Nehemiah 7:2

2 I commanded Hanani my brother, and Hananias ruler of the house of Jerusalem, (for he seemed as a sincere man, and one that feared God above the rest,)

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 after the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and numbered the porters and singing men, and Levites:

2 I commanded Hanani my brother, and Hananias ruler of the house of Jerusalem, (for he seemed as a sincere man, and one that feared God above the rest,)

3 And I said to them: Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened till the sun be hot. And while they were yet standing by the gates were shut, and barred: and I set watchmen of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one by their courses, and every man over against his house.

4 And the city was very wide and great, and the people few in the midst thereof, and the houses were not built.

5 But God had put in my heart, and I assembled the princes and magistrates, and common people, to number them: and I found a book of the number of them who came up at first and therein it was found written: