73. So . . . all Israel, dwelt in their cities—The utility of these genealogical registers was thus found in guiding to a knowledge of the cities and localities in each tribe to which every family anciently belonged. read more
C. The Record of Those who Returned 7:5-73This is not a list of the people who accompanied Nehemiah to Jerusalem in 444 B.C. but a record of those who returned with Sheshbazzar, Zerubbabel, and Jeshua in 537 B.C. (Nehemiah 7:7). It is almost identical to the list in Ezra 2.Why did Nehemiah repeat this list? Apparently he wanted to encourage the Jews to move into Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11:1-2). This was one of the goals of the return. To determine who were pureblooded Israelites, he did some... read more
A List of those who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel2. Hanani] after carrying information to Nehemiah respecting the condition of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:2), he must have returned with him to Judaea. 3. Until the sun be hot] By this time the mass of the citizens would be astir. While they stand by] RV ’while they (i.e. the sentries) stand on guard.’4. The houses were not builded] i.e. the area of the city was not yet fully occupied with buildings.5. Reckoned by genealogy] It was proposed to... read more
(5-73) The genealogical reckoning of the people, as the first step towards increasing the population of the metropolis, is determined on, not without express Divine suggestion; the allusion to this inspiration from God, is, as in Nehemiah 2:12, very emphatic. The original register of Zerubbabelis found and copied. The express language of both Ezra and Nehemiah makes it plain that this is no other than the list of those who came up with Zerubbabel and Joshua after the decree of Cyrus, in B.C.... read more
CHAPTER 7 1. Provisions made for the defense of the city (Nehemiah 7:1-4 ) 2. The genealogy (Nehemiah 7:5-65 ) 3. Their whole number (Nehemiah 7:66-69 ) 4. The gifts for the work (Nehemiah 7:70-73 ) Nehemiah 7:1-4 . The wall had been finished and the doors set up. Porters, singers and the Levites were appointed, and Nehemiah gave to his brother Hanani and Hananiah, the ruler of the castle, charge over Jerusalem. The porters were gate keepers. These gate keepers are named in Ezra 2:42 ,... read more
7:73 So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and [some] of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the {i} seventh month came, the children of Israel [were] in their cities.(i) Which contained part of September and part of October. read more
APPOINTMENTS MADE IN THE CITY (vv. 1-3) The wall of separation having been built and the doors hung in the gates, then appointments consistent with this separation were made (v. 1). Gatekeepers are first mentioned, a seriously responsible occupation, for they must receive in all who should be in and keep out all who should be out. They should therefore be able to discern between those who made deceitful claims and those who were true. ln the Church of God today we surely need such... read more
INTERNAL REGULATIONS A NEW GENEALOGICAL RECORD (Nehemiah 7:0 ) The need for this assignment of duty to the two men named (Nehemiah 7:2 ), is not apparent unless Nehemiah contemplated a return to Persia. Later it will be seen that such return took place, but whether at this time or not, is not clear. To “fear God above many,” as Hananiah did, is a great commendation. It was customary to open the gates of a city at sunrise, but to do so in this case before the inhabitants were well awake and... read more
Nehemiah 7:0 [Measures were taken (1-4) for the security of the city, now made a complete fortress. The comparative thinness of the population taxed the governor's resources, and the result appears at a later stage.] 1. Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors [comp. Neh 6:1 ], and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed [placed in charge, probably over the walls. Bishop Ellicott's Commentary says: This was an extraordinary provision, to be... read more
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E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Nehemiah 7:73
the Nethinims. See note on Ezra 2:43 . the seventh month. This was in 426 B. C, not in 404 B. C, which is referred to in Nehemiah 9:1-3 and Ezra 9:1-4 . See App-58 . read more