Nehemiah 3:10

‘And next to them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, and over against his house.'

This suggests that Jedaiah was an important man who had a large house in that part of Jerusalem. It confirms that where possible those who had residences in Jerusalem built the section of the wall in which they were most interested (as with the goldsmiths and the perfumers). This may, of course, have been at their own suggestion, but it would certainly encourage them to ensure that the work was done properly.

Jedaiah, which means ‘Yah knows', was another popular name. ‘Sons of Jedaiah' had previously arrived with the first batch of exiles a hundred years earlier (Nehemiah 7:39; Ezra 2:36). Thus Jedaiah was a family name. It was the name of a priest in Jerusalem after the Exile (1 Chronicles 9:10; 1 Chronicles 24:7); a Jedaiah was found among the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel (Nehemiah 11:10; Nehemiah 12:6; Nehemiah 12:19), and another priest was also called Jedaiah (Nehemiah 12:7; Nehemiah 12:21). A Jedaiah was one of those previously called on by Zechariah to fashion a crown for the symbolic crowning of Joshua the High Priest as ‘the Branch' (Zechariah 6:10; Zechariah 6:14).

Nehemiah 3:10

‘And next to him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabneiah.'

Next to the household of Jedaiah, repaired Hattush, son of Hashabneiah, and his household. Here was another prominent man, made responsible for the repair of this part of the wall.

A Hattush was one of those who signed the covenant with Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:4), but that may have been the prominent Hattush of the sons of David who had returned with Ezra (Ezra 8:2). A Hattush, the son of Shemaiah, of the sons of David, is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:22. These are probably not connected with this Hattush, who was a son of Hashabneiah. Hashabneiah was the name of a Levite mentioned in connection with the prayer preceding the signing of the covenant (Nehemiah 9:5), but again there was probably no connection.