Nehemiah 9:2

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).

separated themselves See on Nehemiah 10:28; Ezra 9:2-3. No stranger was to take part in this national act of humiliation and confession. The -strangers," i.e. the heathen who had not joined themselves to the -holy seed," and yet resided in Jerusalem, were not permitted to take part in the ceremony about to be described. Some commentators regard the words as describing in anticipation the result of the action taken by the Israelites on this day, as if by their penitence and confession they finally severed themselves from -the strangers." But from the position of the verse it is more natural to understand it of a solemn act of separation preliminary to the ratification of the Covenant.

from all strangers - b" ney nêkar," i.e. -children of the foreigner," LXX. ἀπὸ παντὸς υἱοῦ ἀλλοτρίου. Vulg. -ab omni filio alienigena," as in Psalms 18:45; Psalms 144:7; Psalms 144:11; Isaiah 60:10; Isaiah 61:5; Isaiah 62:8; Ezekiel 44:7.

confessed their sins So in chap. Nehemiah 1:6; and compare a possibly parallel instance of national -confession," 2 Chronicles 30:22, where however there is some doubt whether -confession" or -thanksgiving" is intended: cf. Ezra 10:11.

sins, and the iniquities -Sin" (ḥattâth) denoting -failure" generally from the right way; -iniquity" (- âvôn), carrying also the sense of -guilt," but denoting especially -crookedness" and -perverseness" (2 Samuel 7:14). Both words occur with the verb -confess;" -sins," Leviticus 5:5; Numbers 5:7; Daniel 9:20; -iniquities," Leviticus 16:21; Leviticus 26:40.