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Saturday, July 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Bible in Basic English

1 Chronicles 9:2

Now the first to take up their heritage in their towns were: Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Nethinims;   Thompson Chain Reference - Nethinim;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Gibeonites;   Nethinim;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Chronicles, the Books of;   Ibneiah;   Jeuel;   Levites;   Mikloth;   Nethinim;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Nethinim;   Priests and Levites;   Shelah;   Writing;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Nethinim ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Nethinims;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Nethinim;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Je'uel,;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Gibeon;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Nethinim;   Solomon's Servants;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The first to live in their towns on their own property again were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.
Hebrew Names Version
Now the first inhabitants who lived in their possessions in their cities were Yisra'el, the Kohanim, the Levites, and the temple servants.
King James Version
Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims.
English Standard Version
Now the first to dwell again in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.
New Century Version
The first people to come back and live in their own lands and towns were some Israelites, priests, Levites, and Temple servants.
New English Translation
The first to resettle on their property and in their cities were some Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.
Amplified Bible
Now the first [of the returned exiles] who lived [again] in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim (temple servants).
New American Standard Bible
Now the first inhabitants who lived on their own property in their cities were people of Israel, including the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.
World English Bible
Now the first inhabitants who lived in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the chiefe inhabitants that dwelt in their owne possessions, and in their owne cities, euen Israel the Priestes, the Leuites, and the Nethinims.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now the first who lived in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.
Berean Standard Bible
Now the first to resettle their own property in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.
Contemporary English Version
And the first people to return to their towns included priests, Levites, temple workers, and other Israelites.
Complete Jewish Bible
The first people to return to their possessions in the cities were the Isra'elim, the cohanim, the L'vi'im and the temple servants.
Darby Translation
And the inhabitants that were first in their possessions in their cities were the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
Easy-to-Read Version
The first people to come back and live in their own lands and towns were some Israelites, priests, Levites, and servants who work in the Temple.
George Lamsa Translation
Now the first inhabitants who dwelt in their possessions in their cities were the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the proselytes.
Good News Translation
The first to return to their property in the cities included Israelite citizens, priests, Levites, and Temple workers.
Lexham English Bible
Now the first inhabitants who were settled on their property in their cities in Israel were the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.
Literal Translation
And the first dwellers who lived in their possessions in their cities were the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the temple slaves.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
euen they yt afore dwelt in their possessions and cities, namely Israel, ye prestes, Leuites and Nethinim.
American Standard Version
Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Euen the olde inhabiters that dwelt in their owne possessions and cities, the Israelites, the priestes, Leuites, and Nathenei.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
King James Version (1611)
Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions, in their cities, were the Israelites, the Priests, Leuits, and the Nethinims.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they that dwelt before in their possessions in the cities of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the appointed ones.
English Revised Version
Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli thei that dwelliden first in her citees, and in the possessiouns of Israel, and the preestis, and the dekenes, and Natyneys, dwelliden in Jerusalem.
Update Bible Version
Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and those given [to temple service].
Webster's Bible Translation
Now the first inhabitants that [dwelt] in their possessions in their cities [were], the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims.
New King James Version
And the first inhabitants who dwelt in their possessions in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and the Nethinim.
New Living Translation
The first of the exiles to return to their property in their former towns were priests, Levites, Temple servants, and other Israelites.
New Life Bible
The first ones to live again in their land and in their cities were Israel, the religious leaders, the Levites and the servants of the Lord's house.
New Revised Standard
Now the first to live again in their possessions in their towns were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, the first inhabitants, who were in their possessions, in their cities, were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now the first that dwelt in their possessions, and in their cities, were the Israelites, and the priests, and the Levites, and the Nathineans.
Revised Standard Version
Now the first to dwell again in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.
Young's Literal Translation
And the first inhabitants, who [are] in their possession, in their cities, of Israel, [are] the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
THE MESSAGE
The first Israelites to return from exile to their homes and cities were the priests, the Levites, and the temple support staff.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now the first who lived in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites and the temple servants.

Contextual Overview

1 So all Israel was listed by their families; and, truly, they are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel. And Judah was taken away as prisoners to Babylon because of their sin. 2 Now the first to take up their heritage in their towns were: Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim. 3 And in Jerusalem there were living some of the sons of Judah, and of Benjamin, and of Ephraim and Manasseh; 4 Uthai, the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the sons of Perez, the son of Judah. 5 And of the Shilonites: Asaiah the oldest, and his sons. 6 And of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel, and their brothers, six hundred and ninety. 7 And of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu, the son of Meshullam, Judah, the son of Hassenuah, 8 And Ibneiah, the son of Jeroham, and Elah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; 9 And their brothers, in the list of their generations, nine hundred and fifty-six. All these men were heads of families, listed by the names of their fathers. 10 And of the priests: Jedaiah and Jehoiarib and Jachin

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 3468, bc 536

the first: Ezra 2:70, Nehemiah 7:73, Nehemiah 11:3

the Nethinims: Joshua 9:21-27, Ezra 2:43, Ezra 2:58, Ezra 8:20, Nehemiah 7:60, Nehemiah 7:73, Nehemiah 11:3, Nehemiah 11:21

Reciprocal: Joshua 9:27 - made them 1 Chronicles 9:18 - Who hitherto waited Ezra 6:16 - the children Nehemiah 3:26 - Nethinims Nehemiah 7:46 - Nethinims

Cross-References

Genesis 1:28
And God gave them his blessing and said to them, Be fertile and have increase, and make the earth full and be masters of it; be rulers over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing moving on the earth.
Genesis 2:19
And from the earth the Lord God made every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and took them to the man to see what names he would give them: and whatever name he gave to any living thing, that was its name.
Genesis 9:4
But flesh with the life-blood in it you may not take for food.
Genesis 9:8
And God said to Noah and to his sons,
Genesis 9:20
In those days Noah became a farmer, and he made a vine-garden.
Genesis 9:22
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father unclothed, and gave news of it to his two brothers outside.
Genesis 9:23
And Shem and Japheth took a robe, and putting it on their backs went in with their faces turned away, and put it over their father so that they might not see him unclothed.
Genesis 35:5
So they went on their journey: and the fear of God was on the towns round about, so that they made no attack on the sons of Jacob.
Leviticus 26:6
And I will give you peace in the land, and you will take your rest and no one will give you cause for fear; and I will put an end to all evil beasts in the land, and no sword of war will go through your land.
Leviticus 26:22
I will let loose the beasts of the field among you, and they will take away your children and send destruction on your cattle, so that your numbers will become small and your roads become waste.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities,.... Who first returned from Babylon upon the proclamation of Cyrus, and enjoyed their former possessions, and dwelt in the cities they had before, or in such as were allotted them, or they chose:

[were], the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims; the whole body that returned were divided into four classes, as they had been before the captivity; the Israelites were the common people in general, the body politic; the priests, the ecclesiastics, who officiated in sacred things; the Levites, who ministered to them; and the Nethinims were such persons as were "given", as the word signifies, to do servile work for the sanctuary, as, to be hewers of wood and drawers of water; such were the Gibeonites, Joshua 9:27, and such as were appointed by David for such work, see Ezra 8:20.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The first inhabitants - i. e. the first inhabitants of the holy land after the return from the captivity. They are enumerated under four heads:

(1) Israelites, i. e. the mass of the laity, whether belonging to the ten tribes or the two;

(2) priests;

(3) Levites; and

(4) the lowest order of the ministry, the Nethinims.

These last, whose name is derived from a root “to give,” were a sort of sacred slaves - persons “given” to the Levites to perform the more laborious duties of the sanctuary. Some had been “given” as early as the time of Moses Numbers 31:47; and the number afterward increased Joshua 9:23; Ezra 8:20. At the time of the return from the captivity, owing to the small number of Levites who came back Ezra 2:40-42, the services of the Nethinims became very important. They are mentioned under the name of Nethinims only in Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Chronicles 9:2. Now the first inhabitants — This is spoken of those who returned from the Babylonish captivity, and of the time in which they returned; for it is insinuated here that other persons afterwards settled at Jerusalem, though these mentioned here were the first on the return from the captivity. Properly speaking, the divisions mentioned in this verse constituted the whole of the Israelitish people, who were, ever since the days of Joshua, divided into the four following classes:

1. The priests.

2. The Levites.

3. The common people, or simple Israelites.

4. The Nethinim, or slaves of the temple, the remains of the Gibeonites, who, having deceived Joshua, were condemned to this service Joshua 9:21, &c. In David's time it is probable that other conquered people were added, as the successors of the Gibeonites were not sufficient to perform all the drudgery of the temple service.


 
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