And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.Why were those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem blessed? Was it because they chose to live there, where others had to be chosen by lot? Was it because it was the place of God's temple, and therefore was a blessed place, and the people who lived there were blessed by its presence?
I think it may not be anything of the sort, but something more practical. The area around Jerusalem is very rough ground, if I recall. There's very little farming land in the immediate area, beyond trees like olives. Therefore, those who lived in Jerusalem had to survive by the benefit of those from other areas, either by gifts or commerce. They had very little of their own, beyond what God gave them. So if the people did not bless them, they would suffer from privation.
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