Nehemiah 6:15–7:3

The wall completed despite opposition

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-inlaw to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

1 After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. 2 I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”

Despite all the schemes of the enemy, the reconstruction of the walls took less than two months. Elul is a fall month, roughly equal to October. It appears that the wall was finished within six months after Nehemiah’s departure from Persia in the spring month of Nisan.

Even as the walls were being completed, opposition from outside and inside Jerusalem continued. This section is especially important to the overall theme of Ezra and Nehemiah because it demonstrates that the intermarriages with heathen neighbors were actually undermining the strength of the nation. When Ezra and Nehemiah denounced such intermarriage, they were not just arguing about unimportant religious distinction or personal prejudices. They were dealing with a real threat to Israel. Leading citizens in Judah were so compromised by their commercial and marital ties with heathen neighbors that they were unable to see any reason why Tobiah should not be accepted as one of them. He had even been provided a room in the temple (Nehemiah 13:4-9)! The completion of the walls did not stop the evil effects of these intermarriages.

Nehemiah now turned his attention to organizing an orderly administration of the restored city. Two reliable, godly men were entrusted with governing the city. Nehemiah’s brother Hanani seems to have filled a position similar to that of our mayors. Hananiah was responsible for military and police operations in the city. Strong security measures and military alertness had to continue, since a sneak attack was still a possibility. The appointment of gatekeepers, singers, and Levites could refer to preparations for the dedication ceremonies described in Nehemiah chapter 12. It might also refer to the appointing of additional temple workers because of the planned increase of population in Jerusalem and the expanded temple services that would result.