Verse 3

And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.

Hot — 'Till it be clear and broad day; when the people will be ready in case of an assault.

They — The watches appointed to that end.

Watches — Nehemiah was now about to return to the court, and left the charge of the city to these in his absence.

Verse 5

And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,

God put it into mine heart — Whatever good motion is in our minds, we must acknowledge it to come from God. What is done by human prudence is to be ascribed to the direction of Divine Providence.

Verse 7

Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;

Tirshatha — Nehemiah. So it is no wonder that the number of the monies, and other things here contributed, differ from that Ezra 2:68,69, because this is another collection.