46 The Nethinims: H5411 the children H1121 of Ziha, H6727 the children H1121 of Hashupha, H2817 the children H1121 of Tabbaoth, H2884
Speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, When a man H376 shall make a singular H6381 vow, H5088 the persons H5315 shall be for the LORD H3068 by thy estimation. H6187 And thy estimation H6187 shall be of the male H2145 from twenty H6242 years H8141 old H1121 even unto sixty H8346 years H8141 old, H1121 even thy estimation H6187 shall be fifty H2572 shekels H8255 of silver, H3701 after the shekel H8255 of the sanctuary. H6944 And if it be a female, H5347 then thy estimation H6187 shall be thirty H7970 shekels. H8255 And if it be from five H2568 years H8141 old H1121 even unto twenty H6242 years H8141 old, H1121 then thy estimation H6187 shall be of the male H2145 twenty H6242 shekels, H8255 and for the female H5347 ten H6235 shekels. H8255 And if it be from a month H2320 old H1121 even unto five H2568 years H8141 old, H1121 then thy estimation H6187 shall be of the male H2145 five H2568 shekels H8255 of silver, H3701 and for the female H5347 thy estimation H6187 shall be three H7969 shekels H8255 of silver. H3701 And if it be from sixty H8346 years H8141 old H1121 and above; H4605 if it be a male, H2145 then thy estimation H6187 shall be fifteen H2568 H6240 shekels, H8255 and for the female H5347 ten H6235 shekels. H8255 But if he be poorer H4134 than thy estimation, H6187 then he shall present H5975 himself before H6440 the priest, H3548 and the priest H3548 shall value H6186 him; according to H6310 his ability H3027 H5381 that vowed H5087 shall the priest H3548 value H6186 him.
Now therefore ye are cursed, H779 and there shall none of you be freed H3772 from being bondmen, H5650 and hewers H2404 of wood H6086 and drawers H7579 of water H4325 for the house H1004 of my God. H430 And they answered H6030 Joshua, H3091 and said, H559 Because it was certainly H5046 told H5046 thy servants, H5650 how that the LORD H3068 thy God H430 commanded H6680 his servant H5650 Moses H4872 to give H5414 you all the land, H776 and to destroy H8045 all the inhabitants H3427 of the land H776 from before H6440 you, therefore we were sore H3966 afraid H3372 of our lives H5315 because H6440 of you, and have done H6213 this thing. H1697 And now, behold, we H2009 are in thine hand: H3027 as it seemeth H5869 good H2896 and right H3477 unto thee to do H6213 unto us, do. H6213 And so did H6213 he unto them, and delivered H5337 them out of the hand H3027 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 that they slew H2026 them not. And Joshua H3091 made H5414 them that day H3117 hewers H2404 of wood H6086 and drawers H7579 of water H4325 for the congregation, H5712 and for the altar H4196 of the LORD, H3068 even unto this day, H3117 in the place H4725 which he should choose. H977
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.