Commentary

Nehemiah 7

The Geneva Bible Notes (1599)

The margin notes of the Bible the Puritans and Shakespeare read, by English Reformers in exile. Each verse is printed with its notes.

Verses 3–5

And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while {a} they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar [them]: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one [to be] over against his house.
(a) That is, they who are mentioned, Ne 7:2.

Verse 6

These [are] the {b} children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;
(b) That is, the inhabitants of Judah.

Verses 7–24

Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, {c} Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, [I say], of the men of the people of Israel [was this];
(c) Azariah in Ezra is called Seraiah, and Raamiah Reelaiah Ezr 2:2.

Verses 25–32

The {d} children of Gibeon, ninety and five.
(d) That is, the inhabitants of Gibeon.

Verses 33–45

The men {e} of the other Nebo, fifty and two.
(e) For there were two cities with this name.

Verses 46–64

The {f} Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
(f) Read Ezr 2:43.

Verses 65–69

And {g} the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood [up] a priest with Urim and Thummim.
(g) Meaning, Nehemiah: for Tirshatha in the Chaldee tongue means a butler.

Verses 70–72

And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand {h} drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests' garments.
(h) Read Ezr 2:69.

Verse 73

So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and [some] of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the {i} seventh month came, the children of Israel [were] in their cities.
(i) Which contained part of September and part of October.

The Geneva Bible Notes (1599). Public domain, from the CrossWire SWORD module.