1 Now it came to passe when the wall was built, and I had set vp the doores; and the porters, and the singers, and the Leuites were appointed,
2 That I gaue my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge ouer Ierusalem (for hee was a faithfull man, and feared God aboue many.)
3 And I said vnto them, Let not the gates of Ierusalem be opened, vntill the Sunne bee hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doores, and barre them. And appoint watches of the inhabitants of Ierusalem, euery one in his wateh, and euery one to bee ouer against his house.
4 Now the city was large and great, but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
5 ¶ And my God put into mine heart, to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, & the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogie. And I found a register of the genealogie of them which came vp at the first, and found written therein;
6 These are the children of the prouince, that went vp out of the captiuitie, of those that had beene caried away whom Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon had caried away, and came againe to Ierusalem and to Iudah, euery one vnto his citie:
7 Who came with Zerubbabel, Ieshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Biguai, Nahum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel, was this:
8 The children of Parosh, two thousand, an hundred, seuentie and two.
9 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred, seuentie and two.
10 The children of Arah, sixe hundred, fiftie and two.
11 The children of Pahath-Moab, of the children of Ieshua, and Ioab, two thousand, and eight hundred, and eighteene.
12 The children of Elam, a thousand, two hundred, fiftie and foure.
13 The children of Zattu, eight hundred fourtie and fiue.
14 The children of Zaccai, seuen hundred and threescore.
15 The children of Binnui, sixe hundred, fourty and eight.
16 The children of Bebai, sixe hundred, twentie and eight.
17 The children of Azgad, two thousand, three hundred, twentie and two.
18 The children of Adonikam, sixe hundred, threescore and seuen.
19 The children of Biguai, two thousand, threescore and seuen.
20 The children of Adin, sixe hundred, fiftie and fiue.
21 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninetie and eight.
22 The children of Hashum, three hundred, twentie and eight.
23 The children of Bezai, three hundred twentie and foure.
24 The children of Hariph, an hundred and twelue.
25 The children of Gibeon, ninetie and fiue.
26 The men of Bethlehem, and Netophah, an hundred, fourescore and eight.
27 The men of Anathoth, an hundred, twentie and eight.
28 The men of Bethazmaueth, fourtie and two.
29 The men of Kiriath-iearim, Chephirah and Beeroth, seuen hundred fourtie and three.
30 The men of Ramah and Geba, sixe hundred, twentie and one.
31 The men of Michmash, an hundred and twenty and two.
32 The men of Bethel and Ai, an hundred, twentie and three.
33 The men of the other Nebo, fiftie and two.
34 The children of the other Elam, a thousand, two hundred, fiftie & foure.
35 The children of Harim, three hundred and twentie.
36 The children of Iericho, three hundred, fourtie and fiue.
37 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seuen hundred, twentie and one.
38 The children of Senaa, three thousand, nine hundred, and thirty.
39 ¶ The Priests. The children of Iedaia, of the house of Ieshua, nine hundred, seuentie and three.
40 The children of Immer, a thousand, fifty and two.
41 The children of Pashur, a thousand, two hundred, fourtie and seuen.
42 The children of Harim, a thousand, and seuenteene.
43 ¶ The Leuites. The children of Ieshua, of Kadmiel, and of the children of Hodeuah, seuentie and foure.
44 ¶ The singers. The children of Asaph, an hundred, fourtie and eight.
45 ¶ The porters. The children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, an hundred, thirtie and eight.
46 ¶ The Nethinims. The children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabaoth,
47 The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,
48 The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,
49 The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,
50 The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,
51 The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,
52 The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim,
53 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
54 The children of Baslith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
55 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Tamiah,
56 The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
57 ¶ The children of Solomons seruants: The children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,
58 The children of Iaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
59 The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth Zebaim, the children of Amon,
60 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomons seruants, were three hundred ninetie and two.
61 And these were they which went vp also from Tel-Melah, Tel-Haresha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not shewe their fathers house, nor their seede, whether they were of Israel.
62 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, sixe hundred fourtie and two.
63 ¶ And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which tooke one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.
64 These sought their register, among those that were reckoned by genealogie, but it was not found: therfore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.
65 And the Tirshatha said vnto them, that they should not eate of the most holy things, till there stood vp a priest with Urim and Thummim.
66 ¶ The whole congregation together, was fourtie and two thousand, three hundred and threescore:
67 Beside their man seruants, and their maid seruants, of whome there were seuen thousand, three hundred, thirtie and seuen: and they had two hundred fourtie and fiue singing men and singing women.
68 Their horses, seuen hundred, thirtie and sixe: their mules, two hundred fourtie and fiue:
69 Their camels, foure hundred thirtie and fiue: sixe thousand, seuen hundred and twentie asses.
70 ¶ And some of the chiefe of the fathers, gaue vnto the worke: The Tirshatha gaue to the treasure, a thousand drammes of gold, fiftie basons, fiue hundred and thirtie priests garments.
71 And some of the chiefe of the fathers gaue to the treasure of the worke twentie thousand drammes of golde, and two thousand and two hundred pound of siluer.
72 And that which the rest of the people gaue, was twentie thousand drammes of gold, and two thousand pound of siluer, and threescore and seuen priests garments.
73 So the priests, and the Leuites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities: And when the seuenth moneth came, the children of Israel were in their cities.
The city committed to Hananiah. (1-4) Register of those that first returned. (5-73)1-4 Nehemiah, having finished the wall, returned to the Persian court, and came to Jerusalem again with a new commission. The public safety depends on every one's care to guard himself and his family against sin.
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!
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.