Nehemiah 3:30

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Nehemiah 3:30. And Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece — It seems his five elder brethren laid not their hands to the work. But in doing that which is good, we need not stay to see our betters go before us.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:1-32 The rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. - The work was divided, so that every one might know what he had to do, and mind it, with a desire to excel; yet without contention, or separate interests. No strife appears among them, but which should do most for the public good. Every Israelite should lend a hand toward the building up of Jerusalem. Let not nobles think any thing below them, by which they may advance the good of their country. Even some females helped forward the work. Some repaired over against their houses, and one repaired over against his chamber. When a general good work is to be done, each should apply himself to that part which is within his reach. If every one will sweep before his own door, the street will be clean; if every one will mend one, we shall all be mended. Some that had first done helped their fellows. The walls of Jerusalem, in heaps of rubbish, represent the desperate state of the world around, while the number and malice of those who hindered the building, give some faint idea of the enemies we have to contend with, while executing the work of God. Every one must begin at home; for it is by getting the work of God advanced in our own souls that we shall best contribute to the good of the church of Christ. May the Lord thus stir up the hearts of his people, to lay aside their petty disputes, and to disregard their worldly interests, compared with building the walls of Jerusalem, and defending the cause of truth and godliness against the assaults of avowed enemies.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

"The horse gate" was on the east side of the city, overlooking the Kidron valley. It seems to have been a gate by which horses approached and left the old palace, that of David, which lay north of the temple Nehemiah 3:25.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

26. the Nethinims—Not only the priests and the Levites, but the common persons that belonged to the house of God, contributed to the work. The names of those who repaired the walls of Jerusalem are commemorated because it was a work of piety and patriotism to repair the holy city. It was an instance of religion and courage to defend the true worshippers of God, that they might serve Him in quietness and safety, and, in the midst of so many enemies, go on with this work, piously confiding in the power of God to support them [Bishop Patrick].

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Or, chambers; the singular number for the plural.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece,.... This last man had six sons; but only his youngest son wrought at this work, which is observed to his great commendation:

after him repaired Shelemiah the son of Berechiah, over against his chamber; the same as in Nehemiah 3:4 who having finished what he engaged in there, took his part where his chamber was, and repaired over against that.

Geneva Study Bible

After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the {g} sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber.

(g) Meaning the sixth of his sons.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

30. Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, … piece] R.V. portion. This particular mention of Hanun as ‘the sixth son’ of Zalaph is noteworthy, since the mention of other names in this chapter is unaccompanied with any detail of description. It is not mentioned in Nehemiah 3:13, where Hanun’s name first occurs; but in this passage it has the support of all the versions. If therefore the word is, as some suppose, a corruption for ‘and the inhabitants of Zanoah’ (Nehemiah 3:13), or a numerical gloss that has accidentally found its way into the text, the error must have arisen in very early times.

Meshullam the son of Berechiah] His name has occurred in Nehemiah 3:4 and it is strange that the words ‘another portion’ are not added in connexion with this second mention of his work. We should naturally expect this tribute to be applied to him rather than to Hanun.

over against his chamber] The word for ‘chamber’ is an unusual form—occurring elsewhere in the O.T. only in Nehemiah 12:44, Nehemiah 13:7—for the ordinary word occurring in Ezra 8:29, where see note. Perhaps it is used here to denote some official residence (LXX. γαζοφυλάκιον, Vulg. gazophylacium). The mention of Meshullam’s ‘chamber’ increases the probability that he was a priest of eminence, if, as the context somewhat suggests, ‘the chamber’ was within the Temple precincts.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 30. - After him. The traditional text gives "after me;" and it has been supposed that Nehemiah assigned himself a certain portion of the wall and repaired it, but suppressed his own name through modesty. But, as general superintendent of the whole (Nehemiah 4:13-23), he could scarcely take any special work; and the argument that might have been founded upon a single occurrence of the expression "after me" is deprived of all force by its double occurrence, here and in ver. 31. Another piece. A Hanun has been mentioned (ver. 13) among the leaders of the working parties, and also a Hananiah (ver. 8); but they were not coupled together; and it may well be questioned whether either is identical with his namesake of this verse. Probably we have here another instance of the incompleteness of our present text of this chapter (see the comment on ver. 11). Nehemiah 3:30

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

אחרי here and in Nehemiah 3:31 gives no appropriate sense, and is certainly only an error of transcription arising from the scriptio defect. אחרו. Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, are not further known. The name of Meshullam the son of Berechiah occurs previously in Nehemiah 3:4; but the same individual can hardly be intended in the two verses, the one mentioned in Nehemiah 3:4 being distinguished from others of the same name by the addition ben Meshezabeel. שׁני for שׁנית (Nehemiah 3:27, Nehemiah 3:24, and elsewhere) is grammatically incorrect, if not a mere error of transcription. נשׁכּתו נגד, before his dwelling. נשׁכּה occurs only here and Nehemiah 13:7, and in the plural הנּשׁכות, Nehemiah 12:44; it seems, judging from the latter passage, only another form for לשׁכּה, chamber; while in Nehemiah 13:7, on the contrary, נשׁכּה is distinguished from לשׁכּה, Nehemiah 13:4-5. Its etymology is obscure. In Nehemiah 13:7 it seems to signify dwelling.