The Pulpit Commentary — Nehemiah — Section 127

placed the whole circuit of the wall under xxiii. 14 ; Levit. xiv. 34-53). In case the Divine protection, confessing in this either the wall or the gates should be in any M>lemn a.et the intrinsic worthlessness of auch way unclean, they were made to underao a legal purification before the ceremony ~f mere walls and bulwarks, unless God lends the <ledication began. them strlmgth nnd makes them a protection Ver. 31.-1 brought up the princes of against enemies. Judah upon the we.11, and appointed two great companies. Nehemiah caused all the Ver. 27.-And at the dedication . ... they chiefs of the nation, both lay and clerical, sought the Levites. The nexus of this pas- to mount upon the wall, an<l there marshalle<l sage seems to be with eh. xi. 36 ; e.nu we them into two companies, composed of clergy may suppose that originally it followed im- and laity intermixed, one of which he plac~d mediately on eh. xi.-the lists (eh. xii. 1- under the direction of Ezra (ver. 36), while 26) being e. later insertion. The author; of the other he took the comman<l himself having (in eh. xi. 36) told us of the wide (ver. 38). The place of assemblage must have dispersion of the Levites, now notes that been some portion of the western wall, pro- they were summoned from all the places bably the central portion, near the modern where they dwelt, and brought (one and all) Jaffa gate. From this Ezra's company pro- to Jerusalem for the solemnity of the dedi- ceeded southwar<l, and then eastward, along cation. To keep the dedication with glad- the southern wall, while Nehemiah's marcheu ness, both with thanksgiving and with northward, and then eastward, along the singing, &c. Solomon's dedication of the northern wall, both processions meeting mid- temple was the pattern followed. As he had way in the eastern wall, between the '' water" made the service altogether one of praise and and the "prison" gates. Toward the dung thanksgiving (2 Chron·f· 13), and had em- gate. On the position of this gate, see the ployed in it cymbals,~pets, psalteries, comment on eh. ii 13. and harps (ibid. ver. 12), so Nehemiah on Ver. 32.-After them. After the singers, the present occasion. who in each procession took the lead. Ver. 28.-The eona of the singers. I. e. Hoshaiah is perhaps the "Hoshea '' of eh. the Levites who belonged to the class of x. 23, who "sealed to" the covenant. Half singers (1 Chron. xv. 16-22; Neh. vii. 44, the princes of Judah. The other half were &c.). The plain 001111try ro1111d about J'eru- with Nehemiah in the other "company" salem. Dean Stanley understands by this (ver. 40). " the Jordan valley " (' Lectures on the Vera. 33, 34.-Aze.riah, Ezra, and Meshul- Jewish Church,' Third Series, p. 129}; but lam. Next to the " princes " came two that is a district too remote to be intended priestly families-those of Azariah (or Ezra) by the words '' round about Jerusalem." Tha and Meshullam (eh. x. 2, 7); then Judah valleys of Hinnom a.nd Jehoshaphat better and Benjamin, or certain lay people of those suit the description. The villages of Neto- tribes; after them two other priestly families phathi. Rather, "of the Netophathites" -those of Shemaiah and J'eremiah (eh. x. (see 1 Chron. ix. 16), or people of Netophah, 2, 8 ; xii. 1, 6). which was e. country town not far from Ver. 35.-Certain of the priests' sons with Bethlehem. trumpets. Compare ver. 41. A body of Ver. 29. - From the house of Gilge.l. priests, who blew trumpets, accompanied Rather, "from Beth-Gilgal," which was the each procession, following closely upon the name now borne by the Gilgal due north of "princes," and followed by a body of Levites. Jerusalem. Out of the fields of Geba. See Namely, Zachariah. There is nothing cor- above, eh. xi. 31. And Azme.veth, Com- responding to ''namely" in the original ; pare Ezra ii 24; Neh. vii. 28. Azmaveth and it is clear that Zechariah was not a was e. Benje.mite town, not far from Ane.- "priest's sou," but a Levite, since he was thoth. The singers had built themselves descended from Asaph. Probably a vait villages round Jerusalem. Such of the conjunctive has fallen out before his name. singers as were not located in Jerusalem Ver. 36. -The musical instruments of itself fixed their dwellings in the immediate David. Cymbals, psalteries, and harps. See neighbourhood, in order the more readily to above 1 ver. 27, and comp. 1 Chron. xv. 16, attend the temple service. 19-2 1. The Jews had become acquaintecl Ver. 30.-The priests and the Levites with a great variety of musical instruments purified themeelves. On this occasion there during the captivity (Dan. iii. 7 ; Ps. cl. 4, is no preference of the Levites over the 5), but rigidly excluded all except the old priests, as in 2 Chron. xxi.x. 34 and Ezra vi. instruments from the service of religioi,. 20. Both classes were, it would seem, equally Ezre. the scribe before them. As their zealous, and equally forward to purify them- leader. It is iuteresting to find no jealousy selves. And the gates and wall. Inanimate separating Ezra from the governor who had things might contract legal defilement (Deut, superseded him. As the two coujoiutly ha<l  THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. [CH. XII. 27-47.