71 Now when the wall was rebuilt and I had set up the doors , and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed , 2 then I put Hanani my brother , and Hananiah the commander of the fortress , in charge of Jerusalem , for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many . 3 Then I said to them, "Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot , and while they are standing guard, let them shut and bolt the doors . Also appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem , each at his post , and each in front of his own house ." 4 Now the city was large e and spacious , but the people in it were few and the houses were not built .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Nehemiah 7:1-4
Commentary on Nehemiah 7:1-4
(Read Nehemiah 7:1-4)
Nehemiah, having finished the wall, returned to the Persian court, and came to Jerusalem again with a new commission. The public safety depends on every one's care to guard himself and his family against sin.