Nehemiah 13
PATthem that God himself was highly affronted, by having none of his servants to attend him at his house.. And I gathered them together. He recalled the Lcvitcs to Jerusalem out of the country; whither they were fled to look after their own estates. And set tJieni in their place.] Every one to his proper work and business. appointed them to this office of keeping the gates.. on, the sabbath-day, that it might not fail to. be sanctified as it ought to be. And they being also on that day to attend upon other offices which were holy, he commanded them also to cleanse themselves, by some known purification, which might procure them the greater reverence. There was another reason why he joined the Levites with his servants to look after the gates on the sabbath-day, because he would have this watch continued, when he and his servants were gone from Jerusalem, till this evil cus-, torn was quite broken. > m < I a i 10 Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. ~\ He had be Tt seecheil God to remember his good deeds; (ver..14.) but, to shew* that he did not think there was any proper merit or; worthiness in them, which required. a reward. as ^ debt in justice due unto, them, he here explains himself, and desires to be rewarded, or rather pardoned; out of God’s free goodness, according to the greatness or the multitude of his mercies. * *’ I f; * Vcr. 23. In those days also saiv I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab.] They had at this very time married strangers, as Pellicanus thinks; and by what Nehemiah did for their correction, one would think some were again revolted into that sin, which they had most solemnly renounced both before him and before Ezra, (chap. x. 30. Ezra x.) So hard is it to foot out tares, which will be continually sprouting up again.
Nehemiah 13:12
Then brought all Judak the tithe of the corn, and the new wine, and the oil, nnto the treasuries. When they saw these things were likely to go the right way, and be employed to their proper uses, they brought them to their proper place. For the people (as Conradus Pellicanus here notes) readily obey, if. the magistrates and the priests be not remiss in their duty.’. ♦
Nehemiah 13:13
And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe; and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Ilananthe.sonofZaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful;, and their office ivas to distribute unto their brethren.^ There had been some appointed heretofore unto this office, (chap. x. 44,’&c’.) but they not performing their trust, Nehemiah sought out some persons, here mentioned, who had the general reputation of beinig men of integrity; whose business it was to give every one of their brethren his portion." Ver. 14* Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and>for the offices thereof] It is very natural here to observer, that to make provision for the maintenance of God’s ministers, and of his worship and service; is /a work of high esteem with* God. For these are the good deeds (as appears by the foregoing verses) for which Nehemiah recommends himself to the Divine favour and remembrance. And therefore, what shall we think of the times wherein we live; when men account them the most religious to God-ward, who would unfurnish the house of God most, and who most rob his priests? This is the reflection which Mr. Mede made upon these words of Nehemiah, book i. discourse xxxiv.
Nehemiah 13:15
In those days saw I in Juddh some treading wine-presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses: as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbathday.]* The treading wine-presses, shews that he came back in the latter end of the year, (as I have explained in the end of days, ver. 6.) when he found them carrying in sheaves and wine,* and all manner of burdens (that is, doing all manner of work), on the sabbath, as if it had been a common day. And I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.] Or, as Pcllieanus translates it, I contested with them, that they should sell provisions on such days as they might be sold, and not on the sabbath.
Nehemiah 13:16
Tliere dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware. The city of Tyre was a place of great trade, and, lying on the sea, abounded with fish, which they brought from thence to Joppa, and so to Jerusalem. Tyre was nigh to Sidon, which had its name (as Justin saith, lib", xviii.) " ab ubcrtate piscium," from plenty offish. And sold on the sabbath unto the children ofJudah, and in Jerusalem.] Not only in the country, but in the holy city, as Jerusalem was called, where holy assemblies were to be held, and God worshipped solemnly^ on the sabbath.
Nehemiah 13:17
Then I contended with the nobles ofJudahJ. As I had done before, ver. 11. for. they who did not correct abuses when it was in their power, were more in fault than they that committed thera. And said unto Ahem, Wliat evil thing isAhis.that.ye do, and profane the sabbathday?] For if they had exercised their authority, the people durst not have done as they did.
Nehemiah 13:18
Did not your fathers thus? and did not our God bring alLthis evil upon, us, and upon this city?. He bids them reflect and consider, that this was one of the crimes of which their fathers were guilty; for which God suffered them to be carried captive out of their land, and their city to be destroyed. (See Jer. xvii. 19—21, &e.). Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel, by profaning the sabbath.] This aggravated their’ guilt, that they would not beware of those sins which had been their ruin; and would bring greater judgments upon them, because they were not amended by what they had suffered. -
Nehemiah 13:19
And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark. That is, wh6n they who sat there, could not see to do any thing, which was about sunsetting, the mountains about Jerusalem intercepting the light there sooner than in other places.. Before the sabbath.] In the evening of that day. I commanded, that the gates. should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath; and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath-day. ] It seems, he could not trust to the common porters of the gates; and therefore appointed some of his own family, who he knew would neither be careless nor corrupted, to see the gates were kept shut, and all traffic hindered.
Nehemiah 13:20
So the merchants, and sellers of all kind of ware. Who came from Tyre and other places, (ver. 16.) Lodged without Jerusalem once or. twice.] In the open fields (as appears by the next verse), where, perhaps, they pitched their tents, and opened their packs, hoping to sell their wares on the sabbath to the country people, though they could not get admittance into Jerusalem. Remember them, O my God.] To punish them (that is, according to their deserts), as he desired God to remember him by rewarding him for the good he had done. But Rasi takes it for a prayer to God, to reform them and render them good for evil. Because they have defiled the priesthood.] God required greater purity in the priests than in other Israelites, and in the high-priests especially, who might marry none but a
Nehemiah 13:21
Then I testified against them, and said unto, them, Why lodge ye about the wall?. He solemnly declared to them,. and called God to witness, that he would not suffer them to lodge there any more. If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you.] Seize their persons and their goods, and punish them as offenders. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.] Such power have good magistrates; especially, when they aTe resolute. And it is very observable, that these being men of other nations, were not bound by the law of the sabbath, and did not transgress in breaking it; yet he would not permit them to make the Jews, who were under the obligation of the law, to break it; and thereby trouble the commonwealth of Israel, by drawing the people into sin. It is also observable, that though buying and selling was not a servile work, yet he thought this comprehended in those words, “Thou shalt do no manner of work.”. 4
Nehemiah 13:22
And I commanded the Levites, that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. He thought the Levites would be more reverenced than his servants; and therefore
Nehemiah 13:24
And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people. Whom they had married. For their mothers, with whom they were bred, spake to them in the language of their own country, and not in the language of the Jews; which it seems by this was very different from that of Ashdod, though they were neighbours to the Philistines. And so was the language of the Egyptians, and other countries thereabout, very different, as Bochartus observes in his Canaan, lib. ii. cap. 1. (See Scaliger, de Emend. Temp. lib. vi. p. 5S0.) But there doth not Seem to have been such difference between the language of the Canaanites and the Hebrews in the time of Abraham; for he made use of no interpreters, that we read, of, in his conversation ^vvith them. Yet it is probable, that by length of time these people had altered their language very much/ which was preserved pure among the Jews.
Nehemiah 13:25
And I contended with them, and cursed them. He expostulated with them, and denounced God’s judgment against them; or, as Aben Ezra thinks, he excommunicated them, and cast them out of the society of God’s people. But that was in use only when they could not punish offenders according to their law/which now they had power to do; and accordingly it follows, that ho did inflict punishments upon them. • • And smote certain of them.] Ordered the officers to beat some of the most notorious offenders, cither with rods, or with scourges, according to Deut. xxv. 2. And plucked off their hair.] Which was a great disgrace in those eastern’ countries; (see Isa. i. 6. Jer. xlviii. 37.) the hair being esteemed a great ornament, and a token one was a free-man. Therefore plucking off the hair was a putting them to shame, and making themlook like vile slaves. And made them sivear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto yotlr sons, or for yourselves.] He also took an oath of them that they, would reform. But this he had done before; (chap. x. 29, 30.) and therefore; since the most sacred promises of amendment did not keep them fast to God, he also severely chastised them in the manner before related, that nothing might be wanting to make them better. Vcr. 2G. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things?] He argued also with them, and persuaded them to amend, from the example of the greatest men, who had been undone by such marriages, particularly king Solomon. Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless, even him did outlandish women cause to sin.] As much as to say, If such aman as he,who excelled all men in wisdom, and was so highly in God’s favour, that he. preferred him before all his brethren to be king over all Israel, was not safe from seducement by strange vyomen, how shall ye be able to preserve yourselves from their enticements?
Nehemiah 13:27
Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God, in marrying strange wives?. That is, Would you have me connive at this wickedness, and so bring guilt upon myself, and ruin upon you?
Nehemiah 13:28
And one of the sons of Joiada, the son ofEliashib the high-priest. It is supposed (hat Eliashib died before Nehemiah returned from Persia, and Joiada his son succeeded him, one of whose sons had offended in this matter. He was his grandson. > Was the son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite.].He is said by Josephus to be that Manasseh, who, by Sanballat’s interest, procured leave to build a temple in Mount Gerizim, to which all the Jews that had married strange wives resorted, (lib.xi. cap. 8.) and, as Solomon Virga saith, in Schebet Judah, he made proclamation in all the countries round about, that whosoever would come to his temple, they should pay neither first-fruits nor tithes, but only make voluntary offerings; by which he gained many of the poor sort to him. (See Selden, lib. ii. de Synedr. cap. 15, p. G23.) Therefore I chased him from me.] That he should not serve at the altar; which Josephus will have to be decreed by the great Sanhedrin, who, if he’ would have before them renounced that unlawful wife) and put her away, offered ^o continue him in the exercisie of his priesthood. See Selden, de Succession, in Pontif. lib. ii. cap. G. and lib. ii. de Synedr. cap. 15. p. 649. where he observes, that Solomon Virga saith, he was put out of his ministry at the temple by an assembly of all the priests, who met together and expelled him.. But there was no need of their authority, for Nehemiah himself chased him from him, that is, banished him from Judea, as Bertram expounds this phrase, in his de Repub. Jud. cap. 13. p. 1G5, &c.