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Nehemiah 7

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Administration and Security Established 1–4

1
Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, ​
2
that I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the castle, charge over Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many. ​
3
And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand on guard, let them shut the doors, and bar ye them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house. ​
4
Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded. ​

The Register Found: Families Who Returned 5–25

5
And my God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of them that came up at the first, and I found written therein: ​
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 that returned unto Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city; ​
7
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 a hundred and seventy and two.
9
The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.
10
The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.
11
The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundredandeighteen.
12
The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
13
The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.
14
The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.
15
The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight.
16
The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight.
17
The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.
18
The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.
19
The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven.
20
The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five.
21
The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.
22
The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.
23
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.
24
The children of Hariph, a hundred and twelve.
25
The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.

Men of the Towns Who Returned 26–38

26
The men of Beth-lehem and Netophah, a hundred fourscore and eight.
27
The men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty and eight.
28
The men of Beth-azmaveth, forty and two.
29
The men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and three.
30
The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.
31
The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty and two.
32
The men of Beth-el and Ai, a hundred twenty and three.
33
The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two.
34
The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
35
The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
36
The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.
37
The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one.
38
The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

Priests, Levites, and Temple Servants 39–60

39
The priests: The children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three. ​
40
The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.
41
The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
42
The children of Harim, a thousandandseventeen.
43
The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four. ​
44
The singers: the children of Asaph, a hundred forty and eight.
45
The 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, a hundred thirty and 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 Paseah.
52
The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephushesim,
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 Temah,
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, were three hundred ninety and two.

Those with Disputed Heritage 61–65

61
And these were they that went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel: ​
62
The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.
63
And of 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.
64
These sought their registeramongthose that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they deemed polluted and put from the priesthood. ​
65
And the governor said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim. ​

Summary of the Population and Wealth 66–73

66
The whole assembly together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, ​
67
besides their men-servants and their maid-servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.
68
Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;
69
their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
70
And some from among the heads of fathers’ houses gave unto the work. The governor gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, five hundred and thirty priests’ garments. ​
71
And some of the heads of fathers’ houses gave into the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand and 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 threescore and seven priests’ garments.
73
So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities. And when the seventh month was come, the children of Israel were in their cities. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Nehemiah 7

Verse 1

the porters and the singers and the Levites — The porters (sho'er, doorkeepers) 'keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates' (Neh 12:25), and with the singers they 'kept the ward of their God' (Neh 12:45). With the doors set up, they are appointed (paqad, to charge or muster), as Hezekiah had set the priests and Levites 'to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise' (2 Chr 31:2).

Verse 2

feared God above many — Hananiah's post, 'ruler of the palace' (birah, the fortress, the word for Shushan the palace in Neh 1:1), is given for his character. 'Faithful' is emeth, truth, and 'men of truth' who 'fear God' are the rulers described in Ex 18:21. Hanani, the brother of Nehemiah, is the man who brought the report of Jerusalem (Neh 1:2).

Verse 3

until the sun be hot — The gates stay shut through the early morning, and each household takes its watch 'over against his house', the same arrangement as in the wall-building (Neh 3:28). The watch is a man's task, yet 'Except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain' (Ps 127:1).

Verse 4

large and great — 'Large' is literally 'wide of hands' (rachab with yad), the phrase of Gen 34:21, 'the land, behold, it is large enough for them'. The wall encloses far more ground than the 'few' people (me'at) can fill, and 'the houses were not builded'. The reckoning of families that follows is the first answer, and the lots of Neh 11:1 carry it out.

Verse 5

my God put into mine heart — The same phrase opens the wall itself, 'what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem' (Neh 2:12). Here the thought is to reckon the people 'by genealogy' (yachas), and the register he finds (sepher, a book) is the list of Ezra 2. The porters had been 'reckoned by their genealogy' under David (1 Chr 9:22).

Verse 6

the children of the province — Medinah is a district under a king's rule. The opening matches Ezra 2:1: those who 'went up out of the captivity', carried away by Nebuchadnezzar, 'came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city'. Nehemiah reproduces the register he found, so the names are those of the first return.

Verse 7

Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah — The Nehemiah named here came up with Zerubbabel and is a different man from the governor who writes this book (Neh 1:1). Ezra 2:2 gives the same company with some spellings changed (Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mispar, Rehum for Azariah, Raamiah, Mispereth, Nehum) and without Nahamani, so Nehemiah's copy names one more leader.

Verse 39

the children of Jedaiah — The first of four priestly families (vv.39–42), together 4,289: 973, 1,052, 1,247 and 1,017. Jedaiah's house had drawn the second lot among the priests' courses in David's day (1 Chr 24:7). Descent from Aaron was what these lists were kept to prove, as the cases of vv.63–64 show.

Verse 43

The Levites — Seventy-four Levites stand against 4,289 priests. When Ezra gathered the returning company at the river Ahava, he 'found there none of the sons of Levi' (Ezra 8:15) and sent to Iddo at Casiphia for ministers (Ezra 8:17). With the singers (v.44, 148) and the porters (v.45, 138), the Levitical families here total 360.

Verse 46

The Nethinims — Nathin means 'given', from nathan, to give. The word occurs only in 1 Chr 9:2, Ezra and Nehemiah. They are those 'whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites' (Ezra 8:20). With Solomon's servants (v.57) they number 392 (v.60).

Verse 57

Solomon's servants — A second class of helpers in the house of God, counted with the Nethinims at 392 (v.60). Solomon put a 'tribute of bondservice' on the people left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (1 Kgs 9:20–21), though the text does not say these families descend from them. Ezra 2:55 gives the same line with 'Peruda' for 'Perida'.

Verse 61

they could not shew their father's house — Families came up from Telmelah, Telharesha, Cherub, Addon and Immer, and the proof of their descent was a recorded 'father's house' and 'seed' (zera). Without it, whether they 'were of Israel' stayed open. Verse 62 names three families, Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda, 642 in all, and the priests' case follows in vv.63–64.

Verse 64

polluted, put from the priesthood — These priests sought their names among those 'reckoned by genealogy' and found none. 'All the males among the priests shall eat' of the most holy portions (Lev 6:29), so lost proof of descent shut them out. 'Polluted' is ga'al, defiled, the word for the 'polluted bread' of Mal 1:7.

Verse 65

the Tirshatha — The title of the governor, here and in Ezra 2:63, where the verse is the same apart from a repeated 'with'. Neh 8:9 gives it to Nehemiah. The disputed priests are held back from 'the most holy things' until 'a priest with Urim and Thummim' stands, those worn in the breastplate on Aaron's heart (Ex 28:30) and used to ask counsel (Num 27:21).

Verse 66

forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore — The total of 42,360 is the figure of Ezra 2:64, word for word. It leaves out the 7,337 servants and 245 singing men and women of v.67. 'Together' is echad, one: the congregation (qahal) is counted as one body, and it gathers 'as one man' in Neh 8:1.

Verse 70

a thousand drams of gold — The darkemon is a gold coin, named only here and in Ezra 2:69. The governor gives a thousand to the treasure, with fifty basons (mizraq, bowls for sprinkling, as 'an hundred basons of gold' in 2 Chr 4:8) and 530 priests' garments, the 'coats' (kuthoneth) made for Aaron's sons (Ex 28:40). The chiefs and the people give more in vv.71–72.

Verse 73

when the seventh month came — Ezra 3:1 follows the same list in nearly the same words, 'the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities'. Here the month leads into the gathering at the water gate on 'the first day of the seventh month' (Neh 8:1–2), when the law is read. Priests, Levites, porters, singers, Nethinims and the people are all settled 'in their cities'.