Nehemiah 8
PATthat they were ojf the family of the priests, and not to appear, and not to be, are the same thing in law. But the Talmudists, as the same person observes, interpret these words as if it had been said, Till the dead rise, or till the Messiah come. For after the first temple was destroyed, “the cities of thcLevites, with their suburbs, were wanting, and so were urim and thummim, and the kings of the house of Judah.” (See his HistoriaExot et Sacra, ad A.M. 3557.) tors pretend, that in the temple the people. never answered Amen, but said, Blessed be the name of his glorioiis kingdom, for ever and ever. So Vitringa notes in his book de Synagoga Veteri, p. 1096. and our Mr. Thorndike observed the same long before, in his Religious Assemblies, p. 230. With lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads, <tnd worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.] Which were all postures in prayer, and in thankful acknowledgments to God. f
Nehemiah 8:1
xm„ND all the people gathered themselves together as one man. In this month was the first great feast that fell out after the building of the wall; as it was just after their first company returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, (Ezra iii.l.) Into the street that teas before the water-gate^] Which gate is mentioned before, chap, iii. 26. the street before which being very capacious, they all might meet there; for the court of the temple was not large enough to contain such a multitude. And they spake unto Ezra the scribe.] This, no doubt? is the same person mentioned in the foregoing book; who had been at Babylon, it is thought, since his first coming into Judea, and was now returned; beholding with great joy the wall of Jerusalem built, as before he had seen the temple. To bring the book of the law of Hoses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel] They called to mind that place in Deuteronomy, chap. xxxi. 10, 11, &c. where God requires the law to be read publicly every seventh year in the feast of tabernacles, which was appointed to be kept in this month. This, no doubt, Ezra was ready to perform; but such was the forward zeal of the people at this time, that they prevented him by their pious entreaties, that he would observe that law.
Nehemiah 8:2
And Ezra the priest. So he is called, a3 before the scribe; both of these titles being put together in the foregoing book. Brought the law before the congregation, both of men and ivomen.] For the city being restored and reinhabited, the next thing that was proper to be done was to instruct them in those laws whereby they were to live. And all that could hear with ttnderstanding.] That were not mere children. Upon the first day of the seventh month.] Which was not the feast wherein the law was to be read; but, as Pellicanus well observes, all this month was in a manner holy, so that they continued employed in these holy exercises till the end of the two-and-twentieth day, which was the conclusion of the feast of tabernacles.
Nehemiah 8:3
And he read therein before the street that was before the voater-gate, from the morning until mid-day. In the Hebrew the words are, from the light; that is, from the break of day (as we speak), or the sunrising, until noon. Then, I suppose, they went to take some repast, it being a festival, and a day of great rejoicing, " a memorial of blowing with trumpets," Lev. xxiii. 24. on which he thought good to begin the reading of the law, that he might do more than they desired, if they spake to him of reading it on the feast of tabernacles. Before the men and the women, and those that could understand: and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.] This is a general account of what he did: the particulars follow.
Nehemiah 8:4
And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, tvhich they had made for the purpose. To raise him higher than the people; that he might be the better seen and heard by them all; whence, in the Hebrew, it is called a tower of wood: but was not like our pulpits, which contain no more than one person; but large and long, that many persons might stand in it, as appears by what follows. Vitringa hath lately described it largely in his book de Synagoga Veteri, p. 184, &c. And beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meslmllam.] It is evident by these words, that six persons stood on his right hand, and seven on his left, in the same pulpit, being in all fourteen.
Nehemiah 8:5
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people). He being in the very middle of the pulpit, and the forenamed persons on each side of him. And, when he opened it, all the people stood up.] Out of reverence to the holy word of God. (See Judg. iii. 20.)
Nehemiah 8:6
find Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God: and all the people answered, Amen, amen. He seems to havo used the words, wherein David ordered them to bless, 1 Chron.?cvi. 36. where all tho people answered, Amen; as they do here with great affection. But the Jewish doc-
Nehemiah 8:7
Also Joshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akfoib, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Ltvites, caused the people to understand the law.] It is thought by some, that these persons expounded to the people what had been read to them; for the same persons did not read, they imagine, and make them understand what was read. But Stephanus Morinus hath observed very well, that it is not likely tljat Ezra was a mere Teader, and Levites the doctors and expositors of the law before Ezra and Nehemiah. It is far more likely that Ezra began to read; and that when he was weary, some of those who stood by him on each side went on where he left off; for it was too much for one man to read from morning to mid-day. And he: also instructed these Levites, if there was any difficulty, to make the people understand what was read. And the people stood in their place.] Listening both to what was read, and what was delivered as the explication of it.‘Ver. 8. So they read in the book.] That is, Ezra and his assistants read not all the book of the law, but only Deuteronomy, as they do at this day. In the law of God distinctly.] With aclear voice and distinct pronunciation. And gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.] Ezra, and the other persons directed by him, gave the sense, and made them understand what was read. So the last words are commonly expounded. But Isaac Casaubon, in an epistle of his to Suffridus Calignon, (Epist. dcx.) disputes at large, that all the Jews take the meaning to be, that the ^people in their captivity having disused the Hebrew tongue, and been accustomedto the" Chaldee, Ezra and his companions rendered the Hebrew words exactly into the Chaldee language. And to put,all out of doubt, that this is their sense, he observes, that the Jews at this day retain this custom (which they received from Ezra) in their synagogues,; to read the same.portion of Scripture, first in Hebrew, and then in Chaldee; as he himself was witness at Frankfort. And he justifies those who take these words, caused them Jo understand the reading, to signify, expounded the Scripture. Though the word micra be no where so used in the Bible, to signify the Scripture, neither doth it signify reading. And another learned man thinks the Hebrew words may be most exactly translated, “-Dabant intelligcntiam per ipsani Scripturam;” they gave the sense T)y the Scripture itself. But there is not good warrant to assert this. And the discourse of Casaubon is grounded on a tradition of the Jews, which hath no better foundation than this; that they had forgot their language in Chaldea, and therefore they read the law in that tongue, which they understood better than their own. But if this were true, why did the prophets.write in vol. n. Hebrew after their return from captivity? And this very book shews the. contrary, chap. xiii. 23, 24. where the Jews’ language appears to have been spoken by the people. Nor is the custom of reading the Targum after the law very ancient, nor generally used in their synagogues.
Nehemiah 8:9
And Nehemiah, ivhich is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Invites, that taught the people. Who had instructed them in their duty out of the law that had been read to them. Said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.] They bewailed the ignorance, wherein they lived; and the many violations of the law, whereof they had been guilty. Just as Josiah did when he heard the words of the law read out of a book found unexpectedly, (2 Chron. xxii.)
Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said. That is, the Tirshatha gave this command, who was the principal person among those forenamed, having the same authority that Zerubbabel had. (See chap. vii. 65.) Go your way.] Now4hat it was noon, it was time for them to refresh themselves. Eat the fat, and drink the sweet.] Make a feast, and provide as good cheer as you are able, according to the manner on their festival days. And send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared.]: Jt did not become religious people only to make much of themselves; but he would have them out of their fulness to feast their poor brethren, that they might rejoice with them. For this day is holy unto our Lord.] Being the first new moon in the year, and the feast of blowing with trumpets, (Lev. xxiii. 24.) And nothing was more unsuitable to such festivals than mourning and lamentation; for they were appointed to be solemnities for mirth and gladness; andare therefore called the days of your gladness, In Numb. x. 10. And in Psal. xcii..4. for the sabbath, the Psalmist saith, " Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works; I will triumph in the works of thy hands:" expressing the subject of his gladness, the remembrance of the creation of the world, upon that day celebrated. Neither be you sorry.] Inwardly grieved. For the joy of the Lord is your strength.] Joy in the Lord for the great things he had done for them in restoring them to their own land, building the temple, and the walls of Jerusalem, was never more becoming than upon a festival day, which afforded other matter of joy. And beside, it would make them cheerfully perform the rest of their duty, and fortify them against troubles and adversities; nay, it was the way to remove them, or to keep them off: for when the service of God was their delight, he promised to keep off those plagues which were threatened in the law against transgressors, and to give them all the blessings they could desire.
Nehemiah 8:11
So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. What Nehemiah had said to as many as could hear him, the Levites said to the rest of the people: going about, and persuading them to lay aside their heaviness, and make it a good day.
Nehemiah 8:12
And all the people went their way to eat, and to 4X
And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work: the Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drachms of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests’ garments.
And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drachms of gold, and tivo thousand and two hundred pounds of silver.
And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drachms of gold, and tivo thousand pounds of silver, and threescore and seven priests 9 garments. The offering mentioned in these three verses was made by different persons from those who are said to have offered in Ezraii. 68, 69. and therefore no wonder the gold and silver, and other things offered, were different.
So the priests, and theLevites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities. These are the very same words with those in the second chapter of Ezra, and the last verse; and in both places it is said all Israel dwelt in their cities. Which, though it be chiefly to be understood of Judah and Benjamin, yet it is evident some of the ten tribes did return with them, according to those prophecies, Jer.l. 4. Zech. viii. 13. And, indeed, there M r ere many of the Israelites that did live in the tribe of Judah before the captivity, (2 Chron. x. 17. xi. 16.) And when the seventh month came f the children of Israel were in their cities.] When all the business beforenamed was over, the people were sent back, by Nehemiah’s direction, to their several cities unto which they belonged: where they remained till the seventh month came; which was five days after the wall was finished, on the twentyfifth day of the sixth month, (chap. vi. 15.)