_A.M. 3559. B.C. 445._ The names of those who set their seal to the covenant, Nehemiah 10:1. An account of those who consented thereto, Nehemiah 10:28. They engage to adhere to the temple- service, Nehemiah 10:32.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now those that sealed_ Both in their own names, and in the name of all the rest. It may seem strange that Ezra doth not appear among them. But that might be because he was prevented by some sickness, or other extraordinary impediment. It is true we meet with Ezra after this, at the dedication of th... [ Continue Reading ]
_These were the priests_ That is, the chief of them; for there are but twenty-one of them named here.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The chief of the people_ It would have been tedious to make all the people subscribe and seal the writing, therefore the chiefs and princes of each family signed and sealed it in the name of the rest; and they seem to have subscribed in the name of him from whom the family was derived.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the rest of the people_, &c. Those that did not subscribe and seal, because there were too many, yet gave their consent to what the fore-named persons did. And not only the men, but their wives and their children, who were arrived at years of discretion, engaged themselves to abide by what thei... [ Continue Reading ]
_They clave to their brethren, their nobles_ The commonalty owned and ratified what the nobles had done in their names, declaring their assent to it by their words, or by lifting up of their hands, as the manner was. Great men never look so great as when they encourage religion, and are examples of... [ Continue Reading ]
_And that we would not give our daughters_ Namely, in marriage. Having sworn obedience to God's laws in the general, they now specify some particular instances, wherein they had lately transgressed, or were most prone to transgress. In our covenants with God, we should engage particularly against th... [ Continue Reading ]
_And if the people of the land_ The heathen; _bring ware or victuals on the sabbath day to sell, we would not buy it_ They not only would not sell goods themselves for gain on that day, but they would not encourage the heathen to sell by buying of them, no, not victuals, under pretence of necessity,... [ Continue Reading ]
_To charge ourselves_ Every particular person among us; _yearly with a third part of a shekel_ About ten-pence of our money; _for the service of the house of our God_ To provide the show-bread for the table, two lambs for the daily offerings, four for the sabbaths, and more costly sacrifices for oth... [ Continue Reading ]
_And we cast lots among the priests_, &c. They now determined, by casting lots, how much wood every one should bring in, for his share, to maintain the fire continually upon the altar to burn the sacrifices; and in what order it should be brought; and at what times of the year.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And to bring_ in _the first-fruits_ That is, they took an oath to do it; for this is to be understood, and not that they cast lots about it, as they did about the wood-offering mentioned in the foregoing verse. All the particulars of the first-fruits are exactly and distinctly mentioned, that none... [ Continue Reading ]
_That the Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage_ That is, the tithes of all the fruits of the ground belonging to our several cities. _And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites_ As the people gave the tithe of their land to the Levites, so the Levites gave... [ Continue Reading ]
_The offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil_ See the margin. _Unto the chambers where are the vessels_, &c. Where holy things were kept, and where God's ministers attended, for whose use they were designed, and they were brought thither at the charge of those who offered them. _And we wi... [ Continue Reading ]