Nehemiah 7:2

2 I gave command over Jerusalem to my brother Hanani and Hananiah the commander of the citadel. For he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.

Nehemiah 7:2 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 7:2

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.

Nehemiah 7:2 In-Context

1 Now when the wall had been built and I had erected the doors and appointed the gatekeepers, singers, and the Levites,

2 I gave command over Jerusalem to my brother Hanani and Hananiah the commander of the citadel. For he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.

3 I said to them, "Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot. While they are standing guard let them shut and fasten the doors. And appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his post and another opposite his house."

4 The city [was] widespread and large, but the people in it were few and no houses were rebuilt.

5 Then my God put into my heart to assemble the nobles, the prefects, and the people to be enrolled. I found the book of the genealogy of those who first came back, and I found [this] written upon it: