This verse from Nehemiah 11:30 is part of a list describing the cities and villages re-inhabited by the returning Jewish exiles after the Babylonian captivity. Let's break down what it means:
"Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its towns": These are names of specific towns and areas in the Judean region (south of Jerusalem). After the Babylonian exile, the Jews who returned were resettled in various locations to rebuild the land. This list mentions a few of those places. The mention of "villages," "fields," and "towns" emphasizes that the resettlement wasn't just about the main cities but also the surrounding rural areas.
"So they encamped from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom.": This gives a geographical boundary for the resettlement area.
Beersheba was the southernmost major city in Judah.
The Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) bordered Jerusalem on the south and west.
So, put together, Nehemiah 11:30 is saying that the people were resettled and spread out across a territory that stretched from the southernmost part of Judah up to the area just south of Jerusalem. In other words, the territory described is approximately the southern portion of the tribal inheritance of Judah, and it became resettled following the exile.
This verse from Nehemiah 11:30 is part of a list describing the cities and villages re-inhabited by the returning Jewish exiles after the Babylonian captivity. Let's break down what it means:
"Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its towns": These are names of specific towns and areas in the Judean region (south of Jerusalem). After the Babylonian exile, the Jews who returned were resettled in various locations to rebuild the land. This list mentions a few of those places. The mention of "villages," "fields," and "towns" emphasizes that the resettlement wasn't just about the main cities but also the surrounding rural areas.
"So they encamped from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom.": This gives a geographical boundary for the resettlement area.
Beersheba was the southernmost major city in Judah.
The Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) bordered Jerusalem on the south and west.
So, put together, Nehemiah 11:30 is saying that the people were resettled and spread out across a territory that stretched from the southernmost part of Judah up to the area just south of Jerusalem. In other words, the territory described is approximately the southern portion of the tribal inheritance of Judah, and it became resettled following the exile.
