Organization—plan—leaders—Unless you are an advanced student these lists may be uninteresting. However, they play an important role in the history of Judaism. Guard detail—singers—Levites appointed and his brother appointed captain of the citadel. Orders regarding opening and closing gates—the fate of those who couldn’t find their family records. All this and more awaits you in the exposition.
Securing Jerusalem and Remembering the Returning Exiles
Nehemiah 7:1-3
After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed.
After completing the wall and gates it’s time for organization. It was the responsibility of the governor to make these appointments. First and foremost was the gatekeepers or as we would call them the security guards. Singers were appointed and they would perform daily, singing the psalms. The Levites assisted the priests primarily with the sacrifices.
I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.
Nehemiah’s brother and Hananiah were two army officers who were in charge of the citadel or fortress. Their responsibilities were the security of the entire city.
I said to them, "The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses."
All gates were closed and bolted—bolting the doors meant that a large squared piece of timber running horizontal with the door was dropped into a bracket on each door and could only be removed from the inside. The guards were to lock all doors by this means and not open them till the sun came up. The guards were citizens of Jerusalem and they were stationed at the gates in a small cubicle that we call the gate house and others were stationed at various places in the residential area. The security was as tight as an international airport.
Nehemiah 7:4-7
Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
Placing guards at different areas was a wise decision since the city was not fully occupied at this time.
So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:
The book of genealogies contained a record of the families living and deceased. From this register, Governor Nehemiah and the Nobles and officials will be able to further organize the responsibilities of the citizens. Ezra the scribe had written down the names of the exiles returning in the log book.
These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):
The following verses will tell us the names of the clan leaders and the number of people over which he had rule. These men assisted Zerubbabel in the first expedition back to Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 7:8-38
Note: These men assisted Zerubbabel in the first expedition back to Jerusalem.
- Descendants of Parosh
- 2,172
- Shephatiah
- 372
- Arah
- 652
- Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab)
- 2,818
- Elam
- 1,254
- Zattu
- 845
- Zaccai
- 760
- Binnui
- 648
- Bebai
- 628
- Azgad
- 2,322
- Adonikam
- 667
- Bigvai
- 2,067
- Adin
- 655
- Ater (through Hezekiah)
- 98
- Hashum
- 328
- Bezai
- 324
- Hariph
- 112
- Gibeon
- 95
- Men of Bethlehem and Netophah
- 188
- Anathoth
- 128
- Beth Azmaveth
- 42
- Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth
- 743
- Ramah and Geba
- 621
- Micmash
- 122
- Bethel and Ai
- 123
- The other Nebo
- 52
- The other Elam
- 1,254
- Harim
- 320
- Jericho
- 345
- Lod, Hadid and Ono
- 721
- Senaah
- 3,930
Nehemiah 7:39-42
Note: This is a list of the priests who returned with Zerubbabel.
- Descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua)
- 973
- Immer
- 1,052
- Pashhur
- 1,247
- Harim
- 1,017
Nehemiah 7:43-60
Note: These verses name the Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple support staff, and Solomon’s servants who returned with Zerubbabel.
- The Levites: Descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah): 74
- The Singers: Descendants of Asaph: 148
- The Gatekeepers: Descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai: 138
- The Temple Servants: Descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, Keros, Sia, Padon, Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, Besai, Meunim, Nephussim, Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Temah, Neziah and Hatipha.
- The Servants of Solomon: Descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon.
The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392
Nehemiah 7:61-65
The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:
the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 642
These two verses contain 642 people whose names were not in the register.
And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).
These three verses contain the names of those who claimed to be priests but there was no record of their registration. Note: You may apply for a job or disability or social security and they ask for a birth certificate. If you don’t have one you have a real problem.
These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.
Nehemiah 7:66-69
The whole company numbered 42,360,
The total number that returned under Zerubbabel was 42,360.
besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 245 men and women singers.
The list contained 7,337 servants and 245 singers. These singers are in addition to the 148 who were of the Asaph clan mentioned in verse 45.
There were 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
For comments on the livestock numbers, see Ezra 2:66-67.
Nehemiah 7:70-73
Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 drachmas of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests.
This new city needed to be financially solvent—the governor makes a large donation followed by the heads of families (clan leaders) who were generous—from among the people a large contribution was collected.
Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 drachmas of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 drachmas of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.
The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,
The priests, Levites, security guards, singers, and temple support staff found a place to live in the cities formally occupied by their ancestors before the dispersion.