Part II. RELIGIOUS REFORM Ch. Nehemiah 7:73; Nehemiah 7:73; Nehemiah 8:12. The Public Reading of the Law. 13 18. The Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. Ch. 9. The National Confession, preliminary to the Covenant. Ch. Nehemiah 10:1-29. The Sealing of the Covenant. 30 39. Certain Oblig... [ Continue Reading ]
_in the twenty and fourth day of this month_ i. e. on the second day after the 8th day of the Feast of Tabernacles. _fasting_ Cf. Ezra 8:21; Ezra 10:6. _sackclothes_ R.V. SACKCLOTH. The symbol of sorrow, often of the sorrow of penitence, as in Daniel 9:3; Jonah 3:5; Jonah 3:8; 1 Chronicles 21:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a_. The Day of National Humiliation, and its religious services It must be admitted that, if the Great Day of Atonement were observed at this time, it is strange that its occurrence in this month was not made use of for the solemn service of confession. Perhaps this was one of the commands of -the... [ Continue Reading ]
_the seed of Israel_ A more formal and poetical expression than -the children of Israel." It does not occur again in these books; but we find it in 2 Kings 17:20; 1 Chronicles 16:13; Psalms 22:23, and in Is. Jer. The phrase to be compared with it is -the holy seed" in Ezra 9:2 (Esther 10:3). _separa... [ Continue Reading ]
_stood up_ Literally, -arose." _in their place_ cf. Nehemiah 8:7. The people appear to have continued standing where they were for six hours, listening for three hours and worshipping three hours. _and read_ the people read. By this we should understand that the people's religious representatives,... [ Continue Reading ]
_upon the stairs_(Marg. Or, _scaffold) of the Levites_ R.V. UPON THE STAIRS OF THE LEVITES. According to a common but inaccurate punctuation of the A.V., _of the Levites_is applied to the list of names which follows. It refers to the pulpit or stage erected for the Levites, that they might read the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then_ As in Nehemiah 9:4, the -copula"; no very exact sequence of time is implied. _Hashabniah … Hodijah_ R.V. HASHABNEIAH … HODIAH. The Levitical names of the previous verse appear here with some variations. Bunni, the second Bani, Chenani disappear; and the names of Hashabneiah, Hodiah, Pethahia... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou_, even _thou_, art _Lord alone_ R.V. THOU ART THE LORD, EVEN THOU ALONE. The confession opens with a declaration of the unity of the God of Israel. Jehovah alone is: He alone made the worlds and led Israel. Cf. Psalms 83:18, -That they may know that thou alone, whose name is Jehovah (marg. tho... [ Continue Reading ]
The Patriarch Abraham; the choice, the call, the name, and the character of the man, and the covenant made with him _Thou_art _the Lord the God_ R.V. marg. -Or, _O Lord_", i.e. Thou, O Jahveh (Jehovah), art _the_God, as in 1 Kings 18:37. _didst choose Abram_ The Divine -choice" is only mentioned he... [ Continue Reading ]
_his heart faithful_ The word -faithful" is of the same root as that rendered -believed" in Genesis 15:6, -And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness;" and the phrase here used is derived from that passage, since the same chapter in Genesis also contains a list of the pe... [ Continue Reading ]
The Deliverance from Egypt 9. _didst see_ R.V. THOU SAWEST. The words are probably based on Exodus 3:7, -And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people." _heardest their cry by the Red sea_ Cf. Exodus 14:10, -And, behold, the Egyptians marched after them … and the children of Is... [ Continue Reading ]
_and shewedst signs and wonders_, &c. This epitome of the history of the Plagues shows acquaintance with Deuteronomy 6:22, -And the Lord shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his house." Cf. Psalms 105:27; Psalms 106:7; Psalms 135:9. _dealt proudly_ Perhap... [ Continue Reading ]
_divide … the dry_land] The description is based on Exodus 14:21-22; Exodus 15:19. The verbal correspondence is striking. _their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps_ R.V. THEIR PURSUERS THOU DIDST CAST INTO THE DEPTHS. The poetical language of the latter part of the verse is drawn from Exodus... [ Continue Reading ]
The Wilderness 12. _in the day by a cloudy pillar_ R.V. IN A PILLAR OF CLOUD BY DAY. _in the night by a pillar of fire_ R.V. IN A PILLAR OF FIRE BY NIGHT. See for these words Exodus 13:21-22; Numbers 14:14. And compare the poetical description in very similar words of Psalms 78:14; Psalms 105:39.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Sinaitic Legislation 13. _mount Sinai_ It will be observed that Sinai, not Horeb, is referred to. The reference is taken from Exodus 19:18, -And mount Sinai … the Lord descended upon it.… 19. Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice." Deuteronomy 4:36, -Out of heaven he made thee to hear hi... [ Continue Reading ]
_and madest known … sabbath_ Cf. Ezekiel 20:12. Apparently referring to the fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11. Cf. Exodus 31:16). But it is to be noticed that the observance of the Sabbath is prescribed if not presupposed at the giving of the Manna (Exodus 16:23-30) before the arrival at Sinai. The... [ Continue Reading ]
_bread from heaven_ See Exodus 16:4, -I will rain bread from heaven for you." Cf. Psalms 78:24, -and gave them of the corn of heaven." Psalms 105:40, -and satisfied them with the bread of heaven." _water for them out of the rock_ Cf. Exodus 17:6. But a closer resemblance is afforded by Numbers 20:8... [ Continue Reading ]
_But they and our fathers_ The -and" here seems not to be necessary. It is found, however, in all the MSS., and is represented in all the Versions, and must clearly be retained in the text. As the following Nehemiah 9:17-22 continue to refer to the Mosaic generation, no distinction of meaning can be... [ Continue Reading ]
_in their rebellion appointed a captain_, &c. Based on Numbers 14:4, and perhaps representing a tradition that the words -And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt" were partially carried into effect. The R.V. marg. runs, -The Sept. has, _And appointed a capt... [ Continue Reading ]
The Golden Calf and God's Mercy 18. _molten calf … Egypt_.] The language is based on Exodus 32:4, -… made it a molten calf, and they said, These be thy gods (marg. This is thy god), O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." _wrought great provocations_ Cf. Nehemiah 9:26. The same... [ Continue Reading ]
_the pillar of the cloud_ R.V. THE PILLAR OF CLOUD. In the original the construction is -As for the pillar of cloud, it departed not, &c." _from them_ R.V. FROM OVER THEM. More literally. _and the way_ The LXX. and Vulg. omit the -and," as if the clause stood in apposition to the one preceding; ev... [ Continue Reading ]
_thy good spirit_ Referring possibly to Numbers 11:17 -And I will take of the spirit which is upon thee and will put it upon them," 23 29, but mainly to the general Divine teaching of the people, cf. Isaiah 63:11, -Where is he that brought them out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where i... [ Continue Reading ]
The Forty Years in the Wilderness: Preservation _forty years_… so that] R.V. FORTY YEARS … AND. The mention of the 40 years and of the fact that -they lacked nothing" shows that the origin of the clause is to be sought in Deuteronomy 2:7 -these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou... [ Continue Reading ]
The Conquest of Palestine: Victory 22. The Conquest of the Transjordanic territory. _nations_ R.V. peoples. _and didst divide them into corners_ R.V. WHICH THOU DIDST ALLOT AFTER THEIR PORTIONS. Marg. -Or, _And didst distribute them into every corner_". The difficulty of rendering arises from the... [ Continue Reading ]
_multipliedst_ See Deuteronomy 1:10; Deuteronomy 7:3. _as the stars of heaven_ The use of this simile may very probably be a reminiscence of the promise in Genesis 15:5; Genesis 22:17. Cf. Jeremiah 33:22. _hadst promised_ R.V. DIDST SAY.... [ Continue Reading ]
Possession and Prosperity 24. _people_ R.V. PEOPLES. i.e. the heathen nations (cf. Nehemiah 9:8). _with their kings_ Compare the list of -the kings of the land whom Joshua and the children of Israel smote beyond Jordan westward" (Joshua 12:7-24).... [ Continue Reading ]
_strong cities_ R.V. FENCED CITIES. Cf. Deuteronomy 9:1; Joshua 14:12, e.g. Jericho, Ai, and Hebron, but it was a long time before all the cities were reduced. Thus Jerusalem held out until David's reign. (Cf. Judges 1:8; Judges 1:21.) _a fat land_ i.e. fat soil, -adamah." In Numbers 13:20 the coun... [ Continue Reading ]
Israel's Disobedience 26. _cast thy law behind their backs_ R.V. BACK. -Thy law," cf. Nehemiah 9:14. For this phrase cf. 1 Kings 14:9; Ezekiel 23:35, -Cast me behind thy back," where the Lord is the speaker. The -law" of God, which Israel rejected, is not here the ceremonial or even the written law... [ Continue Reading ]
_enemies … vexed_ R.V. ADVERSARIES … DISTRESSED. The English version cannot reproduce the alliteration of the Hebrew, where -adversaries," -distressed" and -trouble" have a common root. _thou heardest_them] R.V. omit _them_. So in Nehemiah 9:28. Cf. -Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place," 1 Kings... [ Continue Reading ]
The Period of the Judges This is narrated without any attempt at detailed treatment.... [ Continue Reading ]
_after they had rest_ Cf. -the land had rest," Judges 3:11; Judges 3:30; Judges 5:31; Judges 8:28. _many times_ A probable reference to the numerous deliverances effected by the judges as described in the Book of Judges. The LXX. fails to reproduce the thought accurately by ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς σου πολλοῖ... [ Continue Reading ]
The Stubbornness of Israel 29. _testifiedst_ Cf. 2 Kings 17:13, -Yet the Lord testified unto Israel and unto Judah, by the hand of every prophet, and of every seer." _dealt proudly_ Cf. Nehemiah 9:16. _which if a man do, he shall live in them_ Quoted from Leviticus 18:5, as also in Ezekiel 20:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
The long-suffering of Jehovah 30. _forbear them_ R.V. BEAR WITH THEM. The -many years" here spoken of contain the brief reference to the earlier monarchic period. -Bear with;" literally -protract," -extend" (LXX. ἥλκυσας. Vulg. -protraxisti"), as perhaps Jeremiah 31:3, marg. -Have I continued lovin... [ Continue Reading ]
_for thy great mercies" sake_ R.V. IN THY MANIFOLD MERCIES. The emphasis on the variety of the mercy even more than on its magnitude. Cf. Lamentations 3:22-23, -It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning." _thou didst not utterl... [ Continue Reading ]
Israel's sufferings in the past a just punishment from God 32. _our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God_ Cf. note on Nehemiah 1:5. See Deuteronomy 10:17, -the great God, the mighty and the terrible." Daniel 9:4. _who keepest covenant and mercy_ Cf. Nehemiah 1:5. _trouble_ R.V. TRAVAIL... [ Continue Reading ]
_just_ The same epithet as that rendered -righteous" (c̣addîq) in Nehemiah 9:8. See also Ezra 9:15. _brought_ R.V. COME. _done right_ R.V. DEALT TRULY. Literally -truth" (LXX. ἀλήθειαν. Vulg. -veritatem"), i.e. Thou hast fulfilled thy word both in blessing and punishment: but we have been unfaithf... [ Continue Reading ]
_neither have our kings_ The construction is the same as in Nehemiah 9:19_; Nehemiah 9:32_, -As for our kings, … they have not." _kept thy law_ Literally -done thy law," i.e. carried into practice the Divine teaching. Cf. Nehemiah 9:14_; Nehemiah 9:29_. _nor hearkened_ Cf. Zechariah 1:4, -But they... [ Continue Reading ]
_they_ emphatic, i.e. the kings and princes; as distinguished from -thou" and -we," used emphatically in Nehemiah 9:33. _in their kingdom_ Perhaps with a slight touch of irony, since -their kingdom" was itself God's gift to Israel. The use of the word shows that the -kings" and -princes" of Nehemia... [ Continue Reading ]
Israel's present humiliation: her children slaves, her land subject to foreign kings, who oppress it 36. _servants_ i.e. subject to Persian supremacy. Cf. Ezra's very similar words in his confession, Ezra 9:9. for _the land_ R.V. AS FOR THE LAND. _behold, we_are _servants_ Repeated for emphasis.... [ Continue Reading ]
_yieldeth much increase_ Literally -its produce it maketh in abundance." The allusion is to the pressure of the tribute exacted for the Persian revenue. Cf. Nehemiah 5:4. See Rawlinson's _Ancient Monarchies_, vol. III., pp. 421 423. -Besides money payments -a payment … had to be made in kind, each... [ Continue Reading ]
Nehemiah 10:1 in Heb.; so Luther. The A.V. and R.V. follow the division of the Vulg. and LXX. _And because of all this_ R.V. AND YET FOR ALL THIS. R.V. marg. -Or, _because of_". The relation of this sentence to the preceding confession is not certain. This uncertainty has given rise to the doubt whe... [ Continue Reading ]