Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built.
- BSB Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
- NKJV Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt.
- NASB Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.
- NLT At that time the city was large and spacious, but the population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The city is large but sparsely populated, with many houses still unbuilt. Jerusalem needs people, not just walls.
Overview
A walled city with few inhabitants remained vulnerable and incomplete, prompting the genealogical effort that follows. The observation sets up the concern to repopulate Jerusalem with God's covenant people. It reminds us that the true strength of God's city lies in its people, a theme fulfilled in the church as God's living temple built of redeemed persons (1 Peter 2:5).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Isa 58:12And 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.
- Matt 6:33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
- Hag 1:4–6Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
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Christ at the center
The rebuilt walls and renewed covenant community foreshadow the greater builder who gathers and secures a people for God, the one who declares 'I will build my church.'
How Nehemiah 7:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.