And the residue of Israel, of the priests and the Levites ,..... All of them, besides those that dwelt at Jerusalem: were in all the cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance ; the Israelites in the cities, houses, and estates enjoyed by their ancestors, and the priests and Levites in the cities given out of the several tribes. read more
But the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel ,.... An high place or tower on the wall of Jerusalem, see 2 Chronicles 27:3 , and Ziha, and Gispa, were over the Nethinims ; had the oversight of them, and took care that they did their work; they were such themselves, but the principal of them, see Ezra 2:43 . read more
The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi, the son of Bani ,.... He was the supervisor of them, that looked after them that they did their work in ministering to the priests, as they had occasion for them; this man's genealogy is further traced through Hashabiah and Mattaniah, to Micha the son of Asaph, Nehemiah 11:17 , of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God ; which, according to Jarchi, was to take care of the repairs of the temple... read more
For it was the king's commandment concerning them ,.... Either of King David as some, see Nehemiah 12:24 or rather of the king of Persia: that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day ; he settled a daily salary for them, to be paid out of his treasury; having perhaps a peculiar respect for such sort of men, being a lover of music, by means of which they had a settled habitation in Jerusalem. read more
And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah, the son of Judah ,.... The twin brother of Pharez, Genesis 38:30 was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people ; to speak for them to the king, as Jarchi; when they had a favour to ask of him, a petition to present to him, he delivered it for them, and by him the king returned the answer. read more
And for the villages, with their fields ,.... The cities and villages in the country, an account of the inhabitants of them next follows: some of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjatharba, and in the villages thereof ; the same with Hebron, Joshua 15:54 and at Dibon ; the same with Dimonah, Joshua 15:22 and at Jekabzeel, and in the villages thereof ; the same with Kabzeel, one of the uttermost cities of the tribe of Judah southward, Joshua 15:21 , of which city was... read more
The children also of Benjamin, from Geba, dwelt at Michmash ,.... Geba was a city on the southern border of Benjamin, Joshua 18:24 and Michmash on the northern, of which see 1 Samuel 13:2 in this and the four following verses are the names of several cities in the tribe of Benjamin, inhabited by the men of that tribe, as Alia, the same with Ai, that lay on the east of Bethel, here also mentioned, see Joshua 7:2 Anathoth, the birth place of Jeremiah the prophet, Jeremiah 1:1 . Nob, a... read more
And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin. They were scattered about, some here and some there, in both these tribes, for the better instruction of the people. read more
The overseer also of the Levites - פקיד pekid , the visitant, the inspector; translated επισκοπος , bishop, both by the Septuagint and Vulgate. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Nehemiah 11:20-36
Having given an account of the principal persons that dwelt in Jerusalem (a larger account of whom he had before, 1 Chron. 9:2-34), Nehemiah, in these verses, gives us some account of the other cities, in which dwelt the residue of Israel, Neh. 11:20. It was requisite that Jerusalem should be replenished, yet not so as to drain the country. The king himself is served of the field, which will do little service if there be not hands to manage it. Let there therefore be no strife, no envy, no... read more