Albert Barnes Commentary Nehemiah 11:23

"For there was a commandment from the king concerning them, and a settled provision for the singers, as every day required." — Nehemiah 11:23 (ASV)

The goodwill of Artaxerxes toward the ministers employed in the temple service, had been previously shown by his exempting them from taxation of every kind (Ezra 7:24). Now, it would seem, he had gone further and assigned to the singers an allowance from the royal revenue.