John Gill Commentary Nehemiah 11

And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem
Where it was proper they should, being the metropolis of the nation, both for the performance of their offices, and to protect and defend it, as well as to set an example to the people, and encourage them to dwell there also:

the rest of the people also cast lots to bring one of ten to dwell in
Jerusalem the holy city ;
so called, because of the temple and the worship of God in it; and so it is called by Julian the emperor ^F7 ; and some ^F8 have thought that the Cadytis of Herodotus ^F9 is the same with Jerusalem, which had its name from (hvdq) , "holy", and is now called by the Turks "cuds", that is, "holy" ^F11 :

now, though it was the chief city, and the place of public worship, yet the people were not forward of settling in it, partly because of the rage of the enemy, which this city was the butt of, and partly because it was more to their worldly advantage to dwell in the country, and where they could have better supplies; they consulted their own ease, safety, and profit; wherefore this method was taken to oblige some to dwell in it, by taking one out of ten by lot, that there might be a sufficient number to rebuild the houses of it, repopulate and defend it:

and nine parts to dwell in other cities ;
to which they belonged, or where they pleased, any where in the land of Israel.

FOOTNOTES:

• F7: Ep. 25. p. 154.
• F8: Prideaux's Connection, par. 1. p. 56, 57.
• F9: Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 159. & Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 5.
• F11: Sandys's Travels, l. 5. p. 121. Ed. 5.

And the people blessed all the men that willingly offered
themselves to dwell at Jerusalem .
] Who were not taken by lot, but of their own accord settled at Jerusalem; they praised them for it, and wished them all happiness and prosperity, since they denied themselves of ease and profit for the sake of the public good;

This is what makes the difference between the list of the inhabitants of Jerusalem in (1 Chronicles 9:2) &c. and this here, which includes all who settled there, whether voluntarily or by lot; this list includes only those fixed by the lot, and of them only those who were of greatest note and esteem, as Jarchi observes, and so it follows.

Now these are the chief of the province that dwelt in
Jerusalem
That is, of Judea, reduced to a province by the king of Babylon, and now a province of the Persian monarchy:

but in the cities of Judah dwelt everyone in his possession in their
cities ;
in which they or their ancestors had formerly dwelt: to wit, Israel: the people in general of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and such of the other tribes that returned with them:

the priests, and the Levites, and the Nethinims, and the children of
Solomon's servants ;
of whom see (Ezra 2:55Ezra 2:58) .

And at Jerusalem dwelt certain of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin It belonging partly to one tribe and partly to the other, and so inhabited by both, as it originally was, (Joshua 15:63) (18:28)

of the children of Judah; Athaiah ; called Uthai, (1 Chronicles 9:4) whose lineage is traced through Uzziah, Zechariah, Amariah, Shephatiah, Mahalaleel,

of the children of Perez ; a son of Judah, see (1 Chronicles 9:4) .

And Maaseiah
Who seems to be the same with Asaiah, (1 Chronicles 9:5) and whose genealogy is carried up through Baruch, Colhozeh, Hazaiah, Adaiah, Joiarib, Zechariah, to Shiloni; perhaps the same with Shelah, another son of Judah, see (1 Chronicles 9:5) .