Six names are given here as gatekeepers (see Ezra 2.42). Actually, the first three, Mattaniah, Bakbukiah and Obadiah, were the names of singers according to Neh 11.17, assuming that Obadiah and “Abda” are variants of the same name. These may have been the names of the “brethren” referred to in the previous verse. There is no evidence elsewhere in the Old Testament that singers also served as gatekeepers. Some commentators suggest that the list of singers should continue with these three names. New Jerusalem Bible thus links these three men with the singers in the preceding verse, and New Living Translation translates it explicitly as “This included Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah,” referring back to the previous verse.

Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the names of gatekeeper families. These three names of gatekeeper families are also listed in 1 Chr 9.17 and Ezra 10.24, where “Shallum” occurs as a variant for Meshullam. The two names Talmon and Akkub are found in Neh 11.19 without a third name.

Storehouses of the gates: These were small rooms along the walls of the Temple complex that had been built near the gates for storing things that were brought to the Temple or objects that were used for maintaining the Temple property. These may be described as “small rooms by the gates to keep things for the Temple.”

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .