Nehemiah 13

4 was allied unto Tobiah. “Related” or “connected with.” The enemies of the Jews, finding their open hostility unavailing, had sought to gain their ends by forming alliances with their leading men. Eliashib’s lukewarmness had already been shown by the absence of his name from the covenant (ch. x.). Tobiah’s influence was so great that the Jews did not venture to enforce the law of separation in his case.

6 king of Babylon. The kings of Persia reigned over Babylon and all the regions which had before been subject to the kings of Babylon.

after certain days. How long Nehemiah remained in Persia is uncertain; but from the height to which these evils had attained during his absence, it seems probable that it must have been for several years. Nehemiah’s second administration lasted probably about ten years, till about 405 B.C.

10 for the Levites, etc. Rather, as R.V., “so that the Levites,” etc. They had been obliged to support themselves by working on their allotments of land.

11. Why is the house of God forsaken? The prophet Malachi appears to refer to these abuses: see Mal. i. 9-14; iii. 7-12.

gathered them together. i.e., the Levites.

14 my good deeds. This prayer of Nehemiah should be compared with another, in ver. 22, which shows that his consciousness of the service which by Divine grace he had been enabled to render, was accompanied with a humble sense of his need of sparing mercy.

15 treading wine presses on the sabbath, etc. This particular violation of the law no doubt had become prevalent during the captivity, as the heathen masters of the Jews would prevent them from observing their sacred seasons.

17. I contended with the nobles. It was characteristic of Nehemiah to deal directly with the leaders of the people, as chief in blame.

23. In those days, etc. This reform is supposed to have been from twelve to twenty years after the like reform by Ezra: see Ezra x.

24 according to the language of each people. A mixed dialect, partly Hebrew, partly Philistine (akin to the Egyptian).

28 one of the sons of Joiada. Josephus says that this expelled priest was named Manasseh; that he went to his father-in-law, Sanballat, who built a temple for him upon Mount Gerizim, in opposition to that at Jerusalem; and that this was the origin of the religious rivalry and extreme hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews: see John iv. 20.