Nehemiah 4:22

22. Every one Every leading man, or head of a family.

With his servant Rather, and his servant. As Nehemiah, being head of the entire community, might have called all the people his servants, (Nehemiah 4:16,) so every leading man had also those under him whom he commanded. But each leading man of the Jews may also have had his own private servants. Some of the more wealthy had brought their own brethren of the Jews virtually into bondage to them. Nehemiah 5:5; Nehemiah 5:8.

Lodge within Jerusalem And not in the neighbouring villages, as some of them had been accustomed to do.

They may be a guard Namely, the men and the servants just named. They were to stay and do their share in guarding the city, as well as in labouring on its walls. But as the next verse shows, they were not the only ones that thus watched and laboured. It was necessary to the safety of Jerusalem that a large and strong watch be maintained night and day, and it was too much for Nehemiah and the rest, whose homes were in the city, to do all this. Hence the justice of requiring those whose homes were in neighbouring towns to abide for the present in the city, and do a proper share of guarding the great common interests of all.

To us Nehemiah and all who dwelt in the city.