28 And the rest H7605 of the people, H5971 the priests, H3548 the Levites, H3881 the porters, H7778 the singers, H7891 the Nethinims, H5411 and all they that had separated H914 themselves from the people H5971 of the lands H776 unto the law H8451 of God, H430 their wives, H802 their sons, H1121 and their daughters, H1323 every one having knowledge, H3045 and having understanding; H995
And the seed H2233 of Israel H3478 separated H914 themselves from all strangers, H1121 H5236 and stood H5975 and confessed H3034 their sins, H2403 and the iniquities H5771 of their fathers. H1
But I have said H559 unto you, Ye shall inherit H3423 their land, H127 and I will give H5414 it unto you to possess H3423 it, a land H776 that floweth H2100 with milk H2461 and honey: H1706 I am the LORD H3068 your God, H430 which have separated H914 you from other people. H5971
The priests: H3548 the children H1121 of Jedaiah, H3048 of the house H1004 of Jeshua, H3442 nine H8672 hundred H3967 seventy H7657 and three. H7969 The children H1121 of Immer, H564 a thousand H505 fifty H2572 and two. H8147 The children H1121 of Pashur, H6583 a thousand H505 two hundred H3967 forty H705 and seven. H7651 The children H1121 of Harim, H2766 a thousand H505 and seventeen. H7651 H6240 The Levites: H3881 the children H1121 of Jeshua H3442 and Kadmiel, H6934 of the children H1121 of Hodaviah, H1938 seventy H7657 and four. H702 The singers: H7891 the children H1121 of Asaph, H623 an hundred H3967 twenty H6242 and eight. H8083 The children H1121 of the porters: H7778 the children H1121 of Shallum, H7967 the children H1121 of Ater, H333 the children H1121 of Talmon, H2929 the children H1121 of Akkub, H6126 the children H1121 of Hatita, H2410 the children H1121 of Shobai, H7630 in all an hundred H3967 thirty H7970 and nine. H8672 The Nethinims: H5411 the children H1121 of Ziha, H6727 the children H1121 of Hasupha, H2817 the children H1121 of Tabbaoth, H2884 The children H1121 of Keros, H7026 the children H1121 of Siaha, H5517 the children H1121 of Padon, H6303 The children H1121 of Lebanah, H3838 the children H1121 of Hagabah, H2286 the children H1121 of Akkub, H6126 The children H1121 of Hagab, H2285 the children H1121 of Shalmai, H8073 the children H1121 of Hanan, H2605 The children H1121 of Giddel, H1435 the children H1121 of Gahar, H1515 the children H1121 of Reaiah, H7211 The children H1121 of Rezin, H7526 the children H1121 of Nekoda, H5353 the children H1121 of Gazzam, H1502 The children H1121 of Uzza, H5798 the children H1121 of Paseah, H6454 the children H1121 of Besai, H1153 The children H1121 of Asnah, H619 the children H1121 of Mehunim, H4586 the children H1121 of Nephusim, H5300 H5304 The children H1121 of Bakbuk, H1227 the children H1121 of Hakupha, H2709 the children H1121 of Harhur, H2744 The children H1121 of Bazluth, H1213 the children H1121 of Mehida, H4240 the children H1121 of Harsha, H2797 The children H1121 of Barkos, H1302 the children H1121 of Sisera, H5516 the children H1121 of Thamah, H8547 The children H1121 of Neziah, H5335 the children H1121 of Hatipha. H2412
So the priests, H3548 and the Levites, H3881 and some of the people, H5971 and the singers, H7891 and the porters, H7778 and the Nethinims, H5411 dwelt H3427 in their cities, H5892 and all Israel H3478 in their cities. H5892
Now when these things were done, H3615 the princes H8269 came H5066 to me, saying, H559 The people H5971 of Israel, H3478 and the priests, H3548 and the Levites, H3881 have not separated H914 themselves from the people H5971 of the lands, H776 doing according to their abominations, H8441 even of the Canaanites, H3669 the Hittites, H2850 the Perizzites, H6522 the Jebusites, H2983 the Ammonites, H5984 the Moabites, H4125 the Egyptians, H4713 and the Amorites. H567 For they have taken H5375 of their daughters H1323 for themselves, and for their sons: H1121 so that the holy H6944 seed H2233 have mingled H6148 themselves with the people H5971 of those lands: H776 yea, the hand H3027 of the princes H8269 and rulers H5461 hath been chief H7223 in this trespass. H4604
Now therefore make H5414 confession H8426 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of your fathers, H1 and do H6213 his pleasure: H7522 and separate H914 yourselves from the people H5971 of the land, H776 and from the strange H5237 wives. H802 Then all the congregation H6951 answered H6030 and said H559 with a loud H1419 voice, H6963 As thou hast said, H1697 so must we do. H6213 But H61 the people H5971 are many, H7227 and it is a time H6256 of much rain, H1653 and we are not able H3581 to stand H5975 without, H2351 neither is this a work H4399 of one H259 day H3117 or two: H8147 for we are many H7235 that have transgressed H6586 in this thing. H1697 Let now our rulers H8269 of all the congregation H6951 stand, H5975 and let all them which have taken H3427 strange H5237 wives H802 in our cities H5892 come H935 at appointed H2163 times, H6256 and with them the elders H2205 of every city, H5892 and the judges H8199 thereof, until the fierce H2740 wrath H639 of our God H430 for this matter H1697 be turned H7725 from us. Only Jonathan H3129 the son H1121 of Asahel H6214 and Jahaziah H3167 the son H1121 of Tikvah H8616 were employed H5975 about this matter: and Meshullam H4918 and Shabbethai H7678 the Levite H3881 helped H5826 them. And the children H1121 of the captivity H1473 did so. H6213 And Ezra H5830 the priest, H3548 with certain H582 chief H7218 of the fathers, H1 after the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 and all of them by their names, H8034 were separated, H914 and sat down H3427 in the first H259 day H3117 of the tenth H6224 month H2320 to examine H1875 the matter. H1697 And they made an end H3615 with all the men H582 that had taken H3427 strange H5237 wives H802 by the first H259 day H3117 of the first H7223 month. H2320 And among the sons H1121 of the priests H3548 there were found H4672 that had taken H3427 strange H5237 wives: H802 namely, of the sons H1121 of Jeshua H3442 the son H1121 of Jozadak, H3136 and his brethren; H251 Maaseiah, H4641 and Eliezer, H461 and Jarib, H3402 and Gedaliah. H1436 And they gave H5414 their hands H3027 that they would put away H3318 their wives; H802 and being guilty, H818 they offered a ram H352 of the flock H6629 for their trespass. H819
And that which the rest H7611 of the people H5971 gave H5414 was twenty H8147 thousand H7239 drams H1871 of gold, H2091 and two thousand H505 pound H4488 of silver, H3701 and threescore H8346 and seven H7651 priests' H3548 garments. H3801 So the priests, H3548 and the Levites, H3881 and the porters, H7778 and the singers, H7891 and some of the people, H5971 and the Nethinims, H5411 and all Israel, H3478 dwelt H3427 in their cities; H5892 and when the seventh H7637 month H2320 came, H5060 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 were in their cities. H5892
For God H430 is the King H4428 of all the earth: H776 sing ye praises H2167 with understanding. H7919
Paul, G3972 a servant G1401 of Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 called G2822 to be an apostle, G652 separated G873 unto G1519 the gospel G2098 of God, G2316
Be ye G1096 not G3361 unequally yoked together G2086 with unbelievers: G571 for G1063 what G5101 fellowship G3352 hath righteousness G1343 with G2532 unrighteousness? G458 and G1161 what G5101 communion G2842 hath light G5457 with G4314 darkness? G4655 And G1161 what G5101 concord G4857 hath Christ G5547 with G4314 Belial? G955 or G2228 what G5101 part G3310 hath he that believeth G4103 with G3326 an infidel? G571 And G1161 what G5101 agreement G4783 hath the temple G3485 of God G2316 with G3326 idols? G1497 for G1063 ye G5210 are G2075 the temple G3485 of the living G2198 God; G2316 as G2531 God G2316 hath said, G2036 G3754 I will dwell G1774 in G1722 them, G846 and G2532 walk in G1704 them; and G2532 I will be G2071 their G846 God, G2316 and G2532 they G846 shall be G2071 my G3427 people. G2992 Wherefore G1352 come out G1831 from G1537 among G3319 them, G846 and G2532 be ye separate, G873 saith G3004 the Lord, G2962 and G2532 touch G680 not G3361 the unclean G169 thing; and G2504 I will receive G1523 you, G5209
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Nehemiah 10
Commentary on Nehemiah 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
Ne 10:1-27. The Names of Those Who Sealed the Covenant.
1. Nehemiah, the Tirshatha—His name was placed first in the roll on account of his high official rank, as deputy of the Persian monarch. All classes were included in the subscription; but the people were represented by their elders (Ne 10:14), as it would have been impossible for every one in the country to have been admitted to the sealing.
Ne 10:28. The Rest of the People Bound Themselves to Observe It.
Those who were not present at the sealing ratified the covenant by giving their assent, either in words or by lifting up their hands, and bound themselves, by a solemn oath, to walk in God's law, imprecating a curse upon themselves in the event of their violating it.
Ne 10:29-39. Points of the Covenant.
29-37. to observe and do all the commandments, &c.—This national covenant, besides containing a solemn pledge of obedience to the divine law generally, specified their engagement to some particular duties, which the character and exigency of the times stamped with great urgency and importance, and which may be summed up under the following heads: that they abstain from contracting matrimonial alliances with the heathen; that they would rigidly observe the sabbath; that they would let the land enjoy rest and remit debts every seventh year; that they would contribute to the maintenance of the temple service, the necessary expenses of which had formerly been defrayed out of the treasury of the temple (1Ch 26:20), and when it was drained, given out from the king's privy purse (2Ch 31:3); and that they would make an orderly payment of the priests' dues. A minute and particular enumeration of the first-fruits was made, that all might be made fully aware of their obligations, and that none might excuse themselves on pretext of ignorance from withholding taxes which the poverty of many, and the irreligion of others, had made them exceedingly prone to evade.
32. the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God—The law required every individual above twenty years of age to pay half a shekel to the sanctuary. But in consequence of the general poverty of the people, occasioned by war and captivity, this tribute was reduced to a third part of a shekel.
34. we cast the lots … for the wood offering—The carrying of the wood had formerly been the work of the Nethinims. But few of them having returned, the duty was assigned as stated in the text. The practice afterwards rose into great importance, and Josephus speaks [The Wars of the Jews, 2.17, sect. 6] of the Xylophoria, or certain stated and solemn times at which the people brought up wood to the temple.
38. the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes—This was a prudential arrangement. The presence of a dignified priest would ensure the peaceful delivery of the tithes; at least his superintendence and influence would tend to prevent the commission of any wrong in the transaction, by the people deceiving the Levites, or the Levites defrauding the priests.
the tithe of the tithes—The Levites, having received a tenth of all land produce, were required to give a tenth of this to the priests. The Levites were charged with the additional obligation to carry the tithes when received, and deposit them in the temple stores, for the use of the priests.
39. and we will not forsake the house of our God—This solemn pledge was repeated at the close of the covenant as an expression of the intense zeal by which the people at this time were animated for the glory and the worship of God. Under the pungent feelings of sorrow and repentance for their national sins, of which apostasy from the service of the true God was the chief, and under the yet fresh and painful remembrance of their protracted captivity, they vowed, and (feeling the impulse of ardent devotion as well as of gratitude for their restoration) flattered themselves they would never forget their vow, to be the Lord's.