son of Pascah, and Meshullam the son of Besodaiah,
&c.] Which some think was so called because it led
to the old city Salem. Dr. Lightfoot {a} thinks it is the
same with the second or bird-gate, Zeph. i. 10. Ac-
cording to Vatablus, it was the gate of the old pool,
Isa. xxii. 11. or rather, perhaps, it was the gate of the
old wall Josephus speaks Of b; it led tothe north of the
land: they laid the beams thereof ; as i nver. 3.
Vet. 7. And next unto them repaired Melatiah the
Gibeon. ite, and Jadon the Meronathite, the men of Gi-
beon and Mizpah, &c.] Which places were both in the
tribe of Benjamin, Josh. xviii. o.5, 26. and one of these
men was of the one place, and the other of the other:
unto the throne of the governor on this side the river;
where the governor of those parts under the king of
Persia had his seat, and now Nehemiah; but, according
to Aben Ezra, Cisse, rendered throne, is the name of a
man who was the governor.
Ver. 8. Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Har-
haiah, of the goldsmiths, &c.] Or Tzorephim, which,
according to Jarchi, was the name of a family so called
from their trade and business: next unto him also re-
paired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries; or
confectioners, which also might be the name of a family
so called for the same reason: and theyfortified Jeru-
salem unto the broad wall; which reached from the gate
of Ephraim to the corner-gate, which w, as broken
down by Joash, king of Israel, but was rebuilt so strong
by Uzziah, king of Judah, that it stood firm to this
time; wherefore these men repaired up to it, but left
that as they found it; see o. Chron. xxv. 23. and xxvi.
9. were not careful to repair it, it not wanting any
repair.
Vet. 9. And next unto them repaired Rephaiah, the
son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem.]
That city belonging partly to the tribe of Judah, and
partly to the tribe of Benjamin; one part of it was
under a governor that was of the tribe of Judah, as this
man seems to be; and the other part under one of the
tribe of Benjamin; see ver. 1_ø-.
Vet. 10. And next unto him repaired Jedaiah, the son
of Harumaph., over-against his house, &c.] That part
of the wall which stood right against his house; and
to take this part he could not well object to it, and it
might be reasonably thought he would take care to re-
pair it well, and make it strong for his own safety: and
next unto him repaired Hatlush, the son of Hashabniah ;
but who he was is not known.
Ver. 11..ztlalchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the
son of Pahath-moab, &c.] The fathers of these were
heads of families that came out of captivity with
Zerub. babel, Ezra ii. 6, 3c2.. repaired the other piece: or
second piece, below and next to that which Hattush
repaired, the last builder mentioned: and the tower of
the .furnaces; near to which were furnaces for the
baking of bread, or of bricks.
Vet. 12. And next unto him repaired Shallum, the
son of Italloesh,'&c.] So called, as Ben Melech says,
from his being an enchanter of serpents, or a wise
prudent couusellor: the ruler of the half part of Jeru-
salem; of the other half; see ver. 9. he and his daugh-
ters ; :vho were rich widows or heiresses, and em-
pioyed men to build at their own expense; he secret
to have had no sons.
Ver. 13. The valley-gate repaired Hanun, &c.] Of
which see oh. ii. 13. and the inhabitants of Zanoah ; a
city in the tribe of Judah, Josh. xv. 34. they built it,
and set up the doors thereof, &c. see ver. 3. and 1,000 cu-
bits on the wall to the dung-gate; that is, they repaired
the wall to such a length from the valley-gate to the
dung-gate; see ch. ii. 13.
Ver. 14. But the dung-gate repaired Malchiah the son
of Rechab, &c.] If this was one of the Rechabites,
they were forbid to build houses, Jer. xxxv. 7. but,
perhaps, though they might not build private houses
for themselves to dwell in, they might be employed in
building walls and fortresses for public security;
though it is more probable that this man was not of
that family: the ruler of part of Beth-haccerem ; or of
the tract of Beth-haccerem, a place between Tekoah
and Jerusalem; see Jer. vi. 1. he built it, and set up the
doors thereof; &c. as in ver. 3.
Ver. 15. But the gate of the fountain, &c.] Of which
see ch. ii. 14. repaired Shallum, the son of Colhozeh, the
ruler of part of Mizpah; of a tract, district, town, or
city so called; perhaps that in the tribe of Benjamin;
see ver. 7. he built it, and covered it; roofed it, which
is not said of any of the other gates, whether because
of the fountain at it: and set up the doors thereof, &c.
finished it completely: and the wall of the pool of
Siloah, by the king's garden; which was formerly
without the wall, on the west, but afterwards taken in
by Manasseh, who built it; see o. Chronxxxiii. 14.
and froth hence the king's garden was watered: and
unto the stairs that go down from the city of David:
Zion, which was built on an etninence, from which
they went down by steps into the lower city Acra.
Vet. 16. After him repaired Nehemiah the son of
Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Bethzur.] A
strong fortitled place in the tribe of Judah, Josh. xv.
58. unto the place over-against the sepulchres of
David; where he and his family, and the kings of his
race, were buried, which remained to this time un-
touched by the Babyloninns, and to many ages after;
see Acts ii. 0.9. and to the pool that was made; not a
natural, but an artificial one, which was made by He-
zekiah, 2 Kings xx. co. and unto the house of the
might!!; where was a garrison of soldiers. in former
time tbr defence.
Ver. 17. After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the
son of .Bani, &c.] Who was one of thetn, as. he that
follows was another: next unto him repaired Hashabiah,
the ruler of the half part of Keilah : a city of the tribe
of Jud. ah, Josh. xv. 4. in his part; either with the men of
that part of Keilah under his jurisdiction, or at the ex-
pense of that part of it.
Ver. 18. After him repaired their brethren, &c.]
Either the brethren of the two betbre named particu-
larly, or the Levites-their brethren in general, as Jar-
chi: Bevai, the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half
part of Keilah; the other half of that place.
Vet. 19. And next to him repaired Ezer, the son of
Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, &c.] Either of another
Mizpah, or of the other halfof Mizpah, ver. 15. another


{a} Ut supra.
{b} De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 2, 3.