Nehemiah 11:20-24

5. Other groups.

TEXT, Nehemiah 11:20-24

20

And the rest of Israel, of the priests, and of the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each on his own inheritance.

21

But the temple servants were living in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of the temple servants.

22

Now the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph, who were the singers for the service of the house of God.

23

For there was a commandment from the king concerning them and a firm regulation for the song leaders day by day.

24

And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was the king's representative in all matters concerning the people.

COMMENT

Nehemiah 11:20 describes the situation in the rest of Judah, which will be developed beginning with Nehemiah 11:25. But first, other incidental matters are dealt with.

In Nehemiah 11:21 the location of the residences of the Temple servants (cf. Ezra 2:43; Nehemiah 3:26) is described as being outside the city walls. Ophel was at other times within the city boundaries (2 Chronicles 33:14); it is normal that the size of a city would fluctuate, and we would expect that at this time the shortest possible distance would be walled.

Nehemiah 11:22 speaks of Uzzi as being in charge of Levite affairs in the city. Singers are also listed in Ezra 2:41.

Nehemiah 11:23 explains this a little further by saying the king (Artaxerxes probably, though some see a reference here to regulations affecting the Levites made by King David) had issued a commandment regarding them. The firm regulation may have been a daily allowance, putting them under royal patronage.[79][79] Adenay, op. cit., p. 325.

In Nehemiah 11:24, at the other end of the flow of finances was Pethahiah, possibly stationed in the Persian court as the people of Israel's representative there.

WORD STUDY

LOT (Nehemiah 11:1, Goral; sound like gravel?): a small stone. Sometimes a number of stones, including one or more of an odd color, were shaken in a container and thrown onto the ground, thus deciding matters by chance; or they were shaken together and thrown into a vase, and each person drew one out, seeking for the odd-colored one. Eventually they were made into cubes and the faces numbered to form dice.