Nehemiah
fcr the whanetng the proaperi^ of i^ and w*a m aB Ibiiin imrfnSmaOm fhsenettf the law sf haaGed; toS^ therefore, when some came from Jemadem, and told bia u Ths iu nia « tbot eity,, Iiow Ae waits of it wim still ia aanyplaeea broken down, and the gates of it in the am janwliebed elate u when Wn( wii)> (ir^ hy^hr Biili>'lonlATi», and tna^ by reason hereof, the remnant of the ei4>tiii6i^ttii dwelt tlwre lay opea not only lo cli*; Lt><-<ir:ii'ii>i artJ iiitviia of their enemiea, but also to the rtfvoaeh and eonleoipt of ihmr neighbour*, &■ 4. mean tori de»[>Lrut>li: pco^fli', anil tliat they were, in both these respects^ in great grief and offlletictA of Ivinrt; the good man being niilably moved with this representation, applied himself m llutinK and pnyr, unto the Lord hia Ood, wi4 eantestiy urp^UcaUd him (or hia peiD|de IbmI, and the place whidi he had choaen fbr h^s vurthip smoD^ rhem. And having ibua ui^iWed the divine mer^ *g*ii)at tfaia «n], he reaolved next to make hia application to the king for the redreMnB of il, liutltng in Ood fiMTlbe inclining of hia heart thereto] and, therefore'^ wWhiicura aatne neit u wail in hie omct, the king, obKrring his countenance to be sad, which at other times used not to be h, and oakinfr the cause tbcieofn Ij'" e<»Ic cIiIr i)|>|H)rtuii>iy to lay before him the distressed state of his country: and owning this to Le the couk of great j:;ri<?r:o iiim, nniycti dwi kingto aend liim there to remedy it And by the iivaiir of Q.uera Esther ba had biapabtioa f4Wled unto him: for it being panicnlarly marked, in the Sacred Text, that the quC6n waa dittiag Yilb A* kii^ «AeB ^dumdnk obuinad^lUi grant, sufficiently indicates that her &vour was aasiattnc (ohim Weiot* ud aBOctriiiMfr*nrpldiaa»eWMiMBeaqrt for the rdxiilding of the walls and gates of Jerunktn i aiirl ^4l^liM^iah was sent ihiuw win. a* JC»pM afjM province of JudM, to put it in execution: and, to do Wa (be orace boodur, the Idng Hnl ft gtwa •{ Sunt WMI Ini^ under the command oi some of tbe captains of his anny^ to coadnet him mm to bis govenunent. And ha wrote letlan to all die governors on this side the river Euphrates, to further him in the work oo which he waa sent t and also gave his orders to Asaph, the keeper of the foresu in ttwse puts, to allow him as much timber out of them as ihould ba needed for tbe finishing of it However, the Ammonites, tbe Moabitea, and the Samaritana, and other neigbbouriag nations roundf did all they could to hinder him from prooeeding therein i and to this they were axdied not only by dM ancient and Intter eiunity vbieh those people bore to the whole Jewish natioi^ because of the different manaen and different religions they [MrofeMed y but most especially at this time because of their lands | for, during the time that the Jews were in captivi^, these natioiia having seized their landa, were farced to raatoie tbem on their return ( for whieh reason they did all they eould lo oroooe (heir settlement, boprng that they could be kept low, they might find an opportuni^, some time or other, of resuming the prey thay had loet Bat flabamiah waa not at all diecoaiaged at this; for Waving, on his arrival, at JeiuMlem made known to tbe people tbe oommisaMn with which be waa ant, be look a view of UH niina of ibe old wall^ and immediudy eat about the repairing of them, dividipg tbe peopls into several eoanpanitjs, and assigning to each of them the (|uarter where they were to work, but reserving to niraaelf tbe auperintaadenee and diraetioa of the wbol^ in wfaieb w bdionred oo eAetnaUy, that all waa taidmA by the end of die Konih Mlut, within the eomniaa of Air^y^tieo days, notwiihstanding all manner irf oppoaitian that waa made ogainat him both from within and without t for, within several blse pro|^ietB, and other treacherous person% endeaveiEred to create obstructions: and, from without, SanbaUat the Horonite, TcArias the Ammonit^ Qeahem the Arabian, and several otbers, gave him all the disturbance Attf woe aUe^ not only by underhand deaitnga, and treacherous tricks and eentriv&nces, but also by open foroe: ao that wUle pert of tbe people laboured in carrying on tbe building, the othv part stood to their arms to defend thenuelveaagaiMdloae who UM any deaicai opon dwm. And all bad their arm* u ban^ even while dim worked, to be ready, at a aigaal given, to draw tsgettier at any part iriieie the enemy riMxUd be iBwwered to be coming upon them t aaa by this meeai thy ■eomedthettieelTMagaiiiBt theifiwye and deeigaeet
Umit «Demiei till thft irork wu brought to k eomhwon. And when tbcrhad thvu &r fiDiibsd the ud Mt ap Aantee,a pid>Iic dedication of tham w«t celebrated with gnu aolemnity by the prieete tnd l%e mirdea which the people underwent in the carrying oo of this work, and the inocMant labcur which they wct« fcned to undergo to bring it to eo apeedy a cMDolunon being very great, and audt aa made them &int and gnma nndw ill torerive their droopiiw qiirila, and make them the more eaqr and ready to proceed in thM wfaidiwaanrdier toht done, e&re wm taken to relieve them trom a much greater burden, the opraiaaion of uaurer^ vhiohthej, Ulhatlim^ lay under, and had much greater reaaon to complain of i fi>r the rich, taking advanta^ of the neeewilwi of the poar, had exacted heavy uauiy of ihem, making them pi^ die eenfuf mol for all moneya lent them; that i% one per mm. for ovary month, which amounted to Fwelve per emi. for the irtiole year, ao that they were forced to morWaga their land^ and eell aome of their children into aerritude, to have wherewith to buy bread for the iupport of themaelvea and bmilies; which, being a manifest breach of the law of Ood, given by Moaes, for thai forbida all the race of lataal U» take uaury of any of tnetr brethren, Nehemiah, on heuing of thia, resolved forthwith to remove ao great u irnqpiatw t in order irtiereto he called a general aaaembly of all the people, where, faaving aet unto them the natore if aw o^BOC^ bow great a breaoh it waa of the divine lav. aitd faow heavy aa i^reaaion upon their brethren, and bow amck ft might provoke the wrath of God against them, lia caused it to be eaaeled by the general auffiage of tbat whole aaaembly, that all ahould return to their brethren whatsoever had been exacted at them upon uauir, and abo re It see •11 the lands, vineyards, oliveyards, and houses, which had been taken ol them upon mortgage on this account
"And thus Nehemiah, having executed the main of the end fbr which he obtajnod the lavour of the king to be acat to JerusaleDi. he appointed Hanani and Hananiah to be governora of the city, and returned again unto himmto Pemtf tea lime had been aet him for hia return antn (o eoort, when he fint obtauied to be aent from thenee on thia eommiv moa { wbach, aa axpresaed in the l«x^ plainly importa a Aat tim^ and not that of ftaetoe yeans wfaicb ha agak went unto the king, aa aome interpret U. And hia having i^iipoiDted govenwn of the city as aooa aa the valla «•« built, evidently impliea that be then went from thenoe, and waa abaent bt eoma time } for, had ha atill o—tinned M Jeruaalem, be would not have needed any deputiea to govCTn the place. And furthemore, the boihUiig of the watta of Jerusalem being all for which he piayed nis first commission j when this was performed, he seema la have aaodad a new authority before he could go on to other proceedings, vrtiich were nepisaary for lha welt aetttiBg at the afisn of that countTT. But on his return to the kii^ and having given him an aocoont bow all ibiaga atood is thai previaaa* •ad what furmer waa needfiil to be done for the well reouuitiag irf he aoon -obtained to be aeat back ana to tsADi care thereof: and the ahwtoeia of hir ahaenoe aeaana to have been the Man vlqr thaaa ia oo OMntiao of it m Ae lex^ tboiurh the paritculars I have mrrtirmaitifinin auffieiaulT to imply
" Nifbemuih bciof retuued &M Penian oourt, with a uw fowmiarioii in Ibe toaiivjM year at Aftanr«« m c Jiq f^^TiliwiOiaatUraiiffilQMyonateidiMualiM of the ihiinlL and the ataia of the Jaw^whiefa Ikm h<Ld 'v^'inn; anJ tac)« itaV'WWanl'aiadvieeand direotim bolyacribein all ihatha aliifMd
"The Firsi thing tbui hr: was lo pr^jvide for the aecurity of the city, wbidi be had now fortified, far aettUag nte Sot the opening ami nhuitiiii; of dit- ^att^, and keeping watch and want oo the lowers and waUs: but jjirfirg Joruaalsaa iB^a but chial^ inhabLted, ood that ui moke thia buiwD more eaay, there needed mors inbabilaaii to bear tl^ir tbtn ^^Onm in It, be projmted th& thoreueb repeoid^ place: in order to wliieb he prevailed firat with the nlan IfnaX men or ^ jaadon la ^ree to build mm Dousea there, and dvrell ia them; ana then others following mplt, ofTnred themMU&a vuhiiitMnly lodo theaame; and of the rest of the people, every tendt Dian was 2ea by I wd oblind to comd Ui J'-niEni-cia, atid there build Ihem houses, and settle ihemaelvea and iheir fomilies in tha^ d whan, trie nty v,'aH iamifA, aj^i nil that had their dwellings in it were there well secured by vralla aadyaMs agiinal the mstilt^ vi 'hr.if i)ui!:\ieis, n!i<\ the incursion of dtieves and robbers^ who before molested them, all wilhn^ eampii^ i by iiijiirh fik-id'* iL<t l^'lJrt•'l>, at well as the walls and gales, being again rebuilt, and fUIy replenisbed wni inbuitants, it soon aimc tIiib rerL'ivc-fi lu ancient lustre, and became ^ain a'oity of great note in those parte.
"Netiemiali finding It twccssnry to have the geqealogiea ei the peopla well investigated and dearly atate^ natt ezuninM into mu matter i aod this he did not only for (fie sake c€ their civil rights, that all knowing of what trib* and fitmily ihiiy Vftt^.tl^y night Redirected where to take their poasessions; but more especiallv for the sake of Ae aanctHary, that odne be aanulted i« offiuate, even aa Lqvilea who were not of the tnbe of Levi; or as priMa that vet*: not of thelanwjy of Aaron. Aod, dierefore, for the true aettling of this matter, aearch waa made for the oU wiau-Ti; i^n4. Iiavir^ amor? chimin (ciwA a register of the geoeoloeies of thoae who came up at first from BaWlon vfib!^-niij^'-Lij-^; iuvi Jizvli'in, he ttrAWfil t! lia matter according to it; afUling such also aa came up, end expungiiw oaien whoac (ELoiilisit wcire cxtiTu:!, And chiir erased Ibe differenoe that is between the accounts we have of these geacaktflta ■fc) ftgmand Nehemiah; for in the ttaiTui chapter of Ezra we have the old register, made by ZemUmbel; and in lbs fgpjwttnf Nehttbialir from the airlk verse to the end of the chapter, a copy of it as aettleo by Nehemiaii, with Ae IHapttfnni I have menciAiod. £xia> having completed hia edition of die law Ood, aiHl written it out fairly ami Mcsrlr, tnntCamldeBB AaMBter, nil TeariOn the ftast of trumpets, ptd>Iicly read it to the people of Jeroalenk. UttU out was ttlaifamed oo ftie JHl tf TUri, the nvmth mondi of the Jews' ecclesiastic^ year, and the jtrsC of th-^ir z\v'i\ jeor. TWr ooitiin;; Mt of B^ypt having been in the mon* Niton, from that time the beginniv of rh^ ynr, in nil aeelflitevticBl n.nni ra, waa reckond among them from the beginning of that month, wUm hanp«Ti<:T>S almiL die libie of the voraal squinox; but in all dnl matters, auch as u contracta and faaigmmsi they ■till ccmtinuiKf to go by the old form, and began their year from ihejnt of TStrL which happened about the time of Ibe autumnal equinox, as all other nationa of die Beat then did; and all inatruments and writinga rehitjiMr to eontneta and bwgtin^ or MhereivU mattery were dated according to this years and all their jubilees and aabbatical VMH bepnwilb rtj an^ tha«foi«,dieu Kokiming it their NcwVear'a IJsy, they celebrated it with a f^val; and Orn nadyu. benig aatoranised by the Bounding «f tmmpeta, from the mormng of that day to the end of it, to proclaim and mve nottce to all of dte beginning of dw new year, it vras from thence called the finst of trumpeto. TV eelebrate ttus feaat, the people assembled from all parts trf Jerusalem j and understand tag that Ezra had finidwd Ua fevlaal of the law, and wntten out a fair copy of it, they called upon him to have it read to them; wbeoaacaffirid w laige pulpit was erected in the largeat street of the city, where moat of die people might aland to bear it Ban •eemM hu> it widi thirteen other prineipal elders, and having T^aeed aiz on hts nght hmid, and seven mi hia lefL ba MDOdnpmAemKlator them! and bavugUeaaed the Lord, tfte great God, he began to read die law out of die Hebrew Mti and while Iw rend It in ihla language. Mfrfem odier of the Levites, whom he had instructed for diie purpose rwdend it period period into Chaldee, which was diien die vulgar language of die people, giving ihem dte meam« •f every particular p^; thus making diem underatand it: diua die holy scribe, with dieae aaaiatanta, ronlinuedfr^ normng tdl noon, reading and explaining the law of Ood unio the people m auch a manner aa suited dieir low eapacitiM. Alt It being a feMval day, and die dining hour appniachii^, Nehemiah, Ezra, and the reat that had been aanai^ diemiwad Aem to dioosr. toeat and driii^ and rejoice before dte Lord die renwonder of die (fay, beeaoae it WM eoswa^ crated tbna to brkept htAj untohimi but die next momiw diey aoaemUed again, in die oame nlaee^ and Baim ai« hMaaa^Miila waM m fitrdier to read and ecplain the taw of God, in die aame manner aa dwy had done dw Aty bsArvi J oiey oamo to die tvmtv-tkird tshipar of Levidcna, wherein is writteii die law of die feaat of tabenntelei^ nd had ex|dained to dwm die obligation d»^ were under to observe it, and tf«t die JMeenth day of dmt mondi ww the day appointed for diebegnming of it,- he excited an eager desire in all die people to fiilfil die law of God in tMi MftMuWi and proebmUon was therefore made dirough all Judah, to give notice of die faatival and to warn dam all to be preaent at Jeruaolein on diat day for die obaervmg of it Aoeoidih^y diay went diidier at Ae dme vmMi and^dieywerom*uo*edbyd»elawofaod,pre^^ bnuiehea of traeih and kept &• MmT to read and explain in the mma way an ba
H^at ana tma be did from die fint to die last da m neoDle nawaiving in haw naaa, ihifia.
IpenaHs (for til) now the h«r of clod hul never been read Hncs ihrir retwn from Babylon,).il much tiailO
SheKft, bmnr much grieved for their aiiM, and exceedingly terrified widi the fcor of Oofa vratn for the punMiMM ■f ihem. Nenemiah and Ezra, finding ihem m -well diAmaed, applied (hemaelTce to make die beat improvemem they Muld of it for the hoaour of God, and the latsreecaof reUsion; and iherefcve, proolaimed a fut to be Mid Ihe'day but OM aftor lha fcatival waa ended, to which having called aU the people while me mdm of iheae ihinn vaa Ovah in dieir miodi^ axdied them to make a aolemrt oonfewion of dietr aiiu before €tod, and also to enter into a aolnnn voir and eove- ButirilhOod to avoid tbem for the future. Ttu obMrvames vrhioh they chiefly oUiged themselves to in thivcoveBsafl van — Mratff) Not to make internmrriagea with the Oentita^ either by giring- ^ir daughters to them, or by takii^ any of their daughtere to tbenwetvea. Siamdti/, To obwrre the aabbaths, and aabfeatical yeara: Thinili/, To pay theiT ■Dona) tribute ta the iea»p)e for the repairing of it, and finding all the neceaaanee for the canring on of the puUio ■wgjoe in iL And, fWWUy, To pay tne tithee and firat-fruita to the prieala and Levitea. And tiieee partieulort nein^ thua named in thia covenant, shows us that they were the lawa of Chid which they had been negleccni) of ainee their latan from the oaptivity. It being their ignoranoe which had led them into theae tnuiagreMions, and thia ignonnoe havinff been occasioned by their not liaving heard the law of God read to them) to prsTent thia fbr (he future, ifaey had ton this time the moat warned of the Levitea eiid acribea that were skilled in the law, to read It to them in every eiiy t wtueh, no doubt, was at fint done by gathering the people toother in the most wide street, where all mifi^ dw bailer hear it i but the iaoonvemienee ot this being aoon wit, eapecially in the winter and' alormy aeaaona of the year; &ay acaelad houaea or tabentaclea to meet in, and dwee were the origisBl synagoguea among them. That they had na aynogogues before the Bebytoiuah captivity >■ plain, not only from the silence of the Scriptures of the Old Testament) ptt auo from aeveral paaaagea in them, wtiich evidently prove that there were none in thoae day*; for it is a common wyiag amoag' the Jeara, th^ where there ie no boob kept of the law, there can bo no synagogue; for the chief aervicA of lha lynagoeas being the reading (rf the law to dM people; where there was no law, there certainly could be nO agnagogue. Hw^ tazla ol Scripture tell u» that the Mok of the law wnt very rare through all JVidah befcre the Bahytoauh eapimty. When Jehoehaphat aent teachers throogh all Judah, to instruct the people in the law of Gb^ tWy aarried the law with them; which they need not have done if there had' been copies of the Btw in thoae citiea ■hsiu they waM^ wbioh thera would have r^''^', J' "I '-'"•'f- '-■<■'•" Kynpi^n^riOK in ihi'in; it W inn; die Hfirii"; rtr.siiririiy to ta^/fgm a synagogua widioat a book of the kw, na to auppoae a pajisli i::}|ijr4:l:i wUliou[ a c-Mpf of the llibk in it: and, lhawJbae, as ihia piwvaa d>ew— tof die law throiTgh all Jwlflh, ioitdce« thcwantof <ynagoeiif.i i'n thrmnlao: Anrl whea Hifri^ found die law in tfae Mmpto, neithei he nor King Joaiah would have been surpnnni at it, hnd boo'ka of Ihe law baan eomnoo ia thoae timae> "^eir behaviour on that ocuLaion im^dently pravria that ihey hoiJ neirer seen it befoi^ irtiieb could not have been the ease had thern l^- en any ropier of it to be hXinC DniOiij^ the pecplc; and if there were Ho eopiaa of dte law at that time among them, theire cwtM ihcn be most i:«nainly no syneguguef Tnr them to resort lo ftr Ae bearing of it react, i^rom henoe it plainly followH, tlmi Lhrre- ciiiild be f}f> aynagaguea among rJic Jews till afleif die BabykmiiSieaptiTitrr and it is moat probiible tlial Ezra'i reading to them the law, anJ the ntceEsity which tile; peneired diere was of naving it oAsner read to thejin, waa the Oregon of their erecting them, anerthe captivity, in thfl aanner I have related; and moet learned m>rn are or this opinimn, and some of the Jewi themsflvn vty aa much.
" Neheiniah, after having held the goremrienE of Judnh (wt/pe yeaia, reramed to the Persian court, ciihw r^-^nSled Ihillier bv the king, or else going thitber to eolirit a new- commiRSTun after (he p^xmration of the former, [32 ArCax. ■9. C.43a,} Soring all the time that he bad bfeii in the ^vi>rninent, Its monogei! it with sTfnt jiialice; and aiifip^rled thd dtgnky of nia oflic^ through dieae whole twtipe yeAm, wjtha very cxpi-rvsivc arrf hwpiiaitle TiiogiiTficence; for Jicrc fai ■t nia table e»e^ day a hundred and J^ty uf the Jews ntid nilers, beaidca ilrui^rs who CJTrae lo JenwaJem fj-om aoiMg the heathen naliOBa round about thein; for whrrn oeraaicn brought (hem thicher, if they were of anv [Quality, they were ali^m invited to the governor's tiouor, and there hoRpilahly and aplendrdly cnl/?rtaineil; ao that V^^ii were prtmdad for Nehemiah'a table every Aaj, out ox, tix choice ahwp, and ftiwia, ard kinc', with al! other thirga in prt^wrtion, which muet ha»e bees a great expanse: yet all thia ht bore, through the 'whole /iFf/r^ yeara, oitt of his private parae, witfaoat burdening Ihe proving at all fisr it, or taking' npy part af ihn( allownnre mhieli before wna laioea br other gt>verBor» to support tfiem tn ihi-ir station; which nreijfB his great eeneroaity, fm w^ll aa I^jb grrnt love aBd'tenJernnas to the People of his nation, in thus easing them of this burden,- and also Hjh van wealth, m being Bihte tadD BO> The oMee-iniicn he had been>in at court, gave him ih^oppoTtunHy of amnasint; ^cat richps; and he l)wiii;bt he oonld not better expend them than in the im'ice of his county, and hydoijig oJI lie; cduIiI to promote its true interest is ehureh and state j and God prospered him m ih? work, nccorling to tlie great zea) wrth which he latourfd in it.
"Nehemiah, on hia return to the Peorfan nxifl, in the thirty-seventh yrsr of ArlaTterxea, [11. C. 429.] having tarrie*] there about ilea yeara in the eaeeutten, aa it i:iir.v be aopF'"*^'^] of ^ is 'fnrmt'T office, W. Ir-r^ih obtained, pcrmimon from the king to be sent back to Jerusalem with a ni'w rrxoniiHaiUT]:. Thie ^nerniity of rhronoln^rs, as wrAl aa 'COmmentalora on this part of Scrinture, make hia gt in^ baek tlmis to have been much eoon^r: biit cotiaii.lcring tlir? many and great corruptions, which, ne tells ua in the thirltenih cliap'ter, the Jews tud run into liurin^ hia a^iHc-nce, it rAnnol be conceived how, in lesa than Jlvt years time, they could have grnwit to aueh a height among ihcia- He hrul be^n lirtitt jeara in reforming what waa amiaa among t^i<:fii, fLii l E::r^ \ia<l h^cu thirUtn ^cii.tt, daiii^^ the mtne brforn him; and they had brought their reformation to auch a state of stobLlitr, that a little time would not havt been ^niiicii^nt lo have unhingeait. It ia, indeed, expreased in our Pnglivh vemon, that SAemiiA came back from (be Parnm eooit to Jenisalero, ((/Isr cartstn day; but the Helvew w(vd yamim, which is there rendered daye, signiflea also yean; and ia in a great many pUees of the Hebrew Soipturesso uied. About thia time lived JMiioch* the nopbet; the grnateat of the eorruptiona he charged the Jewa with are the aame aa those they had nm into in the time of nenemiab'i abaence t and therefore it ia moat probable that in thia time hia prophecies were delivered. It ia certain the temple waa all finished, and every thing reatored in it, before this lime: for theie are pasaagea in his prophecies which elearlj auppooe it t for be does not charn the Jew* with not restoring the temple, but of their neglect of what pertained to Aa true worship of God iti it. But at what time aAer the restoration of the temple it was diat be wrote hia prophecies^ ia nowhere atotBd j and, therefore, we have only eonjecture about it, and I know of no conjecture that can plaoe it with more probability than in the time I have mentioned.
"Uany diings having gone wrong among the Jewa^ during the abaence of Nehemiah, aa aoon aa be waa again aettled in the govemment,lie applied himaeff, with his accustomed zeal, to correct them. That which be first took notiee of waa, a great profanation which had been introduced into the temple for the sake of Tobiah the Ammmt^ IVia man, though he bad made two alliances with the Jews, for J'oAarun hia aoii had married the dau^ter atnUakuHam the aon of BeraAia, who waa one of (he chief managera in the rebuilding of the walla of Jerusalem, under the direction of the governor, who himself hod married the doumier of S^4caniah the son of Arah, another great man among the Jewa; yet, being an AmmoniU, ha bore a national hatred to all who were of the race of Israel \ and, therefore, envying their wnyperity, did the utmost that be could to obatnict Nehemiah in all that he did for the good of that people; ana eonMaraied with SanbaHat, their greatest enemy, to carry on thia purpose. However, by reaaon of the allianeea I have mentioned, he haJ many correspondents antoiw the Jews, who were favourers of him, and acted inaidioualy with Nehemiah on this account: mit he, being aware of their devices, withstood and baffled them all, so long aa he continued in Jeniialem. Bitt when he went from thenoe to the Persian court, ElioMkib the high priest was prevailed upon, being one in th" confederacy and alliance with Toinak, to ^low and provide for him lodging within the temple itself; in order br which lie removed Vu mMt-offeringt, the frankincetue, and the WMtI», and Ihe tiihet of the com, tha nsie tofne, and the nil, ^Bhich hnd been commanded lo be given to the LievUee, and the tin^ere, ajtd uie porters, ajtd the {fferinfr qf the priests out of the chambers where tbnr used to be laid; and out of them to make one large apartment for the reception of this heathen stranger. It is doubted'by some whether this Bliaehib were Elituhib the nigh prieat, i>r onlr another priest of that name; for he is named in the text, where this is related of him, by the 6tle only of priest, aiM ia theiv said to have the oversight of the chambers in the house of God; from whence it is argued, that ho waa only ohamI«rtain of the temple, and not dw high priest, who was above such an office. But the oversight at dw ehambera of die bouae of Qod, mar import the whole government of the temple, which belonged to dw high prieat mraomrcTtoit to tbx book of nkhxioah.
■MaaiNDontiMi in ilt ifaMBe^gltadtf* the high priM^bMi»ch>ricterM8eriptuw with wbi^ Qub««MlOM ittteiUbtAiU. By whu ia wid in th« Bo«kof Ezra, chap. x. 18. it ^pean the pontiAeal Cuutrmb in iuM fiae fnwn very corrupt; utd there is no set of hU mentioited. «itber in Em or Nehemial^ except otfy Im "tri^iny in £e repairing of the wall of Jenmlem. Had he done uiy thing eUe worthy of memory in the refttuK *t wh*t wM nmiflo, eitti«r in cbuith or BtaU!, in the timea of Ecra or Nebamiah, it may be presumed mentiop wnm have been made of it in the booka written them. The lileDee at him in both theae oooka, m u> aay good act doM bytdiBiiBaaiiffieiaatpioof that there waa none lo be recorded t far the prieat beiiig tha bead of the JcwiA tbm^ Iwd hs beme any part with dieaa two n>od nien, when tbqr labonied ao nmeh la nfimn that dnidi, it is wmAf iauoadble that it ntnld have been jiaaaed over in their wriiinga. wbeie they give an acoounl of what waa Jom in that reformation. What Jthma hie grandfaiher did in coneurrenca with Zerubbabel the goveiBor, and Ha^ai and ZeAariah the propheta, in the reaettling oc the church and state of the Jewa after their return frtxn the Bdiylonuh captivity, ia aU recfN^led in Soripture I mill liail riiiiiliili iliiiii iiiiji am li ililim in i iiiiiniiiini n milli Fin aiirl TTihi iiiiiih. ai a«j liiiiniMia it would have been racorded alao.
" Putting all thia together, it ai^iean moat likely that it waa Eliaahib the high (meat who waa the author of As fMat profaaatioQ of the facuae of God. What waa don& however, the text tella ua,Nehemiah immediMely wilhaliw^ aa ■ooaaahereamedtoJeruanlemi for, ovemiling what the h»b prieat bad ordered to ba dona by Ae aadjaeily wtichW had aagovwrnor, he commanded all the houaehoM aOiffof TWaklo be caalaut,and the obambera to be ckaaaed aad leatoreato their former uae.
"He r- fliFi:.' of '\,— law t)ie j>v'-i\<li liaving been eettled by Neberaiah, ao aa lo be cooatanlly eairiad oa at eertaiB ■tated lime* tv<ir iinctt it wiu ^gi.L(i uiuiL'i his govenunent by Ezra, (probably on every aabbathdi^,) when in ihecemai at their leaaou ibey t*3W w f:'!i^. xxiit. q\ [ leuteronomv, where it ia commanded that a MaMU or aa Awwaaifi afcaaM ttol canu iHi» tiu emigregaiimv qf Ike Lord, men to Ou tentK gmavUon for i Nehemiah taking advaptaae «f i^ Bepai^teiaJllhenuxedaultiCiidafrtatdMraBtof(hepaople,thutheTebyitmightbek - tdm]<i>>.l LI..-11: iL<ni| iurilHaail nmlogHi and treated than in"all reapeela aa true laraelilea, ezoeptiiw oaty in tte 1
AEmfunn^c; oiiii iligrafare thja phimae tn the text, ^ wof entortwg' into tlu amgrtgaiim etcn to Umtk gmunliam, ■nut be uodfi'nitMd to imply no mon than a piotulRtioa iMt lo be mairiad with them till then; aodthtti all Iba Jnrab iKUKw expound it.
t''A«amg other ciHTtipdoBa that grew mduring the nbaanee of Nehemial^ one aapeeiaH (Miwi^iBgon fltcdsilT-actvioe of tlw booaeof God in the maniter it oughti Ibr the tilbea whidi wtae lo mainmia QuniMHi u the temple in their offiev mid atationa, either being embezzled by the hirii prieat, or other lulen aader him, jrwaa aukmte^: by the Jaity, luid Ti(i[ ^uiil uall; for want of them the Lavitea and au^^ were driven from die taaifK jj™?"™* Iji'iiw^, ilicrF: ti) for a aubnatenoe aoow other way. Hiia obuae the goveroor, wfaoae pioqr ted t^^wm n attend to the pubJic woralup, could not be long without taking notice o^ and when be had thonagUy ahnwd njuBBir of the wws be aoan pruvided very e^etually for ita remedy; fbr he again made tfaoae doM la lie "^iiitD the temple treaBurie^ and forced every man bithiully and fuUy to pay them: thua,amainteiianeebeiKaaia dfor tboae who Ati«n(Sed \h« scrvirc of the nouae of God, all waa ibere again laaUMed to ila pnatine oidtr. Aaahe h lock cafe IfaaiilieRtiibaTh ehotild tw clMlyobaerved; and made many good ordera for the ynweotiag at the protanatipa nil} andcaaied them all tu be pit inui t^ffectual execution. But though all theae thinga are mentmied in oaw ifaa^aer, UMy were, not aJt done at oiiL^iiinei but tliiigood man brought them abmu aa opportunitMa beat aerved for the aoeecaa aa effi^Bt]ng ihttii, In dctti ku»& yctL?, IB. C. VOL] in which Neheminh vrent agam to bia government of Judea, frean *a who csDie rhf. ncBfeatto thetnitt in diviue mattera of any of UMoeathena; for having kihktnmiUtaibft But, (whiihar he wentfi>rljifl Lmprovemant ia Irnrtrini^r) rnmrrrani iirith thr Tnwa. nnd rnl anmn inaight into tliii -wriTinp nf Mnaia vlnMRMbaBulbyAuMAW iwiminj nf Tlir iimiiiif fcrtmiijuiM of him to the aame purpoae."
With thia Book the general hiatorieal booka of the Old Teatsment end; and the aueeeedktg aeeoonta of the Jewa4 people muat be aou^t partly in the ilpooiypbal booka, and in Joaephua t but nowhere with ao much parapuanfcr aa ia Aa irtiieh Ow fwdnr haa alni^bid weh eopimia axtneti.
Chrxmologicai Natet rtiative to At* Book. Y«« tnm tbe Cmtion, acoordi ' 36fia— Yw befon th« birth •- en Dt the Delnee, 2660. — Year from the vocation of Abram, 1476. — Vesr from the deitnicUon of Tror, 7^. lUa dom oC Imel and Judah, 529. — Year of era of Iphitua, kii^ of Etiu, vbo re-esta^liihed the Olympic guxMa, 4hrM hmiMd omd thirty-eight yean after iheir inatinition br Hercules, or about eight kundrvd and ti^tfy^mtr jnva faefcre ihe eommaaeefMnt of the ChrittiaD era, 439. liiis epoch i> Ckiuoub in ebraaological hiHoryi, a* every thinjr previous to it aeoBU involved in bbuloua obacuril^. — Year nnce Cortebua won the prize at OlTmpia, a town of £Ua in Peloaoaneaua, (beiOg the titmtv-eighth Ol7m|Hait after their re-eatablishmeDt by Iphitu%) ^I.— l^rd jear of the ti^u-adrd Olympiad. The cpoen 01 the OlTmpiada eommeDoed, according to the accurate and Isanted computationa of eome of the moderns, exactly ttven hundred and tnmiy'tix years before the Christian era, in Ihe year vS die Julian Deriod, 3938^ and twenty-three years before the building of Rome. B. The Olympic nmea wen celebrated at toe time of ine full moon, which immediately followed the day of the summer solstice { inerefore the Olympiads were not of equal len^:di, because the time of the full moon differs about ekrm days every year ( and ^ that reason the Olympiads scMutimes began iba next day after the solstiee, and at other times four weeks after. — Tear of the Varronian, or generally received era of the building of Rome, 306. This comjiutation was used by the Romans in the celebrtiiobof their secular games. — Year from the building of Rome, according to Cuo and the Fasti Ctnunlarea, 307. Oionysius, of Halicamassus, follows this account in his Roman Antiquities. — ^Year from lh« buildtaK of Roqw, according to Polybaus the histarian, (a native of H^alopolis in Peloponnesus, and ton trf Lysor- <a^) 306. — ^Year from the building of Rome, according to Fabius Pictor, (the first Roman who wrote a history of
Shumanew', the king of Asi^rna, 2T6. — Year from the destruction of Solomon's temple by, king of Babj^loiL 143. — Tear since the publicatioa of the fiunoua edict of Cyrus^ kine of Persia, empowering tbs Jews to rebuild their temple, 90. The commencement of this epoch was michronictu wiih the lermmation M tha teveniy yeara, during whieh die Jews were under the dominion of the Babylonians. — Year since the expulsion tX the Tarquins from Rome, which put an end to the regalgovemment of the Romans, 63. TYnt consular govemmeot Iflpnaediately followed the expulsion of the Tarquins. — Ytax before the celelwaled Peloponiiesian war, 16. Hiis war faepa on the 7th of Hay^^our hundred and thirlW'One years before the Christian era^ and eontinuM tiecnly-»tten jaara between the Athemans and the inhabitants <n Peloponnesus, with their allies. — ^Year before the commencetaeot uf the era of the SeleuoidBi, 134. 'Rm em was named after Seleueua, one ot the captains of Alexander the Grea^ snmamed Nicator, or the Conqueror. The year in which he coiMpiered Babylon, (t>ts. 312. B. C.) is called the year of Ats era. — Year before die formation of the bidous Achnan league, 166. — ^Year before the commencement of the first Punic war, 192. The Arundelian marbles are said to tuive been composed in the first yc*r (rf this war. — ^Year before the foil of the Macedonian empire, 278.— Tear before the extinction of dte reign of the Seleucids in Syria, on the conquest of that country byPompey, 381.— Tear before the commencement oT the era of the Roman emperors, 4 16. The year in which ihe mmous baale of Actium was fought is the first year of this era. — Year of Ar^idamuj^ king of Lacediemon, and of the fcmily of Oie Proclida, or Eurypontidte, 24.— Year of Plistoanax, king of Lacedamon, and of the family of the Euristhenide, or Agidn, 2V. This king was general of the Lacedamoman armies in the Pehiponnesian war. N, B. The kings of the IjMedsmonians, of the mmlties of the Proclidn and the E^urisdientdK, sa(_on the throne together for several himdred jeara; viz. from 1102 B. C. to about 200 B. C. — Year of
Tolsei came near to the gates of Rome, and were defeated.
Bmt3Ui4 NWN who wer< Kving in Ou KfeHvu of Nehemiah; upon the oappooUtoa that hU Urih happened about
- acwrding to Aristmle and Pliiiy, addinj the two letters X utd 9 to uie Oreek alphab^ flourished about 440 B. C. ana died in the 90th year of his age. — Euetemon, the astronomer; flourished about 431 B. C.—tlupelia. a comic poet of Adiens; flourished about 43a B. C. — Euripides, the tragic poet, bom at Salomis the day on which the army of Xerm was defeated by the Greeks; torn to pieces by dtun, 407 B, C. in ilie 73U year of his age. — Otarguu, a celebrated sephist and orator; bom 606 B. C. died 400 B. C. at the advanced ago of 108.— Hetfanicus, the Greek historian; born at Mitylene, AS^ B. C. died 41 1 B. C. in the 86th year of his age. — Berodiai; a phyaician surnamed Gymnastic: flourished 443 B. C—Herodt^ut, a celebrated historian of HoTicarnaBsus; born 484 B. C. read bii history to the eouncil of Athenit, and received public honours in the 39th year of his age, 446 B. C. — HippoenUea, a ealeusted physieian of Cos; bora 460 B. C. died 361 B. C. nearly 100 years of age. — Jtoerateoy the orator; bom 447 B. C. died about 338 6. C. aged 99.— Leocro/es, an Adienian general; flouri^ed about 460 B. C—LmUu, dw •imlort bom 468 B. C. died 376 B. C—Mdianu, the Samianphilosc^her; flourished about 440 B. C— JHcton, die Mb^oferMMl mathemadeian; flouridied about 432 B. C'-Peridet, die celebrated minister of Athens: bom 499 B. C fiad of the plague about 429 B. C.—Phidio*. a celebrated statuary of Athens; died 432 B. C— Pindar, % celebrated lyric poet of Thebes; bora 621 B. C. died 434 B. C. at die age of 86.— Plato, die Greek poet, called UW prinee oS the middle comedy; flourished about 464 B. C— Profagoros, a Greek [Ailoaopher; died at a very advanoed age, about 41X1 B. C. — Socrata, one of the most celebrated philosophers of all antiquity; bom 470 B. C. died 400 ». C. aged 70. — Sophoda, a celebrated tragic poet of Athens, educated in the school « Achylua; bom 497 B. C. diMI 406 B. C. at the age of 91.— Tkueydida, a celebrated Greek historian i bom at Athena 471 B. C. died 391 B. C. in Ids SOdi y«ar.— JTsnOfAon, the eeuiirated genera], biatortao, koA j^uloaopber; boro 449 B. C. died IUB.C.^90!^JZtec^aceMcuediniatnt flonrUwd about 4|B8 a C. ^ ikMji» rpHB words of 'Nehemiab the son Ar<j!m ± of HacMiah. And it came to t.'iSSmSi paM> it the month Chisteu. id the twentieth year, as I waa in Shushan
2 ¥hal kanani, one of my brethren, came, he ■nd certain men of Jodah; and I asked them ooneerninff the Jewi that had escaped, which were lefl of ^e cajitivity, and concerning Jeru- ■aiem.
3 And they said nnto me, The remnai^ that are Ml of the captivity there in the prormce ore in (Treat affliction and reproach: "Uie wall of Jarosal<^m lUr^ <t« broken down, and the grates Ibcreof are burned with fire.
4 11 And ii: came to pass, when I heard these wordB; thnt I sat down and wept, and mourned cvtain duya, and fasted, and prayed before the
^r£dMid, i beseech thee. * O Loan God of beareoi, the great and terrible Qod ■ that keepeth covenant and mercy tor them that love him and obaerve his commuidments:...
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and ■ thine «yM open, that thou mayeat hear the prayer of thy ■errant, which I pray before thee now, day and nifht, for the children of Israel thy servants, and r comeM the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my fiither^B house have sinned.
NOTES ON CHAPTER L Verae 1. 7^ word* qf Nchemiah] Th&t this book wu eompiled out of the Jourtial or memoranda made by NAemitih himaelf, there cao be no doubt; but that he wu not the eomf^r it evident from wveral paMagei in the weik itaelf. Am ii ia written MHuecutireiy «a oiw book wMi Rzra, muiy have aupposed that tbii latter waa the author: but whoever eomparea the ilyle of each, in the Hebrew, will aoon be convinced that this ie not correct, "nie Myle is so very different, that they could not possibly Iw the work of the same peraoo.
It is doubtfiil, even whether the Ndie!niah,,wbo ia ■nantiooed Ezra chqi. iL 2. who name to Jeruaalem widi ZaniUabel, be the Bune with bimirtio ia the reputed author of.diiabook. ^dkeeompaiation ofibebeat ebonoloeiata, Ztr^habd Cftme to Jerusalem in A. Bf. 346B; and Iiehe* miah, who is here mentioned, did not come before the ItHMfMA year of the reigpi of Artaxerxes, which foils in whh A. M. 356G^ more than ftmrweor* yea-rs after: and as Ua aeeoont here is carried down to A. H. 3580, tfkirfy ▼esn later, he must at hia death have been upwanls of a AUndreif oittf lAirfK allowinf him to have been only Utehty years <rid at the time Zenibbabe) went up to Jerusalem. T^is ia by no means likely, oa thia would make him the king's cup-bearer when he waa npwarda of a Auiwfrsdyrars k[ agml It seem% thereftre^ evident that the N«hemiah of Esm caaaot be the earns with die reputed author of this bool^ and the eup-tamr of die Pwvian
"^it <tf Hadutli^iK Of what tribe or lineage he was we cannot tell: thia is all we know of his parentage. Some suppose he waa a priest, and of the houae of Aaron, on th« oumority of 2 Moccab. i. L8, 21 1 but this is but slender evidenee. It is likely he waa of a veiy eminent fiunily, if notof die Hood royal of jodah, as nalypersons of eminence MoM be placed m ihe offics wbidl be austahied in the Persian court.
TKt monM CAwIeu] Answering to a ptrt of our November and December.
ShuaAoitttspatoGel Hie ancient ei^ of fibaa; called hi Peraian JU»»a Musto'.' the winter residence itf the pandaa Uon.
Vetae XlaiSuA Qum. tonemdng Ou JvatX Josephua civea a probable account of thia buainesa: " Nehemioh, Ming Bomaaiiere out of Suae, seeing some stranger^ ana hnraig them eoaversa in die Hetarew Umguet be wont Miri and, findii« diey wsie Java from Jemaalem, he
7 ^ We have dealt very corruptly aeatart thee, and have ' not kept thy commandnienti, aor the statutes, nor the iudgmeais, which thoa commaodedst thy servant Afosea.
8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moeea, aayiag, ► If ye transgress, I will scatter you abrosd amons the nations:
9) But <f ye turn unto me, and keep my commondmentB, and do them; ~ though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven. ye< wilt I gather them from thenoe, aod will bring them unto the place thatl hwre cbaeen to set mv name there.
10 'Now these are thy aervants, and thy pet^e, idiom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy etronff,baad.
11 OLoRD.Ibeseecfathee. *letiiowdiiDeear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who * desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray ihce, thy servant thia day, and grant him mercy m the si^t iif this man. Fot I was the king^s ' cap-bearer.
AND it came to pass in the month V'c.!P
Nisan, in the twentieth year of ^caa asked them how matters went with their brethren in dal city, and what was their state?" And the answer dn gave him ia, in sidxtance, that reoorded In the text g Aoap widi aeveval aggmvatioiw in Josephua..Kis^p&. JUL fibi zi. & 5.
Tana 3. 7^ laaS vf JtniMaUaL abo ia hntem dtmil lUs muat refer to the walls irtiich had been rtbw^ after the peopld returned from their e^Kivi^: for it esold net refer to the walla which were broken down and levvJled with the dust by NtbuAadntxxar r for, to bear of dib could be no new to Nehemiah.
Terse 4. And mourned certain dayt] Froaa ibs iMadi CSUslsu to the month NUani abo«t,^wrBaaibsfraB<ba time ha received the above ioftrmatmi till Aa time diat Artaxerzes noticed Ins grief^ ^hap, tL 1. All ttua limk ha probably spent in supplication loGSod; waidng far a fovoarable opening in divine providence. Every good work ia not to be underwken haatily; pmyer and watoifhtnesa are neoeaaaiT to ita oompletion. Many good works have baen rained by making haate.
Verse 5. Lon> Ood nfh^nat} What was^ befbre the captivity, Jehaeah, Ood of hoatg, or arnite*.
Grtat] Able to do mighty things. TVriNc; able to inflict the heaviest judgmenia.
Terse 7. Bav* tut ktja Ay eemmmAmmU] The monl precepts by which our tivea ahould be regulalao.
StatitUa} What relera to the rites and ceremonies of fl^ religion.
JiidgmmU'] "Hw precepts of justice relative to our coaduct to each other.
Verse 8. TUy aarvarU JUbser] See die paialld places in the mojgiiL and the notes thm. Iliou^ in an coem ' country, aiu nr from die onKoaiwea of God, N^miah < not forget the law: he read his BiUe well, and quotes carreclly.
Verae 11. Mercy in. Ou t^ld &i» Moal Fkwnr before the king Ahasuenia. Hia seeoM thai to nan haea giving him the cup.
For Imu Ou king's eup-^rer] The kiac'e (thePsraiana call him *^/\» **fy) which gave Aim dw Sf^ portunitv of being fi^uently with the king: aa^ to lie m auch a place of truat, he muat be in the king's floafidcBM. No Eaatera potemate would have a cup-bmer to wt he could not truat his life, poiton being frsmesi^ i nistered in this way. lUa versa seems to nam h mental praver, which Nehpmiah now put vf as delivering the cup into the Ung'al^ocL m^KKnitnttboHn&iiag. Now I laid not been b^rftime md in his pretence.
3 WhoreTore the kin; caid unto me. Why m thr countetiKMce cad, seeing thou art not sick t tbu w notliinf e/»e but "Borrow of heart. Then I WW very sore afraid,
3 And said unto the kin^, * Let the king live fttr ever: whj^ should not my countenance be sad when * the eitjr, the place of ray fathers* eepul ehres. Uallk waat«, ud Uw gate* dwreof are eon •uraed with fire.
4 Then the kluff paid nnto me, For whatdost tiMM make request t So I prayed to the Qod of heaven.
5 And I said nato the king, If it please the kine, and if thy servant have foui^ favour in Ar Bight, tliat thou wouUest ««h1 me onto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepuldires, tiiat I may build iL
6 And the kinff said onto me, (the " queen also ■ittinf by him,) For how lonir shall thy joiirne' ' bet and when wilt thou return? So it pleaseil the king to send me: and I set htm '.a time.
7 Moreover, I said unto the king, If it please the Ving, let letters be pven me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till t eome into Judah;
8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the ■tine's forest, that he may sive me timber to make beams for the gates oC the palace which appertaintid ■ to the house, and for the wall of die city, and for the house that f shiill enter
KOTK8 ON CHAPTER IL Verw 1. MatUk Nitak) Answering lo ■ put of our JMtrvA airi AprU.
i took np m« wme] It is iupposod dtat iia kiocs tt Psraisiuil s dilFerem eiq>-besrar for ssefa qiiaiter. « dte yew, and ihiu ii hsd just BOW «oiM to Neheniah's Urn.
T«rM t. Tfun I woe vtry aor* q/raiif] Prattably the kiu qmke as if Ite had aoue nutticioi) iliat Nehemiali harboured some bad deaigii, and that lua Cue indieoud ■one Moonred treacherr, or remtrss.
VersB 3. Let the kijig live for ever} Par from wiihing i3l to my msatar, I win him, on the eoatrary, to live ana prosier Car ever. Muiam, mat. Var. lib. L e. 32, ums the •ama form of spMch in reference to Ariazerzea Hneinon, one of tke Persian kinf^ BanXn Afraltpln, f aiiuMf 0aaAn»it, "O Km; Artaxerxe% may you reign for eTer,'* «-bea apeakii^ of the custom of preaentins them annusllr with an offering of earth and water; aa u tbey bad s^ Jlfiry you Taigafar ner over Ouatt
Verae i. & I prayed la the €hd keaven.'J Before he dared to prefer hie re<^nen to the king, he made hii Dcmrer to Qod, tliat his suit might lie arceptable: aud (his Ite ooes by mental prayer. To the spirit of prayer every place b a pratnng place.
Verw 6. eify ^ mg fathtrJ teputiAreM} The tombs of the dead were saeml smong the sncients: and nothing could appear t« them more deteal^Ie than dieturbing the asliias or remains of the dead. Nehemit^ knew that, in mentioning this r.ircumttanre, be should alr««gly interest the feeling of the peraimn Ving.
Verse 6. The queen ouo aUting hy him\ Who probably fhrwanbd his soil "Hiia was not Reme r, as some suppose; nor the same Artanrxea who bad taken her to be qtteen; nor dues Snr sAegcf aigniQr fxeen, but rather harlot or eonciibine, she who was chief favourite. The Smtua^t translate it rsXAws, harlot; and propexiy loo.
/ $it him a ft'su.] How long this time was we are not told: it is by no meaus Ukety that it was long, probably M mere tuw «£> momAa or a year; after whicb he eiiher returned, or had his leave of ibsenee tmgUuned: for ia tba mm year we find be was made governor of the jevB, in which office he aontinued twelve years, vir. from the tweatieih to tlie thir^^seeood year of Artaxerzea, chap. V. 14. He then retarasd to Sm) and, aAer slaying a short tine, bad leave u ratom to reetij^ sooie abuses that Tobiah ite Ammonite bad introduced into ihe leropl^ Ihspk Xiii. 6) T. and several others, of whicb ihe pn>ple ftsissslves wen guilty. AfUr haviiw perforaied this servioe, it is liltely he returned to the Pertian kin^ sod died is Ms office at cup-bearer: but of this latter oiraumtfsnes we luin no mentioa in the text, VvmB. AMo^tkake^ of lUktMt^tJbreM} vnsn the parsaiM of the king. This i taelieve into. And the kin^ sranted me, * aoeordlag to the good hand of my God upon me.
9 1 Then I came to (he goveraors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and Iwrsemen with me.
10 When Sanballat the Horoiute, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it j^rieved them exceedingly that there was come a maa to seek tlie weloire of the children of
11 So I I* came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
\2 T And I arose in the nicfat, I and some few men with me; neither told rafty man iriwt nqr God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem t neither was there any beast with me, save the
13 And I went oat by night «by Uie gate of the valley, even before the dragon-welK and to the dung-port, and viewed the wall* of JemsaleM, which were <* broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with are.
14 Then I went on to the • gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool; but therB was no place for the beast fAof was under me to pas^.
15 Then went I up in the night by the ■* nrook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and itttr tered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.
16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neiUier had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor
is originally * Persuin word: it frequeattl Arslrie, oif^ ferdoa*: and in oeourt in andht ptsosursgsr-
: It frequeattly oec. in Oreek ewsKwec^ both sigaiwi a pitaaamt gantm, wtmigarn, fbamm dan, aad -vhal we eall a paradSta.
Above Ow ball of suiBaiiee, in the iBperial palaoB at Delhi, tbe following Fenrian couplet te inscribed i —
Hius we find that the word is applied to denote jvlsadid apartmanta, as well as^« gardena; in a word^ any place of pleasure and delighL "The tcitig'a foreat, roentioned in the text, might have been the same to Artaxerie*, as the Neto f\n-ut was to WiUiam Ike Conmarorj it Windaor F^reat, to the late amiable Baverinea oi lbs British people QEOROE the THIRD.
And tiu king granted me] ThiM noble spirited man attributes every ihuig to Qod. He might have said, I had been long a fiuchfiit servant to the king t and he was dis- Dosed, in reward of my fidelitf, to grant me my reqinest: but he would not say so. He granted my request, because the good hand tf mjf Qod leu upon ma. Qod bvourBd me, and iaiueoeed tbe king's heart todo what I dlesired.
verse 10. Sanbnllat lha Bonmite] Probably a native of Horonaim, a Moabite by birth, and at this time governor of tbe Samaritans under the kii^ of Persia.
Tobiafi lha tervant} He was an AmmoHite; and here, under the Persiu king, joint govertMM- with Sanballat. Some suppose that the Saobatlat ttm mentiisked was the some who persuaded Alexander to build a templs on mount Gerixim tn bvour of the Samaritans. Pelaguss thinks there were two governors of this oame.
Verse 13. Tha dragon-vetn Perhaps so called because of tbe representoUoa M a drMDi^ out of whose mouth the stream issued that proeeeded from the erdl.
Dung-port] This was the gate CO (he esetem nde eS the city, through which tbe fiJtb of tbe city was carried into the valley of Rinnora.
By the gate iff the valley] The valley through which the brook Oedroa flowed. It was by tins gale lie went out: BO be went round all the city, aod entered ky llw " me gale from which he had gone out.