45 The porters: H7778 the children H1121 of Shallum, H7967 the children H1121 of Ater, H333 the children H1121 of Talmon, H2929 the children H1121 of Akkub, H6126 the children H1121 of Hatita, H2410 the children H1121 of Shobai, H7630 an hundred H3967 thirty H7970 and eight. H8083
Concerning the divisions H4256 of the porters: H7778 Of the Korhites H7145 was Meshelemiah H4920 the son H1121 of Kore, H6981 of the sons H1121 of Asaph. H623 And the sons H1121 of Meshelemiah H4920 were, Zechariah H2148 the firstborn, H1060 Jediael H3043 the second, H8145 Zebadiah H2069 the third, H7992 Jathniel H3496 the fourth, H7243 Elam H5867 the fifth, H2549 Jehohanan H3076 the sixth, H8345 Elioenai H454 the seventh. H7637 Moreover the sons H1121 of Obededom H5654 were, Shemaiah H8098 the firstborn, H1060 Jehozabad H3075 the second, H8145 Joah H3098 the third, H7992 and Sacar H7940 the fourth, H7243 and Nethaneel H5417 the fifth, H2549 Ammiel H5988 the sixth, H8345 Issachar H3485 the seventh, H7637 Peulthai H6469 the eighth: H8066 for God H430 blessed H1288 him. Also unto Shemaiah H8098 his son H1121 were sons H1121 born, H3205 that ruled H4474 throughout the house H1004 of their father: H1 for they were mighty men H1368 of valour. H2428 The sons H1121 of Shemaiah; H8098 Othni, H6273 and Rephael, H7501 and Obed, H5744 Elzabad, H443 whose brethren H251 were strong H2428 men, H1121 Elihu, H453 and Semachiah. H5565 All these of the sons H1121 of Obededom: H5654 they and their sons H1121 and their brethren, H251 able H2428 men H376 for strength H3581 for the service, H5656 were threescore H8346 and two H8147 of Obededom. H5654 And Meshelemiah H4920 had sons H1121 and brethren, H251 strong H2428 men, H1121 eighteen. H8083 H6240 Also Hosah, H2621 of the children H1121 of Merari, H4847 had sons; H1121 Simri H8113 the chief, H7218 (for though he was not the firstborn, H1060 yet his father H1 made H7760 him the chief;) H7218 Hilkiah H2518 the second, H8145 Tebaliah H2882 the third, H7992 Zechariah H2148 the fourth: H7243 all the sons H1121 and brethren H251 of Hosah H2621 were thirteen. H7969 H6240 Among these were the divisions H4256 of the porters, H7778 even among the chief H7218 men, H1397 having wards H4931 one against H5980 another, H251 to minister H8334 in the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 And they cast H5307 lots, H1486 as well the small H6996 as the great, H1419 according to the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 for every gate. H8179 And the lot H1486 eastward H4217 fell H5307 to Shelemiah. H8018 Then for Zechariah H2148 his son, H1121 a wise H7922 counsellor, H3289 they cast H5307 lots; H1486 and his lot H1486 came out H3318 northward. H6828 To Obededom H5654 southward; H5045 and to his sons H1121 the house H1004 of Asuppim. H624 To Shuppim H8206 and Hosah H2621 the lot came forth westward, H4628 with the gate H8179 Shallecheth, H7996 by the causeway H4546 of the going up, H5927 ward H4929 against H5980 ward. H4929 Eastward H4217 were six H8337 Levites, H3881 northward H6828 four H702 a day, H3117 southward H5045 four H702 a day, H3117 and toward Asuppim H624 two H8147 and two. H8147 At Parbar H6503 westward, H4628 four H702 at the causeway, H4546 and two H8147 at Parbar. H6503 These are the divisions H4256 of the porters H7778 among the sons H1121 of Kore, H7145 and among the sons H1121 of Merari. H4847 And of the Levites, H3881 Ahijah H281 was over the treasures H214 of the house H1004 of God, H430 and over the treasures H214 of the dedicated things. H6944 As concerning the sons H1121 of Laadan; H3936 the sons H1121 of the Gershonite H1649 Laadan, H3936 chief H7218 fathers, H1 even of Laadan H3936 the Gershonite, H1649 were Jehieli. H3172 The sons H1121 of Jehieli; H3172 Zetham, H2241 and Joel H3100 his brother, H251 which were over the treasures H214 of the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 Of the Amramites, H6020 and the Izharites, H3325 the Hebronites, H2276 and the Uzzielites: H5817 And Shebuel H7619 the son H1121 of Gershom, H1647 the son H1121 of Moses, H4872 was ruler H5057 of the treasures. H214 And his brethren H251 by Eliezer; H461 Rehabiah H7345 his son, H1121 and Jeshaiah H3470 his son, H1121 and Joram H3141 his son, H1121 and Zichri H2147 his son, H1121 and Shelomith H8019 H8013 his son. H1121 Which Shelomith H8013 and his brethren H251 were over all the treasures H214 of the dedicated things, H6944 which David H1732 the king, H4428 and the chief H7218 fathers, H1 the captains H8269 over thousands H505 and hundreds, H3967 and the captains H8269 of the host, H6635 had dedicated. H6942 Out of the spoils H7998 won in battles H4421 did they dedicate H6942 to maintain H2388 the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 And all that Samuel H8050 the seer, H7200 and Saul H7586 the son H1121 of Kish, H7027 and Abner H74 the son H1121 of Ner, H5369 and Joab H3097 the son H1121 of Zeruiah, H6870 had dedicated; H6942 and whosoever had dedicated H6942 any thing, it was under the hand H3027 of Shelomith, H8019 and of his brethren. H251 Of the Izharites, H3325 Chenaniah H3663 and his sons H1121 were for the outward H2435 business H4399 over Israel, H3478 for officers H7860 and judges. H8199 And of the Hebronites, H2276 Hashabiah H2811 and his brethren, H251 men H1121 of valour, H2428 a thousand H505 and seven H7651 hundred, H3967 were officers H6486 among them of Israel H3478 on this side H5676 Jordan H3383 westward H4628 in all the business H4399 of the LORD, H3068 and in the service H5656 of the king. H4428 Among the Hebronites H2276 was Jerijah H3404 the chief, H7218 even among the Hebronites, H2276 according to the generations H8435 of his fathers. H1 In the fortieth H705 year H8141 of the reign H4438 of David H1732 they were sought H1875 for, and there were found H4672 among them mighty men H1368 of valour H2428 at Jazer H3270 of Gilead. H1568 And his brethren, H251 men H1121 of valour, H2428 were two thousand H505 and seven H7651 hundred H3967 chief H7218 fathers, H1 whom king H4428 David H1732 made rulers H6485 over the Reubenites, H7206 the Gadites, H1425 and the half H2677 tribe H7626 of Manasseh, H4520 for every matter H1697 pertaining to God, H430 and affairs H1697 of the king. H4428
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.