The Meaning of Nehemiah 7:1 Explained

Nehemiah 7:1

KJV: Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,

YLT: And it cometh to pass, when the wall hath been built, that I set up the doors, and the gatekeepers are appointed, and the singers, and the Levites,

Darby: And it came to pass when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, that the doorkeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed.

ASV: Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now it came to pass, when the wall  was built,  and I had set up  the doors,  and the porters  and the singers  and the Levites  were appointed, 

What does Nehemiah 7:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 7:1-8 - 36-73, Public-Spirited Citizens
It is probable that Nehemiah returned to the Persian court on the completion of the first part of his enterprise, the building of the walls, and that he left Hananiah and his brother in charge until he had been able to obtain a prolongation of his mission. Hananiah's character is very aptly described in Nehemiah 7:2. These are splendid characteristics-the fear of God and faithfulness, 1 Corinthians 4:2. Sound common sense, through which God wrought, dictated the policy of appointing each man to guard his own property, Nehemiah 7:3; Nehemiah 7:5. The extent of the city walls had evidently been marked out in faith, as directed in Zechariah 8:1-23. Registration seems to have engrossed much of the care of these returned exiles, and it was necessary, not only that each might inherit his ancestral property, but that the descent of our Lord might be easily traced to David. We ought to be very sure that we and our dear ones are included in God's register. We cannot lay claim to our inheritance, unless we are heirs through the new birth, Romans 8:16-17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 7

1  Nehemiah commits the charge of Jerusalem to Hanani and Hananiah
5  A register of the genealogy of them which came at the first out of Babylon
9  of the people
39  of the priests
43  of the Levites
46  of the Nethinims
57  of Solomon's servants
63  and of the priests which could not find their pedigree
66  The whole number of them, with their substance
70  Their offerings

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 7:1 mean?

And it was when was built the wall and I had hung the doors and when had been appointed the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites
וַיְהִ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר נִבְנְתָה֙ הַחוֹמָ֔ה וָאַעֲמִ֖יד הַדְּלָת֑וֹת וַיִּפָּֽקְד֛וּ הַשּׁוֹעֲרִ֥ים וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִ֖ים וְהַלְוִיִּֽם

וַיְהִ֗י  And  it  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
נִבְנְתָה֙  was  built 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
הַחוֹמָ֔ה  the  wall 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֹומָה  
Sense: wall.
וָאַעֲמִ֖יד  and  I  had  hung 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
הַדְּלָת֑וֹת  the  doors 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: דַּל 
Sense: door, gate.
וַיִּפָּֽקְד֛וּ  and  when  had  been  appointed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
הַשּׁוֹעֲרִ֥ים  the  gatekeepers 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שֹׁועֵר  
Sense: gatekeeper, porter.
וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִ֖ים  and  the  singers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שִׁיר  
Sense: to sing.
וְהַלְוִיִּֽם  and  the  Levites 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.