Nehemiah 9:38

And because of all this,.... Of all this distress, and that it might be removed, and be clear of it; or "in all this distress and evil", as Jarchi and Aben Ezra, in the midst of it all: we make a

And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it. We make a sure covenant, and write - i:e., subscribe or sign it.

Because of all this; because all this misery lies upon us for our sins, we do heartily repent of them, and resolve to forsake them. Or, we faithfully promise and engage ourselves to future obedience.

Nehemiah 9:38 And because of all this we make a sure [covenant], and write [it]; and our princes, Levites, [and] priests, seal [unto it].Ver. 38. And because of all this] Our sin and misery. We make a sure covenant] See Ezra 10:3. And write it] Littera scripta manet, A written letter abides. And our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it] In the room and name of all the rest, who have sworn and will perform it, that we will keep thy righteous judgments.

(38) Because of all this.—On the ground of this confession, and to prove our sincerity. Seal unto it.—On the sealed [document]. Each party impressed his seal on moist clay, which was then hardened. Sometimes these seals were attached to the document by separate strings. In Nehemiah 11, “those who sealed” is, literally, those on the sealed [documents], in the plural.

Verse 38. Our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.] Persuaded that we have brought all the miseries upon ourselves by our transgressions, feeling much and fearing more, we make a covenant with thee to devote ourselves to thy service; to do with us as thou pleasest. From this sealing we learn that at this time the government of the Jews was a mixed aristocracy; composed of the nobles for the civil department, and the priests and Levites for the ecclesiastical. This was not mixing the Church with the state, or the state with the Church: both were separate, yet both mutually supported each other. The state never attempted to model the Church according to its own mind; because the Church had been founded and regulated by God, and neither its creed nor its ordinances could be changed. The Church did not meddle with the state, to give it new laws, new ordinances, or new officers. Therefore the one could not be jealous of the other. Where this state of things prevails, every public blessing may be expected. In every state God says to the governors and the governed: "Render to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to GOD the things which are GOD's."

38. Chap. Nehemiah 10:1 in Heb.; so Luther. The A.V. and R.V. follow the division of the Vulg. and LXX. And because of all this] R.V. And yet for all this. R.V. marg. ‘Or, because of’. The relation of this sentence to the preceding confession is not certain. This uncertainty has given rise to the doubt whether chap. 9 should not have closed at Nehemiah 9:37. The English translation treats the verse as the concluding sentence of the Confession. The A.V. rendering ‘And because of all this’ refers back to the whole summary of Israelite history (7–37), i.e. ‘because of Jehovah’s mercy in spite of our disobedience.’ The R.V. rendering ‘And yet for all this’ refers especially to the concluding words, describing the sorrows and afflictions which had come upon the people, i.e. ‘And yet in spite of all this oppression our faith in God’s mercy is unshaken, and in proof thereof we sign the covenant.’ This explanation, which is preferable, seems to derive support from other passages where the same prep. and pron. occur. Cf. Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 9:12, ‘For all this his anger is not turned away.’ Job 1:22, ‘In all this Job sinned not.’ The view that the verse resumes the narrative of Neh 9:1-5 is very improbable on account of the use of the 1st pers. plur., which has not been employed in this section (chaps. 8 and 9). The Massoretic division into chapters, which begins chap. 10 with this verse, severs the connexion with the previous verses. It was perhaps considered that a more considerable break should be introduced between the conclusion of the Confession and the signing of the Covenant. The Massoretes regarded the present verse as Nehemiah’s preface to the new section. sure] R.V. marg. ‘Or, faithful’. The words ‘a sure covenant’ render the Hebrew ‘’emanah,’ which elsewhere in the O. T. is only found in Nehemiah 11:23, ‘a settled provision’ (marg. ‘a sure ordinance’). The regular phrase for ‘making’ (lit. ‘cutting’) a covenant (cf. Nehemiah 9:8) occurs; and there can be no doubt of its meaning here. LXX. διατιθέμεθαπίστιν. Vulg. ‘percutimus foedus.’ The Covenant is not between Ezra and the people, but between the people and Jehovah. our princes, Levites, and priests] R.V. our princes, our Levites, and our priests. The position of the Levites between the ‘princes’ and the ‘priests’ deserves notice, as it illustrates the prominence of the Levites in the movement. seal unto it] R.V. marg. ‘Or, are at the sealing’. The A.V. rendering suggests the idea of a seal being affixed by each of the chief representatives. But the meaning is rather that the document having been prepared and rendered official by the addition of the seal, the leaders of the people were ‘upon’ the sealed writing, viz. they either appended signatures as witnesses, or made marks to endorse the document and to testify to their approval. In many of the Assyrian tablets, recording business transactions, the marks of the thumb-nails of the witnesses still attest the fact of their presence and approbation.

Seal unto it - The exact force of the phrase used is doubtful; but its general sense must be that the classes named took part in the sealing.

THE SEALED , Nehemiah 9:38 to Nehemiah 10:27.38. Because of all this — In view of the people’s profound humiliation and penitence, as expressed in the preceding prayer. This verse properly belongs to chapter 10.