Nehemiah 7:4-73

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Nehemiah 7:1-4

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 places to their work. This is meant of their work in general, which was to attend the temple service; it had been neglected in some degree, but now was revived. God's worship is the defence of a place, and his ministers, when they mind... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Nehemiah 7:5-73

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 and valour of the inhabitants than upon the height or strength of its walls; and therefore, observing that the people were few that dwelt in it, he thought fit to take an account of the people, that he might find what families had... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 7:4

Now the city was large and great ,.... The circumference of it, all within the wall; for that was built on its old foundation, and enclosed as much ground as ever it did: Hecataeus F2 Apud Euseb. Praepar. par. Evangel. l. 9. c. 4. p. 408. & apud Joseph. contr. Apion, l. 1. c. 22. , an Heathen writer, says the circumference of Jerusalem was fifty furlongs, which was more than six miles; but Josephus F3 De Bell. Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 3. makes the circuit of it but thirty three... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 7:5

And my God put into mine heart ,.... Every good motion in him, and whatever he thought of that was conducive to the good and welfare of Jerusalem, Nehemiah always ascribed it to God; see 2 Corinthians 3:5 to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy ; that their number might be known, and of what families they were, and in what cities they formerly dwelt; and this was not only of use for the present purpose of Nehemiah, but was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 7:6-69

These are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity ,.... Who were of the province of Judea, as it was now reduced, and came up out of the captivity of Babylon through the edict of Cyrus; see Ezra 2:1 , where the same preface is given to the list of names as here; and from hence to the end of Nehemiah 7:69 the same account is given of persons and families as there, with some little difference of numbers and names; in some instances there are more in this list, in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 7:70

And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work ,.... Of building the city and the temple, and for that service, Ezra 2:68 , the Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drachms of gold ; each of which was one pound sterling, and so amounted to so many pounds: of these "dracmons", or "darics", a Persian coin, mention is made in Ezra 2:69 , they were golden staters, or shekels and had their name as is said, not from Darius, the father of Xerxes, though it is certain, from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 7:71

And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work ,.... To be put into the treasure, out of which the expenses of the temple, and service of it were defrayed: twenty thousand drachms of gold ; which were so many pounds of our money, and somewhat more: for, according to Bishop Cumberland F6 Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 4. p. 115. , a drachm of gold was of the value of twenty shillings and four pence: and 2200 pounds of silver; "the maneh", or pound, with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 7:72

And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drachms of gold ,.... Worth as many pounds of our money, and somewhat more: and two thousand pound of silver ; of which See Gill on Nehemiah 7:71 , and threescore and seven priests' garments ; having been so long in Babylon, and no use of sacrifices, and so not of garments to minister in, no care was taken to provide any; which seems to be the reason why so many were given, when they returned to their own land, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 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 ,.... The same is said in Ezra 2:70 ; see Gill on Ezra 2:70 , and, when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities ; the month Tisri, answering to part of September, in which month was the feast of tabernacles; at this time of the year they were in their cities when they came forth out of Babylon, and so they were... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 7:4

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

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