1 And it cometh to pass, when the wall hath been built, that I set up the doors, and the gatekeepers are appointed, and the singers, and the Levites,
2 and I charge Hanani my brother, and Hananiah head of the palace, concerning Jerusalem -- for he `is' as a man of truth, and fearing God above many --
3 and I say to them, `Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened till the heat of the sun, and while they are standing by let them shut the doors, and fasten, and appoint guards of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each in his guard, and each over-against his house.'
4 And the city `is' broad on both sides, and great, and the people `are' few in its midst, and there are no houses builded;
5 and my God putteth it unto my heart, and I gather the freeman, and the prefects, and the people, for the genealogy, and I find a book of the genealogy of those coming up at the beginning, and I find written in it: --
6 These `are' sons of the province, those coming up of the captives of the removal that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed -- and they turn back to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his city --
7 who are coming in with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. Number of the men of the people of Israel:
8 Sons of Parosh: two thousand a hundred and seventy and two.
9 Sons of Shephatiah: three hundred seventy and two.
10 Sons of Arah: six hundred fifty and two.
11 Sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab: two thousand and eight hundred `and' eighteen.
12 Sons of Elam: a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
13 Sons of Zattu: eight hundred forty and five.
14 Sons of Zaccai: seven hundred and sixty.
15 Sons of Binnui: six hundred forty and eight.
16 Sons of Bebai: six hundred twenty and eight.
17 Sons of Azgad: two thousand three hundred twenty and two.
18 Sons of Adonikam: six hundred sixty and seven.
19 Sons of Bigvai: two thousand sixty and seven.
20 Sons of Adin: six hundred fifty and five.
21 Sons of Ater of Hezekiah: ninety and eight.
22 Sons of Hashum: three hundred twenty and eight.
23 Sons of Bezai: three hundred twenty and four.
24 Sons of Hariph: a hundred `and' twelve.
25 Sons of Gibeon: ninety and five.
26 Men of Beth-Lehem and Netophah: a hundred eighty and eight.
27 Men of Anathoth: a hundred twenty and eight.
28 Men of Beth-Azmaveth: forty and two.
29 Men of Kirjath-Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth: seven hundred forty and three.
30 Men of Ramah and Gaba: six hundred twenty and one.
31 Men of Michmas: a hundred and twenty and two.
32 Men of Bethel and Ai: a hundred twenty and three.
33 Men of the other Nebo: fifty and two.
34 Sons of the other Elam: a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
35 Sons of Harim: three hundred and twenty.
36 Sons of Jericho: three hundred forty and five.
37 Sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: seven hundred and twenty and one.
38 Sons of Senaah: three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39 The priests: sons of Jedaiah: of the house of Jeshua: nine hundred seventy and three;
40 sons of Immer: a thousand fifty and two;
41 sons of Pashur: a thousand two hundred forty and seven;
42 sons of Harim: a thousand and seventeen.
43 The Levites: sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel: of sons of Hodevah: seventy and four.
44 The singers: sons of Asaph: a hundred forty and eight.
45 The gatekeepers: sons of Shallum, sons of Ater, sons of Talmon, sons of Akkub, sons of Hatita, sons of Shobai: a hundred thirty and eight.
46 The Nethinim: sons of Ziha, sons of Hasupha, sons of Tabbaoth,
47 sons of Keros, sons of Sia, sons of Padon,
48 sons of Lebanah, sons of Hagaba, sons of Shalmai,
49 sons of Hanan, sons of Giddel, sons of Gahar,
50 sons of Reaiah, sons of Rezin, sons of Nekoda,
51 sons of Gazzam, sons of Uzza, sons of Phaseah,
52 sons of Bezai, sons of Meunim, sons of Nephishesim,
53 sons of Bakbuk, sons of Hakupha, sons of Harhur,
54 sons of Bazlith, sons of Mehida, sons of Harsha,
55 sons of Barkos, sons of Sisera, sons of Tamah,
56 sons of Neziah, sons of Hatipha.
57 Sons of the servants of Solomon: sons of Sotai, sons of Sophereth, sons of Perida,
58 sons of Jaala, sons of Darkon, sons of Giddel,
59 sons of Shephatiah, sons of Hattil, sons of Pochereth of Zebaim, sons of Amon.
60 All the Nethinim and the sons of the servants of Solomon `are' three hundred ninety and two.
61 And these `are' those coming up from Tel-Melah, Tel-Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer -- and they have not been able to declare the house of their fathers, and their seed, whether they `are' of Israel --
62 sons of Delaiah, sons of Tobiah, sons of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.
63 And of the priests: sons of Habaiah sons of Koz, sons of Barzillai, who hath taken from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite a wife, and is called by their name.
64 These have sought their register among those reckoning themselves by genealogy, and it hath not been found, and they are redeemed from the priesthood,
65 and the Tirshatha saith to them that they eat not of the most holy things till the standing up of the priest with Urim and Thummim.
66 All the assembly together `is' four myriads two thousand three hundred and sixty,
67 apart from their servants and their handmaids -- these `are' seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven; and of them `are' singers and songstresses, two hundred forty and five.
68 Their horses `are' seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred `and' forty and five;
69 camels, four hundred thirty and five; asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
70 And from the extremity of the heads of the fathers they have given to the work; the Tirshatha hath given to the treasure, of gold, drams a thousand, bowls fifty, priests' coats thirty and five hundred.
71 And of the heads of the fathers they have given to the treasure of the work, of gold, drams two myriads, and of silver, pounds two thousand and two hundred.
72 And that which the rest of the people have given `is' of gold, drams two myriads, and of silver, pounds two thousand, and of priests coats, sixty and seven.
73 And they dwell -- the priests, and the Levites, and the gatekeepers, and the singers, and `some' of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel -- in their cities, and the seventh month cometh, and the sons of Israel `are' in their cities.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Nehemiah 7
Commentary on Nehemiah 7 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 7
Ne 7:1-4. Nehemiah Commits the Charge of Jerusalem to Hanani and Hananiah.
2. I gave my brother Hanani … charge over Jerusalem—If, as is commonly supposed, Nehemiah was now contemplating a return to Shushan according to his promise, it was natural that he should wish to entrust the custody of Jerusalem and the management of its civic affairs to men on whose ability, experience, and fidelity, he could confide. Hanani, a near relative (Ne 1:2), was one, and with him was associated, as colleague, Hananiah, "the ruler of the palace"—that is, the marshal or chamberlain of the viceregal court, which Nehemiah had maintained in Jerusalem. The high religious principle, as well as the patriotic spirit of those two men, recommended them as pre-eminently qualified for being invested with an official trust of such peculiar importance.
and feared God above many—The piety of Hananiah is especially mentioned as the ground of his eminent fidelity in the discharge of all his duties and, consequently, the reason of the confidence which Nehemiah reposed in him; for he was fully persuaded that Hananiah's fear of God would preserve him from those temptations to treachery and unfaithfulness which he was likely to encounter on the governor's departure from Jerusalem.
3. Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot, &c.—In the East it is customary to open the gates of a city at sunrise, and to bar them at sunset—a rule which is very rarely, and not except to persons of authority, infringed upon. Nehemiah recommended that the gates of Jerusalem should not be opened so early; a precaution necessary at a time when the enemy was practising all sorts of dangerous stratagems, to ensure that the inhabitants were all astir and enjoyed the benefit of clear broad daylight for observing the suspicious movements of any enemy. The propriety of regularly barring the gates at sunset was, in this instance, accompanied with the appointment of a number of the people to act as sentinels, each mounting guard in front of his own house.
4. Now the city was large and great—The walls being evidently built on the old foundations, the city covered a large extent of surface, as all Oriental towns do, the houses standing apart with gardens and orchards intervening. This extent, in the then state of Jerusalem, was the more observable as the population was comparatively small, and the habitations of the most rude and simple construction—mere wooden sheds or coverings of loose, unmortared stones.
Ne 7:5-38. Genealogy of Those Who Came at the First Out of Babylon.
5. my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, &c.—The arrangement about to be described, though dictated by mere common prudence, is, in accordance with the pious feelings of Nehemiah, ascribed not to his own prudence or reflection, but to the grace of God prompting and directing him. He resolved to prepare a register of the returned exiles, containing an exact record of the family and ancestral abode of every individual. While thus directing his attention, he discovered a register of the first detachment who had come under the care of Zerubbabel. It is transcribed in the following verses, and differs in some few particulars from that given in Ezr 2:1-61. But the discrepancy is sufficiently accounted for from the different circumstances in which the two registers were taken; that of Ezra having been made up at Babylon, while that of Nehemiah was drawn out in Judea, after the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt. The lapse of so many years might well be expected to make a difference appear in the catalogue, through death or other causes; in particular, one person being, according to Jewish custom, called by different names. Thus Hariph (Ne 7:24) is the same as Jorah (Ezr 2:18), Sia (Ne 7:47) the same as Siaha (Ezr 2:44), &c. Besides other purposes to which this genealogy of the nobles, rulers, and people was subservient, one leading object contemplated by it was to ascertain with accuracy the parties to whom the duty legally belonged of ministering at the altar and conducting the various services of the temple. For guiding to exact information in this important point of enquiry, the possession of the old register of Zerubbabel was invaluable.
Ne 7:39-73. Of the Priests.
39. The priests—It appears that only four of the courses of the priests returned from the captivity; and that the course of Abia (Lu 1:5) is not in the list. But it must be noticed that these four courses were afterwards divided into twenty-four, which retained the names of the original courses which David appointed.
70. And some of the chief of the fathers, &c.—With Ne 7:69 the register ends, and the thread of Nehemiah's history is resumed. He was the tirshatha, or governor, and the liberality displayed by him and some of the leading men for the suitable equipment of the ministers of religion, forms the subject of the remaining portion of the chapter. Their donations consisted principally in garments. This would appear a singular description of gifts to be made by any one among us; but, in the East, a present of garments, or of any article of use, is conformable to the prevailing sentiments and customs of society.
drams of gold—that is, darics. A daric was a gold coin of ancient Persia, worth £1 5s.
71. pound of silver—that is, mina (sixty shekels, or £9).
73. So … all Israel, dwelt in their cities—The utility of these genealogical registers was thus found in guiding to a knowledge of the cities and localities in each tribe to which every family anciently belonged.