Separation from the mixed multitude 1. _On that day_ See note on Nehemiah 12:44. _they read_ Literally -it was read," without any intimation that the Levites were the readers. _the book of Moses_ A short form for that which is found in Nehemiah 8:1, -the book of the law of Moses." _that the Ammo... [ Continue Reading ]
_because they met not_, &c. Cf. Deuteronomy 23:4, - _Because they met_you _not with bread and with water_in the way when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they (Heb. he) _hired against_thee _Balaam_the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia _to curse_thee." Balaam is referred to by the Deuter... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now_ R.V. AND. The A.V. begins a new paragraph with this verse; which however continues the preceding verses, giving the result of the action taken. _they separated_ -They," impersonal, but evidently the leaders of the people are referred to. It does not appear whether the words -they separated fro... [ Continue Reading ]
_And before this_ R.V. NOW BEFORE THIS. Clearly the date referred to is that of Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem after his residence at the court described in Nehemiah 13:6. We may assume that Nehemiah's Memoirs embraced the whole interval of twelve years. The Compiler, however, makes no extract from... [ Continue Reading ]
Part IV. NEHEMIAH's SECOND VISIT Ch. Nehemiah 13:4-9. His Vindication of the Sanctity of the Temple. Nehemiah 13:10-14. His Provision for the Maintenance of the Levites. Nehemiah 13:15-22. His Measures to uphold the Observance of the Sabbath. Nehemiah 13:23-29. His Action against Mixed Marri... [ Continue Reading ]
_and he had prepared_ R.V. HAD PREPARED. Literally, -had made." It is possible that we are to understand by this expression that Eliashib had made a large chamber for Tobiah by knocking together two or three smaller ones. But it is better to understand by it -had fitted up" or -furnished." _chamber... [ Continue Reading ]
_was not I_ R.V. I WAS NOT. _the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes_ I.E. b.c. 433, twelve years since his appointment to be governor of Judea (Nehemiah 2:6). _king of Babylon_ For this title applied to Artaxerxes king of Persia, cf. Ezra 6:22, -the king of Assyria." Babylon being by far the lar... [ Continue Reading ]
_understood of the evil_ i.e. -gave attention to," -perceived its significance." -The evil" inflicted by the pernicious example of the high-priest lay in the disregard of all the measures recently taken to separate the people from -the heathen nations." _did_ R.V. HAD DONE, i.e. not so much by cont... [ Continue Reading ]
_it grieved me sore_ Cf. Nehemiah 2:10, -it grieved them exceedingly." _all the household stuff_ Literally, -all the vessels of the house." -Stuff" = the furniture, an old English word. For -stuff" in this sense cf. Genesis 31:37; Gen 45:20; 1 Samuel 10:22. Aldis Wright (_Bible Word-Book_, ed, 1, p... [ Continue Reading ]
_they cleansed the chambers_ -they," impersonal. -The chambers," more than one had been desecrated for the purpose of supplying Tobiah with -a great chamber." _the vessels … meat_(R.V. MEAL-) _offering … frankincense_ Perhaps the typical items only are mentioned. But a comparison with the list, Neh... [ Continue Reading ]
The failure of the people to furnish the due supplies to the Levites; and Nehemiah's reform 10. _the portions of the Levites_ The portion which the people had covenanted to contribute to the Levites (cf. Nehemiah 10:37 ff.) had not been paid. The Levites to escape starvation had dispersed into the... [ Continue Reading ]
_contended I_ Cf. Nehemiah 13:17-25; Nehemiah 5:7. _the rulers_ R.V. marg. -Or, _deputies_". _forsaken_ Neglected by the Jews and deserted by the Levites. _I gathered them together_ Nehemiah caused a muster of the Levites. _in their place_ i.e. in their proper positions. See notes Nehemiah 8:7;... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then brought all Judah_ Nehemiah's expostulation produced an immediate result. For the expression -all Judah" = -the whole nation," cf. Nehemiah 12:34-44. _the tithe … corn … new wine_(R.V. WINE) … _oil_ This is the tithe spoken of in Nehemiah 13:5 and in Nehemiah 10:37, the contribution of which... [ Continue Reading ]
_Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe_ It is natural to conjecture from the fact that these names are followed by -and of the Levites," that Shelemiah and Zadok were priests, and that the treasurers consisted of two priests and two Levites. -Shelemiah the priest" is perhaps the same as the Shel... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember me_ For this ejaculation see note on Nehemiah 5:19, and cf. Nehemiah 13:22; Nehemiah 13:31; Psalms 106:4. _wipe not out my good deeds_ R.V. marg. -Heb. _kindnesses_". The actual phrase is not found elsewhere in the O.T. The metaphor, which is that of sponging off from the leathern roll of... [ Continue Reading ]
Nehemiah's vindication of the Sabbath 15. Jewish Labour on the Sabbath. _saw I in Judah_ i.e. while Nehemiah was residing in the country. _treading wine presses_ For the phrase cf. Isaiah 63:2; Lamentations 1:15. The word here used for -winepress" (_gath_) is different from that used e.g. in Isa... [ Continue Reading ]
Traffic on the Sabbath. _therein_ i.e. in the city. _which brought fish_ R.V. WHICH BROUGHT IN FISH. These would be the salted and dried fish from the Mediterranean, cf. Nehemiah 3:3. _ware_ i.e. anything offered for sale. _sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah_ The fault lay with the b... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then I contended_ cf. Nehemiah 13:11. _the nobles of Judah_ A different word (_ḥorim_) from that used for the rulers in Nehemiah 13:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
_did not your fathers thus_ Cf. Jeremiah 17:22-23; Jeremiah 17:27, -but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers; but they hearkened not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.… But if ye will not hearken unto... [ Continue Reading ]
_the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark_ The rare word for -began to be dark" gives rise to the renderings LXX. ἡνίκα κατέστησαν πύλαι, Vulg. -cum quievissent portæ." Another suggested rendering is -had their bells rung," is very ludicrous, deriving the word from the same root as the word for -cymb... [ Continue Reading ]
_So the merchants_, &c. The device only partially succeeded; and various merchants, who had been compelled for 24 hours to remain without the walls, seem to have carried on their trade with such of the inhabitants as came outside to deal with them. We gather from the verse that the chief market was... [ Continue Reading ]
_Why lodge ye about the wall?_ R.V. marg. -Heb. _before_", LXX. ἀπέναντι, Vulg. -ex adverso." Nehemiah, in his capacity of governor, was able to put his foot down upon this evasion of his law. He threatened the traders that, if they hung about on the outskirts of the walls on the Sabbath, he would t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I commanded the Levites_ The verse contains an additional precaution taken by Nehemiah to secure the observance of the Sabbath. Its exact character however is somewhat obscure. Nehemiah delivers to the Levites a special commission to take over the watch of the city gates on the Sabbaths. For t... [ Continue Reading ]
_saw I Jews_ R.V. SAW I THE JEWS. The article which the R.V. rightly renders shows that Nehemiah is not making a general charge against the Jewish nation, but reports what he had seen in the instance of a certain set of Jews. It has been suggested that Nehemiah came across them in the course of a jo... [ Continue Reading ]
Nehemiah's protest against mixed marriages, cf. Nehemiah 9:2; Nehemiah 10:28; Nehemiah 10:30; Ezra 9:1 ff; Ezra 10:1 ff.... [ Continue Reading ]
_spake half in the speech of Ashdod_ LXX. οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ἥμισυ λαλοῦσιν Ἀζωτιστί. Vulg. -filii eorum ex media parte loquebantur Azotice," half their words were framed in the dialect of Philistia. This dialect would be very similar to Hebrew, but from accent and the use of peculiar words almost uninte... [ Continue Reading ]
_I contended_ Cf. Nehemiah 13:11_; Nehemiah 13:17_. _cursed_ R.V. marg. -Or, _reviled_". For the word -to curse" (qalal) cf. Nehemiah 13:2; Malachi 3:9; Malachi 4:6. _smote … pluckt off their hair_ Nehemiah's frantic excitement against these countrymen was accompanied with gestures and blows such... [ Continue Reading ]
_Solomon king of Israel_ An argument from the greater to the less. If Solomon, the beloved of God, fell through this snare, how much more likely to sin were these ignorant Jews? _by these_things] i.e. on account of wives taken from idolatrous people. _among many nations_ Cf. Mich. Nehemiah 4:3, -h... [ Continue Reading ]
_Shall we then hearken unto you_ The rendering is disputed. According to the English Version, the sense is, -are we to listen to your expostulations and entreaties, and permit this evil to go on unchecked, when even the saintly Solomon fell because of it?" This is the rendering of the LXX. καὶ ὑμῶν... [ Continue Reading ]
_one of the sons of Joiada_ We should gather that Eliashib the grandfather was still alive, since the emphasis lies on the relationship of the offender to the high-priest. -Joiada." Cf. Nehemiah 12:10. On Eliashib see note on Nehemiah 13:4. _son in law to Sanballat the Horonite_ For Sanballat, cf. N... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember them_ Here in a bad sense. _because they have defiled_ R.V. marg. -Heb. _for the defilings of_". The word so rendered occurs only here. It is from the same root as the word -Goel," which explains the confusion of the LXX. ἐπὶ ἀγχιστείᾳ τῆς ἱερατείας. _the priesthood … the covenant of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Nehemiah Summarizes his Work under the heads of purification and organization _cleansed I them_ i.e. the people of Israel. _all strangers_ R.V. marg. -Or, _every strange thing_". LXX. ἀπὸ πάσης ἀλλοτριώσεως; the foreign element, which threatened to encroach upon the separateness of Israel and beco... [ Continue Reading ]
_and for the wood offering_ Cf. Nehemiah 10:35. _the firstfruits_ Cf. Nehemiah 10:36-39. The special mention of these practical measures of reorganization perhaps implies that they remedied two principal causes of discontent and points most liable to abuse from negligence. _Remember me, O my God,... [ Continue Reading ]