Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7

73 verses · History · Old Testament

1Now when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, 2I put my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the fortress, 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 listed by genealogy. I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found this written in it:

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 twenty-two. 32The men of Bethel and Ai: one 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 gatekeepers: 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 temple servants: 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, and 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, and the children of Amon. 60All the temple servants 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 they were deemed disqualified and removed from the priesthood. 65The governor told that they should not eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up to minister with Urim and Thummim.

66The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty, 67in addition to their male servants and their female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven. 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, plus two thousand minas of silver, and sixty-seven priests’ garments.

73So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel, lived in their cities.

When the seventh month had come, the children of Israel were in their cities.

Commentary

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What others are saying

5 commentators · 36 notes on this chapter

Matthew HenryEnglish Puritan / Nonconformist · 1708–17142

Writes as a pastor rather than a critic. Expect devotional and practical application over historical or linguistic analysis, read through a Reformed covenantal frame — and expect the Old Testament to be read forward toward Christ throughout.

Why this voice is here: The most widely read English commentary for three centuries. Included as a baseline: where Henry and a modern voice diverge, the divergence itself is usually the interesting part.

v. 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…

v. 5–73

We have here another good project of Nehemiah's; for wise and zealous men will be always contriving something or other for the glory of God and the edification of his church. He knew very well that the safety of a city, under God, depends more upon the number…

John GillParticular Baptist / High Calvinist · 1746–176310

The most exhaustive and the most doctrinally committed here. Expect high — even supralapsarian — Calvinism applied consistently, and unusually heavy use of rabbinic and Talmudic sources for Jewish context. Where a passage bears on election or the will, Gill will read it in one direction, and knowing that in advance is the point.

Why this voice is here: The strongest Calvinist reading available in the public domain, and the best on Jewish background. Read alongside Clarke, not instead of him — between them you get both sides of the argument.

v. 1

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, Nehemiah 6:1, and the porters and the singers, and the Levites were appointed; not to attend the doors of the…

v. 2

That I gave my brother Hanani,.... Who first brought him the melancholy account of the state of Jerusalem, Nehemiah 1:2, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace; the king's palace, in which the viceroy of the king of Persia dwelt, and now Nehemiah; to these two…

v. 3

And I said unto them, let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot,.... Or until the heat of the day, or near noon; at least not till the sun had been up some time, and shone out clearly, and caused much heat; that if any enemies were near…

Adam ClarkeMethodist / Wesleyan-Arminian · 1810–182615

The linguist of this set. Expect Hebrew and Greek word study, oriental custom, and geography — and an Arminian reading of grace and free will where Gill or Henry would read election. Note one real divergence: Clarke denied the eternal sonship of Christ, a position most of the tradition rejects, so read him closely on the person of Christ.

Why this voice is here: Where you want to know what a word actually says, Clarke is the one who will tell you — with the caveat above on Christ’s sonship.

v. 2

My brother Hanani - This was the person who gave Nehemiah the account of the desolate state of the Jews, Neh 1:2. He is now made ruler of Jerusalem, probably because Nehemiah was about to return to the Persian court. And he found this man to be one in whom he…

v. 3

Until the sun be hot - The meaning of this is, the gates were not to be opened before sunrise, and always shut at sunset. This is the custom to the present day in many of the cities of the East if a traveler arrives after sunset, he finds the gates shut; and…

v. 4

The houses were not builded - The city was not yet rebuilt, only a row of houses in the inside of the wall all round.

Keil & DelitzschGerman Lutheran, conservative-critical · 1861–18752

The technical one, and Old Testament only. Expect Hebrew grammar, textual argument, and direct engagement with nineteenth-century critical scholarship — closer to a scholarly apparatus than a devotional read. Where a modern critic claims a text is late or composite, this is where the conservative counter-argument was made.

Why this voice is here: Old Testament only, and heavy going — but the place to look when someone asserts a passage cannot mean what it appears to.

v. 1–4

Neh 7:1-2 The watching of the city provided for. - Neh 7:1 When the wall was built, Nehemiah set up the doors in the gates, to complete the fortification of Jerusalem (comp. Neh 6:1). Then were the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites entrusted with the…

v. 5–73

And God put into my heart, i.e., God inspired me with the resolution; comp. Neh 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…

Jamieson, Fausset & BrownScottish Presbyterian / Reformed · 18717

The concise option. Three authors split the canon, so the voice shifts between sections. Expect brief, sober, conservative notes that resolve difficulties rather than dwelling on them — useful for orientation, thinner than Gill or Clarke where a passage is genuinely contested.

Why this voice is here: The quickest way to see what the mainstream Reformed reading of a passage is. Start here, then go to Gill or Clarke when it matters.

v. 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…

v. 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…

v. 5–38

GENEALOGY OF THOSE WHO CAME AT THE FIRST OUT OF BABYLON. (Neh. 7:5-38) 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…

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