Exposition of the Whole Bible

SANBAL LAT and his brethren hearing the wall was finifhed, fent to Nehemiah to have a meeting with him at a place named, which he refufed, y. 1—2. then they fent him a terrifying letter, fuggefting that he, and the Yews with him, would be treated as rebels, fince their intention, as reported, was to make him king, which. letter he regarded not, ¥.3—9. then they employed fome that pretended to be prophets, to advife him to flee to the temple for fafety, which he rejected, yy. 10-— 14. and fo the work went on and was finifhed, though there was a fecret correfpondence carried on between their enemies, and fome falfe ' brethren among themfeves, ¥. 15—19.

¥. 1. Now it came to pafs, when Sanballat and Tobiah, and Gefhem the Arabian, and the reft of our enemies heard that 1 had builded the wall, &c. Quite

finifhed it: and that there was no breach left therein; but all was made up firm and ftrong: bough at that time I had not fet up the doors upon the gates; not upon all of them, though fome might by the particular builders of them; and they all of them might be ready made, though not as yet put upon the hinges.

y. 2. Then Sanballat, and Gefeem fent unto me, &c.] Meffengers: /aying, come, let us meet together in fome one of the villages; in Cepbirim, which archi takes to be the name of a place, perhaps the fame with Cephirah, a city in the tribe of Benjamin, Fofo. xviii. 26. in the plain of Ono; which was in the fame tribe, fee 1 Chron. viii. 12. they might pretend a friendly meeting to accommodate differences between them, or to converfe together about the general intereft of the king of Perfa in thofe parts: Lut they thought to do me mifchief; to kill him, or at leaft to confine him; this he either conjeCtured from their general character and behaviour, or he had intelligence of their defign.

¥. 3. And I fent meffengers unto them, &c.] He did not fhow any open contempt of them, nor did he even return anfwer by the meffenger that came from them, but fent fome of his own people to them: faying, I am doing a great work; was about an affair of great importance, very bufy, and not at leifure to give them a meeting: /o that I cannot come down, Ferufalem being built on an eminence, and the place propofed to meet at in a plain, going thither is expreffed by coming down: why foould the work ceafe, whilft I leave it, and come down to you? fignifying that it would ceafe if he left it; and it being of greater confequence than any thing they could have to converfé about, he argues it would be wrong to relinquiffi it on fuchi an account; this was the reafon he thought fit to give, but was not the only, nor the priricipal reafon which is fuggefted ih the preceding verfe.

XY. 4. Vet they ent unto me four times after this fort, &c.1 Being very defirous of getting him_ into their hands, and therefore were very preffing and importunate: and I anfwered them after the fame manner 5 every tifme as before, he being as much bent on finifhing the work, as they were to divert him from it.

¥. 5. Then fent Sanballat bis fervant unto me in like manner, the 5th time, &c.| In his own name, neither Zodiah nor Gefbem joining with him, he being more folicitous and anxious to get him into. his hands than any of them; and it may be, as fome think, pretending more friendfhip for him than the reft, and therefore writes alone, as if they knew nothing of his writing: with “an open letter in bis hand, which having in it an intimation of Nehemiah being guilty of treafon, any one that would might read it, and fo fpread the defamation.

¥.6. Wherein was written, it is reported among the heathen, &c.] Among the feveral neighbouring nations; it was an affair that was not whifpered about among a few only; it was common talk, it was in every body’s mouth in divers nations: and Gafhmu faith it, the fame with Ge/bem the Arabian, he affirms it, and will abide by his affertion,. and engages to make good what he fays; he men= tions him by name, who he knew would not be offended with him for making ufe of it, and who doubtlefs agreed that he fhould; that Nebemiab might not think this was the talk of fome of the lower rank of the people, but. even was ‘averred by no lefs than the king’s governor in Arabia:.

Ch.viv.7—ire. MEARE MTAG. 133 that thou and the Fews think to rebel; that they had formed a fcheme, and were taking meafures to raife a rebellion againft the king of Perf, and revolt from him: for which caufe thou buildeft the wall; the wall of Ferufalem, for their fecurity &c. againft any force that might be fent to quell them: that thou mayeft be their king, according to thefe words; written in this epiftle, and reported among xight they will come to Slay thee; that very night; and therefore no time fhould.be loft in providing for his fafety, Pan, ¥ -y.131, And I Jaid, foould fuck a@ man as F flee 2 The king’s commifiioner, -whowhad the conduéting and management of the ‘whole affair of building the wall of Feru/alem,-on whom it wholly depended; for thould he abfent himfelf, the heathens. the people would depart, and leave> their work,

¥. 7. And thou haft alfo appointed prophets to preach. of thee at Jerusalem, &c,] This he faid to cover what he and Todiab had been doing, tampering with, corrupting and hiring the prophets to difcourage him, and put him upon methods, whereby the work would ceafe: Jaying, there is @ king in Fudab, befides Artaxerxes, whofe yoke they were cafting off, having gota king of their own, and among them: and now hall it be reported to the king, according to thefe words fuch a Feport and the city and wall be left defencelefs, which was what was hoped for from this fcheme; and who. had exprefied fuch confidence in God,’ and had had fuch fuccefs.: and who is thereebat being as 7 am; in fuch a poft, and in fuch citeumftances,:and on whom fo much depended: would go into the tempie to fave bis life? or where there-was [little reafon to. be believe it would be preferved long, fhould he take fuch’ a ftep as that's 7 will not goin; as being neither lawful, nor honourable,

_ as this, andin thoie very words, ‘will foon reach the nor fafe. ears of the king of Perfa: come now therefore, and let us take counfel together;

king, or that prophets were appointed to declare him fuch: but thou feigneft them out of thine own heart, in fhort, that they were no other than lies of his own inventing.. tiv afraid,.and do fo, yt. 12.. And lo, I perceived that God bad not Sent contrive the beft me- him, &c.] Becaufe he advifed to that which was j againft the caufe of God, and true religion: but that he pronounced: the prophecy againft mes for by and fleeing, as he advifed, it would feem that he was guilty of the crimes of rebellion and treafon he and leaving the people, as they ] | Whether al would in courfe break up, -he himielf could not be long in ‘fafety; no, not in. the temple: for Tobiab and Sanballat had hired him; this he found and make him out afterwards, on purpofe to intimidate him, and take fuch meafures as that thereby he would lofe his character, and his influence.

thod to put a ftop to this report, if a fall one, and to wipe off the reproach that is upon thee, and may affect us; and thus partly terrifying him,. partly pretending friendfhip to him, hoped to get him into his hands. was charged with;

letter, or a meflenger,; is not faid: Jaying, there are no fuch things done as thou fayefi that there was any fcheme formed to rebel;

13. Therefore was he hired, that I foould be and fin, &c. ] By diftrufting the power and providence of God to protect. him, and by going into fuch a part of the temple, which ‘he, being no prieft, had no right to go into: and that they might hove matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me; as'a rebel and traitor again& the king, which had been reported of him, and which would be ftrengthened by fuch a ftep. 00! / fe il My God, think thou on Tobiab and Sanballat, according to thefe-their works, &c.] Their wicked counfels and fchemes, and not only confound and difappoint them, but ‘reward them as they deferve: and on the prophete/s Noadizh; whom Aven Ezra takes to be the ‘fame. with Shentaiab, becaufe'he faid, “Wy3 let us meet, 8c. ¥o10, but no doubt it is the name ‘of 4 woman, a falfe prophetefs, and was hired, and in the fame fcheme with Shemaiah: and the ret of the prophets that would have put me in fear; and fo put him on leaving the people, and the work ‘he was engaged in, and flee for his fafery; it feems there were more than are by name mentioned, who fought to difcourage and intimidate him. | We 15. So the wall was finifbed in the 25th day of the month Elvi; &c.] The fixth month an- {wering: to»part of Augujé and part of September: in 52 days; which Aben Ezra reckons’ from_ the time that Sandallat fent his letter to Nebemiab, when) no®* more were wanting than to fet the doors upon’ the gates, y.1. but rather thefe, with Farchi, muft be reckoned from the time the building was begun’; which reckoning back from the 2 5th of Elul, it will-appear it was begun the third day, of the fifth month 44; nor need this be thought incredible, confidering the number of worknien, their ardour and diligence in building, and that the walls were not wholly built all around, only repaired; and breaches Sete up, and much of the me a

¥. 9. For they all made us afraid, &c.1 Or you all, as dben Ezra interprets it; or all the heathen nations, as.farchi; this was the defign of all thofe fcandalous reports, to intimidate them, and, with this they pleafed themfelves, as follows: their hands Jfoall be weakened from the work, that it be not done; this they hoped would be the effect of thofe.reports fent to them: now therefore, O God, Sivengthen my bands 3 and let them not have what they will, and hope for; according to Aben Ezra, thefe words are directed to Sanballat, that if he was.a friend, as he pretended, that inftead of weakening, he would ftrengthen his hands by a fincere reconcilia- tions fo Vatablus; but they are an addrefs to God, fuch fhort ejaculations being ufual with Nebe- _miab. ¥.10. Afterward I came unto the houfe-of Shemaiah the fon of Delaiab, the fon of Mebetabeel, who was fout up, &c.}, Either in his own houfe, or in a chamber in the temple, as if he had given himfelf up to meditation, fafting, and prayer;. or as he might fuggeft toNebemiab, for his fafety; and fo defigned it as an example to him this man might be a prieft of the courfe of Delaiah, 1 Chron. xxiv. 18. or however he wasa perfon Nehemiah had a good opinion of, and came to him on, the letters fent to him by his enemies, to confult-with him, and the reft, fince they had fuggefted that he had appointed prophets to fpeak of.him as a king: and he faid, let us meet together in the houfe | of Goll, within the temple, and let us fout the doors of the temple, this looks as if he:was im his own _houfe, or if in a chamber of the temple, that he thought that was not fecret and. fafe’ enough, and therefore propofed. going within the temple, | into the holy place, where none but priefts might. gor for they will come to flay thee; meaning his » enemies, Saudgllat and his companions; yea, in the old materials were made ufe of, which were at hand, and ftone unhewed, and efpecially being attended with the bleffing of God, which fucceeded the undertaking: nor are there wanting examples fimilar to this; and as it is obferved by many from Curtjus*, the walls of new Alexandvia, which were fixty furlongs in length, or more chan feven miles, were finifhed in 17 days; if Nicephorus ’ is to be credited, the high walls which furrounded Conjtantinople, and were twenty miles in circumference, were finifhedin two months time. ‘Jofephus is not to be regarded, who contrary to the fcriptures fays *, this wall of Ferufalem was two years and four months in building.

¥.16. And. it came to pafs, that when all our enemies heard thereof, &c.} That the wall was finifhed: and all the heathen that were about us faw th fe things; the neighbouring nations, who not only heard with their ears; but faw with theif eyes what was done: they were much caft down in their ovn eyes; through fhame arid confufion; becaufe them; letters pafled between them frequently, they informing him how things went on at Yerujalem, and he advifing them to what was detrimental to the true intereft of their nation; fuch falle friends had Nebemiah about him, and. yet the work fucceeded under him; which fhewed it the more to;

¥. 38. For there were many in Judah fworn unto him, &c.| To Tobiab, who not ouly in.a private manner’ correfponded with him by letters, but bound themfelves by an oath to him to be true to his intereft, and do as he fhould advife them: 4ecaufe he was the fon-in-law of Shechaniah, the fon of Arab; of a family that came up with Zerubbabeb from the captivity, Ezra ii. 5. and very probably of confiderable note: and his fon Fohanan had taken the daughter of Mefbullam the jon of Berechiah, a very eminent perfon, concerned in bailding the wall, ch. ili. 4, 30.

¥.19. Allo they reported his good deeds before me, &c.] Recommended him as a very worthy man, of their own fcoffs and jeers; through grief and deferving of refpect and notice by Nehemiah, and vexation at the unexpected fuccefs of the ews, and through the fear of them that was fallen upon them, as Farchi notes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God; his fpecial providence and bleffing attending it, as appeared by its being fo foon effected.

to be taken into his friendfhip, and admitted to cotiverfation with him, whofe counfel. and advice might be of fervice: and uttered my words to bim 5 reported both what he faid and did; for the word ufed fignifies both words and actions:

¥.17. Moreover in thofe days, &c.] While the telligence of his friends, that Nehemiah would have the nobles of Fudah fent many|\nothing to fay to him, nor to do with him, he letters to Tobiab, and the letters of Tobiah came unto'threatened him.

NEHEMIAH having built the wall, and fet upjGod the doors, appointed two perfons to take the charge of the city, and fet watches for the fafety of it, and to take {pecial care about opening and fhutabove many; Hananiah was exemplary in his fear of God, few were equal to him, and none }exceeded him; or of many days, as Farchi; of a. long time he had feared the Lord, and ferved him ting the gates of it, y.1, 2, 3. and concerned he was for the peopling of it, and having found a re-

many years. ¥. 3. And I faid unto them, let not the gates of

gifter of the firft comers to it, gives their names, Ferafalem be opened until the fun be bor, &c.| Or un- y¥. 469. and forme account of the free-will-offerings made for the work they came about, y.

¥. 1. Now it came to pafs when the wall was built, and I had fet up the doors, &c.] Which was

til the heat of the day, or near noon; at leaft not till the fun had been up fome time, and fhone out clearly, and caufed much heat; that if any enemies were near, or lying in wait, they might be difcovered, and the inhabitants alfo up and ready to defend themfelves: and while they ftand by; accord- not done when Sandaillat fent his firft letter, butling to Asem Ezra, Hanani and Hananiah were to now was, ch. vi. 1. and the poriers and the fingers, and the Levites were appointed; not to attend the doors of the gates of the wall, but to return to be prefent at the opening and fhutting of the gates, and fo Grotius; but thefe being the chief rulers, ic is not likely; but rather thofe whom they appoint- their fervice in the temple, who had been employed to look after them, thefe were to ftand by.

ed in one thing or another, whilft the wall and gates were building and repairing; fee ch. iii. 17. ¥. 2. That I gave my brother Hanani, &c.|) Who firft brought him the melancholy account of the ftate of Ferufalem, ch.1, 2. and Hananiah the ruler of the palace; the king’s palace, in which the vice-roy of the king of Perfia dwelt, and now Nehemiah; to thefetwo men he gave charge over Ferufalem; committed it to their care during his abfence, who may be fuppofed now to return to Perfia, «3 he had promifed ch. ii. 6. for be was a faithful man, thisis faid of Hananiab, and given as a reafon why fuch a truft was committed to him; Hanani’s character was well known, and _ his jour- whilft their fervants did it; they were not to leave it wholly to them, but to fee it done themfelves: let them fout the doors, and bar them; or lay hold* on them, handle’ them to fee whether. they are fhut faft orno: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Ferufalem, every one in bis watch, and every one to be over-againft bis boufe; no foreigners were to - be of the watch, only inhabitants, and thofe every one in their turn, and to be placed over-againit where they dwelt; and fo it might be thought would be the more careful and diligent in their watch. fy. ¥. 4. Now the city was large and great, &c.] The circumference of it, all within the'wall; for ney from Ferufalem to Shufhan was a full proof of his hearty concern for the intereft of it: and feared that was built on its old foundation, and inclofed as much ground as ever it did: Hecateus*, an.

and Tobiab: Jent letters to put me in fear; perceiving by the in- heathen writer, fays the circumference of Feru/alem was fifty furlongs, which was more than fix miles; but Fo/epbus * makes the circuit of it but 33 furlongs: but the pople were few therein; in comparifon of the largenefs. of the place; for tho’ there were 42,360 that came up at firlt with Zerudbabel, and many more with Ezra, yet a great number chofe to ‘fettle in the towns and cities in the country, Yerufalem being in fuch a defolate condition: and the hou'es were not builded; fome were, but they were but few, many of them ftill lay in ruins.

¥. 5. And my Ged put into mine heart, &c.] Every good motion in him, and whatever he thought of that was conducive to the good and welfare of Ferufalem, Nehemiah always afcribed it to God; fee 2 Cor. ili. 5. to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy; that their number might be known, and of what families they were, and in what cities they formerly dwelt; and this was not only of ufe for the prefent purpofe of.Nebemiah, but was of fervice hereafter to fhew the pedigree of families, and that it might be clearly known from whence the Meffiah {prung: and I found a regifter of the genealogy of them which came up at the firft; from Babylon to Ferufalem, along with Zerubbadel, as appears from y. %. and this was of great ufe to him, whereby he would know not only. their names and number, but to what city they belonged, and who to the city of Ferufalem, that they might be called upon to come, and rebuild their houfes, and take up their refidence there: and found coritten therein, the names of the perfons and families after- mentioned.

piers, or to the different pronunciation of names, or fome men might have two names; the matter is of no great moment.

¥ 10. And fome of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work, &c.] Of building the city and the temple, and for that fervice, Ezra ii. 68, the Tirfhathah gave to the treafure 1000 drams of gold; each of which was one pound fterling, and fo amounted to fo many pounds: of thefe dracmons, or davies, a Perfiancoin, mention is made in Ezra ii. 69. they were golden ftaters or fhekels, and had their name, as isfaid, not from Darius, the father of Xermes, though it iscertain, from Herodotus‘, that he coined golden money; but from fome other king of the fame name, more ancient*, which mutt be Darius the Mede; and if they are the fame with the Adarcon in Ezra vii. 27. as they feem to be, then thofe in 1 Chron. xxix. 7. were pieces of money not fo called in the times of David, but of Ezra, - the writer of that book: whether this Tix/batha was Zerubbabel, or Nehemiah, is not eafy to fay, fince this donation is. not the fame with that in Ezra, not made at the fame time, nor are the gifts the fame, nor the perfons that gave them. Zerudbabel was Tirfhatha when the Fews came out of Babylon, and Nehemiah now: jijty bafons; which were veflels, in the which the blood of the facrifices was received, and out of which it was fprinkled: 530 priefis garments, which were laid up in the ward- y. 71. And fome of the chief of the fathers gave to the treafure of the work, &c.] To be put into the treafure, out of which the expences of the temple, and fervice of it were defrayed: 20,000 drams of gold; which were fo many pounds of our money, y. 6. Thefe are the children of the province that and fomewhat more; for according to bifhop Cum- went up out of the captivity, &c.| Who were of the province of Yudea, as it was nowreduced, and came up out of the captivity of Babylon through the edict of Cyrus; fee Ezra ii.1. where the fame preface is given to the lift of names as here; and from hence to the end of ¥. 69. the fame account is given of perfons and families as there, with fome little difference of numbers and names; in fome inftances there are more in this lift, in others fewer, which may be thus accounted for; that lift was made in Babylon, when upon-the edict of Cyrus the ews, who intended to go up with Zerubbadel, gave in their names, and they were regiftered; but this was made when they came to Feru/alem; now fome of thofe that gave in their names, changed their minds, and tarried in Babylon, and fome might die by the way which makes the numbers fewer in forme inftances; and others who did not give in their names at firft, but being better difpofed towards their own country, followed after and joined thofe which were returning, and increafed the number of others; to which may be added what dbendana obferves, that in Ezra an account is given of thofe that came out of the captivity by the companies, in which they came not genealogized, and had a mixture of perfons of other families in them, and fome that had no genealogy; but afterwards when they were genealogized according to their families, a regifter of their genealogies was made, and. is what Nebemiah now found, and here gives; and as for difference of names, that may be owing to the carelefnefs of co- berland‘, a dram of gold was of the value of 29 fhillings and four-pence: and 2200 pounds of filver 3 the maneb, or pound, with the Jews was of the value of 60 fhekels, Ezek. xlv. 12. and fo is reckoned by our Brerewood* to be of our money feven pounds and ten fhillings; he reckoning a fhekel at half a crown, whereas it was little more than two fhillings and four pence; and fo fixty of them, or a maneb, came to about 7 pounds; wherefore this fum here was feven times fo many pounds of filver.

¥. 72. And that which the refi of the people gave was 20,000 drams of gold, &c.] Worth as many pounds of our money, and fomewhat more: and 2000 pound of filver; of which fee the preceding note: and 67 priefts garments; having been fo long in Babylon, and no ufe of facrifices, and fo not of garments to minifter in, no care was taken to provide any; which feems to be the reafon why fo many were given, when they returned to theirown land, and facrificed.

¥. 73. So the priefts and the Levites, and the porters, and the fingers, and fome of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Ifrael dwelt in their cities, &c.

The fame is faidin Ezraii. 70. fee the note there: and when the feventh month came, the children of Ijrael were in their cities; the month Ti/ri anfwering to part of September, in which month was the feaft of tabernacles; at this time of the year they were in their cities when they came forth out of Babylon, and fo they were now; fee Ezra iii. 1.

. | ‘Cae F284 being defired to bring forth the book of with him after-mentioned: before the men and the 4 the law, read it to the people and others, ex-|women, and thofe that could underfiand; {ee ¥. 2. pounded it to them, ¥. 1—8. and Nehemiah ex-|and the cars of all the people were attentive unto the horted the people to exprefs joy and gladnefs on this] ook of the law; tothe hearing of it read, and to eccafion, which they did, y. 9—12. and obferv- the things contained in it; hence Maimonides * oaing the feaft of tabernacles was in the law command- thers, that as foon as the reader begins the reading ed to be obferved, they kept it very, ftri€tly and joy- of the law, it is not lawful to {peak about an fully, ¥.13—18, > thing,”not even the conftitutions of the law, but fi-.) “bet. |lendy to attend to what is read. ice - y.1. And all the people gathered themfelves together as one man into the fireet that was before the water gate, &c.] A large and commodious ftreet for fuch a company of people, which led to the wa; ter-gate, of which fee ch. iii. 26. hither the people gathered with great unanimity, Zeal, and affection: and they [poke unto Ezra the fcribe; the fame who is called Ezra the prieft, and feribe of the law of God, and faid to be a ready one, Ezra vii. 6,11, ¥2. who came to Yeru/elem 13 years before this time; but very probably returned to Babylon again, and was lately come from thence: #0 bring the book of the lawof Mofes, which the.Lord bad commanded to Ifrael; to obferve what wascommanded in it, and which he had ordered to be read particularly every feventh year at the feaft of tabernacles, Deut. 10, 11. which was now drawing near, though this was not the precife time of reading it; have thought this year was the fabbatical year; y¥.4. And Ezra the fcribe frood upon a pulpit of wood, which they bad made for the purpofe, &c.} Or to fpeak out of, as the Syriac and dradic verfions 5: this, in the Hebrew text, is called a sower*, partly becaufe of its height, and partly becaufe in the form of one; and allo for its largenefs, confidering the ufe it was for; for it was. fo largess to hold fourteen men, as appears by what follows: a pulpit of wood was made for the king in the court, to read the law from *; though, according to Facod Leo, it was a throne like an high tower, fee the note on 2 Kings xi. 14. the pulpits, in the Fewi/b fynagogues, made after the fame manner as Aden #zra obferves, are called by the fame’ name: and Ze/de him food Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah; xxxi.jand Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maafeiah, on bisright and; and on his left band, Pedaiah, and Mifbael, hence fome and Malchiah, and Hafhum, and Hafhbadana, Zefee chariah, and Me/bullam; in all thirteen; there were ch. v. 11. fix on his right, and feven on his left, who flood

¥. 2. And Ezra the prieft brought the law before the congregation, &c.| Having a perfect copy of it, which the people knew, and therefore defired him to bring it; he brought it either out of his own cafe or cheft, or out of the temple where it was laid up; fome reftrain,this to the book of Dewteronomy; this he produced in fight of the whole affembly: doth of men and women; adult perfons of each fex, who met promifcuoufly; though Grotius thinks the women had a feparate place: could hear with underftanding;

here, not merely in honour to him, and as approvers. and fupporters of the truth of what he read, but to relieve him when weary.

y.5. dud Ezra opened the book in the fight of all - the.people, (for be was above all the people) &zc.| So plainly feen by them, and what he did, amd the more eafily heard, for which purpdfe, the pulpit was made for him to ftand in, and whem he opened it, all the people frood up; that they might the betad all that)ter hear.the law read, as well as in honour and reall’ under age, whojverence of it; the Yews fay *, that from the times es to Rabban Gamaliel, they learned the law feventhjonly ftanding; but after his-death a diteafe came Sep-jinto the world, and they learned it fitting; and /now it is a canon with them, that it is not nece{- fary to ftand at the reading of the law®, yet weré capable of hearing the law read to fomejof Mo advantage to them: upon the firft day of the month; the month Zi/ri, anfwering to part of tember and Oéfober; this was a high day, for not only the firft of every month was a feftival, but the firft of the feventh month was the feaft of blowing of trumpets, Lev. xxiii. 24. and befides, this was new year’s day, the firft day of their civil year, as the firft of Nifan was of their ecclefiaftical year, and was of greater antiquity than that; Farchi fays, this was the firft day of the year; which may be added, that this was the day which the altar was firft fet up, on the Yews return from captivity, Ezra iii. 6.

¥. 6. dud Ezra. bleffed the Lord the great God, - 8c.] Before he began to read in the book of the law, he addrefled himfelf to God ina fhort prayer, wholly in the benedictory way; afcribing bleffing, and folhonour, and glory to him, celebrating his bein tojand perfections, fetting forth his greatnefs and his onjexcellency, who was the author and giver of the law he was about to read; and this he the rather did, that what he read might be the more carefully injattended to, and come with the;greater authority,. weight, and influence on thofe that heard it and fo Maimonides ° fays, it is the cuftom with the ‘Zews, in their fynagogues, for the reader, after he has opened the book, and looked out ace he reads, to fay this bleffing, * Blefied art t ou, O Lord our God, King of the world, who hath ~ chofen us out of all people, and hath giv: us his. law; blefied art thou, O-Lord, who given us the law; and all the people anfwer, Amen;” as — 9 turrem i i, Montanus 5 fo Dionyfias is id, oncior

¥. 3. And he read therein, &c.| Some paffages it here and there, which it was neceffary the people fhould have knowledge of;’ for it can hardly be thought he began and read on juft in the order in which it was; this he did before the /treet; at the top of it, at one end of it: that was before the water-gate, which looked direétly to that: from the morning until mid day, from the rifing of the fun to noon, fo that he mutt read ‘fix hours; but very probably was relieved at times by the men, » Hilchot Tephillah, ¢. 12. §.

they now did, as follows: and all the people anfwered, Amen, amen, repeating the word, to declare their hearty affent to what Azra had exprefied; the Jews have many rules concerning pronouncing the Amen, that it muft not be too quick, curt, and thort, nor with too high a voice-?: with lifiing up their bands 5 a prayer-gefture, to which the apoftle beard the words of the law, perceiving they had not kept it, but had broke it in many inftances, and fo liable to the wrath and judgment of God in cafe of difobedience.

¥. 10. Then he faid unto them, 8c.) Nebemiab the Tirfbatha or governor: go your way; to their own houfes, and refrefh themfelves; it being noon, refers, 1 Lim. ii. 8. ond they bowed their beads, and and they had ftood many hours attentive to the worfbipped the Lord with their faces to the ground; expreffing hereby the awful fenfe they had of the reading and expounding of the law: eat the faty and drink the fweet; not a common meal, but a

Divine Being, and their profound adoration of feaft, confifting of the richeft provifions, rhe beft him. + y. 7. Alfo Fefoua, and Bani, and Sherebiab, Famin, akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijab, Maafeiab, Keltta, Azariah, Fozabead, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, Sc.) That is, others of them befides thofe named; for they feem all to be Levites, unlefs they can be thought to be priefts, and fo the Levites are diftinguifhed from them; but the former feems evident from ch. ix. 4, 5, 6. thefe alfo caufed the people to underftand the law as well as Lzra; from whence it is plain, that he did not only read the law, but gave the fenfe of it, efpecially where there was any feeming difficulty, and thefe men were affifting in the fame work: and the people ttood in their place, to hear the law read and explained; they did not move from their firft ftation, but continued in it from morning to noon; they were both attentive and conftant., y¥. 8. So they read in the book, &c.| Ezra and thote with him; he firft began to read and expound, and when weary they relieved him, and did the fame: in the law of God diftinély; which was the book they read in, and which they read plainly and intelligibly, fo as to be heard and underftood; this feems to refpect the clear and diftinét pronunciation of the words of it, and not the explanation or meaning of it, which is after exprefled; fome think the fenfe is, that they firft read it in Hebrew, and then tranflated it into Chaldee, that the people might better underftand it, being jult come out of Babylon, where they had been uted to the Chaldee Janguage; but though this was a practice in aftertimes, it does not feem to have obtained fo early, or that there was.a neceflity of it: and gave the fenfe, and caufed them to underfiand the reading; not hereby how to read it, but chiefly to underftand what was read, that they might clearly know their duty to God and men: the Talmudifis * give the meaning of the text thus; by the law of God they underitand the fcripture, by the phrafe dz tind- ly, the Targum or tranflation of it into Chaldee, by the fenfe, the verfes or the accents, and by she reading, the diftinétion of the accents; fome: think, from hence came the practice of reading the law in the fynagogues every fabbath day, és xiii. 15. and’xv. 29

¥. 9. ‘And Nehemiah which is the Tirfhatha, &c.] Or governor, as Zerubbabel had been, and now Nehemiah, fee Ezra ii. 63. and Ezra the prieft and feribe, tee yy 1, 2. and the Levites that taught the people, fee ¥. 7. faid unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God;-being both the new moon and the feaft of blowing of trumpets: mourn not, nor weep; which was unfuitable to a feftival, and efpecially fuch an one as this, in which trumpets were to be blown, and gladnefs to be fhewn, Numb, x. 10. for all the people wept, when they of food and liquors: and fend portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared; for the poor, who had no food at home provided for them; the widow, fatherlefs, and ftranger, who at feftivals were to partake of the entertainment, Deut. xvi. 11. for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be you forry; confirming what the Levztes had faid’ and exhorted to, ¥. 9. for the joy of the Lord is your Jtrength; to rejoice as the Lord commanded them on fuch days as thefe, was a means both of increafing their bodily ftrength and their inward ftrength, and of fitting them the more to perform their duty to God and men with chearfulnefs, which forrow and heavinefs made unfit for; and the joy which has the Lord for its object, and comes from him, is the caufe of renewing fpiritual ftrength, fo as torun and not be weary, walk and not faint, in the ways of God.

y. ir. So the Levites filled all the people, &c.} Made them quiet and eafy, being backed by the governor: /aying, Hold your peace, refrain from weeping and mourning: for the day is holy, a feftival, fet apart for joy and gladnefs: neither be ye grieved; inwardly; as they were not to fhow any figns of forrow outwardly, fo they were not to cherifh grief inwardly.

y. 12. And all the people went their way to eat and to drink, &c.| Freely and chearfully: and to fend portions; to the poor, who had nothing to eat and drink: and to make great mirth; with mufic, vocal and inftrumental: decau/e they bad underftood the words that were declared unto them, the meaning of the feveral laws read and explained unto them, whereby they better underftood their duty, and in what inftances and in what manner it was to be performed; how much more reafon is there for joy and gladnefs, when the gofpel, and the doctrines of it, are clearly known and underftood? Pf. Ixxxix. 15.

¥.13. And-on the fecond day were gathered together, 8cc.} The fecond day of the month, ‘and of the new year, the day after the feaft of blowing of trumpets, and after the law had been read and explained: the chief of the fathers of ail the people; heads of tribes and families: he priefts and the Levites; who, though they were inftructors of others, needed to be taught themfelves, of which they were fenfible: and therefore came unto Ezra the /cribe, even to underfiand the words of the law; fome things in it, which, upon reading the day before, they obferved had fome difficulty in them, and which they did not clearly and thoroughly underftand, and therefore applied to Zzra, a ready icribe in the law, for better information, and that they might be better able to teach’the people; which was highly commendable in them.

¥. 14. And they found written in the law whicd the Lord had commanded by Mofes, &c.] The children of IJ/rael, to be obterved by them; either by hearing it read the day before, or by converfation with Ezra, they perceived it was enjoined in the law, particularly in Lev. xxili, 39—43. Deut. xvi. 13. that the children of Ifrael fhould dwell in booths, in the feaft of the feventh month, which was the fame month, and this the fecond day of it, and therefore the time drew near for keeping it; for it was to begin the 15th.

y. 15. And that they foould publifo and proclaim in all their citi®s, and in Ferufalem, &c.| That is, as Jarchi interprets it, by fupplying it thus, and they commanded that they fhould publifh, &c, Ezra and thofe with him gave orders that heralds fhould proclaim in all cities where the Yews dwelt that the feaft of tabernacles would be kept, and they fhould prepare for it; and which feems to be the true fenfe, fince it is not written in the law chat fuch a proclamation fhould be made; but this was an order of their own, thereby to give notice of it, that all might be provided: Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive-branches, and pine-branches, and myrrle-branches, and palm-branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written, in Lev. xxiii, 40. where the three firft of thefe feem to be called boughs of goodly trees; though the ews * commonly underftand them of pome-citrons, of which the Syriac verfion here interprets the myrtle-branches; and by them are meant the citron-branches, with the leaves and fruit, and which the Fews make abfolutely neceffary to the keeping of the feaft, and

¥.16. So the people went forth; and brought them, &c.} Went out of Ferufalem to the mountains adjacent, and fetched in branches of the faid _ trees, one or another: and made themfelves booths, every one upon the roof of bis houfe; which were flar, Deut. xxii. 8. and they might be made any where, {fo be it they were open to the air: and im - their courts, and in the courts of the houfe of God; the common people, in the court-yards belonging to their houfes, and the priefts and Levites in the courts of the temple, the yards or open places ad- Joining to them: and in the fireet of the water gates which led to that, and feems to have been a very large ftreet, in which many booths might be built, ch. ill. 26. fee ¥.3. and in the fireet of the gate of

Epbraim,; which led tothe gate through which the road lay to the tribe of Ephraim, fee 2 Kings xiv.

13. mone were erected without the walls of the city, for fear of the enemy.

¥.17. And all the congregation of them that were come again out of captivity, made booths, 8c.) Thefe came to Ferujalem, and made them booths there; for there only was this feaft kept, fee Fobn vii: 2.

10. and fat under the booths, there they dwelt during the feven days of it, in commemoration of their anceftors dwelling in booths in the wildernefs, fee Lev xxiii. 42, 43. for ince the days of Fefoua the fon of Nun unto that day, had not the children of Ifrael done fo; Jofoua oblerved it, when he had brought and fettled the people of J/rael in the land of Canaan, and it had been obferved fince,’ before this time, as appears from x Kings viii. 2..

for beautiful ones will give a large price; fome of them go every year to Spain, and buy as many as they can, and dilpofe of them wherever ews live*: and thofe branches were to be fetched, nor properly fpeaking to make the booths of, which were made of boards and planks, but for the decoration of them; and it was not neceffary, according to Aven 65, 66. Ezra iii. 4. but’ not fo, with fach exaétnels, with fuch zeal and affection, with fuch a re» gard to the law of God, as to read it every day of the feaft, as in the next verfe, and with fuch joy and gladnefs; wherefore there is no reafon to fuipect a corruption in the text, as a learned man ™ does, who fuppofes that Fefoua is put for Fofab:

‘zra, that fome of each of thefe fhould be gathered for that purpofe, but of any fort of them; for he interprets the words disjunctively olive-branches, or pine-branches, or myrtle-branches, &%c. thele, according to the common notion of the ews, were tied up in little bundles, and carried in the hand, which they call Lu/abs,; and they obferve', the thick branches were for them, which included the reft; now thefe they were to fetch from the mount of Olives, and other mountains about Jeru/alem, near to which alfo there was a place called Motza *, whither they went, and gathered the willows of the brook mentioned in Lev, xxiii. 39.

ie this chapter we have an account of a faft kept by the Yews, which was obferved, as by outward aéts of humiliation, fo by confeffion of fin, reading the law, and worfhipping the Lord, y. 1, 2, 3. and of a long prayer that the Levites made, in which they celebrate the divine perfections, take notice of various inftances of the goodnefs of God to the people of J/rae/, acknowledge their manifold tranfgreffions, obferve the Lord’s correétion of them for them, in which they own he was righteous, y. 4—38.

¥.1. Now in the 24th day of this month, &c.| The-feventh month, the month Ti/ri or September, and there was very great gladne/s; that they were reftored unto and, fettled in their land, had the book of the law, and the knowledge of it, and were directed and enabled to obferve it.

¥. 18. Alo day by day, from the firft day unto the laft day, be read in the book of the law of God, &c.

That is, Ezra; this was done by him every day during the feaft, whereas, only the firft and lait days were the holy convocations on. which it feems to have been read: and they kept the feaft feven days, and on the eighth day was a folemn affembly, according two days after the feaft of tabernacles was ended: the children of I/rael were affembled with fafling, and with fackclothes, and earth upon them; which were.

all outward tokens of mourning and humiliation, fee Foel ie 8. 14. 1 Sam iv. 12,,which they could not fhow during the feftival; but chat being over, they return to it, fee ch. viii. 9.

'¥. 2. And the feed of Ifrael feparated themfelnes from all firangers, 8&c.\ Such as were genume J/- raelites, of the feed of Abrabam, who had married wives of the Gentiles, ftrangers to the common=- __ wealth of J/rael, either before the reformation by Ezra, not being then difcovered, or had fallen into this evil fince; but now, on the reading of the Jaw, — were convinced of it; and fo feparated themfelves from fuch wives, which was a proof of the truth of their repentance: and flood and confeffed their fins, and the iniquities of their fathers; particularly their taking of ttrange wives, which their fathers had allo done, and tet them a bad example, which they had followed; of ftanding and confeffing, fee Luke XViil. 13.

¥. 3. And they flood up in their place, &c.] In the outward court of the temple, where men ufed to ftand when they prayed and confeffed their fins: and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God; that they might the better know the mind and will of God, and do their duty: this they did one 4th part of the day; the {pace of three hours, from funrifing, or fix 0’ clock in the morning, to the time of the morning-facrifice, which was about nine o’ clock: avd another 4th part they confeffed; the goodnefs of God to them, and the fins they had been guilty of: aad worfbipped the Lord their God; bowed down before him in prayer and fupplication, and fo fpent three hours more, which reached to noon or 12 0’ clock; and from thence to 3 0’ clock, about the time of the evening-facritice, and from thence to» fun-fetting, or 6 o’ clock, and fo fpent the whole day in the above exercifes alternately.

¥.4. Then flood up upon the frairs of the Levites, &c.] On an afcent; an elevated place where the Levites ufed to ftand when they fung at the time of facrifice, and where they might be feen and heard

1 39 Abram, &c.] From among thé Chaldeans, and out of his father’s family: asd broughtelt him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees; by calling him from thence, of which fee Gem. xi. 28. 31. and xii. 1. to which may be added what Amama* on that place obferves; that fome think that the facred fire, which the Chaldeans worthipped, was kept in this city, from whence it was called Ur, that being worfhipped by them and by the Afyrians under the name ot Ur”: and gaveft him the name of Abrabam; which was changed when the covenant of circumcifion was given him, Gen. xvii. «,

¥. 8. And foundeft bis heart faithful before thee, &c.] A true believer in his word and promifes, Gen. xv. 6. and clofely attached to the fear of him; and obfervance of his commands, as abundantly appeared in the trial of him, in offering up his fon, Gen. xxii. 1, 2. 12, and madeft a covenant with kim, to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Febufites, and the Girgafhites, to give it, I fay, to bis feed, not to him perfonally, but to his pofterity, at leat including and chiefly defigning them; of which covenant fee Gen, xv. 18—21. and haft performed thy words, for thow art righteous; in all his ways and works, faithful to his promife, a covenant-keeping God, and who kept and fulfilled this éovenanc, afz fitting Fefoua to conquer the land of Canaan, and put J/rael into the pofleffion of it.

¥. 9. And didft fee the affhétion of our fathers in by the people: fe/oaa and Bani, Kadmiels Shebaniah, Bunni, sherebiab, Bani, and Chenani; feem to be all Lévites, fee ch, viii. 7. and cried with a loud voice unto the Lord their God; praying Egypt, &c.] The hard bondage in which their who!lives were made bitter tator of it, and compaffion, with great fervency, and making for the fins of the people and their own.

foabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethabiah, the fame as before, with a little variation of their names, and perhaps fome of them might have two names: and /aid; to the men that ftood and confefled their fins, ¥. 2. fland up; for tho’ they are before faid to ftand, yet, through fhame and confufion of face, and awe of the Divine Majefty, might be fallen on their faces to the ground: and ble/s the Lord your God for ever and ever; for all the great and good things he had done for them, notwithftanding their fins; and particularly for his pardoning grace and mercy they had reafon to hope s; and was not a mere {pecbut looked upon them in it with pity and fent them a deliverer, Exod.

bitter lamentation ii. 23. andiii. 7. and beardef? their cry by the Red ea which was before them, and the rocks on both and the hoit of Pharach behind, prefm, when he heard them, and wrought falvation for them, Exod. xiv. 10. 13.

¥. 10. And fhewedft fins and wonders upon Pha-~ raoh, and on all his fervants, and on all the people of bis land, &c.] By infliéting the ten plagues upon them: for thou knoweft that they dealt proudly againjt them behaved. haughtily to them, and detpifed them, fee Ewod. xviii. 11. fo didf thou get thee a name, as it is this day; difplayed his power on Pharaoh, and his goodnefs to I/rael, the fame of which reached all over the world, and continued co that day, fee Exod. ix: 16.

y. 11. And thou did? divide the fea before them,

for: and bleffed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blefing and praife, the glory of which! fo that they went through the midjt of the fea on ary and, &c.) That is, the J/raelites, fee Hxod. xiv.

name, nature, and perfections of his cannot be fet forth by the higheft praifes of men, and the largeft aicriptions of bleffing and honour to him.

¥. 6. Thou, even thou art Lord alone, &c.] Whofe name alone is Fehbovab, the one only true and living God: thou haft made heaven, the beaven of heavens with all their hoft, the airy and ftarry heavens, and the fun, moon, and ftars in them, and the third heaven, the feat of God, angels, and faints: ¢be earth and all things that are therein; men, bealts, trees, metals, minerals, (c. the feas and all that is therein, fithes, fea-plants, &Fc. fee Aéts iv. 24. and thou preferveft them all; they confift in thee, and are upheld in their being by thee,

21. and their perfecutors thou threweft into the deeps with great eafe, and with indignation, meaning the Egyptians, that purfued hotly after them, and were thrown into the fea: as a jiove into the mighty waters, where they funk and perifhed, fee Exod. XV. 4. 10

¥. 12. Moreover, thou leddeft them in the day by a cloudy pillar, &c.| The I/raeltes, to thelter them from the heat of the fun in a dry and barren wildernefs: and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wheretn they foould go; thro’ a tracklefs defart, fee Exod. xiii. 21, 22.

¥. 13. Thou cameft down alfo upon mount Sinai, &c.] By fome vifible tokens of his prefence, asa

¥. 7. Thou art the Lord the God, who did? choofe

ftood confiftent with his omnifcience, fe Exod. xix. 18. and fpakeft with them from heavens the decalogue or ten commandments, Fxod. xx. 1, &c, and gaveft them right judgments, and true laws, good fratutes and. commandments; both judicial and ceremonial, which were of excellent ufe to them in their civil and ecclefiaftical policy thefe were not fpoken to I/rael, but given to Mofes on the mount, to be delivered to them.. _ ¥. 14. And madeft known unto them thy boly fabbath, &c.] Which was not made known to others, and was peculiar to the Few#/h nation, and a privilege granted to them, to have reft corporal and fpiritual, typical of the reft in Chrift: and commandedft them precepts, flatutes, and laws, by the hand of Mofes thy fervant judicial, {uch as other nations had not, Deut. iv. 8. y. 15. And gaveft them bread from heaven for - their bunger, &c.] To fatisfy thar, meaning the - manna, Exod. xvi. 3, 4. and broughteft forth water for them out of the rock, for their thirft; to quench it; this was done both quickly after they came out of the land of Egypt, and a little before their entrance into the land of Canaan, fee Exod. xvii. 6. Numb. xx. 8. 11. and promifedft them that they foould go in to poffefs the land which thou badft worn to give them; which oath was made to them and to their fathers alfo, fee Numb. xiv. 30. Deut. i. 8. y. 16, But they and our fathers dealt proudly, &c.] Behaved in a haughty manner towards God, their kind benefactor: and hardened their necks; refufed to take the yoke of his law, \as refractory oxen, that withdraw their necks from the yoke: end kearkened not to thy commandments, to do them, though they promifed they would, Exod. XXiv. 7. _ x. 17. And refused to obey, &c.) Though exhorted, admonifhed, and threatened, fuch was their obftinacy: neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didft among them in delivering them at the Red Sea, in raining manna about them, and | fars of heaven, giving them water out of the rocks but hardened ikeir necks; fee the preceding verfe: and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage; they not only propofed it, but determined upon it, which is reckoned the fame as if they had done it, fee Numb. xiv. 4. but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, flow to anger, and of great kindnefs, as be had proclaimed his name betore Mo/es, and as the whole of his conduct towards the people of J/rael abundantly fhewed, fee Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. and forfookeft them not, when in the wildernefs, where otherwife they muft have perifhed, but ftill fed and protected them, notwithitand - ing their provocations.; ¥. 18. Yea, when they had made them a molten ‘calf, &c.] In imitation of the Apés, or ox of the Egyptians: and faid, This is thy God that brought thee out of Egypt; or the image of thy God, as the Arabic verfion, fee Exod. xxxii. 4. and had wrought great provocations; of all which nothing was greater than idolatry. ¥. 19. Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forfookef them not in the wilderne/s, 8cc.| Where no fupply could be had, if he had caft them off, fee y. 17. the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; which if it had, they would have been fcorched by the heat of the fun: neither the pillar of fire by night, to foew them light, and the sway wherein they foould go; or otherwife they would have loft their way, and not have known which way to have gone. ¥. 20. Thou gavef alfo thy good fpirit to inftrudt them, &c.} In the knowledge of the laws delivered