_AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MONTH NISAN, IN THE TWENTIETH YEAR OF ARTAXERXES THE KING, THAT WINE WAS BEFORE HIM: AND I TOOK UP THE WINE, AND GAVE IT UNTO THE KING. NOW I HAD NOT BEEN BEFORETIME SAD IN HIS PRESENCE._ It came to pass in the month Nisan. This was nearly four months after he had learne... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHEREFORE THE KING SAID UNTO ME, WHY IS THY COUNTENANCE SAD, SEEING THOU ART NOT SICK? THIS IS NOTHING ELSE BUT SORROW OF HEART. THEN I WAS VERY SORE AFRAID,_ The king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad? It was deemed highly unbecoming to appear in the royal presence with any weeds or signs... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND SAID UNTO THE KING, LET THE KING LIVE FOR EVER: WHY SHOULD NOT MY COUNTENANCE BE SAD, WHEN THE CITY, THE PLACE OF MY FATHERS' SEPULCHRES, LIETH WASTE, AND THE GATES THEREOF ARE CONSUMED WITH FIRE?_ NO JFB COMMENTARY ON THESE VERSES.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE KING SAID UNTO ME, (THE QUEEN ALSO SITTING BY HIM,) FOR HOW LONG SHALL THY JOURNEY BE? AND WHEN WILT THOU RETURN? SO IT PLEASED THE KING TO SEND ME; AND I SET HIM A TIME._ The queen also sitting by him. Since the Persian monarchs did not admit their wives to be present at their state festi... [ Continue Reading ]
_MOREOVER I SAID UNTO THE KING, IF IT PLEASE THE KING, LET LETTERS BE GIVEN ME TO THE GOVERNORS BEYOND THE RIVER, THAT THEY MAY CONVEY ME OVER TILL I COME INTO JUDAH;_ Let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river. The Persian empire at this time was of vast extent, reaching from the In... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND A LETTER UNTO ASAPH THE KEEPER OF THE KING'S FOREST, THAT HE MAY GIVE ME TIMBER TO MAKE BEAMS FOR_ _ THE GATES OF THE PALACE WHICH APPERTAINED TO THE HOUSE, AND FOR THE WALL OF THE CITY, AND FOR THE HOUSE THAT I SHALL ENTER INTO. AND THE KING GRANTED ME, ACCORDING TO THE GOOD HAND OF MY GOD UPO... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN I CAME TO THE GOVERNORS BEYOND THE RIVER, AND GAVE THEM THE KING'S LETTERS. NOW THE KING HAD SENT CAPTAINS OF THE ARMY AND HORSEMEN WITH ME._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHEN SANBALLAT THE HORONITE, AND TOBIAH THE SERVANT, THE AMMONITE, HEARD OF IT, IT GRIEVED THEM EXCEEDINGLY THAT THERE WAS COME A MAN TO SEEK THE WELFARE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL._ Sanballat the Horonite. Horonaim being a town in Moab, this person, it is probable, was a Moabite. TOBIAH THE SERV... [ Continue Reading ]
_SO I CAME TO JERUSALEM, AND WAS THERE THREE DAYS._ _ SO I CAME TO JERUSALEM, AND WAS THERE THREE DAYS._ So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. Deeply affected with the desolations of Jerusalem, and uncertain what course to follow, he remained three days before informing any one of the o... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND I AROSE IN THE NIGHT, I AND SOME FEW MEN WITH ME; NEITHER TOLD I ANY MAN WHAT MY GOD HAD PUT IN MY HEART TO DO AT JERUSALEM: NEITHER WAS THERE ANY BEAST WITH ME, SAVE THE BEAST THAT I RODE UPON._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND I WENT OUT BY NIGHT BY THE GATE OF THE VALLEY, EVEN BEFORE THE DRAGON WELL, AND TO THE DUNG PORT, AND VIEWED THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM, WHICH WERE BROKEN DOWN, AND THE GATES THEREOF WERE CONSUMED WITH FIRE._ I went out by night by the gate of the valley - i:e., the Jaffa gate, near the tower of H... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN I WENT ON TO THE GATE OF THE FOUNTAIN, AND TO THE KING'S POOL: BUT THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR THE BEAST_ _ THAT WAS UNDER ME TO PASS._ Then - i:e., after having passed through the gate of the Essenes. I WENT ON TO THE GATE OF THE FOUNTAIN - i:e., Siloah, from which turning round the fount of Op... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN WENT I UP IN THE NIGHT BY THE BROOK, AND VIEWED THE WALL, AND TURNED BACK, AND ENTERED BY THE GATE OF THE VALLEY, AND SO RETURNED._ Then went I up ... by the brook - i:e., Kidron. AND ENTERED BY THE GATE OF THE VALLEY, AND SO RETURNED. The gate leading to the valley of Jehoshaphat, east of... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE RULERS KNEW NOT WHITHER I WENT, OR WHAT I DID; NEITHER HAD I AS YET TOLD IT TO THE JEWS, NOR TO THE PRIESTS, NOR TO THE NOBLES, NOR TO THE RULERS, NOR TO THE REST THAT DID THE WORK._ The rulers knew not. The following day, having assembled the elders, Nehemiah produced his commission, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN SAID I UNTO THEM, YE SEE THE DISTRESS THAT WE ARE IN, HOW JERUSALEM LIETH WASTE, AND THE GATES THEREOF ARE BURNED WITH FIRE: COME, AND LET US BUILD UP THE WALL OF JERUSALEM, THAT WE BE NO MORE A REPROACH._ Let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, х_ CHOWMAT_ (H2346)] - the walls of a city (Nehe... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN I TOLD THEM OF THE HAND OF MY GOD WHICH WAS GOOD UPON ME; AS ALSO THE KING'S WORDS THAT HE HAD SPOKEN UNTO ME. AND THEY SAID, LET US RISE UP AND BUILD. SO THEY STRENGTHENED THEIR HANDS FOR THIS GOOD WORK._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT WHEN SANBALLAT THE HORONITE, AND TOBIAH THE SERVANT, THE AMMONITE, AND GESHEM THE ARABIAN, HEARD IT, THEY LAUGHED US TO SCORN, AND DESPISED US, AND SAID, WHAT IS THIS THING THAT YE DO? WILL YE REBEL AGAINST THE KING?_ Will ye rebel against the king? - i:e., the king of Babylon, the Persian mon... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN ANSWERED I THEM, AND SAID UNTO THEM, THE GOD OF HEAVEN, HE WILL PROSPER US; THEREFORE WE HIS SERVANTS WILL ARISE AND BUILD: BUT YE HAVE NO PORTION, NOR RIGHT, NOR MEMORIAL, IN JERUSALEM._ The God of heaven - (see the note at Ezra 1:2.)... [ Continue Reading ]