1 Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
2 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.
Hanani was the one who brought Nehemiah the bad report in chapter one. He is evidently Nehemiah’s natural brother.
Both Hanani and Hananiah have proven that they love God by their upright behavior. Men who truly love God make good leaders since they will carry out their duty without taking advantage of or abusing the people.
Nehemiah is preparing to return to Persia as he had promised the king.
3 And I said unto them, “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, everyone in his watch, and everyone to be over against his house.”
They are still fearing an attack from their neighbors. Nehemiah tells them how to guard against it.
4 Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built.
Everyone had been working on the wall and had not taken time to build his own house yet. And their simply weren’t that many people who had chosen to live there. A city that isn’t sufficiently populated will decay and waste away.
5 And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,
He is reading what eventually became the first part of the book of Ezra.
6 These are the 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, everyone unto his city;
The following list is almost identical to the one in Ezra 2. The few differences can be attributed to editorial and copying errors.
7 Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;
8 The children of Parosh, 2,172.
9 The children of Shephatiah, 372.
10 The children of Arah, 652.
11 The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818.
12 The children of Elam, 1,254.
13 The children of Zattu, 845.
14 The children of Zaccai, 760.
15 The children of Binnui, 648.
16 The children of Bebai, 628.
17 The children of Azgad, 2,322.
18 The children of Adonikam, 667.
19 The children of Bigvai, 2,067.
20 The children of Adin, 655.
21 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, 98.
22 The children of Hashum, 328.
23 The children of Bezai, 324.
24 The children of Hariph, 112.
25 The children of Gibeon, 95.
26 The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188.
27 The men of Anathoth, 128.
28 The men of Bethazmaveth, 42.
29 The men of Kirjathjearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743.
30 The men of Ramah and Gaba, 621.
31 The men of Michmas, 122.
32 The men of Bethel and Ai, 123.
33 The men of the other Nebo, 52.
34 The children of the other Elam, 1,254.
35 The children of Harim, 320.
36 The children of Jericho, 345.
37 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721.
38 The children of Senaah, 3,930.
39 The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973.
40 The children of Immer, 1,052.
41 The children of Pashur, 1,247.
42 The children of Harim, 1,017.
43 The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the children of Hodevah, 74.
44 The singers: the children of Asaph, 148.
45 The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, 138.
46 The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
47 The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,
48 The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,
49 The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,
50 The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,
51 The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,
52 The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim,
53 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
54 The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
55 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Tamah,
56 The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
57 The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,
58 The children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
59 The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Amon.
60 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were 392.
61 And these were they which went up also from Telmelah, Telharesha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not shew their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.
62 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, 642.
63 And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.
64 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.
65 And 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.
66 The whole congregation together was 42,360,
67 Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were 7,337: and they had 245 singing men and singing women.
68 Their horses, 736: their mules, 245:
69 Their camels, 435: 6,720 asses.
70 And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a 1000 drams of gold, 50 basons, 530 priests' garments.
71 And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work 20,000 drams of gold, and 2,200 pounds of silver.
72 And that which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 drams of gold, and 2,000 pound of silver, and 67 priests' garments.
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 seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities. Many people gave to the work of repairing the walls.
By the seventh month everyone was in their homes.