Nehemiah11chapter 11

Nehemiah 11:10

“Who dwelt in Jerusalem, of whom the same account is given in these two verses as in 1Ch 9:10, only Seraiah here is called Azariah there.”

Nehemiah 11:11

“Ruler of the house of God - He had the command over all secular matters, as the high priest had over those which were spiritual.”

Nehemiah 11:12

“And their brethren that did the work of the house were eight hundred twenty and two,.... That offered the sacrifices, burnt incense, set on the shewbread, lighted the lamps, &c. and Adaiah the son of Jeroham; see 1Ch 9:12 whose genealogy is traced here through Pelaliah, Amzi, Zechariah, Pashur, to Malchiah.”

Nehemiah 11:13

“And his brethren, chief of the fathers, two hundred forty and two,.... That is, the brethren or relations of Adaiah: and Amashai; called Maasiai, 1Ch 9:12, whose lineage is traced here through Azareel, Ahasai, Meshillemoth, to Immer.”

Nehemiah 11:14

“And their brethren, mighty men of valour, an hundred twenty and eight,.... The brethren of Adaiah and Amashai, who were able men to do the work of their office as priests, and men of courage to fight the enemy, and defend the city upon occasion: and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one of the great men; or the son of Hagedolim, or Gedolim, as some, who take it to be the proper name of a man.”

Nehemiah 11:15

“Also of the Levites,.... Who dwelt in Jerusalem: Shemaiah the son of Hashub: traced from him through Azrikam and Hashabiah to Bunni; these were of the sons of Merari, the third son of Levi, see 1Ch 9:14.”

Nehemiah 11:16

“And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief of the Levites,.... Along with Shemaiah; these had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God: who had the care of the repairs of the temple, and of getting in the wood for the altar, as Jarchi, and collecting the third part of the shekel, to purchase things with for the use of the temple.”

Nehemiah 11:16

“And Shabbethai - This verse, with Neh 11:20, Neh 11:21, Neh 11:28, Neh 11:29, Neh 11:32, Neh 11:33, Neh 11:34, and Neh 11:35, are all wanting in the Septuagint and the whole chapter is wanting in the Arabic, the translator not being concerned in Jewish genealogies. The outward business - Calmet supposes that he provided the victuals for the priests, victims for the sacrifices, the sacerdotal vestments, the sacred vessels, and other necessaries for the service of the temple.”

Nehemiah 11:17

“To begin - In the publick and solemn prayers and praises, which were constantly joined with the morning and evening sacrifice, at which the singers were present, and praised God with a psalm or hymn which, this man began.”

Nehemiah 11:17

“Observe, Thanksgiving is necessary in prayer; they should go together; giving thanks for former mercies is a becoming way of begging further mercies. And care should be taken in public service that every thing be done in the best manner, decently and in good order-- in prayer, that one speak and the rest join--in singing, that one begin and the rest follow.”

Nehemiah 11:20

“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.”

Nehemiah 11:20

“It was requisite that Jerusalem should be replenished, yet not so as to drain the country. The king himself is served of the field, which will do little service if there be not hands to manage it.”

Nehemiah 11:21

“But the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel,.... An high place or tower on the wall of Jerusalem, see 2Ch 27:3, and Ziha, and Gispa, were over the Nethinims; had the oversight of them, and took care that they did their work; they were such themselves, but the principal of them, see Ezr 2:43.”

Nehemiah 11:21

“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.”

Nehemiah 11:21

“The Nethinims dwelt in Ophel - Which was upon the wall of Jerusalem, because they were to do the servile work of the temple: therefore they were to be posted near it, that they might be ready to attend.”

Nehemiah 11:22

“The overseer also of the Levites - פקיד pekid, the visitant, the inspector; translated επισκοπος, bishop, both by the Septuagint and Vulgate.”

Nehemiah 11:22

“Some of the singers were appointed to look after the necessary repairs of the temple, being ingenious men, and having leisure between their hours of service; they were over the business of the house of God,”

Nehemiah 11:23

“For it was the king's commandment concerning them,.... Either of King David as some, see Neh 12:24 or rather of the king of Persia: that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day; he settled a daily salary for them, to be paid out of his treasury; having perhaps a peculiar respect for such sort of men, being a lover of music, by means of which they had a settled habitation in Jerusalem.”

Nehemiah 11:23

“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. Now, it would seem, he had gone further and assigned to the singers an allowance from the royal revenue.”

Nehemiah 11:24

“And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah, the son of Judah,.... The twin brother of Pharez, Gen 38:30 was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people; to speak for them to the king, as Jarchi; when they had a favour to ask of him, a petition to present to him, he delivered it for them, and by him the king returned the answer.”

Nehemiah 11:24

“He is said to be at the king's hand, or on the king's part, in all matters concerning the people, to determine controversies that arose between the king's officers and his subjects, to see that what was due to the king from the people was duly paid in and what was allowed by the king for the temple service was duly paid out, and happy it was for the Jews that one of themselves was in this post.”

Nehemiah 11:25

“Of the sons of Judah, they dwelled in Kiriath-arba, etc. For Beer-sheba was the boundary of Judah to the south, and the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom to the north next to Jerusalem to the east. Then the cities of the sons of Benjamin …”

Nehemiah 11:25

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

Nehemiah 11:31

“The children also of Benjamin, from Geba, dwelt at Michmash,.... Geba was a city on the southern border of Benjamin, Jos 18:24 and Michmash on the northern, of which see 1Sa 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 Jos 7:2 Anathoth, the birth place of Jeremiah the prophet, Jer 1:1. Nob, a city of the priests, 1Sa 21:”

Nehemiah 11:35

“Lod, and Ono - These towns were built by the sons of Elpaal, 1Ch 8:12. The valley of craftsmen - See 1Ch 4:14. Probably this latter town was built in this valley.”

Nehemiah 11:36

“And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin. They were scattered about, some here and some there, in both these tribes, for the better instruction of the people.”

Nehemiah 11:36

“And of the Levites were divisions - The Levites had their dwellings in the divisions of Judah and Benjamin. This is probably the meaning: the Syriac says, They had the half of Judah and Benjamin; which is not likely. That the people whose hearts were now turned towards the Lord, would make the best provision for the support of God’s work, and all those engaged in it, we may naturally suppose; but this could not be very great, as the complete service was not yet established, and the Levites themselves were few in number.”

Nehemiah 11:36

“Thus were they settled free and easy, tho' few and poor. And they might have been happy, but for that general lukewarmness, with which they are charged by the prophet Malachi, who prophesied about this time and in whom prophecy ceased for some ages, 'till it revived in the great prophet.”