Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Nehemiah 11:19-20
The Gate-keepers (Nehemiah 11:19).
The mention of the gate-keepers separately from the Levites does not necessarily mean that the gate-keepers were not seen as Levites. Only that they had a special role. Indeed Nehemiah 11:20 suggests that they were seen as Levites (they are not there mentioned separately from the Levites). 1 Chronicles 9:26 agrees. Nehemiah gives us minimal information about the gate-keepers, compared with 1 Chronicles 9:17.
In some ways the title gate-keepers gives a wrong impression. These men did not just watch the gates. They held a position of trust and had responsibility for the treasury and the chambers in the Temple (1 Chronicles 9:26), as well as the furniture and worship accessories (fine flour, wine, oil, frankincense and spices - 1 Chronicles 9:29). They had overall responsibility for the security of the Temple area.
‘Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers, who kept watch at the gates, were a hundred and seventy two.'
Many of the gate-keepers had had part time residence in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 9:22; 1 Chronicles 9:25 mentions the fact that many of the gate-keepers lived in villages and came into Jerusalem to perform their duties). Now these 172 came to reside there full time, under the leadership of Akkub and Talmon, in order to make their contribution towards the permanent safety of the holy city. Shallum, the chief gate-keeper, and Ahiman, already dwelt full time in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 9:17; 1 Chronicles 9:19).
‘And the residue of Israel, of the priests, the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance.'
This still left a residue, which included priests and Levites, living in the all the cities of Judah. We have learned earlier that this residue consisted of nine tenths of the men of Judah. We were not told what proportion of the priests and Levites resided there, but they were among the people as God's representatives, teaching and guiding, and watching over the collection of tithes. This summary in Nehemiah 11:20 possibly ended the record from which this information was taken, unless we include Nehemiah 11:21. On the other hand what follows in Nehemiah 11:25 onwards expands on this verse (and on Nehemiah 11:3), and we must beware of applying what conforms to the modern mind with the methods of ancient writers. They may well not have been so systematic.