Nehemiah 7:16

. See Gill on "Nehemiah 7:6". Nehemiah 7:59 Ver. 59. See Gill on "Nehemiah 7:6". Nehemiah 7:60 Ver. 60. See Gill on "Nehemiah 7:6". Nehemiah 7:61 Ver. 61. See Gill on "Nehemiah 7:6". Nehemiah 7:62 Ver. 62. See Gill on "Nehemiah 7:6". Nehemiah 7:63 Ver. 63. See Gill on "Nehemiah 7:6". Nehemiah 7:64 Ver. 64. See Gill on "Nehemiah 7:6". Nehemiah 7:65 Ver. 65. See Gill on "Nehemiah 7:6". Nehemiah 7:66 Ver. 66. See Gill on "Nehemiah 7:6". . See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:7 Ver. 7. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:8 Ver. 8. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:9 Ver. 9. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:10 Ver. 10. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:11 Ver. 11. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:12 Ver. 12. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:13 Ver. 13. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:14 Ver. 14. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:15 . See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:16 Ver. 16. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:17 Ver. 17. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:18 Ver. 18. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:19 Ver. 19. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:20 Ver. 20. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:21 Ver. 21. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:22 Ver. 22. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". Nehemiah 10:23 Ver. 23. See Gill on "Nehemiah 10:1". . And Maaseiah,.... Who seems to be the same with Asaiah, 1 Chronicles 9:5 and whose genealogy is carried up through Baruch, Colhozeh, Hazaiah, Adaiah, Joiarib, Zechariah, to Shiloni; perhaps the same with Shelah, another son of Judah, see 1 Chronicles 9:5. Nehemiah 11:6 Ver. 6. All the sons of Perez that dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred threescore and eight valiant men. And so well qualified to defend the city against its enemies. Nehemiah 11:7 Ver. 7. And these are the sons of Benjamin,.... That were of that tribe, and inhabited Jerusalem, namely, that follow: Sallu the son of Meshullam; who from him is traced up through Joed, Pedaiah, Kolaiah, Maaseiah, Ithiel, to Jesaiah. Nehemiah 11:8 Ver. 8. And after him,.... That is, Sallu: were Gabbai and Sallai; in all nine hundred and twenty eight; there were more of the tribe of Benjamin than of the tribe of Judah, they having perhaps a greater share in the city, or were better disposed to dwell in it. Nehemiah 11:9 Ver. 9. And Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer,.... Or chief governor of the city: and Judah the son of Senuah was second over the city; or the deputy governor of it; so Pitholaus is called an under governor in Jerusalem by Josephus {l} {l} Antiqu. l. 14. c. 6. sect. 1. Nehemiah 11:10

. See Gill on "Nehemiah 11:25" Nehemiah 11:29 Ver. 29. See Gill on "Nehemiah 11:25" Nehemiah 11:30 Ver. 30. See Gill on "Nehemiah 11:25" Nehemiah 11:31 Ver. 31. The children also of Benjamin, from Geba, dwelt at Michmash,.... Geba was a city on the southern border of Benjamin, Joshua 18:24 and Michmash on the northern, of which see 1 Samuel 13:2 in this and the four following verses are the names of several cities in the tribe of Benjamin, inhabited by the men of that tribe, as Alia, the same with Ai, that lay on the east of Bethel, here also mentioned, see Joshua 7:2 Anathoth, the birth place of Jeremiah the prophet, Jeremiah 1:1. Nob, a city of the priests, 1 Samuel 21:1. Ananiah is nowhere else mentioned; Hazor is to be distinguished from another of this name in the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 19:36. Ramah, a place well known in Benjamin, Joshua 18:25. Gittaim, of which see 2 Samuel 4:3. Hadid, the same with Adida, which lay in a plain, "Simon also set up Adida in Sephela, and made it strong with gates and bars.'' (1 Maccabees 12:38) Zeboim, a valley of this name, is read in 1 Samuel 13:18. Neballat we read of nowhere else; of Lod and Ono, see 1 Chronicles 8:12 and the valley of craftsmen, or Chorasin, 1 Chronicles 4:14. Nehemiah 11:32 Ver. 32. See Gill on "Nehemiah 11:31". Nehemiah 11:33 Ver. 33. See Gill on "Nehemiah 11:31". . And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers,.... This was the son and successor of Jeshua, or Joshua, the first high priest of the second temple; the principal men of the priesthood in his time were as follow, and who were the sons, or however the descendants of the priests in the time of his father before mentioned: these were Meraiah, Hananiah, Meshullam, Jehohanan, Jonathan, Joseph, Adna, Helkai, Zechariah, (the prophet of that name,) Meshullam, Zichri, Piltai, Shammua, Jehonathan, Mattenai, Uzzi, Kallai, Eber, Hashabiah, Nethaneel; in all twenty, whereas there are twenty two named, as in his father's days, there being no sons or descendants from two of them, namely, Hattush and Miamin. Nehemiah 12:13 Ver. 13. See Gill on "Nehemiah 12:12" Nehemiah 12:14 Ver. 14. See Gill on "Nehemiah 12:12". Nehemiah 12:15 Ver. 15. See Gill on "Nehemiah 12:12". Nehemiah 12:16 Ver. 16. See Gill on "Nehemiah 12:12". Nehemiah 12:17 Ver. 17. See Gill on "Nehemiah 12:12". Nehemiah 12:18 Ver. 18. See Gill on "Nehemiah 12:12". Nehemiah 12:19

7:5-73 Nehemiah knew that the safety of a city, under God, depends more upon the inhabitants than upon its walls. Every good gift and every good work are from above. God gives knowledge, he gives grace; all is of him, and therefore all must be to him. What is done by human prudence, must be ascribed to the direction of Divine Providence. But woe to those who turn back from the Lord, loving this present world! and happy those who dedicate themselves, and their substance, to his service and glory!

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 others fewer, which may be thus accounted for; that list was made in Babylon, when, upon the edict of Cyrus, the Jews, who intended to go up with Zerubbabel, gave in their names, and they were registered; but this was made when they came to Jerusalem; now some of those that gave in their names changed their minds, and tarried in Babylon, and some might die by the way, which makes the numbers fewer in some instances; and others who did not give in their names at first, but, being better disposed towards their own country, followed after and joined those which were returning, and increased the number of others; to which may be added what Abendana observes, that in Ezra an account is given of those that came out of the captivity by the companies, in which they came not genealogized, and had a mixture of persons of other families in them, and some that had no genealogy; but afterwards, when they were genealogized according to their families, a register of their genealogies was made, and is what Nehemiah now found, and here gives; and, as for difference of names, that may be owi

It is argued by some that the entire catalogue which follows Nehemiah 7:7-73 is not the register of them "which came up 'at the first'," but of the Jewish people in Nehemiah's time. Nehemiah 7:7 and Ezra 2:2 are, however, very positive in their support of the usual view; and some of the arguments against it are thought to be met by considering the Nehemiah of Nehemiah 7:7 and Ezra 2:2 a person different from Nehemiah the governor; and "Tirshatha" an official title likely to have belonged to others besides Nehemiah (see the Ezra 2:63 note.)

Ne 7:5-38. Genealogy of Those Who Came at the First Out of Babylon. 5. my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, &c.—The arrangement about to be described, though dictated by mere common prudence, is, in accordance with the pious feelings of Nehemiah, ascribed not to his own prudence or reflection, but to the grace of God prompting and directing him. He resolved to prepare a register of the returned exiles, containing an exact record of the family and ancestral abode of every individual. While thus directing his attention, he discovered a register of the first detachment who had come under the care of Zerubbabel. It is transcribed in the following verses, and differs in some few particulars from that given in Ezr 2:1-61. But the discrepancy is sufficiently accounted for from the different circumstances in which the two registers were taken; that of Ezra having been made up at Babylon, while that of Nehemiah was drawn out in Judea, after the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt. The lapse of so many years might well be expected to make a difference appear in the catalogue, through death or other causes; in particular, one person being, according to Jewish custom, called by different names. Thus Hariph (Ne 7:24) is the same as Jorah (Ezr 2:18), Sia (Ne 7:47) the same as Siaha (Ezr 2:44), &c.

Besides other purposes to which this genealogy of the nobles, rulers, and people was subservient, one leading object contemplated by it was to ascertain with accuracy the parties to whom the duty legally belonged of ministering at the altar and conducting the various services of the temple. For guiding to exact information in this important point of enquiry, the possession of the old register of Zerubbabel was invaluable.

And God put into my heart, i.e., God inspired me with the resolution; comp. Nehemiah 2:12 . What resolution, is declared by the sentences following, which detail its execution. The resolution to gather together the nobles and rulers of the people for the purpose of making a list of their kinsmen, and thus to obtain a basis for the operations contemplated for increasing the inhabitants of Jerusalem. והסּגנים החרים are combined, as in Nehemiah 2:16 . On התיחשׂ, comp. 1 Chronicles 5:17 . While this resolve was under consideration, Nehemiah found the register, i.e., the genealogical registry, of those who came up at first (from Babylon). בּראשׁונה, at the beginning, i.e., with Zerubbabel and Joshua under Cyrus (Ezra 2), and not subsequently with Ezra (Ezra 7). "And I found written therein." These words introduce the list now given. This list, vv. 6-73a, is identical with that in Ezra 2, and has been already discussed in our remarks on that chapter.