Nehemiah 11

Ne 11:1, 2.

THE

RULERS,

VOLUNTARY

MEN, AND

EVERY

TENTH

MAN

CHOSEN BY

LOT,

DWELL AT

JERUSALEM.

1. the rulers . . . dwelt at Jerusalem--That city

being the metropolis of the country, it was right and proper that the

seat of government should be there. But the exigency of the times

required that special measures should be taken to insure the residence

of an adequate population for the custody of the buildings and the

defense of the city. From the annoyances of restless and malignant

enemies, who tried every means to demolish the rising fortifications,

there was some danger attending a settlement in Jerusalem. Hence the

greater part of the returned exiles, in order to earn as well as secure

the rewards of their duty, preferred to remain in the country or the

provincial towns. To remedy this state of things, it was resolved to

select every tenth man of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin by lot, to

become a permanent inhabitant of the capital. The necessity of such an

expedient commended it to the general approval. It was the more readily

submitted to because the lot was resorted to on all the most critical

conjunctures of the Jewish history, and regarded by the people as a

divine decision

(Pr 18:18).

This awakened strongly the national spirit; and patriotic volunteers

came forward readily to meet the wishes of the authorities, a service

which, implying great self-denial as well as courage, was reckoned in

the circumstances of so much importance as entitled them to the public

gratitude. No wonder that the conduct of these volunteers drew forth

the tribute of public admiration; for they sacrificed their personal

safety and comfort for the interests of the community because Jerusalem

was at that time a place against which the enemies of the Jews were

directing a thousand plots. Therefore, residence in it at such a

juncture was attended with expense and various annoyances from which a

country life was entirely free.

Ne 11:3-36.

THEIR

NAMES.

3. the chief of the province--that is, Judea. Nehemiah speaks of it,

as it then was, a small appendix of the Persian empire.

in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in their

cities--The returned exiles, who had come from Babylon, repaired

generally, and by a natural impulse, to the lands and cities throughout

the country which had been anciently assigned them.

Israel--This general name, which designated the descendants of Jacob

before the unhappy division of the two kingdoms under Rehoboam, was

restored after the captivity, the Israelites being then united with the

Jews, and all traces of their former separation being obliterated.

Although the majority of the returned exiles belonged to the tribes of

Judah and Benjamin, they are here called Israel because a large number

out of all the tribes were now intermingled, and these were principally

the occupiers of the rural villages, while none but those of Judah and

Benjamin resided in Jerusalem.

the Levites--These took possession of the cities allotted to them

according as they had opportunity.

the Nethinims--A certain order of men, either Gibeonites or persons

joined with them, who were devoted to the service of God.

4. at Jerusalem dwelt certain of the children of Judah--The discrepancy

that is apparent between this

[Ne 11:4-36]

and the list formerly given in

1Ch 9:1-9,

arose not only from the Jewish and Oriental practice of changing or

modifying the names of persons from a change of circumstances, but from

the alterations that must have been produced in the course of time. The

catalogue in Chronicles contains those who came with the first

detachment of returned exiles, while the list in this passage probably

included also those who returned with Ezra and Nehemiah; or it was most

probably made out afterwards, when several had died, or some, who had

been inserted as going on the journey, remained, and others came in

their stead.

9. overseer--that is, "captain" or "chief."

11. the ruler of the house of God--assistant of the high priest

(Nu 3:32;

1Ch 9:11;

2Ch 19:11).

16. the oversight of the outward business of the house of God--that

is, those things which were done outside, or in the country, such as

the collecting of the provisions

(1Ch 26:29).

17. the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer--that is, the

leader of the choir which chanted the public praise at the time of the

morning and evening sacrifice. That service was always accompanied by

some appropriate psalm, the sacred music being selected and guided by

the person named.

22. the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house

of God--They were selected to take charge of providing those things

which were required for the interior of the temple and its service,

while to others was committed the care of the "outward business of the

house of God"

(Ne 11:16).

This duty was very properly assigned to the sons of Asaph; for, though

they were Levites, they did not repair in rotation to Jerusalem, as the

other ministers of religion. Being permanent residents, and employed in

duties which were comparatively light and easy, they were very

competent to undertake this charge.

23. it was the king's commandment--It was the will of the Persian

monarch in issuing his edict that the temple service should be revived

in all its religious fulness and solemnity. As this special provision

for the singers is said to have been by the king's commandment, the

order was probably given at the request or suggestion of Ezra or

Nehemiah.

24. Pethahiah . . . was at the king's hand in all matters concerning

the people--This person was entrusted with judicial power, either for

the interest, or by the appointment, of the Persian monarch, and his

duty consisted either in adjusting cases of civil dispute, or in

regulating fiscal concerns.

25. some of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjath-arba--The whole

region in which the villages here mentioned were situated had been

completely devastated by the Chaldean invasion; and, therefore, it must

be assumed, that these villages had been rebuilt before "the children

dwelt in them."

36. And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in

Benjamin--Rather, there were divisions for the Levites; that is,

those who were not resident in Jerusalem were distributed in

settlements throughout the provinces of Judah and Benjamin.