Commentary on the Holy Bible

Verse 16. The ruler* ktiev not tahUhar Ivml] He nuHle OS person privy to hie deeign, ihu^ mi^ hide to the ndera, im- to the rest that did the work.

17 T Then Mid I onto thtm, Ye eee the distresa that we are in, how JenualemitefA waste, and the sates thereof are burned with fire: come, ana let us btiild up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more s a reproach.

18 Then I told them of ^ the hand of my God which was food upon me; as also the Jung's words that he had spoken uoto me. ■ And Ukey said.Letus rise upand build. Sothey ' etnmgthened their hands for tku good wrk.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Ge- ■hem the Arabian, heard it, they ^ laogbed us to Booni, and despised us. and eaid, What is

■ this thing that ye ao? i wilt ye rebel against tiie king?

20 Then answered I them, and eaid unto them, the Grod of heaven, he will prosper ns; therefore we his servants will arise and build: * but ye have no portion, nor right, npr memorial, in Jerusalem.

teta? 'PHEN ■EUoshtti the high priest ic^MbM X rose up with his brethren the " priests, 'and they builded the sheep

fata; they sanctified it and set up the doors oT It; p even unto the tower of Meah they sanctjiied it, unto the tower of <) HananceU

3 And ' next unto him builded ' the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaeeur the •onof Imri.

3 < But the fish-gate did the sons of Has- •enaah boild, who aUo laid the beams thereof, and ■ set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

4 And the next unto them repaired Meremoth the SOD of Urijab, the son of Eoz. And the next unto them repaired Meshullam the son ofBerechiah, UiQ son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok, the son of Baana.

5 Ana next unU) them the Tekcfitea repaired;

•vny thii^ as mudi as possible from dieir enemiea, till be had all ihingi in readiocM; lest tlwy iliould take meaBures to defeat ihe work.

Verae 19. OeAem ihe Arabian] Some chief of the Anb« contiguous to Samaria, who had joined with SoiibaUat and Tobiah U> diatreas the Jews, oivl hinder their woik.

IVUf jn rebel afainH 0u tini^ 7] TV\m they mai in order to raise jealmiaies in the king^s mind, and induce him to recall his ordinance.

Yerae 20. Vis have no jnrtiorit nor righi\ To be a dtizen of Jerusalem was a hi^h honour: ojid ihey would not permit those who ilid not belong to the tribes of larm, to dwell there. Zembbobel gave the same answer to dw Saouritans. Ezra iv. 3.

Verse 1. Etiaahib the hiffh priest] It was right that the prieaU should be Jirst in this holy work: and, pcrhaiM^ the aheep-f^ale which ia meniioned here, is ihat by whkat the oflerin^s or aiurifices were brought into the temple.

TThet/MnctiJtedU'J Am they began with the sacred ofTcring as aoon as they got an altar builded, it was proper that the gate by which these Bncriftces entered should be consaerattd for this purpose; C e. set apart, so that it should be for this uae only.

Vine 3. Tfu JUt-gate} We leally know seareelyany ttung about these gates ■ what they were. Why ealled by tttese namei^ nor m what part df the wall siluated. An plana of Jerusalem, iu temple, wallfl and rates; an mere works of ooajecture. And yet how learnedly have aome men written on all these subieets 1

Verse?. throne qf the governor'] Ris house, and the place where he dispensed justice and jadgmenL Vnvtoualy to the days of Nehemnb, Jemsalem waa Koremed vr a 4epu7 from dte Persian king— see A. t. 16. But «98 but their noUda pat not their Mcha to ' thavMift

6 Moreover ' the old mte repaved JduKaia the son of Pnseah, and Meshullam the son ef Bceodeiah; they laid the beams thoreof, aad set up the doors thereof, and the loeka thareof, waA the bare thereof.

7 And next unto them repaired Melatiah tha Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite^ the men ef Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the ' thmw of the governor on ^s side the river.

8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harbaiat^ of the goldsmiths. Next onto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one the ajMthecnries, and th«y ' fortified Jarasalemaiito the * broad wall.

9 And next luto them repaired Rephatah the sonof Hur.the rulerof the half part of Jerusalem.

10 And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of HaruaHu)fa, evea over againat his house. And next tmio him repaired Hattuab the bod oit Hasbabniah.

11 Malchiiah the son of Harim, and Haahub the son of Pahath-moab, repaired the ■ other piece, ^ and the tower of the furnaces;

12 And next unto him repaired Sballum the son of Holoheeh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.

13 ■ The valley-gate repaired Hanoa, and the inhabitants of Zanoah: they built it, and set np the doors thereof, the locks thereof.and the ban thereof, and a thousand cubita on the wall unto

14 But the dung-^te repaired Malehiafa the son of Rechab, the ruler oFpart of Beth-haeeerem; he built it, and set up the doors th«eof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

15 But * the gate of the fountain repaired Sballum the son of CoMiozeb, the ruler <n' part of Mispah: he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, ^e locks tbere^, aiid the bars thereof, and the wall of the po(4 dT ' Siloah by the king's earden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of DavkL

16 Arier him repaired Nehendah llie mm of aft^T Utis time they were 'governed by gorcnwn asd judses, chosen from among tttemselves.

VcTBC 8. Goi^tmiiht] Prom the remotest perrod of dw history of the Jews, they had artists, in all elccast and ornamental trades; and it Is also evident that gotiMoMm, apotheearies, and merchaoia, were formed into eonponus in the time of Nehemiah.

ApOtheeariee] Rather tadi as dealt in AvgM, arms* Mcf, spiecs^ &e. for embslning, or ibr ftirntdiiiig me teiqle wiui the incense ooosumed there.

Verse 9. Ruler of the hay part of JemmUmI Probably tite city was divided into tw porta i one for JuM, and the other for Benjamin, each having its proper gom^ nor. Rephaiah mentioned here was owe of tfae«e govarttst and Sfiallum mendooed ver. 12. was the olfirr. TVrt were other rulers or governors of particular eoontryer village districts.

Verse U. Repaired the other piece"} Th»t winch was left by Jedaiah nfter he had repaired the wall oppoaitt to hia own house. Frobohly some of the principal people vcfS obliged to repair those parts of the wall opposite to their own dweHinga. Pcrb^ this was Die case generally.

The ton tf BabAeaKi Or dte son M the BnAaMtr t conjectured to be thus named, from having the art tsefcm serpents.

Verse 13. TTie ttAabUante ZmiooA} This was a town in the tribe of Judah. Josh. zv. 34.

Verse ViTThe pool of 8Uoah\ This is pnteUy *e same as those mentioned in the evangdiau, Joha it.T.

7V atairt that go down from Ou cUf ^ OmU\ Jerusalem bemg built on very tnuvan grmaid, some hUb being taken wimin the walla j thers was a nwieawtt thac there should be, in different placea by which thsy could ascend and deaeend: probsWy ■unilsr Mwbsivs sea in the ei^ of BrtaM.

Astndc, the ruler of the hair part of Beth-ziir, tmto the place over agaJost the sepulchres of David, and to the v pocA that warn made, and unto the house of the mighty.

17 And after him repaired the Levitea, Rehum the aon of BanL Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half pu-t of Keilah, m his part.

18 After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Heuadau, the ruler of the half part of Keilah.

19 And next to him repaired Ezer the Bon of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over asainst the going up to the armory at llie tnrnine^the wo//.

20 After him Barach the son of i Zabbai ijuuestly repabed the other piece, from the turning of the vail unto the door of the house of Eliashio the high priest.

SI After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urljah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house /)f Eliashib.

22 And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain.

23 After Dim repaired Benjamin and Hashab wer affiiinst their house. After hiin repaired Azarian the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, by hia house.

24 After him repaired Binnui the son ofHenadad another piece, from the house of Azariah tmto ^the turning of the wall, even unto the corner.

25 Palal the son of Uzai, over a^reinet the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth oat from the king's high house, that leas by the 1 court of the prison. After him, Pedaiah the son of Parosh.

26 Moreover, ■ the Nethiniraa " dwelt in * Of^el, PQOto the i>lace over against •* the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth oat;

B7 After them the Tekoites repaired another I^ece over f^ainat the ereat tower that Heth out even unto the wall of Ophel.

28 From above the ' horae-gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house.

29 After them repaired Zadok the sou of Immcr over a^nst hia house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the-son of ^hechaoiah, the keeper of the east gate.

30 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Sheleraiah, and Hanim the sixth ami of Zaiaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber.

31 After him repaired Maluhiah the goUsmith's son, unto the place of the Nethinimi^ and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the ■ going up of the corner.

32 And between the going up of the comer unto the sheep-gala, HpairBd: tin guUnutni and the merchants.

'jTie Amwa qf the titighly] Prolmhly a place where a band MMiert wae kqpt; or the city gtianL

Vum IS. Tha going vp tothe armory) Thia ttm ettfaer a Unoer that defended the an^le where die tvo valla BSt) or diB etfjr mmnat, where shields, speara, Ac. were kni to arm dte peopl»in time of dancer.

Vena Ul Samemif rnoirW] He diatinguished himmM by hia xmI and odtvtly.

Versa 112. Uuprie»t9,ih4mtni^ffuj>lainJ Some of the oMoera of tbo temple, partiealarly thoam^ era, dwelt in the pMn eoontry round aoout Jerusalem, cKap. xii. 28. and it w Iftsly that anreral of the prieatf dwelt hi the aame^ilace.

Teras 28. Tfu h»nt-gate] The place through whinh As iWrast pasasd ia order to be watered. It was near the temple. Soom rabUoa aoppoae that in onler logo to the temple, a peraon might go on horsriaek lo the putea here referred tot but tbea was obliged to aUght, as a none could pass no fuiiher.

Verae 32. T\e gvtiUmUht and the merdutntt] TTie wontB>B^in ha-tMMtmhim, may aiffnify smiUx, or persona who Work in meto/a of any kind; but it ia generally underatood to mean thoee wno worked in gM. I have already observed, that the mention of mtnhanit and goldvtniMa abowa that iheae persons were formed into bodiu myoToit in thoae ancient times. Bnt thene tenna are dinerently rendered in the txraton*. The VulgaU ia the ■anM as oura, whidk probably our tianalators eo|ried; aitryiem et wfoelatorea. Ttto Syrbie ia gofcUmWu sod dniggitt*. TIm Arabic, miUera of metal and porteri. The Stpiiiagtnt, in some copiea, particularly in the Roman edition, and in the CompbtUnttan, Antwerp, and Paria Fotj/poita, haa «i xa^^'f •< ftruSoXai, smitht and marehtaila: but in odwr copies, particularly the Zjondtm Pohf^dt, tat ^rra|SaXai.wefind ^fmvoAai, »tUtr$ i^MMm. Aii bin me teamed reader will find a doiAle mistake, in the wall, he was wroth, and tookgreat mPSiSTU indignation, and mocked the Jews. c-cmia.

-2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they -fortify tbemselvet? willther sacrifice? will they make an end in a daft wiU thev revive the stones out of tne heaps of tiie rubbish which are burned 1

3 Now • Tobiah the Ammonite was hr him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their atone wain

4 * Hear, O our God; for we are ' desdsed: and ' turn their reproach upon their own nead, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:

5 And ■ cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out ft-om before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the buifdere.

the Z«nilon PalyglaU; ^«»»atiXai for pvnwvUiM*, and in the Latin verrion mruta for taUa, neiibar of wbicb eoovqns any sense. ■

Verae 3. The army tf Samaria] Aa he was govemoTt he had the command of uie army; and he wished toexdtelhe soldiers to aeomd his views against Nehemiahand his men.

WhatdothMfetbhJem7\ We remark herein general, that die enemiea of Odd'a work endeevoor by all means to dUer^dlt, and deatmy it, and Iktme who are emptojed in iL 1. Tbey (letpise the workmen. What do thma ftebU Jtm? 2. TbfsT endeavour to turn all inte ridicuU. IVM thayforiy^f themtlw? 3. Thc^ have recourse ro lying. A fox, if he go op, will break down, &0. 4. Thcrjr aometimee um/itir but ttaeaiffid speeBAai^ seech, vt. 2, An,

Verse 4. 'I^im IheirrepreaAupon&eirtnmkaad^ A prayer of thla kind, understood literally, ia not lawfiil for any Giriatian. Jesus, our i^at mAai«r, haa said, "Love your enemies, do Rood to them that hate you, and prmy for them that drspitefnlly use you." Such sayings aa the above are exciwiMe iu the mouth of a Jew under serera irritation. See the next verae.

Verae 6. ltd not lhair nn be bloUtd out] These ore the most terrible improcationa; but probably we should underatand them aa declaratory; for the same form o( the verfa^ in the Hebrew, ia used aa preeative and imperatite. TStm their rtproaeh, Their reproach ehail be tamed. aive Mam for a prey, They ahaU be given for a prey. Cover not meir tlU9Ul4^ Heir iniqaitydMt tut be eovered. Lei not their atn be blotted eui. Their sio alkali tui be blottad out. All who know the genius of the Hebrew language, know that the future tense is used to ezpreae all these senses. Qeaidea, we may rest assured that Nahemiah'a curses or declaration of God's judgmenti^ hod respeet only to their bodiea, and to ih^r Hfei not to tfieir aouls, and the world to come. And then they amount to no more than thia, What a man eouetk thai ke aktUI r*^

A Sdboilt vra the wall: and tSk th« wallms joined dither unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

7 ll But it came to pass, ■ that when Saidballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabiona, and the AmmonitCH. and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem * were made up, md that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

8 And 'conspired all of them tc^ether to •nne and to fight against Jerunlem, and ' to Uader it.

9 Nevertheless * we made oar pr^er onto our Qod, and set a watch againai then dajr and night, because of them.

10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and (Aer* tt much rubbish: so that w« are not able to build the walL

11 And our adversaries said, Tt>ey sbaR not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and stay them, and cause the work to cease.

12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said tmto as tea times, * From all places whence ye shall return unto us they via be ujHiti you.

1^ ^ Therefore set I ( in the lower places behind the wall, and on the tugher places, I even set tJie peopte afler their iunilies with their BWprds, their spears, and their bows.

14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto, the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of

Verw 6. F\n- the peo^ had a mind to work} Tht njginnl ia very emph&tic, mtnfy ojr^ 3'; '>n*i vayttU Itb. Udm la Aaoth. "For the people had a keart to work." Hwir &«arCt were encwed in it{ and where Uw ktart is vofgmd, the work of OoA rom on well. Tlie whole of dUa oni vene U omitted by the StiplttaginL

Terw7. The toaUs tfJenuaUmwn made That ift they were made ap to tha haif kei^ ^ Ou waUi for toe preceding verie teema to intimate that the wfcnie watt wwthiuiar buildad; not AaV'o/'<A« tDott eoiarieted;.bul the nAofe twt/i frttOt to Aa^l«^

YSTN 9. We mad* our jtrtmr tmto our Oed, and wet »waiM IV atroDgeat aooMaMe in the protection and tamr (H CM doee not preclude thetiae of oa or of any of the tfMoM qf etff'prtaervation and d^emee wbidt hia prondenoe ha» put in our power. While God worke in OS to will and to dot vn ehoukl proceed to mUin^, 4na^ dw power be baa given US i«wiU.* and weriiould prooeed to aetton, through the votwr be baagivaa us to aot. We csMKAwtl^ but ihroi«nGh)d'apoiMr; we cannot •e^ but Ihroudi Ood*a afren^O. 'RiepotatF, and theiwe irfit, am two aictioct ihinga. We amy have Hu power Ut ■wiU, and tut loiU: and wo may have toe powr to<to^ and not act: therefore, Mya the apoetle, eeeing God has vrai^t in you tbeae powen, aee lhat vou work ovt vovm owv Mhation vitkfiar and trembling.

Vene 10. TTu Urength nf the beartre tff burdau ie dteamed^ They worked both day and night, aoarcely ever — ^ - - off their clothei, except for the purpoee of boing ver. 21, 23.

ruftAm] TTie rains they were obliged to clear ■nmvi before Ihcy oould dig Ibe fbundoiion for a new wall: sodintfttskbaar Ihqr ware nearly exhauitedi aeetdt^

. F^em att-pt^eeevhenayeahaUrilurnunlo

■*] Tim verae ii eztrem^y difiiouh. Our tnuulatore iNm sgmlied the wortta lA^ wW 60 upon you, which have ■Mlang corrMpondMt m the Hebrew. The •M^nt have given a good leiwe, owofiemw^eir at eatmav rwr rMw v«4 TMg ameu^ from all ptoettagainet w. The eeoM appean 10 be tlda: the Jewa which dwell satODg the Samaritane, dee. came often to Ndwmtah from all <iuanera, where they aojourDed, and told bim the de' ei^ne of hia enemiea agmnat him j therefore, be set people wuh their awordis ^pfon, and bowi, to defend ibe walla, lit ia probable that tnalead of ^awn ItuAubu, "ye ahall r»- fMPitj ' we ebould read lamn tAaeAu, "they ateigned or medUated." lUa word ia verv similar to the other, and Makes the sense very dear. "Hie Jews who dweltanong tnena told us frequantiv, from all places what they deoigtud agpUaat w." For this rwdiH UnMgani, Afi- the peo^e, ^"Benatye afhiU of dwa:

ber the IxwB, vihich is ' great tfod terrible, 1 ^ fight for your brethren, vottf sons, and datighters, ycrar wives, and ycaa' bowes.

15 And it came to pass, when oor enemies heard that it was known unto us, >aiid God bad brought their counsel to nought, that we returned oU of us to the wall, every one onto hia work.

16 And it eame to pass, from that lime (brth, that the lialf of my servants wrought in th* wwk, and the crtber half of them hdd both the spears, the shiews, and the bowa, and the habergeons: and the rulera were behind oil tho house of Jndah.

17 Tbev whkb builded en the wall, and th«y that bare burdens^ with thoee that laded,

oae with one of his hands wrought in the woft, and with the other hand held a weuon.

18 For the builders,. every one had his sword girded ~by his skle, and m bnilded. AndhethaC sounded the trumpet was by me.

19 AndIsaiduntothen(me^aadtothenUeit^ and to the rest of the people. The work is great and large, and we are separated npoD the wel^ one far n*om another.

20 In what place ther^ore ye hear the soend of the trtuipet, resort ye thither onto us: 'ear Ood shall fight for us.

SI So we laboured in the work: and halfi^ them held the spears from the rising of tbemnaingtill the stars appeared.

22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the

Aaelit, and Pathi, contend. But this not found in any H^. and is not counMaaneed bj asy tt the vereion*. — See vor. 15. Verse 14, Be not ye i^nOd ^ Am] An dwy MM srrible, or more BMnr, tnaa Godf F^f^ for your frremren] Your own taitnirymen, wofsnip the same God, ana are cnueftom the saae stack. Your tons, whom they vvit to slay, or lead into cnptniM your daufftUre and vitee, whom they vvdi 10 dsioaraas

Verse IS. TIW ammoel to MwA/J "Hie ■ used here, countenancea the emmtdaHon in the!!&'<

Verse 16. JSti(^i0r«ugU-iR As wer^ ntisiaMi usual thing, even in the preeent-day, in P... aowiag their seed an oftaa attended hf o» unauk mm^ l» prevent the Arabs from robbing them ef their aoei; wIm they will not fiul to do if not proteetad.

By diis mode of speech Caaaoe does not inluDMe » her brother Ofacariua, that she actually Md the oword in ens hand while she held the pen in the other I but ihalilw had it ftady 10 sl^ herself as sma as dte had writua iba epistle....

Verae 2a Ye hear&e »eu»d Ae Irumpiil Aatta walls wen very extensive, and the wotktaen ooesaqpaw much scattered, their enemifle might enailjy attack "^-^ eiTOT them aueceaaively: he therefore otdrndumoum work as near to each olher as they eouJd; and bMsrly wm was every where surveying the work, kqit a traaSMlss always wiih hun, who was u aound wnn dw ensaqrspproached; and all woe uiauiolly 10 ma to lbs tbim mn thej boitfd the sound.

people, Let every one with his servant lodge withia Jeriualein, Ihut in the niebt there may be a ffuard to ub, and labour on the day.

23 So neither 1, nor my brethren, nor mv ser- Tantfl, nor the men of the g>mrd which followed me, none of ua put off our clothes, "gating that every one put them off for washing.

tJiiJT' A was a great fcry of the

3 For there were that said, We, our sons, and oar daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and Uve.

3 Some also there were that said. We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

4 There were euso that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.

5 Yet now ' our flesh if as the flesh of oor brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we ■ bring into bondage our sons aod our daughters to be servants, vsd 9ome of our daughters

Terae 22. Let every one wtiA hit aervaiU lodge wttiUn Jerwaiem] The country people Trte eccanomed, after tks imfa labour^ to return to their fiunilies: now, being ao fermidably ihratened, ha obliged them aJl lo sleep in Jenisalem, that they mvAt be ready, in case of ansck, to help their brethren. AS\ this innD*B airangentetus were wise and judicioue.

Vereo Z3. None ^ iu pni of our elo&ea, mmae that etery oiw jnU Ifiem ^for viau3,ng\ The Hebrew for all thie IB only vtm ^nSv ii^ua omwd hhm pN ein antuAnu pUftJtm begatUynu uft ■ftefocho hammayim; which Motvtajuu translates, Non Jtoa exumltt valet nostra* vir miniletuam agiuu: " We, not putting off our gtument^ ■ man hii dart to the waters." Of this latter clause what sense can be mode'? Let ui hear what the ancient tertiono

VmuquiMpu lontilm niulofto/ur ad haptUmum. ''Every one stripped hiniself for the bath."

The Sqituagint omit dtae iatier part of this clause, A/td ffure mu none of ut tn/w put <^ hia^armmte.,

The Syriae, "none of ua put off hu clothes for a month each in his turn-

The Araitie, "Nor did w« put off oqr clothes, but with oar amuk at the end of a month."

There is a reoiarkable reading in one of De RootPt HSS. awn 'tp Tvtjwo -onia Dners vnnt pM Wodtdnottaif atide mtr garmeiai, but in. order to tmd them, to Uu ioatMng. This ta moat hkely the aense of the place.

It is curious to see how our old versions translate the

Co9«rdaio~9Bt pat nener sf ntc ctot^ so so mticft n to hRuAwcsclunL — 163B.

Bedc<-kt!t put nratt of tur m mule as to

Ilus shows how all interpelers have been puxzled wiib dkk vaiatioua clause.

The reading from De Itossi's MS. given above, is the nost likely to oe the true one, because it ffives s good sense iriucb cannot be found in tlie Hebrew text as it now stands. The ceaeral meaning is sufficiently evident; they worked Msr^ day and night, only had dieir hours by turns for repose t tnia did not permit Ihem time sufficient to undress Aomselves in order to take regular sleep, therefore they ooJIy put off their ckMhes iriien they wen obliged to get them wsdted.

Verse 2. We, our aotu, oTtd our daughter; are many] Out funilies are lar^r than wo can provide for; we are obligsd to go in debt; and mir richer breUireo take advaotigs of our neceasitouB aituaiion, and oppress us. tte' details which are given in lbs next verae are AifflcieMdy phun.

TerM 3. fiKautt of tho doar&A Aboot the line of

are brought unto bondage a/reocfv* neither ur in our power to redeem themj for other men have our lands and vineyards.

6 H And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

7 Then >l consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, ■ Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.

8 And I said unto them, We afler our abiKty have * redeemed our brethren the Jews, wliicn were sotd unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us 7. Then held they their peace, and foimd nothirw to answer.

9 Also I said. It u not good that ye do: otight ye not to walk * in the fear of our God, ' becaose of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

10 I liKewise, and my brethren, aod my servants, might exact of tuem money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth paH of the money, and of the corn, the wine, ana the oil, that ye exact of them.

12 Then said they. We will restore tikcm. and will require nothing of them } so will we do as

Zerubbabel, Ood had sent a judicial dearth upon the land, aa we learn from Ha^gai, diap. i. 9, Ac for the people* it seems, were mora intent on miildiog bouses for ihemaelvea, than in rdwilding the house of the Lord. " Ys looked for muebj and, lo^ it is come loUttle; because of mine house that is vaslet and ye run, every man unto hia own house. Therefore dw heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruiL Ana I called fbr a drought upon the laiid, and upon the mountains^ and upon the com, and upon the new win^ and upcm the oi^ and upon that wbi^ the ground brouKnt forth) and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all (be labour of tbe hands." This dearth might have been continued, or ita effects still felt: but it is more likely that there was a neip dearth, owing to the ereat number of people, for whose support the btnd that nad been brought into cultivation WBB not sufficienL

Verae 4. Wt have borroued nion<y] This ihould be read, mhave borrowed yfor lAd king's tribute, on. our lande and vineyoirdo. triey had a tax to pay to the Persian king in token of didr subwetlon to himj and tfaouch it is not ItkelT it was heavy, yet uiey were not to pay it.

Verse 6. We bring into bondage our aon«] "nie law permitted rarents to sell their children in times of extiei— necessity, Exod. xxi. 7.

Verse 7. Ve exact usKry] This was expressly eontntry to the law of Ood; and was dooUyeruel at this tnae, when din were just returning out of the land of their c^tivi^ and were suffering from tbe effects of a dearth. Sons think that it was aoout the time of a sabbatical year, when their land must have Jain at rest without cultivation, Kod during whl<^ they were expressly commanded not lo tmet any debt, DeuL xv. 2.

lettagreata—emblyi^i^nMthem.l Brought all tfaooa delin(|uents before (he rulers of tbe people.

Verse 9. Ou^ ye not to watt in the fear t^four Qod\ If ye wish to aecrenl diu religion ye profess, whidl comes frtMn the Ood of hutiee and mercy, tfioutd you itot, in the sigbt of the heathen, abstain from injustice and cruelty? Can they accredit your profession, when they see such practices?

Verse II. AUo the hundredth put nf At noney] Boub^ gant contends that the word rmo, which les and ^Ptrfgttte translate one hundredth port, never means ao any where. And, 2. "nnit it would have answered no end to have remitted to people so distressed merely the on* 4imdrtdth part of the mMsy whirh had been taken firon dism by usury. Hs understands nm meath, as signifyh^ dm same as nn p mfa et, contracted into rmo mm ^ a preposition and demonstrative ^ticle joined together, auo a part FaoM xaamon«y. Neither the Syriae, Sephiagini, nor Arabic, arknowledze this hundredth part, cwrae think that the hundredth part is that which they oUigad 4n poor dabtora lo pay each monOi, whi^ wotild amount t» what wc would call twelve per cent, isierest for the nuwqr lant, or ths debt ton'-nfMd. See iho fnlrodiidtoii.

thon sajrest Then I called the priests, r and look nn oaUi of them, that they should do aceorduK to this womise.

13 Mao ■ I mook mr lap, and said, So Qod ■hake out every man froro bis house, and from hn labour, that performeth not this iH-oioise, eren thoa be he shaken out, and 'emptied. And all the oonmeation said, Amen, aisd praised the Lord. > And the people did aceoroinff to this piHHnise.

14 1 Moreover, Trom the time that I was •ppeinted to be their governor in the land of' /udah, from the twentieth year * even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the Ving, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not * eaten the bread of the governor.

15 But the former frovernore that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and bad taken of them bread and wine, besides forty Shekels of sliver j vea, even their servants bare rule over the peoi>Ie: but * so did not I, because •f the f fear of God,

16 Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither booeht we any land; and all my servants icere grathered thither unto the Work.

17 Moreover, there were s at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, besides those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.

18 Now that ^ which was prepared for me daily 1009 one ox, and six choice sheep; also fbwis were prepared fbr me, and once in ten days •tore of all sorts of wine: yet for all this ' re-

auired not I the bread of the governor, because tie bondage was heavy upon this people.

Vmt 1^ Alao I a^ook my lap] Utii was » rignifieant ftctioa frstjuent unoDg the Hsbrewi; and ■omethinc of the nme cuaure wai praeiiaed among odier natioiu. " Whea the BomaD amfaasMHlon enwrea the MwUe of OMibage, ibav had tbeir toga gathered up in Ibair boeooi. They sua, We carry bera peaca and war t you may have iMeh jm will. Toe Miata snswared, You laay giTe lefticA fon please, l^er tbeo ahook Ihar toga, and nid. We mig you war. To «faioh all the «naie •oawere^ We cbeerfully accept it" See /isjr, lib. xxi. eap. 18^ sod see Calnui.

Ae »v«ni«r] Fram what ie related beret "ad in the mhnrag vensh we find that the table of the governor waa al«^ aaffAud by Ibe people with bread and wine i and bandea, tbevhad /ortj/ mtlceU per diem for their odter «ipeneea. The people weie aleo greatly tmpreaaed by the MTvant* and qgteera of the governor: but, during the tmb* jMOfv that Nehemiab had been with them, he took not this ealary, and ate none of their bread. Hot were hie •errant* permiued to take or exaa any thktf from them. Having aoeh an Manidet it was anadwous tor their chief^ pfieat^ and nMm, mna lo opprei an affiirted and dietweana people.

VeTK 16. NeUher bcuefU we any land\ Neither he, nor hia officers, took tuiy aavanlage of the neceeritiea of the peeple lo boy their landi, He even made bb own ssrvaatsto work at the wall.

Vane 17. AktmdndandJiftifi^lht Jewtl He kept epen Kaut, entertained aU besides having on« imadrad md JL/ty Jews who had their food eonatantly at hia table, and at bit expense.

Verao 13. One ox and fir tfioiea theep] Jbia waa bod euffioient for more than Ivohuiulred men.

Oiiee stt tm daga atora tjf aU aorta 4/ witu} It ia stqiposadthatsvaryfaaAdaydteydrankwuHi at all odter tinea dM^ drank watar: unleae we Biin>ose Ae meaiung of the pbraaa to be^jhat hiimrvanta \»ia tn a atoctc of wine every ten daya. TOough the Anaiice drank aparingly of wine; yet it ia not very likely that in a case such as that above, wtne was tasted only tnrict in each monUi.

Bisiwp Pococke mendoos the manner in which the Bey of Tunu lived. He had daily heelve sfteen wilh^A, and ^tBla, souM oranraa, agga, mtou, beiiaa riee, &c. Slc Bia noblw dined with htm. After diey had done, the aer- 9anU wax down; and when they had finiafaed, tlA poor took what waa left. Here is no mention of a fat ox; out there wen atx Aa^ at the Bey's table more than were at the laUe of Nehemish t—«o the IwriM skew wers equal to six

19 k TiMk upon me, my God, for gaoi. aeom4' {nf[ to all that I have done for this people.

NOW it came to pass, ' when San- V^SJSf ballat, and Tobiah, and " Oeshem wLaHka the Arabian, and the rest of our cne- miea, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no Iweach left Iherain, (" thoogh at that time I bad not set up the doors upra the

2 That Sanballat and Geshem " sent unto me, saying, Gome, let us meet t(^eth« in aoau one 0/ the villages in the plain of 'Ono. But tbeif 1 thought to do me mischief.

3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a ereat work, so that 1 cannot coba down: why should the work ceaae, whilstl leave it, and come down to you 1

4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the aaae manner.

5 If Then sent Sanballat his servant unto Be. in like manner, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand j

6 Wherem was written, It is reported among the heathen, and ' Oashmu saith it, * that thoa and the Jews think to rebel: for which eanee thou buildeat the wall, that thou mayeeC be thsir king, according to these words.

7 And thou hast also apptnnted prophets tm

sftMp and on* ox. I^ofaabty the mode of Uving betveea these two was nearly alike.

VeraelS. mnkuponnu.my God,/m- gaod\ Ndiemiah wiihea for no reward from taani and he only adn mamf at the hand of bis God for what bia praaiJasi raabfed himtodo; sad which, aeeoiding 10 the good fcasd of bisOodupoB him,hehaddoae/ai9k/U^. Htdsea aotofier his gDoddsMis to God, in extenaationof Inssfau^ or as acomiMTiMfum for the A«a««i»beezpected. NoAtng of this kioa: he says simply, what any good nuut wcbi say, Hy Ood, aa I nave done good to thuo, at dogooato mei or, aa diB poetaung,

Tim is aeeordiog to Christ Jesus: fosipve, and |t Asll be forgiven; Qive, and it ahall be givea nmoyoa.

Verse 2. Come, Ut us meet togtHur in — the plmin ^ Ono] Tti^ wished to get him out of Jeronlem kirn among his Diends, that d»y might eidier carry him «g| or murder him. Ono is supposed to bats been m the tribe of Betnamin, near Jordan.

Verse 3. /am doing a great work\ Theogh be kaw their design, he does not think it pnident to mmtioa iL Hod he done so, they would probably have gone (« extremities, finding that th^ were discovered; and ptrhips in a fornudable body attactced Jenwalem, when ill pranied to suslain such a sliock. ITiey wished to efTect their psppoae rather by lrea(A«rjf than 1^ open vtofenee. Iknowoel any I an |^ age which a man, who is employed on tafORant inbours can use more suitably as aa answer 10 As thousand invitations and provocatioiw he may have » remit his work, enter into aseleas or trivial oonisKneeik or notice weak, wicked and malioiousattadcsssihisweifc Mid hia motivei. "I amdoingagrestwork; aol eaoasl •foop Id your nonsense, or nobee your mslsvideasa. Wly should the workoease, while I leave i^ and seaMdMRk IS such as youf' an insult to a person of Nebemiah's faality, as Mm aaa> to chiefs and govemOTi, in the East, are shr^cswfcgf folded ap,anaput in eoatly nlksn bsgi^ and WN tmm^ sealed. The circumslanGe is ttua marited ts ihsv wi contempt he (Sanballat] had for him.

Ver^e 6. And Gaahmu aaith itj Tou ve aeeaasl si orimes against the stale;nad OM*ai,ftBAnMsisi*f"*

Geach ef thee at Jernaatflin, aAy'iog, There it a Off in Juaah; and now shall it be reported to thenng according to these words. Come now therefore, and let lu take counsel together.

8 Then I sent unto him, eayios, There are no Mch things done as thou sayest, but Ihou feigo- «8t them out ofthine own heart

9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the worE» that it

10 7 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehe- Cabeel> who vias shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the hoase of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple; for Uief wiO come to slay thee; yea, in the mght will they come to slay thee.

11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who i* there, that, beinr as I am, would go into the terairie to save his ufe? I will not go in.

tS And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent lum; but that the pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had faired faim.

13 Thwefore wot he hired, that I should be afraid, and ido «q, and sin, ana that they might bare maiUr tor an evtt reiiwt, that they might ruK'oach me.

14 "My God, thtak thou upon Tobtab and SanbaHat according to these their works, and on the 'prophetess Noadtah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

yfwml. TknkattmlmappobiUdpropluU\ Penoni •mho premd to be commiMODed ta prma to dw people, mmi My, Ntih^mlah reigntih I

Com4n»wtiurf^a,mdi^u»4akeeotttutl] CoiaewHl justify ytmmlf before nie. ThiiwMatriek togetNebe- ■uah isto hiswwar.

▼eras 8. 7W< are no rack Uungt doiu] Vou veil kaov thM what you my is falH; I ahall not, Iberefore, IfOoUe melf about a Um ohargft.

Verae lO. Who vu aftKl up] Lived in a sequeitered, a6&tBjry tute^pre tending to unctity, and to cAote inter-

Ixt n* meet loreOur in the ktnue qf Gad] Tite meaning ia, " Shut youraelf up in the temple; appear to have taken ■aootuary there, for in it alone ean you find nfety." This hfl said to dtsooura^ and diiffraee him, and to nun the people; for, had Nehemiah laxen hit advice, the people ^vmM kavs been without a leader, iheir enemies would bave eeae upon ihem at once, and they would have been •D t»af pnj. Beside^ tiad Ndiemiah done this, he would bave been shut us ia ibe Unple, his KOTemment woold Wva beeo deeland at aa cad, and SanbaUat vonld have assumed the reins.

V«nt II. Should mdi a man as I jUe?] Shall /, who •in governor of the people, appointed both by Ood and the king, shall I betray my trust, and leave the flock without a snepherd 1 Shall I be a traitor, and abandon the office to •whicn I am appointed 1 No I Who, in my ainmtion, with «u(jh reiponsibiiity, and such prospects, would go Into the Senaple to lave his life? / will Hot: I will stand at raypost, and be ready to receive my enemies lAensocrer they idomei so let Sanballat, Tobiah, and Oeshem, look to themselves.

Verse 14. And on Vu propkHau iVoodioA] Whether this was a prvphtt or propheteM, we cannot tell: tlte Ue- JbretB text, only, makes her a jtrofAeteee; all the vertiona bave Noadiah the prophet, except the Arabic, which has fjdbdl VouRwioA the pn^eL I think the n A«, at the mai ofivnai fiebtah, is a mUtdkt, and that we should read Koodia Ac propheL

Verse IK. twenty ami JtJth—^f—Blul]'numJtrmiA month answers to a part of our Augiut and September.

Fyhf and lw> day] I see aodimenl^insupposinf; that •everaTthousand workmen, eaeh of whnn was working ae Jar Ood, should be able to complete this wall in J^fly-iwo mjw. Then is little doubt that several rnrto of the old van ware entire; in many places the foundatians still nnained: dtere were all the tnatorlaU of the old wall ■dUathaadi snd ttiough they had to elear and earry away »di nibbii^yet they 00 not ^ipeu- to bavshwl any stones ts qnsnr. no work nsatioaad hero was liule when •onqmisd wwfaai Gaiardid inOml and odMr plaeaa;

15 11 So the wall was finished Inthe twenty and

fifth any the monfAEIiil, in fifty and twodajrs.

16 And it came to pass, that * when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about ua saw these things, they were mtich cast down in iheh- own eyes; iot ' they perceived that this work was wrought of our Gou.

17 ^ Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah 'sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letter* of Tobiah came unto them.

18 For there xoere many in Judah sworn unto him, because he isas the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his eon Johanan had token the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

19 Also they reported his ffopd deeds before me, and uttered my ■ words tohim. And ToUbIi sent lettflra to put me in fhar.

NOW it came to pass, when the wall d. & m was built, and I had 'set up the M'oiSSi^ doors, and the porters, and the singers,.c cortk.. and the Levites, were appointed,

2 That I gave my brother Hanam', and Hananiah, the ruler ■'of the palace, charge over Jerasalem: for he was a laithful man, and * feared Ood above many.

and to what Tltes did at Jeniaalen, who buUt a watt round Jemsalem of AotMomf jweet in lliree day^ te- ■ides Qiirtem towers of tm utadia in eireuiL And Qiuntos Cvrtiua and Arrian inform us that Alexander the Great built the walla of Alexandria, on the Tanais, which Were nearly Ugkt miiee in compass, in the spaee of between tverUy and thirty dajft. Ncbemiab, therefore, had time sufficient in Jtfly-tm days, to repair and restore the walls of Jerusalem. See Catmet on this place.

Verse 16. TTtU work was lerou^ our God.\ lUi is an additional reason why we boouM not wonder at the «W(neM of the time in wnieh so great a work was dons; for Ood helped them by an especial providence; and this WBS so v«ry observable, that their camoi enemies could discover it

Verse 17. TJie noblee Judah eenl mam/ fetfers] TIjo circumstance marked in this and the following verves, ■hows still more clearly the diffieulties which Nehemiab had to encounter J he had enemies wUkouJ, and Use friends leithin. A treacherous correspondsnee was carried on between the nobles of Judah and the Ammonites i and, had alnoat any other man been at the head of the Jewish smdi^ Jerusalem had ttever been re-established.

Verse 18. He was Vu Mtm-in-law ^ Shedianiah'] Previously to the coming of Nehemiah, the Jews seemed to be fiut intormizing with the heathen, by itUermarriagee with Aehdoditee, Ammonitee, and MoahUee: see map. xiii. ^ra had many evils of this kiitd to redress, Rcra iz. 3, dbc. chiefly among the common pe<q>)e, iboach there were both cfciea and pnesto in that t>aspass. But nera we find the heathen and Jewish nobles interliirindi and die latter were so tu itnfaned with the spirit of idMatnr, that they forgot Qod, his servie^ their breuina^ sod their own

NOTES ON CHAPTER VIL Verso 2. %fy brother Hanani] l^ia was die paraoa wha gave Nehrmiui the account of the desolato sisu of dw Jews, (Ai. i. Z He is now mode ruler of Jerusalem, pr»- Wbly because Nehemiah was ahoiit to return to the Persian conrL And he found this man to be one in whom he eoukl trust 1. Beeauae hoiaaoa/aUi^fiU men i one who hid a proper b^ief in Ood, his govenunent, and his proleetiaa i and, being devoted to the intmato of his peopl^ would be faUhfid iQ the diseharge of his office. 2. Becauaa ko Reared Ood ahooe many; was the moat religioua peraon in the eoogregation; would govern aocordiog to the laws t would take ears e< the inleresu of pure rehgiom; wonla itot oppress, take bribes, nor abuse hisauthorttvi botaetia all things as ode who bad the /s«r of God eoatfBna% before his eyes.** Tliass are the T*>litoeiieiis oi a pr<^ gneraor. > »

3 And I said unto thera, Let not the ffatea of Jenualem be opened until the sun be hot; and while the/ stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jenualem, every o&e in his watch, and every one to be over against Ms house.

4 Now the city was < iaxge and great; but the people were few therein, and Ae htnues were BOt Duilded.

5 TT And my Ood put into mine heart to ^ther together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealo^. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the firat, and found written therein.

J. a Sh a * These are the children of the ^^n^L I>roviDce that went up out of the cap- ^SSJf» tivity, of those that hod been carried • — = — away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babjrlon had carried away, and came a^n to Jenualem, and to Judah, every one unto his city;

8 The children of Parosh, two thousand a hundred seventy and two.

9 The children of Sbephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.

10 The children of Arah, six hundred fifty

11 The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and euht hundred and eighteen.

12 The children oT Elam, a thousand two hondred fifty and fbor.

13 The children <^ Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.

14 The children of Zaeoai, seven hundred and threescore.

15 The children (rf* rBimmi, six hundred forty and eight

16 The cmldren of Behu, six hundred twenty and eight.

17 The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.

18 The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.

19 The children of Bigvai, two thousand tiireescore and seven.

20 The children of Adin, aix hundred fifty and five.

21 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eif hL

33 The children of Hashum, three hundred twentv and eight.

23 The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.

Yens 3. Vhtit Uu am bt fui] Th« meuung of tbia ii, the gUe* wan not to be opmad before mnriM, and alwa^ «&ui at ntmeL Thia u ibe custom to the preaent day in Buy of tlu eitjea of the Eait. If a tmveller arrires qylf«r mniet, h« finda the gatee ihut: aud on no consideration will thc7 opeo them dil the next momlnib w that tluwe who come late are obliged to lodgs in the plain, or wider

Kvarw on*— over amiiut Ida kosfe] Eadi was oUigad 10 guard that part <tf me wall that Wai opponte to bis own dwelling.

Vcree 4. Hi* fumaea wen not buiidad.] Hie ci^ was not vet rriiuilt t ooly a row of bouses in ine iiuida of Uw wall all round.

Yeree 6. Ood put Into mtiunaarH With Ihk good mao •very rood tkSng was of Gon. if m jmmaad my good, itwaiaecauee CfodputUiTdoliiakaari tithediduiiy good, it was because tka good hand of kta Ood waa upon him; if tM eiTMcM any fooc^ it was beeaose he earnestly prayed Oed to rmuTubar him for good. Thus, in all his ways, be ackaowledged Ood; and God directed all bis steps.

Twse 7. Who eama trith ZanMabal] The roister whin he bund waa that of the persons only, who eama

24 The chiUren of ^ Harq)h, a hnilM and twelve.

25 The children of > Gibeon, ninety and five. 29 The men of Beth-lehem and Netophoth, a

29 The men of > Kh^ath-^jearim, Chepbireh, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and three.

30 The men of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.

31 The men of Miehmas, a hundred and twenty and two.

32 The men of Betli-el and Ai, a hundred

33 The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two. 31 The children of the other " Elsun, a thoo-

35 The children « Harim, three hundred and twenty.

36 The children of Jericho, three himdred forty and five.

37 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Odd. seven hundred twenty and one.

38 The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

39 11 The priests: the children of ■Jedasah, of the house of Jeshna, nine hundred leTeaty and three.

40 The children of * Immer, a thonsand filly

41 The children of ' Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.

42 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

43 \ The Levitea: the children of Jeshoa, of Eadmiel, and of the children of ■ Hodevah, seventy and four.

44 The singers: the children of Aaapb, a hundred forty and eighL

45 The porters: the children oT Shallam, the children of Ater. the children oC Talntoo, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, n hundred thirty and eight.

46 1[ The Nethinimp: the children ofZiha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

47 The children of Keros» the ehiUrea of • Sin, the children of Padon,

48 The children of Lebana. the duldnn of Hagaba, the children of " Shalmai,

49 The. children of Hanan, the children of Qiddd, the children of Oahar,

50 The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,

51 The children of Oaxzam, the childrai of Uzza, the children of Phasenh,

long before with Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Joebna the aoo Josedek i which ref^jster could not answer in every respect to the state of the people then. Several peiaooa ami families were no doubt dead, and others had arrived siaca. Nehemiah pntebly altered it only in eodt nrts, leaving the body of it as it was before; and this will aeeouat te the diSbrenee between it and the register that is found ia Ezra, ii.

Verse a Tha Aiidrsn Pomsft] As this ohaptw m almost entirely the sanwwilh the aeeond diaptar of cha Book of Ezra, it is not neceeeary to add aiw dung to trttat is said there i and to that ohapCer, and the acoosi Denying noteajhe reader is requested to refer.

Verse 19. T^aUUrena/'JKgwik score and ssseib] Some HSSTresa Am JUasanrf bmI aisttf-aLF, as ia Earn ii. 14..

Ven-i 33. Tka men 1^ tha o&ar Nabo} Ths wvi other is not in the parallel plaee, Ezra ii. 29. ana ■ wutr ing in many of Kettnieotfa and Da RaaaCa HSS. This is supposed to be the same as JVofi^ cr Ne6ak, m tha tribe of Benjsmin.

fiS The children of Bemi, the diitdren of Mennim, the children of * Nephinhesim,

53 The children of Bakbuk, the chitdren of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

55 The children of Bariios, the children of Sisera, the children of Tameth,

66 The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

67 1! The children of Solomon's eervantB: the children of Sotai, the ctiildren of Sophereth, the children of ' Perida,

58 The children of Joala, ^e children of Barkon, the children of Giddel,

59 Toe chiklren of Shephatiah, the cliildren of Hattil, the ehildrea of Fochereth of Zebaim, the ohildren of ' Ammi.

60 All the NeUiinima, and the children of Solomon'fl servants, were three hundred ninety

61 ■ And these were ther which went up alto fiwn Tel-melah, Tri-hareslia, Cherub, * Addon, and Immer: but they could not show their father's house, nor their ■> seed, whether they were of Israel.

62 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty aiad two.

63 1[ And of the priests: the children of Hateiah, the children of Koz, the children of ISarzUlai, which took one of the daughters of BarzUlai the Oileadite to wife, and was called after thdr name.

64 These sought their re^ster among those that were reckoned by genedogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put fVora the priesthood.

65 And ■ the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy thines, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thum- ■lim.

66 IT The whole congregation together was fbrty and two thousand three hundred and

''"w'^Stesides their man-eervants and their maid-servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and KB^ing women.

Yene 64. TTu AUdrm of MMda] Many of Ken- Micott** and De RonC* MSS. h&ve Mehira.

Tsrw 66. Thtir hortts, tui.} The whole of this vene Is wsntinc in Jlfts of ^nniawa MSS. and in IwaityniiM of tboM ot DeRotti in the edition of Jtab. Chayim, 1626} in the Roman tdiL of the Septuagint i kIm in the S^nae and in the Arabie. It ihould however be observed, that the JroMe omits the n^iaU litLbvriag nothing of the chapter but the first five verses. The whole is found in the parallel plau^ Ezra iL 66. Ca^nvff « note on this pa*- 0U» u iDeorrecL

Yetve 69. Their canuUtJaur hundred OUrty and Jhe].After this vane Sl Jeroin has inserted the following wwdi in the VuigaU:

"Thus hr do the words extend vluch were written in lha ncisteri what foUova belongs to the bistoiy of

Bat this addtUen is not fbnnil aiiher in dta Bibmg or any of the ancient rerfims. It is wanting sbo in the CompbanmKAPariaPiOfgtoUMt but is in OktSdUto Frima of the Vidgatt-

Yene 7D. 71x4 Tiri/taiha rave] The Sepluagint, partkttlarly (he eopy in iht Codex ^cxantf nntu, intimates that this sum was aiveo to the 7\rahaiha, or nehemiah; K«i rM AAi^raAf mtKw «w fffMsssv, And to Ou AAaraa&a Mey gave fir ths trtamre, Ac

Yerse 71. 7Vo thousand and tvo kundrtd jumda] Hie Septuagint has two &ouoand tbbbb haidrtd mima

68 Their horses, seven hundred thirty aad

six: their mules, two hundred forty and five:

69 Their camels, four hundred thirty and five: six thousand seven hundred and twenty asBes.

give unto the work. • The Tirshatha gave to e treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basins, five hundred and thirty priests' garments.

71 And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work ' tweoty thousand draras of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pounds of silver.

72 And that which the rest of the people gave ■was tweoty thoosand drams of gold, and two thoasand pounds of silver, and threescore and seven priests' garments.

73 So the priests, and the Levites^ and die porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; 'and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their oitiee.

AND all * the people gathered them- ' selves together as one man into a. p. am the street that was ■ before the water- h. onueio « gate: and they spake unto Ezra the _cc«tio. ■scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.

2 And Ezra the priest brought > the law before the congregation, both of men and womerv and all ■ that could hear with imderstanding, ' upon the first day of the seventh month.

3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water-gate ' {rom the morning until mid-day, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people ir«re attentive unto the book of the law.

4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a ' pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Maltithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right Imnd; and on his left hand, Fedaiah, and Mishnel, and Malchiah, and Ha-

reference to tliia particularly that tbe public registers were examined; for 1^ them ibey found the different ^amUies. and consequently the cities, villages, Ac whieh belonged to them, according to tbe ancient division of the lands. It seems that the examination of the registera occupied, about a month; for as soon as the walls were finisiwd, which waa in the tixth month, lEhtl, chap. vi. 16.) Nabemiah instiiutad the examination mentioned in thta chaptCT, ver. 6 1 and by tlie conduding verse we find that the difierent fiuniliea bad KM into tbair palenial cities in tbe oeeenlh numA, TVsn, SBSwering to a part of our September and October. Thv* the raster determined etvery thing t there waa no room for complaint, and none to accuse Uie governor of partiality.

Yene 1. The ttreet that waa bffirre the water fraio} TUb gate whieh led from the temple to the brook Cadron.

Vene 2. AU that could hear vniK underetandtng\ Inhnti^ idkit% and Mldrm not h'kely to raoetve inatnietio^ were not permitted to attend tbia meeting. Nor ihouU any such, in any place, be ever brought to the house of Qod, if it can be avoided: yet, rather than « poor mothsr dHKdd be deprived of the ordinances of God, let her corns with her child in her arms; and altboueb it be inooDve* nient to the congregation, and to some ministers, to bear a dhild cry i yet it is cruel to exclude the mother on this aecount, who, having no peraon to take eare of her chihl while absent, must bring it with her, or he totally deprivod of the ordioancci of the Christian church.

Upon the Jlrtt day qf the eecenA month.] ^is was theJn-«( day of what waa called the civil year; and on it was the^uit qf tntmptts,ih» yssr bring usbsndinlgr Ihs souad of dwss instniinsnts.

5 And Ezra opened the book in the « sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he openod It, all the people ' atood np:

6 And Ezra blessed the Lob», the great God. And alt the people ■ answered, Amen, Araen, with ^ liAing up their hands: and they " bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with Aeir faces to the ground.

8 So they read m the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused (hem to understand the reading.

9 7 * And Nehemiah, which ta ' the Tirahatlu, and Ezra the priest the scribe, ' and the Leritea that twight the people, aaid unto all the people, ■ This day it holy unto the Lord your God; » mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when oiey heard the words of the law.

10 Then he said unto them. Go tout way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared; for Ihit day i» holy unto our Lord; neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lobd is your atrength.

11 So the Levites stilled all the peoide. sayiog. Hold your peace ibr the di^ t« htdy; neither be ye crieved. ~

18 And all the peojAe wmt their to eat,

yerao4. Sooditpma juvdpU nf wooif] Vuo m^^dtU^ a fiRKT, a platform, niwd up for the purpCMe, to eKvats him Bumeiently for the people both to see and hear hini; for it is Mid Ter. 6. that he vxu above ail thtpeopU. lliis is the firat intimation we have of a jniljtU, or ttnieturt tit ttiia kind. But we muot act tappo« that it waa any thiM ■imilsr to thoae tubt or banw ridtculoutly >et op ia eSantua aad ohape)^ ia niuA a preacher ia nearly aa WMh.oooflned daring the time of hii preaching, «a if be V«a in the »loda.

. Verae i. AUtKt peopU atood up] Thia waa out of n»- cpect to the aacred worn; in imitation of thia, when the GiMptl for die day ia read in our churches all the peo^e stand up.

Terae 6. Bxnt bUaaed the Loan] In imitation of diis, we Bay, when the GhMrpel for the day ia eommeaced, gtoiy be to God for kU hoty Qotptl I and cottchide this thanksgiTing wtm Amen t

Verae 8. So Out/ read in the book} For an explanation €t M» verae, aee {he obaervations at the end of the reraed. NAmitA, vkieh m the 7\rWiaAa] Thie jMta it out of doabt that, when the TirtkaOtA u nentioned, NAemiah hinaelf is iatended, TlnMAa Imng (be name of hia ojffUt.

Mourn not, nor wtep.'\ Thig ia a holy day le Ood; a ^Kj appmnted for general rejoicing in him who hu turned Mr captivity, restored to ua nia law, and again eat^riwd among lu hu ordinances.

Verae 10. Eat the fat and drink &e noteC] Eat and dri(& the best that you nave; and, while ve are feeding youraelvea in the mar of the Lord, remember those vho gmnotfeaet; and send porttoru to them, that the joyand die thuikegiving nmy be geneiaL Let the poor have leaaoB to rejoice as well aa you.

/V Aejotf of the Loan ia your afreng^] This ia no gluttooous and drunken foativa! that enervates the body, and enfediUa the mind; from your religioua feast your bodies will acquire strength, and your minds power and fervour, BO thuvou shall be able to do hu will, and to do it ehaerjutly. IteHgioaeJoy, properly tempered with continual oepwdenee oa the help of Qod, meekness of mind, wd a^-diflldiHKe, ia a powerful means of strengthening the aoul. In ■oeh a state every doQr is pnotiedUe, and vrary duty daligntful. In such a frama m mind do man am ML

and to drink, and to * send portiona, and to taake great mirth, -because ther had <* onderatood the words that were declared unto them.

13 ^ And on the second ^y were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, aad the Levites, unto Bxra the scribe, even * to understand the words of the law.

14 And they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded ' br lioaee, that the children of Israel shotild dwell in a bootha in the feast of the seventh month:

15 And ^ that they shoold ptiblidi and proclaim in alt their cities, ana > in Jemaalem, saving. Go forth unto the mount, and ^ fetch ohve nranchea, and pine farajiches, and myrtle branches, and pafan branches, and branchea of thick trees, to make booths, as tt t« wrkteo.

16 K So the people went forth, and fcrongfat them, and made themselves booths, every one upoh the) roof of hia house, and ia their «iwt% and in the coorta of the house of God, and ia the atreet of the "water-gate, 'aad ia tha street of the rate of Ephraim.

17 AndaUuieooiieregationof AeBthatvm come again out of the captivity made booth% and sat under the bootha; for since the da^ or Jeshoa the son of Nun unto that day had not Ae children of Israel done so. And there was very "great gladness.

18 Alio f day by day, from the firal nnto the last di^, he read in the btiok of the law of God. Ana they k^ the feast seven days; aad on the eighth day wo* ^ a sfdoDoa ■^■*™Wyj ' according imto m manner.

titm of the sc^ouminr of their fiUben in the wiUaneaa after they had been dellTered from the Egyptian bandage Now, having been delivered from the u^rloi^iii captivirr, and the proper time of the year occurring it ns their especial duty to keep the aame feast.

Verse IS. PetA olive hranehee} For every thing eoaoeniii^ this feaat of laberittele^ see the notes on Lev. zxiii. and the other places Msrs referred to.

Verae 16. Djpm the ro»if ^ hie house] It need KanOr be repeated, that the houses in the East are genendly)mk with Alt ro^s. On these they reposed t on thsac they look the air ia the heats of suramer: and on ibese oftentimea slept.

Verae 17. Since (he dam Jeskaa^ No feast «( triMf^ nacles since his time had been so heartily sod so pion^ celebrated. The story of the sacred fire now £sco«tK^ which had been hidden by the order of Jeremiah in a well, and now some of the mud from the bottom boDg brought opon the altar, was kindled afresh by die TKjam the sun, which suddenly broke out, thoitgh beAm eovaml with cloudy Aaisvoiihy of no credit. niosawlioiriA to see the detiul rnxf eonsuh 2 Maocab. chsp. i. 18—

On the subject in verae 8. I beg leave to make a few obaervations: — So they read in the boak, in the Imr if Ood, disHnettyt and gore the sense, and emtsod Aemts undersland the reading. The Israelites haTing i&» lately brought out of the Babylonirii cutivity, in vdiidi Ih^ had eontinued seasnfy year*, aecormng to the prefieti<m of Jeremiah, chap. zxv. 11. were not only extrtsidy coTTiiMt bat it appears that ihey had, in general, lost the knowledge of the ancient Hebrew to au(3i a degree, ibsi when the book of the law waa read, they did not voodetstand it: but certain Levites stood by, ana goes the seasa, i. e. translated it into the Chaldee dialect. Tliis ms not only the origin of the Chaldee T^ir^umt, ortnuidBtiaDaf the laws axa prof4iets into that tongue: hat was alsc^ in all profaaUlity, tne origin of preaeAing-/roin a text; tor it ^peara that the people were not onl^ ignorant oiT their ancient language, but also of the rina and ceicnonies «( their religion, twving been ao long in Bati^kiQ, vbete tbay were not permitted to obaerve than. Thu bt^ngtbaeas% itot only tha longiiafe nmst be inferjiretal^ bat me nwa ing of the rites anaeartmoREe* nniat also te exulaine&t fer we find from ver. 13, Ac of diisefaa)Mtf,dMtVMrf M even foigotten the feaet tefremscfM^ and evoy ddag relative to that oerentoinr.

As we nonrtMre find tost whit is called praodhAv or n^omMlingatex^ waa anriatMibsfm dattiina^

H.c2f "IVr^W in the twenty and fourth day *. u csk 1^ of ■ this raoDth. the children of tLoiJ^i lorael were asHemued, with fasting,. c- c^-"" and with sackclothes, » and earth upon

2 And ■ the seed of Israel separated them- Belvea frotn all * straogers, and stood and confessed their no*, uai the iniqiiitiea of their

3 And they stood up in their place, and * read in the book of the taw of the Loro their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they coofbased, and worshipped tiie Loan their

4 J Then stood up upon the * stairs, of the Levites, Jeahna, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Shereboih, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the Loan their Ood.

we we prabsUy Mwldea to the Bab^kMiMt M|Hi«i^ tor pndueiDfc in the hand of dinne pnmdence, a cuatotu tbe moat •zoBlknt and beoafiehd ever introducad among nen.

What the nature eipreaddM or arpunJwiglhe word «f Ood WM, at thia early period of iti uutitatiai, wa team from ibe above-cited lezL _

I^tt, Thty rtttd in tlu book oftlulawt^ Cod— The mrdt Goes tbe doctrinea of divine nvetalion, are the Hoper matter of preaohing; liar diey eontaiu the wiedoin of ueHoetHigh, end (eadi maa Ibethiagswbidi belong to hie peace and lu^npineee.

Secondly, They read ditHncify—r\VO m'tAoroeh, from V^B parasn, to expand; th^ analyzed, dilated, sad expounded it at large, ehowing the import and geDuine meaning of every word.

. TIHrdZy, They gm tlu •eiwe— Var mm 9»-$m MfcA they pM( iB9igiU to U; ibowed iu value and otiliq^ and bow tntinuttely ooneerned they were in all that wae revealed; dnu applying verbal ertttneni, and general espoattion, in dieir true and moet important purpoee.

FanrMjf, IWy cowed Hum to undtntaad the reading— H^pD3 vfSi 9auabinu bommikra; and tbey imderatiodj bad a nuntal tatte and p«rc«pUon o( ma thii^ which were in tht reading i i. «■ in ihe leittr and fpirU of the lezL Tlnu tkff huw the divine wiU, and omroMd tKt thingj that mra mora tmeUmt, hting (tfaua) mMrtuiadwl^Oulaig. Rom. it 18.

Thia waa the andent method of ezpoundiM tbe wnd of God among Ibe Jews: and thia mode is atill more neeea- •airfiMTDa:

F%ret, Beeanaa die Saoed Writbtga, as Um^ cum mm Ood, are ifaut up in bngoagae no longer vemacalar; and no trantlation ever did^or ever can, reach the force of the original worda, though perhape oar own, in general, cornea nearaat to diJa of all varnooa, whether anoUm or modem.

SteenHjif Nina^-idaa oat of a hundred know nothing of dieas languages; and eanaaqwntly eannot, of Aen- •elvea, reap all dw reqniaita benefit from reading the Scnpturea.

TVnUy, Saered ddnca are llhiatrated in the Bible by a nfcrenoe b> arta and «rt«neet, of which the maaa of the paople are aa ifoorant aa tbey an of Um original toogoea.

Fmrfhly, Provincial automa and faaKumt are mentioned in theae writings vdiieh moat be nnderatnod, or the force and meaning of many texta cannot be comprdwnded.

FyVdy, There ii a dtpOi in ihe Word of Ood which cannot be hthom«d except either by divine inapiration, or by deep atndy arid reoearch, for whidi the majority of the perale have no time.

oltiUy, The people, in general, troat to die pie^, Icamuig, and abilttiaa of their mioistni^ and mainlabi them Bj peraona eapoble of imtniedng diem in all dte deep tbiiigi of Ood; and believing them to be Aofy men, they axe confident ihey will not tafe their (iAet, ihrnrfood, and iktir raiment, under a pretence of doing a work for which tbey have not the ordinary qualiflcatiobB. Where there ia not euch praadiiog aa thia, die people "ait in dvknem, and fai the vaHey of (be ahadow Mdnuh nimera are not wmwted onto Ood, nsidiar an faeUmrs "boilt op on thsir moat boly faith.*' ntah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand ap and bleaa the Lord your Ood for ever and ever: and blessed be ' thy glorious namet which ia exalted above all blessing and praiee.

6 ■ Thou, even thou, art Loan alone: 'thou hast made heaven, *■ the heaven of heavens, with * all their host, the earth, and idl Vvmga that are therein, the seas, and all that U therein, and thou ■> preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

7 Thou art tne Lord the God, who didst chooee ■ Abram, and broug;hteet hnn forth out of Ur of tbe Chaldees, and gavest him the name of * Abraham:

8 And foundest his heart * faithfUl before thee, and madest a ^ covenant with him to give the land of the Ctunanites, the Hittites, the Amoritee, and tbe Perizzites, and the Jeousites, and the Oirgaahites, to give it, I «ay, to his aeed, and 'hast performea thy words; tar thou art righteous:

9 k And didst see the affliction i^ our fktfaers in Egypt, and 'heardest their cry by the Red sea;

10 And "'showedat signs and wonders upon

Reader— Art thou a ChrieHam. wUniater? Dost Iboa fetdHUJUekt^ Ood? L« tt^ emifaw^ tby MMbacib aod Ibe ^rtiiff of tlv miiiifrK aaswar fa ihefc

Verael. NowinlhetwmtyandfittTtkd^} llie/eattf trumpete was on tbe jfraf day of thia month. Oa ths fourteenih heg^a (he /etui tjf tabemacUe, wbicb, laating ««i><n day*, fintabed on the tvatiy-eecond. Ontbaimalythird they eejparated OiemaelveB from their UlegittmaU wtrea and tMjdren. And, on the twenty-fourth, tibey heM a Bolemndoy qfjTaeHng and GOi^eaaton of ain, and reading the law; which they eloaed by renewing tbeir eev-

Verae 3. Tka mid ^ Mtrad Mpomfad OumtMiwee'^ A lefarmatimi of thia fciM was bqgtm bv EBm,diaai x. •. but it ^ipeara that flithar more wan iMnd out who bad taken atraoflB wives, orelaadioaevdtabadaepanledfroa

And atood and emfeeeed their eine, and the iniquiliee ^ their JbtkereA Tbey acknowledged dnt they had been aumera againat God, ihrau^iout al! uwir generationa i that their bmera had sinned, and were puniabed; and tbot din, with thia example before dieir eyea^ had oepied Ibeir funer^ oiEencea.

Verse 3. One /ourtt part of A« doy] Aatbeydidaa manner work on diia d^ of faating and humiliation, ao they epent the whole of it in ivligiooa dutiea. TYtej began, Mya Calmafc on ibtjhtl hour, and oootinaed ibeoe ezer. oiaea to the AM hour. From the iMrd ihey recommenced, tod contlooed till the KaA hoar; from the wistk lo the ninlk t and from the njnA (o the ftwf/U. or lael how. 1. "niey beard the law read, alanding. 2. They proatrated ihemaelvea, and confsaeed their eina. 3. Totj aroae lo praiae Ood for having apared, and dealt Ibua mercifully with them.

Terae t. Stand and Uiat Ou Loan gmir God] It is the riiameleaa cuatom of many eongrenumia ofpMria to ait atill while they profeaa lo Ueaa and piaiae Cnd, ny aingine the J'M'ina ^ David, or hymne made on the plan of dte Ooepel I I aak aueh peraooa, Did thtj ever feel the eptrii ^ dmMon, while draa empkiytd 1 if ifaey do^ it muat be owned that, hv the prevdenoe «f habit, Hhef have oounteracted the innaenca of an attitude most unfriendly to auch acta of devotion.

Verae6. Thmiprteerxxet them atl\ oSr^Mt irno nmi veattah mechaij/di et eufom, and thou giveet l\fe to them all: ond ihe hott nf the heaven*, mnwo 'h Uea miett lachavim, proetraie Ihemeetvee tmto thee. How near ta diia to dw opinion of Kipter, diat all tbe hcavesiy host are initinti with We, and navigate the great expaoae on

Einiona adjusted to their ailualioo in dteir reqwoUve erbhst lot to «r«en*e in l\fej or in being, ia a very good meanin? of the original, which does not necenarily Imply vitdtity. We aay a tree ta alive when k JlowiAee, a plant ia doad iriien it wiihere, dbc '

Terse 7. Who tUdei duoee Abram] See dw 1MM m tbe Huaiges refcrred to in die margin.

naraoh, and on all hit servantg, and on all the people of hia land j for thou knewest that they * dealt proudly a^inat them. So didst thou ' get thee a name, aaitis this day.

11 p AndthoudidstdividetheaeabeTorethem, so that they went throueh the midst of the eea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, « as a stone into the mif htr waters.

12 Moreover thou ■'leddest them in the day by a oloudy pillar: and in the night bv a pillar of are, to give them light in the way wherein they ^ouldgo,

13 ■ Thou earnest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them < risht judgments, and * true laws, Xood statutes ana commandments:

14 And madest known unto them thy *holy sabbath, and command edst them ^ecepts, 8ta< tutes, and laws, by the hand or Moses thy servant:

15 And * gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and ' broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should ' go in to posseas the land ■ which thou nadst sworn to give them.

16 * But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and ^ hardened their neclu, and hearkened not to thy commandments.

17 And refused to obey, ' neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage; but Uv>u art • a God ready to pardon, ' gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsoolcest them not.

18 Yea, < when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy Grod that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies for- •ookest them not in the wiideroeBs: the ' pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way wherein they should go.

Yane 12. By a doady piUor] See the notes on the panllel pawwee, both here and in the rest <A then venee.

Ver>e 14. MaiUtt known unto Oism thy holy aabbalh} lliey Appear to have forgoueo this JlrH of all the commaiuiDenta of God, during their aqourning in ^ypt.

Vene 17. And in their rebeUion aj^ioitUad a captain} liu* d&uae, read according to its order in die Hebrew text, is Ibua: And appointed a cajptain to return to their bondoft in their rebellion. But it is probable tliat d^D3 Se- Mortm, in their rebtiiion, is a mistake for ontos bemiitrayim, inEgmL Tbia u the reading of aeven of JCmiufisAftaDd DeRoeoCe VLSS. the Neapolitan edition of the IfiuricgrofiAa, aad in the fiVftfiMgfN^ It is alao the reading In Numb, ziv. 4. The dsuie nould undoubtedly be reat^ They appointed a et^ttain to return to their bondage in

Verse 19. 7%e pillar qf the cloud departed not from. Aem] 0<T^pD nudleyA^m, "from over them." I have alnady had oeeaaioa lo obeerve, that thii miraculous cloud, the symbol ^ the divine i^eaence, aBsumed Utree different poeitiona while ocoompanying the Israelilish camp. 1. Ai a cloud, in the form of a pillar, it went before them, wfaeo they journeyed, to point out their way in the wilderneai. 2. Ai a pillar of _ftre, it continued with them during the ni^i, to ^ve them li^t, and be a rallying point for (be whole eamp in the ni^t season. 3. As an extended eloud, it AoverM over them m their eoc&ropiDenta, to rafraah them with iu dew% and to keep them from the aidouts of the sun.

20 Thou gavest also thy ^good nwit to instruct them, and withheloest not thy i nanm from their mouth, and gavest them * water ibr

21 Yea, " forty years didst tium miataui thm in the wilderness, so thiU they lacked nothng:

their "rJothes waxed not old, and their fbet swelled not.

22 Moreover, thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into comers: so they possessed the land of f Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshboo, and the land Og Uog of Bashan.

23 "> Their children also multifdi^dst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.

24 So ' the children went in and possessed the land, and ■ thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanitea^ and gavest them into their hahds, with thdr kuoga, and the people of the land, that they might do with them t as they would.

25 And they took strong cities, and a "fat land, and possessed * houses lull of all goods, * weOs digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and 'friiic trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and ' became fat, and delighted tnemse/ves in thy great ■ goodness.

26 Nevertheless, they ' were disobedient, and rebelled aga inst thee, and cast thy kiw bcUnd their backs, and slew thy * prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

37 ° Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried onto thee, thou * heardest them from heaven; and according, to thy manifold mercies ' thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

28 But afler they had rest, c they ^ did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou tbem in the hand of their enemies, so that they bad the dominion over them: yet when ihey returned

it be said ihat they possessed (he land ^ Sihon, mdAe land qf the king of Heehbon? The words Thetand^ the king qf HeehSon are wanting in two of De Bamte MSS. In another HS. the woitb and the land ef are wanting; ao that the clause is read, A eyiKwsuMd (fee laad 1^ Sihonking iif ^ehbon. 'Hm: Septuagint has the mm nadiiwj the./Irabie nearly the same, vix. the land ^ St- Aon, the land qf the king of Hethbon, Syriac has, they poueeeed the land iff Sihon, the land qf ihexnneqf Hemban, The reading of the text is undoubc«d)y vnsg: diat supported by the MSS. and 1^ the Sniliiax^ is Mt likely to be tfae tnie one. "niose of the Arab%c mASj/Hee contain, at least, do eonlradictory sense. Tlieaac^ ntfcs Hebrew and our veroion^ distincuidies two land*, and tm kinge! the land of Si/um, and the land of the ting if Uembon i when it is most certain that only one land Mi one king can be meaaL

Verse 26. Became/at, and delighted ttemaefess] Tbej became effeminate, fell under the power of Innryi eH tolally corruoted iu their monnera, sinned agaiiM all as mercies of God, and then were destroy^ by his judgmeaK. We have an old nervous saying, " War begets paoer^t poverty begets peace; peace begets nffluenee,* aflueoos aegeu hirury and corruption oT manners: and hence ctsil oroile./ardgn -war; and deeolaUone." A tauAie Roma historian has said the aaoM:— " /mperwnt./Wtfs ur artVbiu retinetur, fuifrus initio panun eel i verim a4>' pr9 Lasorx, Dssuia; pre eoDtineati& et nqtiilBMi Lbido atijue SuFSBBu invaalre i fortuna wimvl aun mocibas

Verse 27. 7^ gowsf them savioBrs] Tbm wbsla book of judgas is a hisUsy of CkKTs mmkt, sad ihtir nbslUons.

Bad eriad nnto thee, thou heardest tkem fVom heaven; and imanf timea didat thou deliver them, according to thy mercies:

29 And tefltifiedst a^inst them, that thou m^fhteat bring them axain auto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, andhearkeDed not unto thy l»nimandment8, hot sinned asainst thy judgment*. Q which if a man do, he shall live m them.) and ~ withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neeU, and would not hear:

30 Tet many years didst thou 'forbear them, and teetifiedat 'against them by thy spirit p in 'thy prophet* J yet would they not give ear: ' theroTore gavest thou them mto the hand of the people or the lands.

31 Nevertheless, for thy great mercies^ sake ■ thoQ didst not utterly consume them, mir for- «ake them; for thou art ^ a gnuaousand mereiTul

33 Now therefore, our Ood, the great, the * mighty, and the terrible Ood, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the 'trouble mem little before thee * that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on oar prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, ' since the time of the kin« of Assyria unto tnia day.

' 33 Howbeft ithouort just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but ■we have done wickedly:

34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our imests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify aeamst them.

35 For they have * not served thee in their kingdom, and in " thy great goodness that thou ^vest them^ and in the large and ' fat land which thou gaveet before them, neither tnnied they from their wicked works.

36 Behold, * we ore servanta this day, and for

Verse 30. Mart]/ ^eara dtdit thmjbrbear] It is nip- WMed thai Nehemiah refer* here prineimtly to die ten wribM. And many yeara did God beu with them i not lesi dmn Am hmdrea and Affy-four years from their sepora- Moo from the bouae of Oma, till their e^itiviqr and uller dispernoii under ^almantatr; daring the vhole of whidi Ume Ood invariably wanied them by hii propKett; or, ae it b here Mid, by thy (ptrtl in Iky ptvpheta, which

S'vea us the true notion of divine intpiratim, God's pirit was given to tbe prophets; and tbey testified to the people, euxording as diey were taught tun jnituenccd Ipt thitSpirU.

Terse 32. On our kingt, on our prineet] I believe Nehemiah in this place mentions the timole of eivU tociety in its ^iJIcers, as they stand related to each other in dignity.- l.Knra&asiupretne. ZPumcu. 3.Pue8ts. 4.Pbophets, 6. The Faihsks, heads or chieft of tribes and fiunilies. & Tbe common people. Those who disturb this natural erdar, for it nibsisu even in Britain, are eneroiee to the psam of the «Aol^ whatever they may pretend to the Motrsry.

Terse 34. NtiAtr kava our ktnga] In this verse he eeknow ledges that the king*, prlnca, priatt, aadjalhera, had broken the law: but the prophets are le^ out; for they Aontinued &ithful to Ood, tesii^ing by his spirit against the erimes of alt j and this even at the risk of their lives.

Terse 36. f\>r they hare not ucrvtid thee in their kingdml Instead of anu^sa be malculham, " in thkis kiiu;- doin, "fmAas be maUnttheca, " in thv kingdom," is the reading of two of Kennieotf* MSS. as also of the Sephiagint, Syriae, and Arabic. This is most likely to be tbe true reading.

Terse 36. Behold, we are serTanis] They had no king of their own; and were under the government of the kings 9t Persia, to whom they paid a regular tribute.

Terse 37. Ryietdeth much inereaae unto the ktn^t] Good and finiitful as the land is, yet it profits lu little; as the chief profits on all things ^ to the kings of Persia.

Over our bodiet] Ezacung personal tjod/eudai aervieet frera us, and from our cattle; and this not by any JLced rsCjornt^ofsomtuArenAsoiRiuAlafrour.orAooRsj but atmatrpUoMrei ao that we can nailber all our persons, the land that thou cavest unto onr Ihthera, to

eat the fruit thereof; and the good thereof; behold, we are servants in it:

37 *And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over na because of our sins; also they have 'dominion over onr boaiee, and over our cattle, at their pleasore, and we are in great distress.

38 And because of alt this we 'make a sure covenant, and write it; and onr princea, Levites, and priests, >> seal i ttnto it.

NOW " those that sealed were i Ne- tJi aSf hemiah, » the Tirshatha, " the son ta.agnji»» of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,

And the Levitea: both Jeshua the aon of Azanleh, Binnui of the eona of Henadad, Kad- our lime, our land, nor our cattle, our own: therefore, we are in great dietreat. Miserable are the people thai live under such a governmenL Think of this, ye Britonat think of your liberties and rights. Compare iKero with at^ other natioo under heaven, and eee what a (alones is m your/avaur. Almost all the nations of tbe earth aeknow- Tedge Britons the most happy of all men. May I not tKf,

Terse 38. Our princes, LtvUea, and prittta, seal unto it.] Persuaded that w« have brouKlit all the miseries upon ourselves by our transgressioiu j jeeling mxtdt, KoAfeanng more, we make a covenant with thee to devote ourselves to thy service; do with us as thou picasest. Prom this scaling we learn that at this lime the government of the Jews was a mixed aristocracy; composed of the nobles for the eivU derartment, and the pricalssiad Levitea for the eccUsiasticaL

This was not mixing the churA with the stale, or the state with the cAurtA; both were separate, yet bodi mutually supported each other. The stale never attempted to model the diurch according to its own mtnd; because the church had been founded ana regulated fay God, and neither its creed nor its ordinances eoun be changed. ehurA did not meddle with die slate, to give it nsa lava, new ordinances, or neie nffieera; therefore, the one could not be joalous of the oiher. Where this state of things prevails, every public blessing may be expected. In every atatt^ God says to tlie gotemora and the governed, Relader to Ciesar the thinn which are CKsar's, and to Qoo the things which are Gob b.

It is stranin thai, among ul uwae. we bear nothing of Ezra, nor of the nigh priesl EltaMb. Nor are any oS tlie prophets mentioned, though there must bavs bsea womt of them at Jcnisalem al this time.

The whole of this cluipi«r, the two first verse* exeeplel is wanting in the Arabic; the word Pashur oi the Utira verse is retained; and the test of the chapter is summed up in ihess words, and A* rtat o/* thiir assembly.

2S "I And the rest of the people, the prieata, the Levites, the porters, tbe eingers, the NethinimB, 'and all they that had separated themselves from tbe people of tbe lands unto tbe law «f God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one havioff knowledge, and having onderstaoding;

29 They clave to their brethren, their nobles. * and entered into a curse, and into an oath, < to TOlk in God's law, which was given " by Moses, the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Loao our Lord, and bis Judgments and his statutes;

30 And that we would not give * our daughters unto the people of tbe land, nor tak? their dnighters for our sons:

3f "And if the people of the land brinff ware, or any victuals, on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave tbe *avranth year, and the'exactionof 'everydebt.

31 Also we made ordinances for as, to charge nivselves yearly with tbe third part of a shekel Jbr tbe service of the house of our God;

33 For 'the show-bread, and for tbe ''contiwial meaMifiering, and for the continual burntoffering, of the sabbathB, of the new-moons, for

Verao 38. And the rest qf the paopW] All hod, in one or other of tbe classes which sealea, their reprenmtativea; UDd by their aealtng they considered tliemselvea bound.

Terse 29. 7Vy elate to their brethren] Though they did not aign this instrumBot, yet they bound themselves under & toUmn oath that they would fulfil the condiiiona of the covenant, and walk acoording to the law of MdAea.

Tere 31. Bring ware] We will moat solemuly keep the aUxUh. Leave ike teventh year. We will let the laud have its sdibath. and rest ienry seventh year. See on End. zziii. 1^ 11.

- Verse 33. Cnargt ovnelw yearly leith Ou third part ^ a ^ukd] According to the law, every one above twenty yean of age was to ^ve ha\f a aheka to the sanctuary, ^ich was called a rafwont far their wuU. See Exod. jpix. 11 — 16. But why ia one third of a shekel now promieed instead of the half Ae/cet, which the law required 1 To this question do beltw answer can be given than this: the geoeml poverty of die people oecanooed by their ware, overmrows, heavy tributes, oc. in the land of their ca^ ^vtty: and now on their reoirn, having little properly, it was impossible for them to give more; and we Know, from itM terms of ihd law in this case, that the poor and the riA were obliged to give alike, because it waa & raTUom for mtirtouu; and the souU of die poor and ruA were of lUe MbM^ and stood equatty io need of Ttdemption i tar all ware equally fallm, aoaaU had come equally short of the glory of Oil.

Though only a third part of a shekel was given at this time, and probably for the reason above, assigned; yet, when the people got into a state of greater prosperity, the haif ahdtel was resumed i for it is dear that diis sum was piud in ihs time of our Lord, though not to tbe temple, hat to the Aman govemmenL Hence when those who ooUeeisd this as a fmuby came to our Lord, it was for tbe MfiaxtUj dUtraehToa. vriuch was haff a thekel; and the oom with which our Lord paid for himself and Pettr, was a $tata; which contained exactly too hay thekelt. See HatL xviii. 24—27.

Verse 34. Coat the lote-far the wood^ering] llicre does not appear to have been any wood-oj'ering under the Isw. It waa the bwiipBss of tbe NetMnim to procure this.- ud haws ibmr wen rolled Aetwrs woot^ and <frawer« trwMsi*, to tbs eoQgrei^uioa. But it is very likely the sot SmmIu, aod for the holy iki^, mad Sat the sio-t^eriDga, to make an atonement far ^ rael, and ^n'lul the work ortbebouaeorosrGad»

34 And we cast tbe lot* among tbe priests, the Levites, and tbe pet^Ie, * Ibr the wood-eieriac, to bring it into the house of our God, aflcr tos houses oi' our fathers, at times appoiotad, year by year, to burn upon the altar of uw Low our God, ■> as A XT wrUten in the law:

35 And ■ to bring the first-frulu (^our gnrand* and the first-fruits of all fruit of all tr«e>, year by year, unto tbe house of tbe Lokd:

36 Also tbe first-bora of our sons, and of ear cattle, dmU U written ' in the law, abd the fiMlings of our herds, and of our flocks, to bring t* the house of our God, onto the priests that ninister in the house of our God:

37 'And that we should bring the first-fruits of our dough, and our offerings, and tbe frail o{ all manner of trees, of wine, and ef oil. unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of ouc Qod; and ^ the tithes of our ground unto the Ijeviles, Uiat tbe same Levites might have the tithes ia all the cities of our tillage.

38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall ba with the Levites, 'when the Levites take tithes; and the Levites shall bring up tbe thhe of llw tithes unto the house of our God, to ^ the chambers, into the treasure bouse.

39 For the children of Israel and the childrea of Levi I shall bring the offering of tbe corn, of tbe new wine, and the oil, unto the chasxhers, where are the vessels of the Baoctuary, aod the priests that minister, and the porters, and ths singers: ■ and we wul not forsake the house of our God.

after the captivity, few Netbinim were found; farasMieb (who were the descendants of tbe Gibeouitcs) wera taomdered only aa «tot)e«among the Israelites, they would daskleas find it a» TnurA, if not more, their inttreat to sWde ■ the land of their captivirf, than to return widi their hma mastera. Ah there was not enough of such perraa M provide wood for the firea of the temple, tbe pe«plknow cast lots, not \cho should fumiah the wood, but wbatdssa or district should furnish it at a particular tiMie of ibeyw so that there might be a constant supply. One tfiscriet fs^ nished ii fot one whole year, or for Aitfint aaoiub oryesrt anotherfortbeMTondiiKnuhOrjngari sndaoon. N««,dw lot was to determine which diMnct should fariiw ihe SHffitf on the first month or year; which on the aecooa; and m co. Wlien the wood was brought, it was delivered to the L*- vitea: they cut, prepared, and stacked it; and, when wauud, delivered it to the prietta, whose business H was to lay it upon the altar. Perhaps this providing of tbe wood waa dime only once a war by one district, tha next year another district and so on: and this iKinging the w«s4 IS llie temple at last became a greaidayt snid was eooMilBlrf into a/eaal, called by Joseplms ZvXo^fiim, the carryim^ ^ the mood. See De Bell, Jud. lib. ii. cap. xvii. ae«t. 6. p. 191. This feast is not mentioned in the Sacred Wriuws: tiM^ there waa no need for such an institniion, as the Kidusist were sufficiently numerous.

Verae 36. Alto theOrat-bom] See this law, aad iiniwi of it, Exod. xiii. 1—13. As by diis law tin Laid bU s right to all the firat-born, instead uf these fas wm nlisHd to take die tribe of Levi for tbe whole; snd thus tbe Lnias served at tlie tabernacle aiid temple, inrtead of the Jkwtborn of all the tribes.

Verse 3a 7\the qflhe tilfuaj The tithes of all the p«- duce of the fields were brought to tbe Leviiea; out of laess a fetUA part was given to tM priests. TTiia ie-wbnl is rallwl jhitilhet^Aetithig. TheIawf(irthiBiBfouadNiiin.xTii.lil VMt3S^ Wetmnotfiroake Ouhmioa ^mvOidl Here was a glorious resolution | and bad diey been iudrfsl to it, they had been a great and good people » tbe jmssot day. But what is implied in WfwiUtutformketluktm» ^ our God 7 1 answer.—

' A ND the rulers of the people dwelt u-oowteaixl. at Jerusalem: thereat ofihe people ■ also cant lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem ■ the holy city, and nine ports to dtoell io other citiea.

3 And the people bleiied ^1 the men that « wiUugly offered themsolvea to dwell dt Jerusalem.

3 IT ' Now theee art the chief of the province (hat dwelt in Jerusalem: but in the cities of jndah dwelt every one in bis possession in their eittes, to wit, Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and 4 the Nethinima, and 'the cliildren of Solomon^s servants.

4 And *aX Jerusalem dwelt certain of the chHdrai of Jndah, and of the children.of BeiyainiD. Oftiiechildrenof Judah; Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the con of Mahalalecl, of the children of ' Perez;

5 And Maaaeiah the son of Baruch, the son •of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiab, the eon of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of ShilonL

6 All the sons of Perez that dw^lt at Jerunalera ieere four hundred threescore and ei^ht valiant men.

7 And these ar« the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the f;on of Pedaiah, the eon of Kolaiah, the eon of Maaselah, the eon of Ithiel, the fon of Jesatah.

8 And ader him Gabbai, SaHai, nine hundred twenty and eight.

9 And Joel the eon of Zichri v}a$ their overseer; and Judah the son of Senuah wcu second over the city.

10 ■ Of the priesta; Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jaehin.

11 Seraiah the son of HOkiah, the son of Meahttllom, the ison of Zadok, the son of Meraioth,

HI.— The minittera of ibe word of Ood are ihe officera and oveneers of this bouu and &mily.

V. — Tlw ordiaancaa of Qod are Hivifood of die memben of torn Sunilyi or lh« meoiu of their spirituej s>ipporL

Tl. — ^Hiom who do mifortake the houBC of uieir God «re those, — 1. Who continue in the faiih. 2. Who grow in ■;rue. 3. Wlio labour in the vineyard. 4. Whs bring forth TpuL 6. Who eonaeienUously attend all the ordinances. AiM^ 6. Who take care uie oflbrin^ to the house of Goo ahall be duly made; providing for those who liUxMir in dw woid and ooctriae.

TIL— Reader, 1. Art thou cTdiiB house 1 2. Art thou in dkis house? 3. To whaloart settle familjrdost thou belong? 4. Art tbou still an iDDUit In this house? 6. Dost thou »Ueid (he ordinances q/'this house 7 6 Hasttliou/ortoien Ais bouse? These questions are of great importance: answer Ibem as in the sight of Ood.

Terse 1. To bring m»<^tni^ Jerusalem certaittly had nany inhalHtaata at tnia time; but not sufficient to preserve tbe city^ which was now encompassed with a wall \ and the rebuilding of which was eoing on fast. Nehemiah, therefore, obliged one UnA m dw eouiUry ptoph to come and dwell in a, that Ae populatisn mig^t be stiflicient for the preservBdon ami deftnce of the ei^. Tm were set apart, and (be lot cast among them to «e nAfcft «ne of the ten should take up his residence in the dty.

Terse % Alt t&^ men that viUingty i(fer«d\ Some Tobtnittrad their services t which was considered a sacriiee to patriotism at that time; aa Jeniialem aflbrded very WW advantages, and was a plac« of considerable danger: heoee die ptopU tpoke wdt qf ffum, and no doubt pmyed nr Ood'a aleasiBg upon them.

Tens 3. JVmo Itoe are tfie cUf/] A good deal of diSercnoQ will be found between the ettutnsrafion htre and that

13 And their brethren that did the work of the house were ei^ht hundred twenty and two: and Adaiah the pon of Jeroharo, the son of Pelaltnh, the Fon of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchiah,

13 And his brethren, chief of the fathers, two hundred forty and two: and Amashai the son of Azurecl, the son of Ahaeat, the son t^Meshtllemoth, the son of Immer.

14 And their brethren mighty men erf* valoar, a hundred twenty and eight: and their overseer waft Znhdiel, ' the son of one of the great men.

15 Also of the Levites: Shemeiiah the eon of Hushub, the eon of Azrikam, the son of Haahabiah, the son of Bunni:

16 And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief of the Levites, ' had the oversight of ' the outward business of the house of God.

17 And Mattantah the son of Micha, Ihe eon of Zabdi, the son cd* Asaph, was the principal to beetn the Uianksgivine in prayer; and Bakbukid the second amonff nls bretbreik and Abda the son of Shammaa, me son of Qala!, the eon of Jeduthun.

18 All the Levites in ' the holy raty were twst hundred fouracor-e and Ibor.

19 Moreover, the porters, Akkid>, Talmon, and their brethren, that kept ■ the f^tes, were a hundred seventy and two.

20 If And the residue of Israel, of the prieats and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance.

21 ■But the Nethinime dwelt in '•pphel: and Ziha and Giepa tcere over the Nethimms.

22 The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the sob of Har ehabtfUi, the sonof Mattaniah, ttie son of Micha. Of the sons of Anaph, the singers wer« Over the business of the house of God.

23 For ' it wag the king's commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the einprere, due for every day.

24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the cbildren of * Zerah, the son of Judah,

in 1 Chron. ix. 2, Ac. Utere, ihoae only who came wiUl ZerubbaLel, appear to be numbered: here tlictt, and tha persons who canw widi Eva and Nebemiah, enter into tha

Verse 9. And.foe^— was Huir otmear] Joel was chie^ or mftgiBirate over dwse t and Judah was hie tieond or deputy. Terhapa each bad a d^erent office, but duU of Joel was cAtfl/.

Verse 1 1. RuUr the hmue Chdl He had the command over all tteular mattery aa the high priest bad over those which were tpirituoL

Terae 16. Aiui SKoMdAoO l%ia veiae wiOi dte 21^ 21—29, 29—32, 33, 44, and 35, are oil wandog in the Stptuagint! and the whole chuiier is wanting in the ^roMs.

Tfu outiMtrd bUMineu] Colmet auppoeee that he provided the victuals for the priests, vietiiu for die aaerioM^ (he sacerdotal veatmenta, the sacred veaseli^ uid odicr iio> ceasariea for the service of the temple.

Verse 17. The prtnetpat to begin Ou thanbegiving} He pr«renfOT\piteher 01 the tune, or master singer.

Versa 22. Tna oter$eer oIm of Ihe Leciua] "Vpt pekid, the visitant, the inwptttor; translated tnemn^ biAop, both by the Septuagtnt and Vvtgate.

Verae 23. It was the ktn^e amvtandmeni] By the ting some underatand Dand, and otbera Arltixerxei. It ia moat probable that it waa the latter | who wiahed thata provision ehoald be made for these, a part ot whoae offiae waa to offer up jmyen also, aa well aa jrraleu. For we know that Dvriiu made an ample provision for the priesta, th(U they might i^er eactyteee qf neael eovomr unto Oie Ood m heaomt and pray Yor the life Ma fang and qf hte aoris, Ezra vi. 10. Some have lbou|^ that they bad been Jewiah singers employed in the semee of tbe Persian king, to whom he had given a lalacy, and to whom ha wiahed atill to oonlinue the sane-

25 And for the villaees. with their fields, some of the children of Juaah dwelt at t Kirjath-arba, and in the villagea thereof, and at DiboD, and in the villagCB thereof aoid at Jekabzeel, and in the viltogoa thereof,

26 And at Jeahua, and at Molaaah, and at Beth-phelet,

27 And at Hazar-ehuaJ, and at Beer-aheba, and in the villages thereof,

88 And at Ziklae, and at Mekonah, and in the Tillaffes thereof;

30 Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at AzekEih, and in the villagee ther^. And they dwelt f'rom Beer-sheba unto the valley of Hinnom.

31 The chUdren also of Benjamin ^from Gefaa dveU < at Miehmaah, and Aija, and Bethel, and in their villageB,

36 And of the Levites -were diviaiona in Judah, tad in Benjamin.

^"^ML IVrOW these are the iprieste and OLL»^ 11 the Levites that went up with S^diu Zerubbabel the son of SheaUieL and — Jeshua: " Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

7 * Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chief of the priests, and of their brethren in the days of ' Jeshua.

Verae 24. Pethahiah — was at the kin^t hatu£\ He wu Aw governor appointed by the Peraian kin^ over the Jewiiih nation in thow matters in which the civil government interfered with Jewish concenu. He no douU fixed, levied, and received, the tribute.

Terse 28. B^conah'\ This uty is also unknown. Terse 31. Oebd\ Probably the same as OibeaJx qf Saul Terse 32. Anania/i\Tio city of this name is known. Terse 34. HatUd] This place is also unknown. NAaliat.] Also unknown.

Terse 35. Lod, and OnoJ These towns were boilt by the sons of Kpau, 1 Chron. viii. 12.

7%< vaiUy cra/ZmsR.] See 1 Chroo. iv. 14. Probdily this mter town was boiIt in this voOey.

Terse 36. ^nd Q%ie LeeUa wero diviaUmti] The Levites had their dwellings in the divisions of Judah and Benjamin. This ia probably the meaning: the Syriae •ays, they hmt the hoff qf Judah and Btt^min; which is not likely.

That the people, Irboae hearts were now turned toward Ike Lord, would make tbe best provision for the support «f God's work, and all those engaged in it, we may naturallv suppose i but this could not w very eieal, as ihe eomplete service was not jret establ idled, ana Ihe Levites tbemselves were few in number.

Terse 1. Noto these are th» priats] Not the icAoIe, but tlte thief of tbem, as we are infbnned, Terses 7, 2% ZSLaadM.

The S^phiagiai omit ver. 3. exeept the word SutAaniah; as also verses 4, 6, S— 9, 37, 39, 39, 40, and 41. The Arabic omits the tmntifeix ftrst verses, and ver. 29. Hentioa ia made of Ezra in this verse; and be ia generatty allowed to be that Ezra whose book tbe reader has alrmdy psssed over, and wtw came to Jerusnlem in the tins M Cyras vilh Zenbbabd. If this were the wme,

9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, vsere over against them in the watches.

11 And Joiada begat Jonathtu, and Jonathan beeat Jaddua.

12 And in the days of Joiakim were priests, tfie chief of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; «f Jeremiah, Hanajiiah;

19 And of JoiarQ),Mattenai; of Jedaiah,Uzii;

22 1 The Levites, In the days of EUashiL Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded chief of the fathers: also the prints, to the r^gn of Darius the Persian.