Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 11:24
And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, [was] at the king’s hand in all matters concerning the people.
24. Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel (R.V. Meshezabel) Zerah ] On ‘Zerah the son of Judah’ see note on Neh 11:4-6.
at the king’s hand ] What this exactly meant we are left to conjecture. Pethahiah was in some sort of way an official representative of Jewish interests in connexion with the Persian court. The suggestion (of Reuss) that he resided at Jerusalem, and was the official recipient of the provincial tribute might derive support from the mention of ‘the house of the king’ in Neh 3:25. But it is hard to see how any Jewish official of the Persian court, if he resided in Jerusalem, could be said to be ‘at the king’s hand in all matters concerning the people’ in any sense which would not much rather be applicable to Nehemiah himself. Indeed, if this official was a resident in Jerusalem, it is not easy to believe that the time of Nehemiah’s governorship can be referred to.
If he was the Jewish representative at Susa it constitutes an isolated reference in this chapter to a person dwelling outside the borders of Judea.
In spite of this objection it seems more probable that ‘at the king’s hand’ denotes personal residence at the Persian court.
The mention of the fact is parenthetically added in connexion with the royal mandate favourable to the Levites and the singers; and is not therefore, strictly speaking, relevant to the list. The phrase ‘at the hand of’ seems to denote personal attendance, cf. Neh 13:13 ‘next to them,’ 1Ch 18:17 ‘And the sons of David were chief about (lit. ‘at the hand of,’ Vulg. ‘ad manum’) the king,’ 1Ch 23:28 ‘their office was to wait on (lit. ‘at the hand of,’ LXX. , Vulg. ‘sub manu’) the sons of Aaron.’ In our verse the LXX. renders , the Vulg. ‘in manu.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
It is difficult to say what office Pethahiah filled. So far as we know, the only regular officers under the Persian system of government were the satrap, the subsatrap, the permanent royal secretary, the commandant, and the occasional commissary.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 24. Pethahiah – was at the king’s hand] He was the governor appointed by the Persian king over the Jewish nation in those matters in which the civil government interfered with Jewish concerns. He no doubt fixed, levied, and received the tribute.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
At the kings hand, or, on the kings part, to determine civil causes and controversies between man and man by the laws of that kingdom, which peradventure he understood better than Nehemiah, and therefore was appointed for this work, but still under Nehemiah. Or, according to the kings appointment, as the hand is used, as Num 4:49, and elsewhere.
In all matters concerning the people; either in civil differences between them, or in things between the king and people; as in matters of tribute, or grievances, &c., wherein this man possibly was chief justiciary under Nehemiah.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. Pethahiah . . . was at theking’s hand in all matters concerning the peopleThis personwas entrusted with judicial power, either for the interest, or by theappointment, of the Persian monarch, and his duty consisted either inadjusting cases of civil dispute, or in regulating fiscal concerns.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah, the son of Judah,…. The twin brother of Pharez,
Ge 38:30 was
at the king’s hand in all matters concerning the people; to speak for them to the king, as Jarchi; when they had a favour to ask of him, a petition to present to him, he delivered it for them, and by him the king returned the answer.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(24) Of the children of Zerah.This makes the absence of Zerah in the beginning of the chapter very remarkable, and suggests some accidental omission.
At the kings hand.Pethahiah was the kings agent in all the country matters of the province.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. Pethahiah at the king’s hand That is, at the court of the Persian monarch. He was at the king’s hand as a private counsellor, having in charge all the interests of the Jewish people. He was allowed frequent access to the king, and so in all matters concerning the people he must have been a most important and responsible agent and representative of his nation at the seat of government.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Neh 11:24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, [was] at the king’s hand in all matters concerning the people.
Ver. 24. At the king’s hand] Was his plenipotentiary. Invested with full power, esp. as the deputy, representative, or envoy of a sovereign ruler; exercising absolute power or authority.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Meshezabeel: Neh 10:21
Zerah: Gen 38:30, Zarah, Num 26:20, Mat 1:3, Zara
at the king’s: 1Ch 18:17, 1Ch 23:28, *marg.
Reciprocal: 1Ch 2:4 – Zerah
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Neh 11:24. Pethahiah was at the kings hand Or on the kings part, to determine civil causes and controversies between man and man by the laws of that kingdom; between the king and people, as in matters of tribute or grievances.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
11:24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, {h} [was] at the king’s hand in all matters concerning the people.
(h) Was chief about the king for all high affairs.