Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 11:15
Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hashub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;
15. Also ] R.V. And.
Hashub ] R.V. Hasshub.
the son of Bunni ] Instead of this termination to Shemaiah’s genealogy, we find ‘of the sons of Merari’ in 1Ch 9:14.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Also of the Levites,…. Who dwelt in Jerusalem:
Shemaiah the son of Hashub: traced from him through Azrikam and Hashabiah to Bunni; these were of the sons of Merari, the third son of Levi, see 1Ch 9:14.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Of Levites, Shemaiah, a descendant of Bunni, with the members of his house; Shabbethai and Jozabad, “of the heads of the Levites over the outward business of the house of God,” i.e., two heads of the Levites who had the care of the outward business of the temple, probably charged with the preservation of the building and furniture, and the office of seeing that all things necessary for the temple worship were duly delivered. The names Shabbethai and Jozabad have already occurred, Neh 8:7, as those of two Levites, and are here also personal names of heads of Levites, as the addition informs us. As the office of these two is stated, so also is that of those next following in Neh 11:17; whence it appears that Shemaiah, of whom no such particular is given, was head of the Levites charged with attending on the priests at the sacrificial worship (the , Neh 11:22). The three named in Neh 11:17, Mattaniah an Asaphite, Bakbukiah, and Abda a Jeduthunite, are the chiefs of the three Levitical orders of singers. Mattaniah is called , head of the beginning, which gives no meaning; and should probably, as in the lxx and Vulgate, be read : head of the songs of praise, – he praised for who praised, i.e., sounded the Hodu for prayer; comp. 1Ch 16:5, where Asaph is called the chief of the band of singers. He is followed by Bakbukiah as second, that is, leader of the second band ( like , 1Ch 16:5); and Abda the Jeduthunite, as leader of the third. All the Levites in the holy city, i.e., all who dwelt in Jerusalem, amounted to two hundred and eighty-four individuals or fathers of families. The number refers only to the three classes named Neh 11:15-17. For the gatekeepers are separately numbered in Neh 11:19 as one hundred and seventy-two, of the families of Akkub and Talmon.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
4. Levites.
TEXT, Neh. 11:15-19
15
Now from the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;
16
and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the leaders of the Levites, who were in charge of the outside work of the house of God;
17
and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the leader in beginning the thanksgiving at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
18
All the Levites in the holy city were 284.
19
Also the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren, who kept watch at the gates, were 172.
COMMENT
These verses likewise are paralleled in 1Ch. 9:14-16. Only two phrases will be picked out for comment.
In Neh. 11:16, the outside work was probably the various kinds of responsibilities which the Levites had as distinguished from the service of the house of God (see Neh. 11:22): teaching, acting as officers or as judges (1Ch. 23:4) for example.
In Neh. 11:19, the gatekeepers (presumably of the Temple) are evidently synonymous with the descendants of Solomons servants, as noted in our comments on verse three, thus completing the categories named there.
WORD STUDY
LOT (Neh. 11:1, Goral; sound like gravel?): a small stone. Sometimes a number of stones, including one or more of an odd color, were shaken in a container and thrown onto the ground, thus deciding matters by chance; or they were shaken together and thrown into a vase, and each person drew one out, seeking for the odd-colored one. Eventually they were made into cubes and the faces numbered to form dice.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Of The Levites ( Neh 11:15-18 ).
A number of Levites also took up permanent residence in Jerusalem in order to aid its new beginning. They would do so with high hopes.
Neh 11:15
‘And of the Levites:’
Neh 11:15
‘Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni,’
Shemaiah apparently had had part time residence in the city (1Ch 9:14). And the Chronicler tells us that he was of the sons of Merari, one of the three sons of Levi (1Ch 6:1). Now he moved into Jerusalem full time.
Neh 11:16
And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God,’
The non-mention of these by the Chronicler may be as a consequence of the fact that previously they had not resided in Jerusalem at all, or more likely because they were appointed after the time of which he wrote. They had become of primary importance because they had been given oversight of the ‘outward business of the house of God’ (in contrast with ‘the work of the house’ in Neh 11:12.) This may indicate their responsibility for oversight of the gathering of the tithes, and, of course, of the new Temple tax, which would not require their presence in Jerusalem to any large extent, or it may also indicate responsibility for the outward fabric of the Temple, which would require their presence when necessary. The names of Shabbethai and Jozabad have already occurred in Neh 8:7 as those of two Levites who helped the people to understand the Law.
Neh 11:17
‘And Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the chief to begin the thanksgiving in prayer.’
Also now taking up full time residence in the city was Mattaniah, the son of Mica, the son of Asaph (Asaph was the song leader and musician in the time of David – 1Ch 16:5; 2Ch 5:12). He (either Mattaniah or Asaph, but most probably Mattaniah, as otherwise why mention him?) had overall responsibility over aspects of Temple worship including the offering of thanksgiving. He was ‘head of the beginning’ of the thanksgiving in prayer. Presumably it was his responsibility to initiate the commencement of the musical worship of thanksgiving.
Obadiah, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Jeduthun, mentioned in 1 Chronicles (Jeduthun was another song leader and musician from the time of David), was clearly already in full time residence in Jerusalem (1Ch 9:16), and is therefore not mentioned by Nehemiah. (Alternately, of course, he may have died).
Neh 11:17
‘And Bakbukiah, the second among his brothers, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.’
Bakbukiah is possibly the Bakbakkar of 1Ch 9:15, and if so he changed his residency from part time to full time. By Nehemiah’s time he was second only to Mattaniah among the singers. (We can compare how in 1Ch 16:5 the one who was second to Asaph was also noted). Abda, a prominent Levite and singer (we know he was prominent because his fuller genealogy is given) also moved full time to Jerusalem. Heresh, Galal (not Abda’s grandfather who bore the same name) and possibly Bakbakkar, if not identified as Bakbukiah, were already permanent residents in Jerusalem (1Ch 9:15). Berechiah the son of Asa continued dwelling part time in the villages of the Netophathites (1Ch 9:16).
Neh 11:18
‘All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and eighty four.’
Altogether there were now 284 Levites who were newly and permanently resident in Jerusalem, ‘the holy city’, and these no doubt included singers as such are mentioned above. They had great hopes for the future.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Neh 11:15-18
15Now from the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; 16and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the leaders of the Levites, who were in charge of the outside work of the house of God; 17and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the leader in beginning the thanksgiving at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. 18All the Levites in the holy city were 284.
Neh 11:16 who were in charge of the outside work of the house of God In the context of Nehemiah, one wonders if this refers to
1. normal temple activities, but done outside the precincts of the temple (e.g., raising sacrificial sheep)
2. the work done on the walls and gates of the city which were near the temple area
3. other administrative assignments (cf. 1Ch 26:29)
The term has the connotation in this text of secular work.
Neh 11:17 Asaph. . .Jeduthun These were two of the three groups of temple singers appointed by David (cf. 1Ch 25:1-4; 2Ch 5:12).
NASBwho was the leader in beginning the thanksgiving at prayer
NKJVwho was the leader who began the thanksgiving with prayer
NRSVwho was the leader to begin the thanksgiving in prayer
TEVHe led the Temple choir in singing the prayer of thanksgiving
NJBwho led the praises and intoned the thanksgiving associated with the prayer
This Levite was somehow related to the liturgical aspect of prayer/praise. The Hebrew the begin is close to the Hebrew the praise (cf. LXX & Vulgate). The JPSOA combines the meaning by he would lead off with praise (The Jewish Study Bible, p. 1706).
Asaph was a leader of a Levitical family involved in temple music and praise (cf. 1Ch 25:1-2; 2Ch 5:12).
and Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren This seems to imply that this Levite was the assistant to Mattaniah (cf. TEV). This Hebrew term (BDB 1041) is often used to denote the second in charge/control/leadership (cf. 2Ki 23:4; 2Ki 25:18; 1Ch 5:12; 1Ch 15:18; 2Ch 31:12; Jer 52:24).
Abda the son of Shammua 1Ch 9:16 has Obadiah son of Shemaiah.
Neh 11:18 Many of the Levites lived outside of the city of Jerusalem (cf. Neh 11:3; Neh 11:20), but 284 did live in the city.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Neh 11:15-18
Neh 11:15-18
THE LIST OF THE LEVITES NUMBERED 284
“And of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; And Shabbethiah and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God; and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the chief to begin the thanksgiving in prayer, and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. And all the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four.”
E.M. Zerr:
Neh 11:15-16. These additional names of the Levites are given because of special reasons. Shabbethai and Jozabad were among some chief Levites, and they had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God. That is from CHIYTSOWN which Strong defines, “properly the (outer) wall side; hence exterior; figuratively secular (as opposed to sacred).” A system as extensive as the Mosaic would have much need for services on the outside of the capital city and on the outside of the temple that would be considered necessary though not strictly religious. The thought might be compared with the work of a janitor of a church house, keeping up the fires or mowing the lawn. Such work is necessary and yet is considered secular.
Neh 11:17. Mattaniah was a descendant of the sons of Asaph, already known to us as a unit of musical performers in the days of David. This man was appointed as leader of the song and prayer service. He had others associated with him in the exercise.
Neh 11:18. The holy city was Jerusalem, and of the great tribe of Levi 284 were therein. They were there because some services could be lawfully performed only by them; a special consideration occasioned by the event in Exo 32:26.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Shemaiah: 1Ch 9:14, 1Ch 9:19
Reciprocal: Neh 10:11 – Hashabiah