Day 584 of 1461 · 2028-08-06 · 24 verses

Nehemiah 7:46–69

My plan starts

The List of Returning Exiles (continued)

⁴⁶The temple servants: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth, ⁴⁷the children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon, ⁴⁸the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Salmai, ⁴⁹the children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, ⁵⁰the children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, ⁵¹the children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah. ⁵²The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephushesim, ⁵³the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur, ⁵⁴the children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha, ⁵⁵the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah, ⁵⁶the children of Neziah, and the children of Hatipha. ⁵⁷The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida, ⁵⁸the children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel, ⁵⁹the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth Hazzebaim, and the children of Amon. ⁶⁰All the temple servants and the children of Solomon’s servants were three hundred ninety-two. ⁶¹These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses, nor their offspring, whether they were of Israel: ⁶²The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda: six hundred forty-two. ⁶³Of the priests: the children of Hobaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name. ⁶⁴These searched for their genealogical records, but couldn’t find them. Therefore they were deemed disqualified and removed from the priesthood. ⁶⁵The governor told that they should not eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up to minister with Urim and Thummim. ⁶⁶The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty, ⁶⁷in addition to their male servants and their female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven. They had two hundred forty-five singing men and singing women. ⁶⁸Their horses were seven hundred thirty-six; their mules, two hundred forty-five; ⁶⁹their camels, four hundred thirty-five; their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred twenty.

Matthew Henry · 7:5–73

We have here another good project of Nehemiah's; for wise and zealous men will be always contriving something or other for the glory of God and the edification of his church. He knew very well that the safety of a city, under God, depends more upon the number and valour of the inhabitants than upon the height or strength of its walls; and therefore, observing that the people were few that dwelt in it, he thought fit to take an account of the people, that he might find what families had formerly had their settlement in Jerusalem, but were now removed into the country, that he might bring them back, and what families could in any other way be influenced by their religion, or by their business, to come and rebuild the houses in Jerusalem and dwell in them.…

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So little reason have we to wish that we may be placed alone in the earth, or in Jerusalem itself, that much of our safety and comfort depends upon our neighbours and friends; the more the stronger, the more the merrier. It is the wisdom of the governors of a nation to keep the balance even between the city and country, that the metropolis be not so extravagantly large as to drain and impoverish the country, nor yet so weak as not to be able to protect it. Now observe, I. Whence this good design of Nehemiah's came. He owns, My God put it into my heart, Neh 7:5. Note, Whatever good motion is in our minds, either prudent or pious, we must acknowledge it to come from God. It was he that put it into our hearts; for every good gift and every good work are from above. He 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; he that teaches the husbandman his discretion (Isa 28:26) teaches the statesman his. II. What method he took in prosecution of it. 1. He called the rulers together, and the people, that he might have an account of the present state of their families - their number and strength, and where they were settled. It is probable that when he summoned them to come together he ordered them to bring such an account along with them out of their several districts. And I doubt they were not so many but that it might be soon done. 2. He reviewed the old register of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and compared the present accounts with that; and here we have the repetition of that out of Ezra 2. The title is the same here (Neh 7:6, Neh 7:7) as there (Ezr 2:1): These are the children of the province, etc. Two things are here repeated and recorded a second time from thence - the names and numbers of their several families, and their oblations to the service of the temple. The repetition of these accounts may intimate to us the delight which the great God is pleased to take in the persons, families, and services of his spiritual Israel, and the particular notice he takes of them. He knows those that are his, knows them all, knows them by name, has his eye on the register of those children of the captivity, and does all according to the ancient counsel of his will concerning them. (1.) Here is an account of the heads of the several families that first came up, v. 6-69. As to this, [1.] Though it seem of little use to us now, yet then it was of great use, to compare what they had been with what they now were. We may suppose they were much increased by this time; but it would do well for them to remember their small beginnings, that they might acknowledge God in multiplying their families and building them up. By this means likewise their genealogies would be preserved, and the distinction of their families kept up, till the Messiah should come, and then an end be put to all their genealogies, which were preserved for his sake, but afterwards were endless. But, [2.] There are many differences in the numbers between this catalogue and that in Ezra. Most of them indeed are exactly the same, and some others within a very few under or over (one or two perhaps); and therefore I cannot think, as some do, that that was the number of these families at their first coming and this as they were now, which was at least forty years after (some make it much more); for we cannot suppose so many families to be not at all, or but little, altered in their numbers in all that time; therefore what differences there are we may suppose to arise either from the mistakes of transcribers, which easily happen in numbers, or from the diversity of the copies from which they were taken. Or perhaps one was the account of them when they set out from Babylon with Zerubbabel, the other when they came to Jerusalem. The sum totals are all just the same there and here, except of the singing-men and singing-women, which there are 200, here 245. These were not of such importance as that they should keep any strict account of them. (2.) Here is an account of the offerings which were given towards the work of God, Neh 7:70, etc. This differs much from that in Ezr 2:68, Ezr 2:69, and it may be questioned whether it refers to the same contribution; here the tirshatha, or chief governor, who there was not mentioned, begins the offering; and the single sum mentioned there exceeds all those here put together; yet it is probable that it was the same, but that followed one copy of the lists, this another; for the last verse is the same here that it was Ezr 2:70, adding Ezr 3:1. Blessed be God that our faith and hope are not built upon the niceties of names and numbers, genealogy and chronology, but on the great things of the law and gospel. Whatever is given to the work of God, he is not unrighteous to forget it; nor shall even a cup of cold water, wherewith he is honoured, go without its reward.

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Drawn from the public-domain commentaries and Spurgeon sermons that cover this exact passage · ~462 words.

Matthew Henry. To see it well peopled, in order to which he here reviews and calls over the register of the children of the captivity, the families that returned at first, and records it (v. 5-73). Two things are here repeated and recorded a second time from thence - the names and numbers of their several families, and their oblations to the service of the temple. This differs much from that in Ezr 2:68, Ezr 2:69, and it may be questioned whether it refers to the same contribution; here the tirshatha, or chief governor, who there was not mentioned, begins the offering; and the single sum mentioned there exceeds all those here put together; yet it is probable that it was the same, but that followed one copy of the lists, this another; for the last verse is the same here that it was Ezr 2:70, adding Ezr 3:1. The sum totals are all just the same there and here, except of the singing-men and singing-women, which there are 200, here 245. He gives knowledge; he gives grace; all is of him, and therefore all must be to him. The title is the same here (Neh 7:6, Neh 7:7) as there (Ezr 2:1): These are the children of the province, etc. It is probable that when he summoned them to come together he ordered them to bring such an account along with them out of their several districts. Blessed be God that our faith and hope are not built upon the niceties of names and numbers, genealogy and chronology, but on the great things of the law and gospel. He called the rulers together, and the people, that he might have an account of the present state of their families - their number and strength, and where they were settled. He knows those that are his, knows them all, knows them by name, has his eye on the register of those children of the captivity, and does all according to the ancient counsel of his will concerning them. (1.) Here is an account of the heads of the several families that first came up, v. 6-69. He knew very well that the safety of a city, under God, depends more upon the number and valour of the inhabitants than upon the height or strength of its walls; and therefore, observing that the people were few that dwelt in it, he thought fit to take an account of the people, that he might find what families had formerly had their settlement in Jerusalem, but were now removed into the country, that he might bring them back, and what families could in any other way be influenced by their religion, or by their business, to come and rebuild the houses in Jerusalem and dwell in them.

Chapter introductions and general notes (1)

Matthew Henry · ch. 7

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The success of one good design for God and our generation should encourage us to proceed and form some other; Nehemiah did so, having fortified Jerusalem with gates and walls, his next care is, I. To see the city well kept (Neh 7:1-4). II. To see it well peopled, in order to which he here reviews and calls over the register of the children of the captivity, the families that returned at first, and records it (v. 5-73). It is the same, in effect, with that which we had, Ezra 2. What use he made of it we shall find afterwards, when he brought one of ten to live in Jerusalem, Neh 11:1.

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