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Contemporary English Version

Nehemiah 7:4

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

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Fausset Bible Dictionary - Census;   Nehemiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acud;   Ammidioi;   Hagab;   Jesus;   Kilan;   Nehemiah;   Nehemiah, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hatita ;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.
Hebrew Names Version
Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built.
King James Version
Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
English Standard Version
The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.
New Century Version
The city was large and roomy, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
New English Translation
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.
Amplified Bible
Now the city was spacious and large, but there were few people in it and the houses had not [yet] been built.
New American Standard Bible
Now the city was large and spacious, 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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe the citie was large and great, but the people were few therein, and the houses were not buylded.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not 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.
Complete Jewish Bible
lass="passage-text">
Darby Translation
Now the city was large and great; but the people in it were few, and no houses were built.
Easy-to-Read Version
Now the city was large and there was plenty of room. But there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
George Lamsa Translation
Now the city was large and wide; but there were few people in it, and their houses were not built.
Good News Translation
lass="passage-text">
Lexham English Bible
The city was widespread and large, but the people in it were few and no houses were rebuilt.
Literal Translation
And the city was wide on both hands, and great, but the people in it few, and the houses not being built.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
As for ye cite, it was large of rowme, and greate, but ye people were fewe therin, and the houses were not buylded.
American Standard Version
Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
Bible in Basic English
Now the town was wide and great: but the people in it were only a small number, and the houses had not been put up.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
As for the citie, it was large of roome, and great, but the people were fewe therein, and the houses were not builded.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
King James Version (1611)
Now the city was large and great, but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Now the city was wide and large; and the people were few in it, and the houses were not built.
English Revised Version
Now the city was wide and large: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli the citee was ful brood and greet, and litil puple was in myddis therof, and housis weren not bildid.
Update Bible Version
Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, 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.
New King James Version
Ezra 2:1-70">[xr] Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not 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.
New Life Bible
Now the city was wide and large, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.
New Revised Standard
The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few and no houses had been built.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, the city, was broad on both hands, and large, but, the people, were few in the midst thereof, - and the houses had not been built.
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.
Revised Standard Version
The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few and no houses had been 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;
THE MESSAGE
The city was large and spacious with only a few people in it and the houses not yet rebuilt.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.

Contextual Overview

1 After the wall had been rebuilt and the gates hung, then the temple guards, the singers, and the other Levites were assigned their work. 2 I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, because Hananiah could be trusted, and he respected God more than most people did. 3 I said to them, "Don't let the gates to the city be opened until the sun has been up for a while. And make sure that they are closed and barred before the guards go off duty at sunset. Choose people from Jerusalem to stand guard at different places around the wall and others to stand guard near their own houses." 4 Although Jerusalem covered a large area, not many people lived there, and no new houses had been built.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

large and great: Heb. broad in spaces

the houses: Isaiah 58:12, Haggai 1:4-6, Matthew 6:33

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 28:62 - few in number Nehemiah 11:1 - the rulers Psalms 147:2 - build Jeremiah 30:18 - the city

Cross-References

Genesis 2:5
no grass or plants were growing anywhere. God had not yet sent any rain, and there was no one to work the land.
Genesis 6:3
Then the Lord said, "I won't let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever. No one will live for more than one hundred twenty years."
Genesis 6:7
and he said, "I'll destroy every living creature on earth! I'll wipe out people, animals, birds, and reptiles. I'm sorry I ever made them."
Genesis 6:13
So he told Noah: Cruelty and violence have spread everywhere. Now I'm going to destroy the whole earth and all its people.
Genesis 6:17
I'm going to send a flood that will destroy everything that breathes! Nothing will be left alive.
Genesis 7:10
Seven days later a flood began to cover the earth.
Genesis 7:11
Noah was six hundred years old when the water under the earth started gushing out everywhere. The sky opened like windows, and rain poured down for forty days and nights. All this began on the seventeenth day of the second month of the year.
Genesis 7:17
For forty days the rain poured down without stopping. And the water became deeper and deeper, until the boat started floating high above the ground.
Genesis 7:21
Not a bird, animal, reptile, or human was left alive anywhere on earth.
Genesis 8:10
Seven days later Noah sent the dove out again.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now the city was large and great,.... The circumference of it, all within the wall; for that was built on its old foundation, and enclosed as much ground as ever it did: Hecataeus b, an Heathen writer, says the circumference of Jerusalem was fifty furlongs, which was more than six miles; but Josephus c makes the circuit of it but thirty three furlongs or about six miles:

but the people were few therein; in comparison of the largeness of the place; for though there were 42,360 that came up at first with Zerubbabel, and many more with Ezra, yet a great number chose to settle in the towns and cities in the country, Jerusalem being in such a desolate condition:

and the houses were not builded; some were, but they were but few, many of them still lay in ruins.

b Apud Euseb. Praepar. par. Evangel. l. 9. c. 4. p. 408. & apud Joseph. contr. Apion, l. 1. c. 22. c De Bell. Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The people were few - The number of those who returned with Zerubbabel was no more than 42,360 Nehemiah 7:66. Less than 2,000 people had come with Ezra Ezra 8:1-20.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nehemiah 7:4. The houses were not builded. — The city was not yet rebuilt, only a row of houses in the inside of the wall all round.


 
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