The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, Ver. 1. _The words of Nehemiah_] Or, the deeds, for he was good at both; and so a singular comfort to his countrymen, according to the notation of his name Ne... [ Continue Reading ]
That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and [certain] men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. Ver. 2. _That Hanani_] A gracious man, according to his name (_Nomine tu, quin sis natura Gratius, ac te Gratius h... [ Continue Reading ]
And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province [are] in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also [is] broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. Ver. 3. _Are in great affliction and reproach_] The Church is heir of the cross, s... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned [certain] days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, Ver. 4. _And it came to pass when I heard_] It was not without a special providence that these good men thus met, and by mutual conference kindled on... [ Continue Reading ]
And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: Ver. 5. _I beseech thee, O Lord_] Annah Jehovah; an insinuating preface; whereby he seeketh first to get in with God speaking him fair; as... [ Continue Reading ]
Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house... [ Continue Reading ]
We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. Ver. 7. _We have dealt very corruptly_] Heb. Corrupting, we have corrupted ourselves against thee. Or, We have bound ourselves unto thee to b... [ Continue Reading ]
Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, [If] ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: Ver. 8. _Remember, I beseech thee, the word_] It befalleth not the Lord to forget or remember (to speak properly), for all things are present with him... [ Continue Reading ]
But [if] ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, [yet] will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. Ver. 9. _But if ye turn unto me_] By sin men do... [ Continue Reading ]
Now these [are] thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. Ver. 10. _Now these are thy servants and thy people_] And therefore thou art concerned, in point of honour, to see to them, and to work for them, as every master will do for his servants... [ Continue Reading ]
O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer. Ver. 11. _O Lord, I bese... [ Continue Reading ]