Nehemiah 3:12

Neh 3:12 And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.

Ver. 12. Shallum the son of Halohesh] Some read it, the son of an enchanter, or conjurer; and tells us that conjuring was a common thing among the Jews, as, Act 13:8 Elymas, and elsewhere the sons of Sceva, &c. But Shallum (if ever any such) forsook that science (as did afterwards also Cyprian) to become a Christian.

He and his daughters] Either finishing what their father (now dead) had begun; or parting with their portions toward the repair of the wall; and haply laying their own hands to the Lord’s work.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neh_3:12

He and his daughters.

Worthy women

We know not how these ladles wrought; probably it was not in a way of manual labour, but rather by words of kindness and acts of consideration towards the builders. We need not tarry to show how worthily the women of England fulfil their mission in the sweet offices of charity. Some of them make the noblest sacrifices from love to their Redeemer. A poor woman sought admission to one of our great missionary meetings in Exeter Hall. The young man who acted as porter demanded her ticket. I have none, was the reply; I cannot afford to subscribe. You cannot enter without a ticket, was the curt rejoinder. I think, sir, said the widow, that I have given more than ever you have to the society; I have given an only son, and he is now labouring for your society in India. The widow was cheerfully admitted on this statement. (J. M. Randall.)

Family zeal

I. Notable women.

1. Within the circle of Biblical story.

2. In history.

II. Womans influence.

1. For evil. Jezebel; Solomons wives; devotees of fashion, etc.

2. For good. (Homiletic Commentary.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neh 3:12. Shallum, the ruler of the half part, &c. — That is, of the other half of Jerusalem: see on Neh 3:9. He and his daughters — Who were either heiresses or rich widows, and caused part to be done at their charges.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Shallum . . . he and his daughters--who were either heiresses or rich widows. They undertook to defray the expenses of a part of the wall next them.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 12. The son of Halohesh] Or, the son of the Enchanter: conjectured to be thus named from having the art to charm serpents.

The ruler of the half part] See on Ne 3:9.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(12) He and his daughters.—Shallum was governor of the second half-district around Jerusalem; and it has been thought that the “daughters” here are the villages of the district. But needlessly: the women of Jerusalem might do voluntarily what as females they were not pressed to do.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem] R.V. the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem. See note on Neh_3:9. This was the ‘Zion’ half of the city.

he and his daughters] The mention of ‘his daughters’ is strange. Some consider that the word ‘daughters’ is here used in its technical sense of ‘villages’ and ‘country towns’ (cf. Neh_11:25; Neh_11:27), the inhabitants of which placed workers under the command of the ruler of the whole district. Others again accepting this rendering of ‘daughters’ = ‘villages,’ refer the pronoun ‘he’ to ‘the district,’ i.e. ‘the district and the villages adjacent to that quarter of Jerusalem.’

But the most simple and literal explanation is probably the best. The whole chronicle of the restoration of the walls is a register of personal effort. The exceptional mention of women does not justify us in excluding the possibility of their useful cooperation, not only by sympathy and exhortation, but also by gifts of money, by contributions of food, and by the labour of their servants and retainers.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The valley gate repaired Hanun,.... Of which see Neh 2:13,

and the inhabitants of Zanoah; a city in the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:34,

they built it, and set up the doors thereof, &c. see Neh 3:3,

and a thousand cubits on the wall to the dung gate; that is, they repaired the wall to such a length from the valley gate to the dung gate; see Neh 2:13.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Alohes, "the enchanter," (Calmet) as he could perhaps enchant serpents. (Grotius) --- Daughters, who forwarded the work, as they had no brothers. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Of the half part of Jerusalem, i.e. of the other half, &c.: See Poole "Neh 3:9".

He and his daughters; who were either heiresses, or rich widows, and caused part to be done at their charges.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. Ruler of the half — Compare Neh_3:9, note.

He and his daughters — These words may be understood in two ways: 1) of Shallum and his daughters, who assisted their father in the work; or, 2) of the half part of Jerusalem, and its towns, or villages — such dependent villages often being called the daughters of more princely cities. Compare the Hebrew of Neh_11:25; Neh_11:27, where the word rendered villages is daughters. This latter view we adopt. The pronoun he refers to part, which is masculine; but in English the sense would be clearer if rendered, it and its villages. That is, Shallum was ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, both it and its dependent villages.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He and his daughters. It seems to be almost impossible that women were pressed into the service, especially when it was one of so much danger. (Neh_4:13-21) By "daughters" we must therefore understand the villages contained in Shallum"s district, which is agreeable to the use of the term in Neh_11:25, Neh_11:27, Neh_11:28.

Family zeal in good work.

"He and his daughters." Some take "daughters" here in the sense which it bears in Neh_11:25, Neh_11:27, viz., "villages (regarded as the daughters of the town or district to which they belong), and would read, "it" (i.e. the half-part, or district, of Jerusalem) "and its villages." If, however, we take the word "daughters" in the sense of women, they present us an instance of a father and his daughters uniting in a good work. Probably the daughters had independent means. They remind us of the numerous instances in which piety and public spirit animate families parents and their sons and daughters uniting in works of Christian usefulness. Such families are the strength of congregations. Union of a family in Christian work

I INDICATES GOOD AND EFFECTUAL EDUCATION. It shows that the parents have trained their children in piety and zeal, taught them to take an interest in the work of the Lord: and set them the example; and that the children have yielded to the influence thus exerted, imbibing the spirit of their parents, and imitating their deeds. Parents should early associate their children with them in good works, teaching and enabling them to give to the cause of Christ and to the poor, etc. Young people, who have if only a small income of their own, should devote part of it to the good of others, and should employ part of their time in doing good.

II FORMS A SACRED FAMILY BOND. Sanctifies the natural ties; binds parents and children in a holy fellowship.

III ELEVATES FAMILY LIFE. Supplying objects of common interest, topics for conversation, subjects for prayer, employments, occasions of mutual encourage-merit and help, all tending to uplift the thought% affections, motives, and aims above the region of self-interest, worldliness, and vanity: and thus form noble characters.

IV INCREASES AND EXALTS FAMILY HAPPINESS. NO other pursuits in common, however innocent or laudable, can supply pleasures equal to those which spring from common consecration to the service of God and man.

V PREPARES YOUNG PEOPLE FOR HIGHER AND LARGER SERVICE. Thus supplying the Church with a succession of well-qualified workers. Such families are the best nurseries, not only for the Church, but for the ministry and the missionary work.

VI AIDS IN INSURING AND PREPARING FOR FAMILY REUNION IN THE HEAVENLY HOME. Let parents then resolve with Joshua, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Let sons and daughters heartily co-operate with fathers and mothers in executing this resolution.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

His daughters - Who were either heiresses or rich widows, and caused part to be done at their charges.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

he and his daughters Shallum and his daughters repaired the building of the structure.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.