of the genealogy of them which came at the first out of Babylon
9. of the people
39. of the priests
43. of the Levites
46. of the Nethinims
57. of Solomon's servants
63. and of the priests which could not find their pedigree
66. The whole number of them, with their substance
70. Their offerings














Now the city
The term "city" in this context refers to Jerusalem, the heart of Jewish identity and worship. Historically, Jerusalem had been the center of Israelite culture, religion, and governance. The Hebrew word for city, "עִיר" (ir), often implies not just a physical location but a place of communal and spiritual significance. Jerusalem, as the city of God, holds a special place in the hearts of the Israelites, symbolizing God's presence and promises.

was large and spacious
The description of the city as "large and spacious" highlights the physical capacity and potential of Jerusalem. The Hebrew words "רָחָב" (rachab) and "גָּדוֹל" (gadol) suggest not only physical dimensions but also the potential for growth and prosperity. This reflects God's promise to Abraham about his descendants being numerous and occupying the land. The spaciousness of the city is a metaphor for the potential blessings and the future growth that God has in store for His people.

but there were few people in it
This phrase underscores the contrast between the city's potential and its current state. The Hebrew word "מְעַט" (me'at) for "few" indicates a remnant, a small group of people who have returned from exile. This remnant is significant in biblical history, as God often works through a faithful few to accomplish His purposes. The sparse population serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and exile, yet also as a testament to God's faithfulness in preserving a remnant.

and no houses had been built yet
The absence of houses signifies a lack of permanence and stability. In ancient times, building a house was a sign of settling down and establishing roots. The Hebrew word "בָּתִּים" (batim) for "houses" implies not just physical structures but the establishment of family and community life. The fact that no houses had been built yet indicates a transitional period for the Israelites, a time of rebuilding not just physically but spiritually. It reflects the ongoing process of restoration and renewal that God is orchestrating for His people.

Verse 4. - The city was large. Literally, "broad every way." The houses were not builded. Much of the city consisted of open spaces, in which no houses had been as yet built.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now the city
וְהָעִ֞יר (wə·hā·‘îr)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

was large
וּגְדוֹלָ֔ה (ū·ḡə·ḏō·w·lāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

and spacious,
רַחֲבַ֤ת (ra·ḥă·ḇaṯ)
Adjective - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7342: Wide, broad

but there were few
מְעַ֖ט (mə·‘aṭ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few

people
וְהָעָ֥ם (wə·hā·‘ām)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

in it,
בְּתוֹכָ֑הּ (bə·ṯō·w·ḵāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

and the houses
בָּתִּ֖ים (bāt·tîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1004: A house

had not yet
וְאֵ֥ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

been rebuilt.
בְּנוּיִֽם׃ (bə·nū·yim)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Strong's 1129: To build


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OT History: Nehemiah 7:4 Now the city was wide and large (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 7:3
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