This list of all who returned to Jerusalem highlights some important points.

1. God doesn’t just see a great crowd but the listing of different people, families and communities highlights the personal way God deals with people.
2. There was a unity among the people in service. Relations of kings (v21) and servants (v60) are listed together. They are the same before God and together give to the work (v66-72).
3. The remnant who survived and returned was very small compared to the 603,550 men of fighting age who came to the Promised Land plus older men, women and children (Numbers 2 v32). We see here the terrible consequences of sin on the people of God.
4. The priesthood needs the right people who are qualified to serve (v63-65). Nehemiah insisted that those acting as priests had to be those who fulfilled God’s requirements. The book of Hebrews says Jesus was qualified to be High Priest not through natural descent but through an indestructible life, speaking of His resurrection from the dead (Hebrews 7 v15-17). Jesus is the only one who can offer the perfect sacrifice to deal with our sin.