Albert Barnes

So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.

“Elul - The sixth month, corresponding to the latter part of August and the beginning of September. In fifty and two days - Josephus states that the repairs of the wall occupied two years and four months.”

When the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.

“Since the watch of the temple had hitherto been kept by porters, singers, and Levites 1 Chr. 26:1-19, so now the watch of the entire city was committed to men of the same three classes, their experience pointing them out as the most suitable persons.”

Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.

“The people were few - The number of those who returned with Zerubbabel was no more than 42,360 Neh 7:66. Less than 2,000 people had come with Ezra Ezra 8:1-20.”

Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogy.

“It is argued by some that the entire catalogue which follows Neh. 7:7-73 is not the register of them “which came up ‘at the first’,” but of the Jewish people in Nehemiah’s time.”

At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of…

“The street - Rather, “the square” or “court.” So in Neh 8:16 (compare Ezr 10:9). The court seems to have been one between the eastern gate of the temple and the watergate in the city-wall. It would thus lie within the modern Haram area.”

Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was standing above them all, and as he opened it, all the people stood up.

“Stood up - The attitude of attention and respect. Compare the existing practice of the Christian Church at the reading of the Gospel for the day.”

The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law as they stood in their places.

“The names here (and in Neh 9:4, Neh 9:5; Neh 10:9) seem not to be the personal appellations of individuals, but rather designations of Levitical families, the descendants respectively of Jeshua, etc., who lived not later than the time of Zerubbabel Neh 7:43; Neh 12:8.”

Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God.

“Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha - Hereto, Nehemiah has called himself פחה pechâh Neh 5:14-15, Neh 5:18, which is the ordinary word for “governor.” Now for the first time he is called ‘the Tirshatha’” (see Ezr 2:63 note.) The people wept ...”

So they proclaimed this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle…

“The mount - The “mount of Olives” is probably intended. Pine branches - Rather, “branches of the wild olive.” The actual trees named by the Law may have become scarce.”

The whole assembly who had returned from exile made booths and lived in them.

“It is not the intention of the writer to state that the Feast of tabernacles had not been kept from the time of Joshua until this occasion (see 1Ki 8:2, 1Ki 8:65; Ezr 3:4); but that there had been no such celebration as this since…”

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.

“The festival lasted from the 15th day of the 7th month to the first. The 22nd day was a day of solemn observance Neh 8:18.”

And the Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani—stood on the raised platform and cried out in a loud voice to the LORD their God.

“The Septuagint and the Vulgate remove the comma after “stairs.” By the “stairs (or scaffold) of the Levites” is to be understood as an elevated platform from which they could the better address and lead the people (compare Neh 8:4).”

Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: Blessed be Your glorious name, and may…

“Stand up - The people had knelt to confess and to worship God Neh 9:3. They were now to take the proper attitude for praise. Compare throughout the margin reference.”

They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt.

“In their rebellion - The Septuagint and several maunscripts have “in Egypt” (the words in the original differing by one letter only), and translate - “And appointed a captain to return to their bondage in Egypt.” Compare the margin reference.”

They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance.

“Became fat. - i. e., “grew proud,” or “wanton” - a phrase only occurring here, in the margin reference, and in Jer 5:28. Delighted themselves - Rather, “luxuriated.” The word in the original does not occur elsewhere; but cognate terms make the sense clear.”

But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You.

“Slew thy prophets - Compare 1Ki 18:4; 1Ki 19:10; 2Ch 24:21. Jewish tradition further affirms that more than one of the great prophets (e. g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) were martyred by their countrymen.”

Now these were the ones who sealed the document: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, and also Zedekiah,

“The “Zidkijah” of this passage is probably the same as “Zadok” Neh 13:13. “Zadok” is expressly called “the scribe,” and it was probably as the scribe who drew up the document that “Zidkijah” signed it immediately after Nehemiah.”

Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

“The names are not personal, but designate families. The seal of the high-priestly house of Seraiah was probably appended either by Ezra or Eliashib, both of whom belonged to it.”

When the people of the land bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on a Sabbath or holy…

“Bring ware ... on the sabbath day - Compare Neh 13:16, where this desecration of the Sabbath is shown to have commonly taken place. Leave the seventh year ... - i.”

Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of…

“To bring one of ten - Artificial enlargements of capitals by forcible transfers of population to them, were not unusual in ancient times. About 500 B.C., Syracuse became a great city in this way. Tradition ascribed the greatness of Rome, in part, to this cause.”

while some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem.)

“See the margin reference notes. Both accounts appear to be extracts from a public official register which Nehemiah caused to be made of his census. The census itself seems to have been confined to the dwellers at Jerusalem.”

The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the villages of Judah, each on his own inheritance.

“The returned community, though consisting mainly of members of the two tribes, represented the entire people of Israel. The ground, however, which they occupied, was not the whole land, but that which had constituted the kingdom of Judah.”

The temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, with Ziha and Gishpa over them.

“Ophel, the southern spur of the temple hill, having a wall of its own Neh 3:27 might be reckoned either in Jerusalem or outside it. Here it is made a separate place.”

For there was a command from the king concerning the singers, an ordinance regulating their daily activities.

“The goodwill of Artaxerxes toward the ministers employed in the temple service, had been previously shown by his exempting them from taxation of every kind Ezr 7:24.”

As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba, Dibon, Jekabzeel, and their villages;

“Kirjath-arba - i. e., Hebron. In the absence of the Hebrews during the captivity, the place had recovered its old name Jos 15:13.”