6 These are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one to his city;
7 those who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
8 The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two.
9 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two.
10 The children of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two.
11 The children of Pahath-Moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen.
12 The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four.
13 The children of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five.
14 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty.
15 The children of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight.
16 The children of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight.
17 The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two.
18 The children of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven.
19 The children of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven.
20 The children of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five.
21 The children of Ater of [the family of] Hezekiah, ninety-eight.
22 The children of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight.
23 The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four.
24 The children of Hariph, a hundred and twelve.
25 The children of Gibeon, ninety-five.
26 The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, a hundred and eighty-eight.
27 The men of Anathoth, a hundred and twenty-eight.
28 The men of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two.
29 The men of Kirjath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three.
30 The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one.
31 The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty-two.
32 The men of Bethel and Ai, a hundred and twenty-three.
33 The men of the other Nebo, fifty-two.
34 The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four.
35 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
36 The children of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five.
37 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one.
38 The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39 The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three.
40 The children of Immer, a thousand and fifty-two.
41 The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred and forty-seven.
42 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.
43 The Levites: the children of Jeshua [and] of Kadmiel, of the children of Hodvah, seventy-four.
44 The singers: the children of Asaph, a hundred and forty-eight.
45 The doorkeepers: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, a hundred and thirty-eight.
46 The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
47 the children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,
48 the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Salmai,
49 the children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,
50 the children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,
51 the children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,
52 the children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim,
53 the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
54 the children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
55 the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah,
56 the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
57 The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,
58 the children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
59 the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth-Hazzebaim, the children of Amon.
60 All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants, three hundred and ninety-two.
61 And these are they that went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub-Addon and Immer; but they could not shew their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.
62 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobijah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two.
63 And of the priests: the children of Hobaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called after their name.
64 These sought their genealogical register, but it was not found; therefore were they, as polluted, removed from the priesthood.
65 And the Tirshatha said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up the priest with Urim and Thummim.
66 The whole congregation together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,
67 besides their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five singing-men and singing-women.
68 Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six; their mules, two hundred and forty-five;
69 the camels, four hundred and thirty-five; the asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
70 And some of the chief fathers gave to the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand darics of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests' coats.
71 And [some] of the chief fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand two hundred pounds of silver.
72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand pounds of silver, and sixty-seven priests' coats.
73 And the priests, and the Levites, and the doorkeepers, and the singers, and [some] of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities. And when the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in their cities,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Nehemiah 7
Commentary on Nehemiah 7 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
II. Nehemiah's Further Exertions in Behalf of the Community - Nehemiah 7:1
The building of the wall being now concluded, Nehemiah first made arrangements for securing the city against hostile attacks (Nehemiah 7:1-3); then took measures to increase the inhabitants of Jerusalem (7:4-73 and Nehemiah 11:1 and Nehemiah 11:2); and finally endeavoured to fashion domestic and civil life according to the precepts of the law (Neh 8-10), and, on the occasion of the solemn dedication of the wall, to set in order the services of the Levites (Neh 12).
Nehemiah 7:1-2
The watching of the city provided for . - Nehemiah 7:1 When the wall was built, Nehemiah set up the doors in the gates, to complete the fortification of Jerusalem (comp. Nehemiah 6:1). Then were the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites entrusted with the care ( הפּקד , praefici ; comp. Nehemiah 12:14). The care of watching the walls and gates is meant in this connection. According to ancient appointment, it was the duty of the doorkeepers to keep watch over the house of God, and to open and close the gates of the temple courts; comp. 1 Chronicles 9:17-19; 1 Chronicles 26:12-19. The singers and the Levites appointed to assist the priests, on the contrary, had, in ordinary times, nothing to do with the service of watching. Under the present extraordinary circumstances, however, Nehemiah committed also to these two organized corporations the task of keeping watch over the walls and gates of the city, and placed them under the command of his brother Hanani, and of Hananiah the ruler of the citadel. This is expressed by the words, Nehemiah 7:2 : I gave Hanani ... and Hananiah ... charge over Jerusalem. הבּירה is the fortress or citadel of the city lying to the north of the temple (see rem. on Nehemiah 2:8), in which was probably located the royal garrison, the commander of which was in the service of the Persian king. The choice of this man for so important a charge is explained by the additional clause: “for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.” The כּ before אישׁ is the so-called Caph veritatis , which expresses a comparison with the idea of the matter: like a man whom one may truly call faithful. מרבּים is comparative: more God-fearing than many.
Nehemiah 7:3
The Chethiv ויאמר is both here and Nehemiah 5:9 certainly a clerical error for the Keri ואמר , though in this place, at all events, we might read ויּאמר , it was said to them. “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened till the sun be hot; and while they (the watch) are yet at their posts, they are to shut the doors and lock them; and ye shall appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some to be at their watch-posts, others before their house.” יגיפוּ in Hebrew is used only here, though more frequently in the Talmud, of closing the doors. אחז , to make fast, i.e., to lock, as more frequently in Syriac. The infin. absol . העמיד instead of the temp. fin . is emphatic: and you are to appoint. The sense is: the gates are to be occupied before daybreak by the Levites (singers and other Levites) appointed to guard them, and not opened till the sun is hot and the watch already at their posts, and to be closed in the evening before the departure of the watch. After the closing of the gates, i.e., during the night, the inhabitants of Jerusalem are to keep watch for the purpose of defending the city from any kind of attack, a part occupying the posts, and the other part watching before their (each before his own) house, so as to be at hand to defend the city.
Nehemiah 7:4
The measures taken by Nehemiah for increasing the number of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. - Nehemiah 7:4 The city was spacious and great, and the people few therein, and houses were not built. ידים רחבת , broads on both sides, that is, regarded from the centre towards either the right or left hand. The last clause does not say that there were no houses at all, for the city had been re-inhabited for ninety years; but only that houses had not been built in proportion to the size of the city, that there was still much unoccupied space on which houses might be built.
And God put into my heart, i.e., God inspired me with the resolution; comp. Nehemiah 2:12. What resolution, is declared by the sentences following, which detail its execution. The resolution to gather together the nobles and rulers of the people for the purpose of making a list of their kinsmen, and thus to obtain a basis for the operations contemplated for increasing the inhabitants of Jerusalem. והסּגנים החרים are combined, as in Nehemiah 2:16. On התיחשׂ , comp. 1 Chronicles 5:17.
While this resolve was under consideration, Nehemiah found the register, i.e., the genealogical registry, of those who came up at first (from Babylon). בּראשׁונה , at the beginning, i.e., with Zerubbabel and Joshua under Cyrus (Ezra 2), and not subsequently with Ezra (Ezra 7). “And I found written therein.” These words introduce the list now given. This list, vv. 6-73 a , is identical with that in Ezra 2, and has been already discussed in our remarks on that chapter.