_UPON THE READING OF THE LAW, SEPARATION IS MADE FROM THE MIXED MULTITUDE. TOBIAH IS CAST OUT OF HIS CHAMBER IN THE HOUSE OF GOD. THE PORTIONS OF THE LEVITES ARE RESTORED TO THEM. THE PROFANATION OF THE SABBATH-DAY PREVENTED. STRANGE WIVES ARE PUT AWAY._ _Before Christ 433._... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THAT DAY THEY READ, &C.— _At that time the law of Moses was read in the audience of the people._ Houbigant. The phrase of _not entering into the congregation of the Lord,_ in this verse, does not signify an ejection from the public assemblies for divine worship; but must be understood to mean no... [ Continue Reading ]
ELIASHIB THE PRIEST, &C.— Some are apt to imagine, that this Eliashib was no more than a common priest, because he is said to have _had the oversight of the chambers in the house of God;_ which was an office, they think, too mean for the high-priest. But we cannot see why the oversight of the chambe... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR TOBIAH, IN PREPARING HIM A CHAMBER— Tobiah had insinuated himself into the good opinion of most 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 Barachiah, (ch. Nehemiah 6:18... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY CLEANSED THE CHAMBERS— See Numbers 19 and Leviticus 13.... [ Continue Reading ]
SOME OF MY SERVANTS SET I AT THE GATES— It seems as if matters were come to such a pass, that Nehemiah could not trust the common porters of the gates, and therefore appointed some of his own domestics, who he knew would neither be careless nor corrupted, to see that the gates were kept shut, and al... [ 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 that it was Hebrew, produce the books of Nehemiah, Ezra, and Esther, beside the prophesies of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I CONTENDED WITH THEM, &C.— These words, it must be acknowledged, as proceeding from Nehemiah's own month, sound somewhat harshly in our translation; but the meaning of them is no more than this, _"I contended with them, 1:_e. I expostulated the matter with them; _I cursed them, 1:_e. excommunic... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE I CHASED HIM FROM ME— Ordered him immediately to depart the country, as he refused to quit his wife. Josephus relates the matter as if this expulsion had been effected by the power of the great Sanhedrin; but, whether the Sanhedrin was at this time in being or not, as we have no clear foot... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER ME, O MY GOD, FOR GOOD— It has appeared extraordinary to some, that Nehemiah should be so lavish of his own praise, so ostentatious of his good works, as frequently to call upon _God to remember him for good, and not to wipe out his good deeds which he had done,_ &c. See Nehemiah 13:14; Neh... [ Continue Reading ]