Synopsis of the Chapter
Nehemiah appoints guardians for Jerusalem, finds the book of the census of those who returned from Babylon, and records the gifts offered for the construction.
Verse 2: Hanani and Hananiah, Guardians of Jerusalem ¶
2. I COMMANDED HANANI MY KINSMAN. (This is that Hanani who brought the news of the desolation of Jerusalem to Nehemiah in Persia, chapter I, verse 2.) AND HANANIAH THE RULER (that is, prefect) OF THE HOUSE — namely, of the royal palace, as the Hebrews say, on Mount Zion. These two, being above the rest truthful men, that is, sincere and upright, and God-fearing, Nehemiah appointed as guardians of the city of Jerusalem.
Verse 3: The Gates Were Not Opened Until the Heat of the Sun ¶
3. And while they were still standing by — that is to say: The gates were not closed in the evening except in the presence and attendance of these two guardians, namely Hanani and Hananiah, lest any treachery come from the enemies' ambushes. Again, in the morning they were not opened 'before the heat of the sun,' that is, before broad daylight, when everyone is awake.
Verse 4: The People Were Few ¶
4. AND THE PEOPLE WERE FEW — for few had returned from Babylon, and of these few some, seeing the desolation of the city and the threats of the enemies, had betaken themselves to other cities and villages of Judea, while others had returned to Babylon or Persia, among whom was the leader Zerubbabel.
Verse 5: God Put It Into My Heart ¶
5. And God put it into my heart — that is to say: God suggested to me a plan and method for supplementing the small number of inhabitants of Jerusalem, namely by reviewing the catalog of those who had originally returned from Babylon with Ezra, and according to it, inviting and summoning them to inhabit Jerusalem, which we will hear was actually done by lot in chapter XI. Whence he then reviews the catalog containing the census of the people who had returned.
Verse 6: The Census of the Returning Exiles ¶
6. THESE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE PROVINCE, WHO CAME UP FROM THE CAPTIVITY OF THE EXILES — that is, who returned from the deportation to Babylon, namely from Babylon to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel under Cyrus. This is the catalog, or census of the people, which Ezra reviewed in chapter II, but with different words from time to time and with generally different numbers, especially in the middle; for the beginning and end are the same in both places. The reason is that this census of the people, or catalog, was undertaken and recorded several times; namely, first in Babylon, when the Jews departed from there; second in Jerusalem, when they first arrived there; third when, after the temple was rebuilt, it was dedicated with a solemn concourse of the people. But these censuses varied among themselves; because as some died, others were born, and as some departed, others arrived. Therefore Ezra copied his catalog from one census, Nehemiah from another; and hence they differ. See Francisco de Lucas in his Notes, 79.
Verse 65: The Athersatha ¶
65. And the Athersatha said — that is, Nehemiah, as is evident from chapter VIII, verse 9. Thus far the catalog. This intermediate annotation does not appear in the Hebrew, Greek, or some Latin texts. Hence the Greek corrector, and others, consider it should be omitted, and indeed reject it, as Lyra and the Carthusian do. Certainly the different style sufficiently argues that these inserted words are neither part of the text nor a matter of faith, says Sanchez. Nevertheless, the Bibles corrected at Rome retain this annotation. It seems therefore to have been added by the translator, just as many similar additions were made in the book of Esther, or by a paraphrast or some commentator: so Francisco de Lucas, Notes 79.
Verse 70: Gifts of the Heads of Families ¶
70. AND SOME OF THE HEADS OF FAMILIES — This is the catalog of gifts offered for the construction, and it is the same as the one Ezra reviewed in chapter II, but as I said, different in the numbers; perhaps because Ezra included the gifts of more people, namely of all those also who from the reign of Cyrus, whether Jews or Persians, at Cyrus's urging, contributed something from their resources to the construction or later sent it to Jerusalem: but Nehemiah records only the gifts of the Jews returning from captivity, and only the principal ones at that, and therefore fewer than Ezra lists, says Francisco de Lucas in the passage cited.