Nehemiah 13:4 - Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

(Applies to Nehemiah 13:4-9): And before this... the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon (Nehemiah 13:6). The Artaxeres (= great king) here is Darius Hystaspis. The record here must have been written after the dedication of both Temple (405 B.C.) and Wall (403 B.C.) The thirty-second year is that of the king's age, not of his reign, for he only succeeded Cambyses in 411 B.C. His twentieth year (Nehemiah 5:14) was 419 B.C., when, on the death of Cyrus, Nehemiah was "appointed" to be "governor in the land of Judah". Consequently, Nehemiah's twelve years of governorship end in 407 B.C., two years before the completion and dedication of the Temple, and when Darius Hystaspis had been reigning three years. In that year (407) Nehemiah evidently receives. report from his deputy (probably Hanani still) as to the Temple progress, and doubtless of the Eliasbib-Tobiah scandal. He determines to go himself, obtains leave of absence (with difficulty, apparently, Nehemiah 13:6), and comes to Jerusalem. Arriving there, he "understands" the evil concerning Eliashib, casts forth Tobiah and his "stuff", and hurries on the Temple work towards completion.