Nehemiah 7:2

"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."

Hanani here is the same person who brought Nehemiah the sad news about the state of Jerusalem while Nehemiah was still cupbearer to king Artaxerxes, Scholars are in disagreement on whether there is one man mentioned in this verse or two. As the translators have it, there are clearly two persons, Nehemiah's brother, and another person who was in charge of the castle. The RSV and most of the scholars we have consulted consider that two men are named. However, Bowman, in The Interpreter's Bible, wrote that, "Hanani and Hananiah are identical names, the former an abbreviation of the latter; and, obviously, the and joining the two names is explicative."[5] Nehemiah's use of the singular pronoun he in the final clause of the verse supports Bowman's view.

Despite this, we are unwilling to set aside the plain statements in the ASV and the RSV denoting two persons, not merely one. "He put his brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the castle (on the north side of the temple, in charge of the city)."[6] "The high religious principle, as well as the patriotic spirit of these two men recommended them as being preeminently qualified for being invested with an official trust of such vast importance."[7] Supporting the apparent conviction of the translators of ASV and RSV, is the fact that Jerusalem was officially divided into two districts (Nehemiah 3:12), and that the custom of dual directorships of cities and districts was common (See also Nehemiah 3:18).

"It is believed that Nehemiah was preparing to return to Persia, and wanted to leave a dependable person in charge."[8]