That day — Not presently after the dedication of the wall and city, but upon a certain day, when Nehemiah was returned from the Persian court to Jerusalem, from which he had been absent for some considerable time, in which some errors and abuses had crept in. Not come — Not be incorporated into the... [ Continue Reading ]
Multitude — All the heathenish people with whom they had contracted alliance.... [ Continue Reading ]
Eliashib — The high — priest. Chamber — Of the chambers, the high — priest having the chief power over the house of God, and all the chambers belonging to it. Tobiah — The Ammonite, and a violent enemy to God's people.... [ Continue Reading ]
Prepared — By removing the things out of it, uniting divers small chambers into one, and furnishing it for the use of Tobiah when he came to Jerusalem: whom he seems to have lodged there, that he might have more free communication with him.... [ Continue Reading ]
But, &c. — Eliashib took the occasion of my absence to do these things. Came I — From Jerusalem; where he had been once and again.... [ Continue Reading ]
Grieved me — That so sacred a place should be polluted by one who in many respects ought not to come there, being no priest, a stranger, an Ammonite, and one of the worst of that people; and that all this should be done by the permission and order of the high — priest.... [ Continue Reading ]
Not given — Which might be either, from this corrupt high — priest Eliashib, who took their portions, as he did the sacred chambers, to his own use, or employed them for the entertainment of Tobiah, and his other great allies. Or, from the people, who either out of covetousness reserved them to them... [ Continue Reading ]
Contended — I sharply reproved those priests to whom the management of those things was committed, for neglect of their duty, and breach of their late solemn promise. Why, &c. — You have not only injured men in with — holding their dues, but you have occasioned the neglect of God's house and service... [ Continue Reading ]
Bought — Out of the respect which they had to Nehemiah, and because they saw they would now be applied to their proper uses.... [ Continue Reading ]
Faithful — By the consent of those who knew them. Such he now sought out the more diligently, because he had experience of the perfidiousness of the former trustees.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jerusalem — The holy city, where God's house was; and where the great judicatories of the nation were. So this is added as an aggravation of their sin, that it was done with manifest contempt of God and man.... [ Continue Reading ]
Nobles — Their chief men and rulers; whom he charges with this sin, because though others did it, it was by their countenance or connivance: probably too by their example. If the nobles allowed themselves in recreations, in idle visits and idle talk on the sabbath day, the men of business would prof... [ Continue Reading ]
At the gates — Out of a diffidence in those, to whom the keeping of the gates was committed.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cleanse — Because the work they now were set upon, though common in its nature, yet was holy in design of it, and had respect unto the sabbath: and, because the day in which they were to do this was the sabbath — day, for the observation whereof they were obliged to purify themselves. Gates — The ga... [ Continue Reading ]
Cursed — Caused them to be excommunicated and cast out of the society of God's people. This and the following punishments were justly inflicted upon them, because this transgression was contrary both to a plain law of God, and to their own late solemn covenants. Smote — I caused to be beaten with st... [ Continue Reading ]
And one, &c. — Said by Josephus to be that Manasses, who by Sanballat's interest procured liberty to build the Samaritan temple in mount Gerizim; to which those priests who had married strange wives, or been otherwise criminal, betook themselves, and with, or after them, others of the people in the... [ Continue Reading ]
For good — This may well be the summary of our petitions. We need no more to make us happy but this.... [ Continue Reading ]