And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief of the Levites ,.... Along with Shemaiah; these had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God : who had the care of the repairs of the temple, and of getting in the wood for the altar, as Jarchi, and collecting the third part of the shekel, to purchase things with for the use of the temple. read more
And Shabbethai - This verse, with Nehemiah 11:20 , Nehemiah 11:21 , Nehemiah 11:28 , Nehemiah 11:29 , Nehemiah 11:32 , Nehemiah 11:33 , Nehemiah 11:34 , and Nehemiah 11:35 , are all wanting in the Septuagint and the whole chapter is wanting in the Arabic, the translator not being concerned in Jewish genealogies. The outward business - Calmet supposes that he provided the victuals for the priests, victims for the sacrifices, the sacerdotal vestments, the sacred... read more
PART III . ENLARGEMENT OF THE POPULATION OF JERUSALEM , WITH THE NUMBER OF THE ADULT MALES , AND THE NAMES OF THE CHIEFS . VARIOUS LISTS OF PRIESTS AND LEVITES AT DIFFERENT PERIODS ( Nehemiah 11:1-36 ; Nehemiah 12:1-26 ). Having been led, in speaking of this matter, to give a sort of catalogue of the chief dwellers at Jerusalem (verses 4-19), and another of the country towns and villages occupied at this time by those... read more
Town and country. Variety in unity. Nehemiah had been some time before (see Nehemiah 7:4 , Nehemiah 7:5 ) impressed with the necessity of increasing the population of Jerusalem, and had taken preliminary steps; but other more pressing matters had intervened. He now proceeded with his design. His purpose was, that of the whole population one-tenth should inhabit the metropolis, and he arranged that the additional families to dwell there should be determined by lot. First, however,... read more
The true centralisation. We separate the nation from the world not to surround it with a false patriotism which means self-interest, but that in the fulfilment of the Divine purpose and law we may be the greater blessing to mankind. I. The true centre of the life of the community is THE RELIGIOUS CENTRE . Jerusalem as the sacred city. The secular and religious are not opposed. The man of God is the true man. There is no true strength and prosperity where there is an inversion of... read more
Three elements in the Church of Christ. In the first verse of this chapter Jerusalem is called "the holy city;" as such it was the type of the Church of Christ. In three respects it bore to the Christian Church a real and close resemblance. 1. It was a separated city; separated and fenced from surrounding idolatries and immoralities. 2. It was a distinguished city; distinguished by 3. It was a commissioned city; charged to hold and preserve a certain deposit of sacred truth... read more
Also of the Levites: Shemaiah . Compare 1 Chronicles 9:14 . Shemaiah was a descendant of Merari. Together with Shabbethai and Jozabad ( 1 Chronicles 9:16 ), he had the superintendence of the outward business of the house of God ; or, in other words, of its worldly affairs and money matters. As in the Christian Church a special order was appointed "to serve tables" ( Acts 6:2-5 ), so in the Jewish the secular business of the temple was intrusted to a few carefully-selected persons... read more
Church officers. "The oversight of the outward business of the house of God." What this business was in and about the temple. What it is in Christian Churches: care of the buildings, management of the finances, etc. The "oversight" is now exercised by church-wardens, deacons, treasurers, etc; according to the customs of each Church. I. THE POSITION WHICH THIS " OUTWARD BUSINESS " OCCUPIES . 1. It is subordinate to the spiritual. For the sake of the latter it exists,... read more
See the margin reference notes. Both accounts appear to be extracts from a public official register which Nehemiah caused to be made of his census. The census itself seems to have been confined to the dwellers at Jerusalem. The subjoined table exhibits the differences between the accounts of the entire population of Jerusalem as given in Nehemiah and in Chronicles: 1 Chron Nehemiah Tribes of Judah Of Pharez 468 Of Zerah 690 Tribe of Benjamin 956 928 ... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Nehemiah 11:1-19
Jerusalem is called here the holy city (Neh. 11:1), because there the temple was, and that was the place God had chosen to put his name there; upon this account, one would think, the holy seed should all have chosen to dwell there and have striven for a habitation there; but, on the contrary, it seems they declined dwelling there, 1. Because a greater strictness of conversation was expected from the inhabitants of Jerusalem than from others, which they were not willing to come up to. Those who... read more