_A.M. 3559. B.C. 445._ The Israelites are separated from the mixed multitude, Nehemiah 13:1. Nehemiah cleanses the chambers of the temple, Nehemiah 13:4. He recovers and secures the portion of the priests and Levites, Nehemiah 13:10. Contends with the nobles concerning the sabbath, and takes care f... [ Continue Reading ]
_On that day they read in the book of Moses_ Not upon the day of 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, during which some errors and abuses had crept in. Af... [ Continue Reading ]
_They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude_ All the Ammonites, Moabites, and other heathenish people, with whom they had contracted alliances. All these were cast out from the congregation of Israel, together with the children born of them; that is, they would not look upon them as Israelit... [ Continue Reading ]
_And before this_ That is, before this separation was made; _Eliashib the priest_ The high-priest, (Nehemiah 3:1,) or some other priest so called, there being divers persons of this name in or about this time, though the first seems most probable; _having the oversight of the chamber_ Of the chamber... [ Continue Reading ]
_He had prepared for him a great chamber_ By breaking down the partitions, it is probable, between several little chambers, where holy things were laid, and by removing the things which were in them, he had prepared one large room for Tobiah's reception, when he came to Jerusalem. This, no doubt, he... [ Continue Reading ]
_But in all this time was I not at Jerusalem_ Which gave Eliashib the opportunity of doing these things; for unless Nehemiah had been absent, he durst not have done them. _For in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, came I unto the king_ Namely, from Jerusalem, where he had been once and again;... [ Continue Reading ]
_The evil Eliashib did in preparing him a chamber_ “Tobiah had insinuated himself into the good opinion of many of the people, and especially those of note, by his making two alliances with families of this sort: for Johanan his son had married the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, (Nehem... [ Continue Reading ]
_It grieved me sore_ That so sacred a place should be polluted by one who, on many accounts, ought not to have 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 ]
_Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers_ Which had been thus profaned, and restored them to their former sanctity, by the water of purification, and such other means and rites as were then usual in such cases. _And thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God_ Which had been cas... [ Continue Reading ]
_The portion of the Levites had not been given them_ Which might be, either, 1st, Through 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, 2d, Through the peop... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then contended I with the rulers_ I sharply reproved those priests to whom the management of those things was committed, for the neglect of their duty, and breach of their late solemn promise. _Why is the house of God forsaken?_ So that there are few or no Levites or priests to attend there. You ha... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then brought all Judah the tithe_, &c. Out of the respect which they had to Nehemiah, and because they saw these tithes would now be applied to their proper uses. The people (as Conradus Pellicanus here observes) readily obey, if the magistrates and the priests be not remiss in their duty. As soon... [ Continue Reading ]
_For they were counted faithful_ By the consent of those who knew them. They had approved themselves faithful in other trusts committed to them, and so had _purchased to themselves this good degree, 1 Timothy 3:13_. Men should be tried first, and then trusted; tried in the _less_, and then trusted w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember me, O my God, concerning this_ What I have done with an upright heart for thy house and service, be pleased graciously to accept, and remember for my good, according to thy promise. Nehemiah receiving no recompense, perhaps not even thanks, from those for whose benefit he did these things,... [ Continue Reading ]
_I testified against them_ I protested against the action, and admonished them to forbear it. _Men of Tyre brought fish, and sold on the sabbath in 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, t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then I contended with the nobles_ Their chief men and rulers; whom he charges with this sin, because, though others committed it, it was done by their countenance or connivance, probably by their example: and if these nobles had exercised their authority, the people durst not have done as they did.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Did not your fathers thus?_ He bids them reflect, and consider that this was one of the crimes of which their fathers were guilty; and for which God had suffered them to be carried captive out of their land, and their city to be destroyed. _Did not God bring all this evil upon us?_ Which you so wel... [ Continue Reading ]
_The merchants, &c., lodged without Jerusalem_ In the open field, (as appears by the next verse,) where, perhaps, they pitched their tents, and opened their packs, hoping to sell their wares on the sabbath day to the country people, though they could not get admittance into Jerusalem. _Then I testif... [ Continue Reading ]
_I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves_ Because the work they now were set upon, though common in its nature, yet was holy in the 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... [ Continue Reading ]
_Also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod_ A city of the Philistines; _of Ammon and of Moab_ They had married strangers, though not long before they had most solemnly promised not to do so, Nehemiah 10:30. So hard a thing it is perfectly to root out tares, which will be continually springing... [ Continue Reading ]
_And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod_, &c. What the natural language of the Jews at this time was, whether Hebrew or Chaldee, is matter of some inquiry among the learned. Those who suppose it was Hebrew, produce the books of Nehemiah, Ezra, and Esther, besides the prophecies of Dan... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I contended with them_, &c. These words, it must be acknowledged as proceeding from Nehemiah's own mouth, sound somewhat harshly in our translation; but the meaning of them seems to be only as follows: _I contended with them_ That is, I expostulated the matter with them; _I cursed them_ That is... [ Continue Reading ]
_Did not Solomon sin by these things?_ He quotes a precedent to show the pernicious consequences of their conduct, which were such as rendered it necessary that their sin should be animadverted upon by the government. The falls of great and good men are therefore recorded, that we may take warning b... [ Continue Reading ]
_Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil?_ That is, would you have me to connive at this wickedness, and so bring guilt upon myself, and ruin upon you? _And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib_, &c. It is supposed Eliashib died before Nehemiah returned from Persia, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember them, O my God_ Convince them of sin, and bring them to repentance; put them in mind of what they should be and do, that they may come to themselves. Or, remember them to reckon with them for it, and punish them according to their deserts. If we consider the words in this light, the prayer... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thus cleansed I them from all strangers_ That is, both priests and Levites were separated from their strange wives: _and appointed the wards of the priests_, &c. To observe their courses of attendance at the house of God, and every one to perform there that business which was proper to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember me, O my God, for good_ The best services done to the public, have sometimes been forgotten by those for whom they were done, Ecclesiastes 9:15; therefore Nehemiah refers himself to God to be recompensed by him, and then doubts not but he shall be well paid. This may well be the summary of... [ Continue Reading ]