That I gave my brother Hanani
Who first brought him the melancholy account of the state of Jerusalem, ( Nehemiah 1:2 Nehemiah 1:3 ) ,
and Hananiah the ruler of the palace;
the king's palace, in which the viceroy of the king of Persia dwelt, and now Nehemiah; to these two men he gave
charge over Jerusalem;
committed it to their care during his absence, who may be supposed now to return to Persia, as he had promised, ( Nehemiah 2:6 ) ,
for he was a faithful man;
this is said of Hananiah, and given as a reason why such a trust was committed to him; Hanani's character was well known, and his journey from Jerusalem to Shushan was a full proof of his hearty concern for the interest of it:
and feared God above many;
Hananiah was exemplary in his fear of God, few were equal to him, and none exceeded him; or of many days, as Jarchi; of a long time he had feared the Lord, and served him many years.