The Pulpit Commentary — Nehemiah — Section 115

prolongation of the temple hill, was 1t sort of to comprise seventeen places belonging to euburh of Je111salem, sometimes reckoned ae Judah, and fifteen belonging to Benjamin. vart of the city, sometimes as distinct from Of these thirty-two, a considerable propor. 1t. It was 11 convenient position for the tion had subordinate hamlets attached to Nethinims, who were employed in menial them. Xirjath-arba, or Hebron. Durin~ the offices about the tem_ple. Ziha seems to captivity the old name had reasserted itself represent the leading Nethinim/amily (Ezra. (see Josh. xiv. 15). Dibon is not the import• ii. 43 ; N eh. vii. 46). ant Moabite town whence came the famous Ver. 22.-Properly, the whole of this verse "Moabite Stone," but the city anciently forms a single sentence, and should run as called "Dimonah," which is coupled with follows:-" A.nd the overseer of the Levites "Kabzeel" and "Moladah" in Josh. xv. in Jerusalem, Huzzi, the son of Bani, the 21-26. Jekabzeel is no doubt the ancient son of Hashabia.h, the son of Mattaniah, the "Kabzeel" (Josh. xv. 21). son of Micha, of the sons of Asaph the Ver. 26.-Jeahua is a place not mentioned singers, was over the business of the house anywhere but here. Moladah occurs in oi God." As Shabbethai and J oza.bad "had Josh. xv. 26; Beth-phelet, no doubt the the oversight of the outward business" (ver. same as Beth-palet, in Josh. xv. 27. 16), so the internal business was under the Ver. 27.-Hazar-shual and Beer-shebaare 6Uperintendence of Hnzzi, or Uzzi. Uzzi united in Josh. xv. 28, and were no doubt appears 118 taking part in the dedication of near together. Hazar-shual means "the the wall (eh. xii. 42). village of foxes." Ver. 23.-For it waa the king'a com- Ver. 28.-Ziklag is celebrated as the town mandment concerning them. Arta.xerxes, given to David by Achish king of Gath it appears, had assigned a certain stipend (1 Sam. xxvii. 6), and soon afterwards takeu from the royal revenue for the support of by the Amalekites (ibid. x:x:x. i). Mekonah such Levites 118 were singers, and this stipend is a name which occurs only in this place. had to be /aid to them day by day. It Ver. 29. - En-rimmon, "the spring of is suggeste as the grounds for this special Rimmon," is to be identified with the "Ain fovour-1. That the Levites engaged in the and Rimmon" of Josh. xv. 32-two neigh- choral service were regarded 118 those especi- bouring villages, which ultimately grew into ally who prayed "for the life of the king one. Za.reah is no doubt the " Zoreah " of and of his sons" (Ezra vi. 10); and, 2. That Josh. xv. 33, which was in the Shephelah, the singing Levites who returned from or low coast tract. Jarmuth is the town of Babylon, being so few in number (128), had to Piram, who warred with Joshua (Josh. x. be constantly on duty in the temple, and so 3-27). Like Zareah, it lay in the low needed a regular daily stipend. The nexus coast tract (ibid. xv. 35). of this verse with the preceding one implies Ver. 30.-Zanoah and Adullam appear in that the payment in question was an im- close connection with Jarmuth in Josh. xv. portant part of the internal business of the 34, 35. Zanoah was not a place of any house committed to Uzzi. importance, but Adullam, near which was Ver. 24.-Pethahiah . . . of the children David's cave, is often mentioned. It had of Zerah. We have here an indication of its owu king in the time of Joshua (Josh. the imperfection of the preceding catalogue, xii. 15), was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chron. which has mentioned no descendants of Zerah x:i. 7), and remained a city of some strength among the Jews dwelling in Jerusalem, but under the Maccabees (2 Mace. xii. 38). made them "all sons of Perez" (ver. 6). Lachish is a place even more celebrated than As already observed, a verse equivalent to Adullam. Its king, Japhia, warred with 1 Chron. vi. 9 must have fallen out between Joshua (Josh. xii. 3-16). It was fortified vers. 6 and 7 of this chapter. The exact by Rehoboam (2 Chron. xi 9). Amaziah office borne by Pethahiah cannot be deter- took refuge there when conspiracy threatened mined; but he evidently held a confidential him at Jerusalem (2 Kings xiv. 19); and position, which made him an intermediary Sennacherib " besieged it with all his power " for certaiu purposes between the Persian king (2 Chron. xxii. 9). Azekah is joined with and the Jewish people. Perhaps he received Jarmuth 11.nd Adullam in Josh. xv. 35. Like and forwarded petitions and complaints. Adullaru and Lachish, it was fortified by Ver. 25. -And for the villages. Or, Rehoboam (2 Chron. xi. 9). They (i. e. the "And, as regards the villo.ges." 'fhe writer children of Judah) dwelt from Beer-sheba. here at last passes away altogether from to the valley of Hinnom. The southernmost Jerusalem, and proceeds to speak of the and the northernmost parts of J udrea are country population of J ndrea. This was here mentioned. chiefly located in villages or hamlets, to each Ver. 31.-The children also of Benjamin of which w11s attached a territory suitable from Geba dwelt at Michmash. Rather, for cultivation. The principal of these settle- "Also the children of Benjamin dwelt from ments are Q.OW enumerated, and will be found Geba to Michmash, and Aija, and Bethel,"  120 THE BOOK OF NEHtMIAH. (OH, XI. 1-36,