Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Nehemiah 7:1-3
The Wall Being Built Nehemiah Takes Steps To Ensure The Safety Of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 7:1).
The walls having been rebuilt, and the doors in the gateways being in their place, what next remained was to ensure their proper control so that Jerusalem would be safe from band of marauders. This required proper supervision of the gates, and control over when they should be opened.
We must remember that at this time Jerusalem itself was relatively sparsely populated. The main inhabitants were priests, Levites and Nethinim (Temple servants - Nehemiah 3:26), who were necessarily there in order to maintain the proper functioning of the Temple. Thus when Nehemiah set about arranging for a guard he naturally looked for men experienced in such guard duties, and who better than the men who were experienced at controlling the gates of the Temple, ‘the gatekeepers' (Nehemiah 7:45; Ezra 2:42)? However, in view of the extra burden being placed on them, others were required to supplement them, and for this purpose he called on the services of the Levites, men who were concerned about the security of the Temple, and experienced at administration and control.
Furthermore he wanted strong men to have overall control, and so he appointed his brother Hanani, whom he knew that he could trust implicitly, and the worthy governor of the fortress in Jerusalem, who was a devout man who truly feared God. To them he gave instructions o when the gates should be open and shut.
‘Now it came about, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed,'
The wall being built and the doors being set in place in the gateways, Jerusalem was at last secure, but it was important that experienced and trained men be given responsibility for the gateways. And to this end he appointed experienced Temple gatekeepers (1 Chronicles 9:17; 1 Chronicles 26:12). These were then supplement by singers and Levites, who were organised bodies capable of administering and controlling, as the gatekeepers from then on had double duties (to guard the Temple and the city). Note the unusual order, ‘gatekeepers, singers and Levites', (contrast Nehemiah 7:42), giving the gatekeepers precedence. The singers come second because on the whole they were Levites who would live in Jerusalem, at least when on duty, and were thus always available. They would be further supplemented by other Levites, but most of these would be more widespread in order to carry out their duties of gathering and storing the tithes (Malachi 3:10), and guiding the people. Both singers and Levites were experienced at administrating and controlling, and were men of reliability who had a special concern for the security of the Temple. The singers, being Levites, would also have engaged in the normal activities of Levites. This may not have been a permanent arrangement, but rather one which solved the immediate demands. Once the city was fully functioning, specialist gatekeepers could be trained.
‘That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the fortress, charge over Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.'
In order to govern Jerusalem and ensure its safety he required men whom he knew that he could rely on. So over Jerusalem he set his brother, Hanani, a man whom he knew well as a reliable man and one whom he could trust implicitly, and Hananiah who was governor of the fortress in Jerusalem. The latter he knew to be a faithful man, and one who wholly loved and feared God. Being already resident in Jerusalem because of his duties, and being experienced in security matters, he was ready to hand. They would be responsible for the security of Jerusalem. This was not to supplant ‘the rulers of the half districts of Jerusalem' (Nehemiah 3:9; Nehemiah 3:12), for they were not responsible for administering Jerusalem itself, but the whole area around Jerusalem.
The fortress was to the north of the Temple and may well have been partly garrisoned by Nehemiah's escort, supplementing the guards already there. But while there were no walls it had been unable to give Jerusalem proper protection, probably concentrating more on securing the Temple against raids.
Some have seen Hanani and Hananiah as the same man, translating as ‘my brother Hanani, even Hananiah the governor of the fortress', for Yah was often dropped from a name. However, ‘And I said to them ' in Nehemiah 6:3 militates against this.
‘And I said to them, “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until (or ‘while') the sun be hot, and while they stand (on guard), let them shut the doors, and bar you them.
This is best read as indicating that during the danger period when men were having a siesta, as is common in hot countries, the gates should not be opened (the main troops would be having a siesta), and that at other times between sunrise and sunset they should be kept shut and barred, but ready to be opened. These were unusual steps, but arose from Nehemiah's sense that his enemies were not to be trusted. There would, of course, be a small door within the doors through which men could pass more easily. It does not seem likely that the gates would only be opened at the time when the sun was hot (approaching midday), as by then half the day would have gone by, whilst there are many examples in history of a city being taken by surprise by being attacked at siesta time.
Many, however, do see it as indicating that the doors should not be opened until approaching midday, again for safety reasons. But it is difficult to see why midday, the time of siesta, should be a good time to open them. In either case Nehemiah was taking special precautions.
Gates were normally opened at sunrise, and closed at sunset, so that those in the city could go about their business. But Jerusalem was not as yet a normal city and Nehemiah was fearful that his enemies might try to take advantage of the present situation when Jerusalem was largely unoccupied, and was thus being cautious.
‘And appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.'
As well as giving instructions with regard to the guarding of the gates Nehemiah also called on Hanani and Hananiah to set up a general system of watches around the city walls. These watches were to be made up of the ordinary inhabitants of Jerusalem, who were to organise watches adjacent to their own homes. The walls had presumably been built in a way which enabled this, with watch posts on the walls, whilst some houses would have been part of the walls and could themselves act as watch posts. The Jews tended to split the night into three watches (Judges 7:19; Luke 12:38).
Nehemiah Recognises That Jerusalem Needs To Be Reinhabited By People Of Reliable Descent And In The Process of Investigating The Ancestry Of The Rulers And The People Discovers An Old Record Containing Details Of The First Returnees (Nehemiah 7:4).
The next thing that needed to be done was to reinhabit Jerusalem, for while it was still sparsely inhabited, and partially in ruins, it was always going to be vulnerable. But it was important that the new inhabitants should be genuine Israelites, and to that end Nehemiah began to look into the genealogy of the rulers and the people. He thus gathered the people together for that purpose. This turned attention to the genealogical records kept in the gate-houses of cities as they kept a record of their inhabitants, and it was in the course of this that he discovered, possibly in one of the gate-houses of Jerusalem, or possibly in the Temple, the list of the earliest returnees from Babylon who had arrived in Judah in response to the edict of Cyrus (Ezra 1:2).
This list is very similar to the one in Ezra 2, but the differences are such that they are not likely simply to be due to copying errors. Indeed, this list in Nehemiah appears to be one made some time after the list in Ezra 2, for meanwhile Sheshbazzar had seemingly died. In Ezra 2:2 Sheshbazzar must be included (from Ezra 1:11) to make up the names of the leaders to twelve names, symbolising the twelve tribes. Here in Nehemiah 7:7 a another name is added (Nahamani) to make up the twelve. This list is probably, therefore, an updating and revising of the original list cited in Ezra, made when Zerubbabel took over on Sheshbazzar's death. This is confirmed by the fact that the list here in Nehemiah is regularised in Nehemiah 7:26 by the continuous use of ‘men of' (contrast Ezra 2:21). It is hardly likely to have happened the other way round in copying.
But why should Nehemiah include this list in his report to the king? The answer is probably so as to link what he had achieved in building the walls of Jerusalem with those who had returned to Jerusalem and Judah under the decree of Cyrus, and had built the Temple. He was making clear that the king was benefiting those whom Cyrus had previously determined to benefit. It was their sons who were being protected and defended.
On our part we should not just pass over these lists without thought. They bear witness to God's detailed interest in His people. They remind us that every one of them is recorded before God. In a sense it is a list of the redeemed.
1) It indicates that God is interested in individuals and that he knew the tribal names and numbers of everyone who returned. It is a reminder to us that we too, if we are truly His, are all numbered by God, and that our names are written in Heaven (Luke 10:20). He has chosen us individually in Christ before the world began (Ephesians 1:4) and recorded our names in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 13:8; Revelation 21:27), and that is why we are ‘written with the righteous' (Psalms 69:28; Malachi 3:16).
2) It was a record of those who were most faithful among God's people, and not one of them was forgotten before God, even down to the lowliest slave. It is the Old Testament equivalent to the roll of honour in Hebrews 11. Out of zeal for God, and a desire for His glory, these people left their comfortable lives in Babylonia for a country that many of them had never seen, in order to rebuild there God's Temple, and re-establish there God's people. It was not an easy path that they chose. They would face famine and hardship, disease and violence. They would at times be reduced as a consequence almost to poverty, in spite of their grand houses. But they did it because they felt that God had called them. They knew that it was what He wanted them to do.
3) To the Jews such a list was of deep interest. It stressed the connection of the new Israel with the old, and the preservation of family names and descent. Indeed, it is probable that many of the returnees on returning took new names for themselves, based on the past, deliberately connecting themselves with their history. It was bringing out that God was restoring His people to the land, a people whose antecedents had been clearly demonstrated. These were the very people who had been removed from the land decades before.
The list commences with the names of twelve leading men, ‘princes' of Israel. The intention was almost certainly that they symbolised the twelve tribes of Israel all of whom were represented among the Jews, for many had moved to Judah for religious reasons, or because of their loyalty to the house of David, or as refugees.
Following these names we find listed the names of the families which returned from Babylon following the decree of Cyrus. These were all able to demonstrate from their genealogies that they were true Israelites, i.e. could trace themselves back to pre-exilic times. This is in contrast with those who could not do so (Nehemiah 7:61; Nehemiah 7:64). One importance of this would come out when they sought to claim back family land.
A comparable list can be found in Ezra 2:1. There are, however, interesting differences and in our view it is difficult to explain them all simply in terms of copying errors, although the possibility of those in some cases must not be discounted. A far better explanation for some, if not all, of the differences is that the two lists represent the list of returnees as prepared on different dates during the first months of arrival, the second one being updated as a result of information submitted from the various clans, because of the arrival of further exiles (e.g. the sons of Azgad, compare Nehemiah 7:17 with Ezra 2:12). In this updated listing account would be taken of deaths and comings of age, and further arrivals and departures. If Sheshbazzar died in the period between the two lists we have a good explanation as to why his name was replaced in the twelve by Nahamani (Nehemiah 7:7). Indeed, his death and the subsequent appointment of Zerubbabel may have been a major reason for the updating of the list as the position of the new Israel was consolidated. This would suggest that the original list was the one in Ezra, with that recorded here being the updated one. (Compare also how ‘men of --' and ‘sons of --' is regularised in this list in Nehemiah in contrast with that in Ezra). It is probable, however, that the writer in Ezra had made slight adjustments when copying the list that he had access to. One example is the omission of the name of Sheshbazzar in Ezra 2:2 because he had already mentioned him as bringing these people up to Jerusalem in Ezra 1:11.
Such a detailed list should not surprise us. It was normal practise in ancient days for cities to keep a roll of its citizens, a roll which was constantly updated due to both deaths and births, or coming to manhood. What is more likely then than that the returnees would decide to maintain a comparative list of adult males who were seen as true Israelites, and subsequently update it, although in the summary form shown here? (That at least one such list was made is demonstrated both here and in Ezra 2). In this case the same basic framework would be retained from list to list as it was encompassing those who had returned from Babylon, with the original list being updated, no doubt on the basis of submissions from the different family groups. That being so the cases where comparative numbers differ by a small amount, something which occurs a number of times, could simply indicate that meanwhile some men had died, or some had reached manhood, or a combination of the two. The larger differences could mainly be explained, either in terms of new arrivals (e.g. in the case of Azgad), or in terms of departures due to dissatisfaction with the situation pertaining, or in terms of pestilence or violence which in some cases gave a high proportion of deaths and could wipe out whole communities. Where numbers alter by a round 100 this could simply be due to a group of new arrivals (or departees) being assessed by some submitters as ‘a hundred', i.e. a fairly large unit, this being used for convenience in some cases (different approaches may have been taken by different submitters), without there being a strict count, or it may have been a convenient approximation (for not all groups would have had people in them capable of dealing with large numbers). The final total numbers (which are well above the sum of the individual numbers in all sources), would remain sacrosanct and would not be altered. (It should, however, be pointed out that many scholars assume both lists to be the same, with differences mainly accounted for by scribal errors).
The Pattern Of The List.
The list follows a clear pattern:
· Introductory material (Nehemiah 7:6).
· Number of the men of the people of Israel, enrolled by family association (Nehemiah 7:8), and enrolled by place of domicile (Nehemiah 7:25).
· Number of priests (Nehemiah 7:39).
· Number of Levites (Nehemiah 7:43).
· Number of singers (Nehemiah 7:44).
· Number of gatekeepers (Nehemiah 7:45).
· Number of the Nethinim and number of the children of Solomon's servants (Nehemiah 7:46).
· Number of those whose genealogies could not be proved (Nehemiah 7:61).
· Number of the priests whose genealogies could not be proved (Nehemiah 7:63).
· Sum Totals (Nehemiah 7:66).
· Summary of gifts for the building of the Temple (Nehemiah 7:70).
· Conclusion (Nehemiah 7:73).
As to when the list was compiled there are indications, such as the listing of some by residence, and the reference to ‘every one to his city' (Nehemiah 6:6), that it was certainly after they had arrived in Judah and settled down. Furthermore the Tirshatha (Persian for ruler) is already seen as active in Nehemiah 7:65. It may well, therefore have been a few months after the arrival of the first group, once others had joined them. But the fact that no priest had arisen with Urim and Thummim (Nehemiah 7:65) might be seen as confirming its early date, in that Jeshua would shortly become such a ‘priest' (High Priest). We do not, however, know if Urim and Thummim were used after the Exile. We have no evidence of it. But we do know that decisions were made by lots, which was a similar method (Nehemiah 10:34; Nehemiah 11:1), and it is very probable that this was done by the priests. This therefore demonstrated that they had again begun to discover God's guidance by sacred lot.
The list would appear to have been compiled by asking the different groups to submit their numbers. This would explain the different designations and descriptions as each group defined themselves in their own way.