Nehemiah 7

ENGWEBEnglish73 verses

1Now when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,

2I put my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the castle, in charge of Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.

3I said to them, “Don’t let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut the doors, and you bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, everyone in his watch, with everyone near his house.”

4Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built.

5My God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written therein:

6These are the children of the province, who went up out of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, everyone to his city;

7who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

8The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy-two.

9The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy-two.

10The children of Arah, six hundred fifty-two.

11The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred eighteen.

12The children of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.

13The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty-five.

14The children of Zaccai, seven hundred sixty.

15The children of Binnui, six hundred forty-eight.

16The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty-eight.

17The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty-two.

18The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-seven.

19The children of Bigvai, two thousand sixty-seven.

20The children of Adin, six hundred fifty-five.

21The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety-eight.

22The children of Hashum, three hundred Twenty-eight.

23The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty-four.

24The children of Hariph, one hundred twelve.

25The children of Gibeon, ninety-five.

26The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred eighty-eight.

27The men of Anathoth, one hundred twenty-eight.

28The men of Beth Azmaveth, forty-two.

29The men of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty-three.

30The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty-one.

31The men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two.

32The men of Bethel and Ai, a hundred twenty-three.

33The men of the other Nebo, fifty-two.

34The children of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.

35The children of Harim, three hundred twenty.

36The children of Jericho, three hundred forty-five.

37The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-one.

38The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred thirty.

39The priests: The children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy-three.

40The children of Immer, one thousand fifty-two.

41The children of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven.

42The children of Harim, one thousand seventeen.

43The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the children of Hodevah, seventy-four.

44The singers: the children of Asaph, one hundred forty-eight.

45The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, one hundred thirty-eight.

46The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

47the children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,

48the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Salmai,

49the children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,

50the children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,

51the children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah.

52The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephushesim,

53the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

54the children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

55the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah,

56the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

57The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,

58the children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

59the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth Hazzebaim, the children of Amon.

60All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred ninety-two.

61These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses, nor their offspring, whether they were of Israel:

62The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty-two.

63Of the priests: the children of Hobaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name.

64These searched for their genealogical records, but couldn’t find them. Therefore were they deemed polluted and put from the priesthood.

65The governor said to them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, until there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.

66The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty,

67besides their male servants and their female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven: and they had two hundred forty-five singing men and singing women.

68Their horses were seven hundred thirty-six; their mules, two hundred forty-five;

69their camels, four hundred thirty-five; their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred twenty.

70Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury one thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred thirty priests’ garments.

71Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand two hundred minas of silver.

72That which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand minas of silver, and sixty-seven priests’ garments.

73So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel, lived in their cities. When the seventh month had come, the children of Israel were in their cities.

Commentary

Chapter 7 The success of one good design for God and our generation should encourage us to proceed and form some other; Nehemiah did so, having fortified Jerusalem with gates and walls, his next care is, I. To see the city well kept (v. 1-4). II. To see it well peopled, in order to which he here reviews and calls over the register of the children of the captivity, the families that returned at first, and records it (v. 5–73). It is the same, in effect, with that which we had, Ezra 2. What use he made of it we shall find afterwards, when he brought one of ten to live in Jerusalem, 11:1.Verses 1-4 God saith concerning his church (Isa. 62:6), I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem! This is Nehemiah’s care here; for dead walls, without living watchmen, are but a poor defence to a city.I. He appointed the porters, singers, and Levites, in their places to their work. This is meant of their work in general, which was to attend the temple service; it had been neglected in some degree, but now was revived. God’s worship is the defence of a place, and his ministers, when they mind their duty, are watchmen on the walls. Or, in particular, he ordered them to be ready against the wall was to be dedicated, that they might perform that service in an orderly and solemn manner; and the dedication of it was its strength. That is likely to be beneficial to us which is devoted to God.II. He appointed two governors or consuls, to whom he committed the care of the city, and gave them in charge to provide for the public peace and safety. Hanani, his brother, who came to him with the tidings of the desolations of Jerusalem, was one, a man of approved integrity and affection to his country; the other was Hananiah, who had been ruler of the palace: for he that has approved himself faithful in less shall be entrusted with more. Of this Hananiah it is said that he was a faithful man and one that feared God above many, v. 2. Note, 1. Among those who fear God truly there are some who fear him greatly, and excel others in the expressions and instances of that fear; and they are worthy a double portion of that honour which is due to those that fear the Lord, Ps. 15:4. There were many in Jerusalem that feared God, but this good man was more eminent for religion and serious godliness than any. 2. Those that fear God must evidence it by their being faithful to all men and universally conscientious. 3. God’s Jerusalem is then likely to flourish when those rule in it, and have charge of it, who excel in virtue, and are eminent both for godliness and honesty. It is supposed, by some, that Nehemiah was now about to return to the Persian court to have his commission renewed, and that he left these two worthy men in charge with the affairs of the city in his absence. Good governors, when and where they cannot act themselves, must be very careful whom they depute.III. He gave orders about the shutting of the gates and the guarding of the walls, v. 3, 4. See here, 1. What the present state of Jerusalem was. The city, in compass, was large and great. The walls enclosed the same ground as formerly; but much of it lay waste, for the houses were not built, few at least in comparison with what had been; so that Nehemiah walled the city in faith, and with an eye to that promise of the replenishing of it which God had lately made by the prophet, Zec. 8:3, etc. Though the people were now few, he believed they would be multiplied, and therefore built the walls so as to make room for them; had he not depended upon this he might have thought walls without a city as great a reproach as a city without walls. 2. What was the care of Nehemiah for it. He ordered the rulers of the city themselves, (1.) To stand by, and see the city-gates shut up and barred every night; for in vain had they a wall if they were careless of their gates. (2.) To take care that they should not be opened in the morning till they could see that all was clear and quiet. (3.) To set sentinels upon the walls, or elsewhere, at convenient distances, who should, in case of the approach of the enemy, give timely notice to the city of the danger; and, as it came to their turn to watch, they must post themselves over against their own houses, because of them, it might be presumed, they would be in a particular manner careful. The public safety depends upon every one’s particular care to guard himself and his own family against sin, that common enemy. It is every one’s interest to watch, but many understand not their own interest; it is therefore incumbent upon magistrates to appoint watches. And as this people had lately found God with them in their building (else they would have built in vain), so now that the wall was built, no doubt, they were made sensible that except the Lord kept the city the watchman waked but in vain, Ps. 127:1.

7:1-4 Nehemiah, having finished the wall, returned to the Persian court, and came to Jerusalem again with a new commission. The public safety depends on every one's care to guard himself and his family against sin.

Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors,.... Which was not done when Sanballat sent his first letter, but now was, Ne 6:1,

and the porters and the singers, and the Levites were appointed; not to attend the doors of the gates of the wall, but to return to their service in the temple, who had been employed in one thing or another, while the wall and gates were building and repairing; see Ne 3:17.

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.

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