to be allowed to remain for 12 years. See ch. xiii. 6, and v. 14; but see "Order of events," and "Times of Nehemiah," Judea. On his arrival in Judea he hastens the building of the walls, so that they were finished in 52 days. Returning then to Persia, according to this promise, he receives his commission as governor, ch. vii. 70.

"Governors beyond the river," v. 7.-Satraps governed the provinces under Persian rule. "Beyond the river " means here to the west of the Euphrates, Susiana being on the east of it. The Persian Empire extended at this period from the Mediterranean Sea to the River Indus, and was divided into two parts by the Euphrates. In Ezra v. 3-4, the words "on this side the river," mean, of course, the western or Judæan side, the speakers being in Judæa; but in Nehem. ii. 7, "beyond the river" means also the western or Judæan side, the speakers being in Susa-east of the Euphrates. See Ezra viii. 36.

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Convey me," v. 7.-Ezra refused an escort-Ezra viii. 21-23-for he was a Priest, and his a sacred mission to build the city and temple. Nehemiah's object was to secure protection for his people against their enemies; hence the king's authority to rebuild the walls, and his continued protection was necessary. See v. 9.

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Keeper of the king's forest," v. 8.

The forest of

Lebanon, according to Bp. Patrick, 1 Ks. v. 5-10. In the Speaker's Commentary it is described as a park in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, perhaps where the "Gardens of Solomon" were. This view is fairly tenable from the translation of this word in Eccles. ii. 5, and Cant. iv. 13— Orchard. The word here translated "forest" is pardes, rendered through the lxx. a paradise or park. The derivation peri round, and daeza a wall, seems to indicate a walled enclosure.

"The gates of the palace," v. 8.-Birah, a fortress rather than a palace. It lay close to "appertained to"-the "house" or temple. This fortress now mentioned for the first time was known in the time of the Romans as the tower Antonia.

"The house that I shall enter into," v. 8,—the Governor's house-Nehemiah's own dwelling. There are thus three buildings indicated here. The house (Temple), the palace (fortress) near to it, and the governor's house.

"According to the good hand of my God," v. 8.-Ezra

ch. vii. 6, and viii. 22-and Nehemiah both ascribe all good to God.

"The King had sent captains," v. 9.-An escort. V. 7, and Ezra viii. 22.

See

"Sanballat," v. 10,-probably a Babylonian name, from Sin, the moon god, as in Sennacherib, and Balato, eminent, as in Bel-balatu.-Sp. Com.

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Horonite," v. 10.-A native of one of the Bethhorons, the upper or the lower, Josh. xvi. 3-5, 2 Ch. viii. 5, and therefore a Samaritan-" since the Bethhorous had belonged to Ephraim."-Sp. Com. In several other Commentaries the term Horonite is derived from Horonaim, a town in Moab, Isai. xv. 5. The latter is most probably the correct view, that Sanballat, the leader of the Samaritan party, was a Moabite.

"Tobiah the servant," v. 10,-the slave. An Ammonite slave whom Sanballat employed as secretary, ch. vi. 17-19; or one who had been a slave and now freed; employed probably as district magistrate under the Syrian satrap. (Moab and Ammon had been subjugated by the king of Babylon, but afterwards restored under the Persians, according to Jeremiah's prediction, xlviii. 47, and xlix. 6).

"It grieved them," v. 10,-probably because their chief city, Samaria, would necessarily decline if Jerusalem should be restored. See Ezra iv. 4-24, v. 6-17.

"I was there three days," v. 11-before informing any one of his purpose. He seems to have been on this occasion for about 12 months there before returning, ch. ii. 6, and "Order of events," pp. 4, 8.

"The gate of the valley," v. 13.-Opening into the valley of Hinnom, which lay to the west and south of Jerusalem. It was near the modern Jaffa gate. 2 Chron. xxvi. 9.

"The dragon well," v. 13.-Either because the spout was in the form of a dragon's mouth-Brown and Faussett's Com.-or from the serpentine course of the stream. In the lxx. it is rendered by "mouth of the fountain of figs," in the Syriac by "the fountain of the hills," and in the Arabic by "the torrent."

"To the dung port," v. 13.-A gate on the east of the city, by which offal was carried into the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna, N.T.), or through which there ran a sewer to the brook Kidron, and so into the valley of Hinnom.Brown and Fausset's Com.

"The gate of the fountain," v. 14-of Siloah. A gate in the Tyropcon Valley, and not far from the fountain of Siloah, near to which lay the fount of Ophel, here called the king's pool, i.e., Solomon's, or Hezekiah's. (Poole's Annot.) "No place for the beast," v. 14.-There was too much rubbish about it.

"By the brook," v. 15,-Kidron. He was now on the east of the city, and turned back (not retraced his steps); but having examined the eastern wall, he turned westward, and having made the circuit of the city, returned, entering by the valley gate.

"And the rulers," v. 16.-The elders or princes who had been in authority before he came. See Ezra ix. 1.

"The rest that did the work," v. 16-" The labourers."He had told none of his intention.

"Let us rise up and build," v. 18.-This sudden resolution was formed, Nehemiah having not only mentioned God's favour to him, but the influence which he had exerted on the king's mind-" as also the king's words." They were unusually favourable, and to be ascribed only to the hand of God, v. 18.

"Strengthened their hands," v. 18,-by resolution and mutual exhortation. Hag. i. 13-16; Heb. xii. 12.

"Geshem the Arabian," v. 19.-Sargon, king of Assyria, had peopled Samaria with Arabians, hence Geshem takes part with the Samaritan party. Nothing more is known of Geshem but what is here said, and in vi. 1-5; iv. 7.

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Against the king," v. 19-of Persia: all were subject to him at this time.

"The God of heaven,” v. 20.—See v. 4, and note.

CHAPTER III.

The names of those who built the walls, and the portions of the walls which they severally built.

The Walls and its Builders; East Side.-(v. 1) "Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. (v. 2) And

next unto him builded the men of Jericho. to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri."

And next

North Side.-(v. 3) "But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. (v. 4) And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. (v. 5) And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord. (v. 6) Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. (v. 7) And next unto them repaired Meletiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river. (v. 8) Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall."

West Side.-(v. 9) "And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem. (v. 10) And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah. (v. 11) Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahath-moab, repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces. (v. 12) And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. (v. 13) The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate."

South-East Side.-(v. 14) “But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. (v. 15) But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the

bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king's garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David. (v. 16) After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Bethzur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty."

City of David.-(v. 17) " After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part. (v. 18) After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah. (v. 19) And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury, at the turning of the wall. (v. 20) After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. (v. 21) After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. (v. 22) And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain. (v. 23) After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, by his house. (v. 24) After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner. (v. 25) Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh. (v. 26) Moreover, the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out. (v. 27) After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel. (v. 28) From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house. (v. 29) After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate. (v. 30) After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber. (v. 31) After him repaired