Nehemiah 11:4-6

Of The Children Of Judah (Nehemiah 11:4).

Comparison with the list in 1 Chronicles 9 indicates that there is not a single duplication. The names in each are totally distinctive. This demonstrates that they are referring to different times. The ones named in 1 Chronicles 9 may be those who had settled in Jerusalem, because it was ‘their own city', prior to this time, with the ones described here seen as moving to live in Jerusalem at the instigation of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 11:4

‘Of the children of Judah:;

Nehemiah 11:4

‘Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the children of Perez;  11:5 ‘And Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite.'  11:6 ‘All the sons of Perez who dwelt in Jerusalem were four hundred, and sixty eight valiant men.'

It will be noted that of the sons of Judah only sons of Perez are specifically mentioned. This may, of course, be because when the lots were taken a choice was initially made between the sons of Zerah and the sons of Perez, and it was the sons of Perez who were chosen. And these were then chosen out of the sons of Perez. And/or it may be because the sons of Zerah were already there in considerable numbers (1 Chronicles 9:6), because it was their home city. The reference to ‘the Shilonite' (or Shelanite per Numbers 26:20) takes Maaseiah's descent back to Shelah, the son of Judah (Genesis 38:5; Genesis 38:26).

‘Maaseiah the son of Baruch the son of Col-hozeh.' In Nehemiah 3:15 we learn of Shallun, the son of Col-hozeh, who was ruler of part of Mizpah, and oversaw the building of part of the wall. He may well have been Baruch's brother. Note the title ‘valiant men' which has military connotations (although admittedly it could mean ‘men of substance'). They were here as defenders of Jerusalem.