Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Nchonlali Mourns, Faxts u,ul Prays. NEHEJIIAH I, II. His Commission from Ai-laxerxes.
resolvtd to enter into a general covenant to put away their foreign wives and children; that a proclamation should be made for all who had returned from Babylon to repair within three days to Jerusalem, under pain of excommunication and confiscation of their property. 0-11. Tlien all the men of Judah and Benjamin—The returned captives belonged chiefly to these tribes; but other Israelites are also included under these names, as they all were then occupying the territor,v ftn-nicrly assigned to those two tribes. It was the ninth month—
CHArXER X.
Ver. 1-17. Ezra Kkfokms thk .Strange Marki.IlGes.
1. Now vvlifii Ezra liaci prayed—As this prayer \va.s uttered in public, while tliere was a ji:eiieral concourse of the people at tlie time of tlie evenins; sacrifice, and as it was accompanied witli all the demonstrations of poignant sorrow and an<;uisli, it is not surprising that tlie spectacle of a man so respected, a priest so hol.v, a governor so dignified as Ezra, appearing distressed and tille<l with fear i.e., between the end of December and the beginning of .January, whicii is the coldest and most rainy season of theyeai'in Palestine, all the people sat in the street at the sad state of things, should produce a i\e(-p sensation ; and tlie report of his passionate grief and expressions in the court of the temple having rapiiUy spread
/. c, the court. 10. Ezi-a t!»e priest stood up, and s.Tid Having fuU.v represented the enortiiity of their sin, and urge<l them to dissolve their unlawful connections, he was gratified by receiving a prompt acknowledgment of the justice of his reproof and a promise of compliance with his recommendation. But as the weather was ungenial, and the defaulters were too numerous to be passed in review at one time, it was re.solved that a commission should be appointed to examine into the whole matter. These commissioners, assisted hy the judges and ciders of the respective cities, made a minute investigatioti into every case, and after three months' labour completely removed all traces of the abuse. Doubtless, an adequate provision was made for the repudiated wives and children, according to the means and circumstances of the husbands.
tliii)UL:li the city, a great multitude flocked in the spot, a—4. SliecJianiali . . . answered and said unto Ezra, \Ve liave trespassed—Th is was one of the leading men, who was not himself a delinquent in the matter, for his name does not occur in the following list. He spoke in tlie general name of the people, and his conduct evinced a tender conscience, as well as no small fortitude in making such a proposal; for as his father and five paternal uncles (r. 26) were involved in the guilt of unlawful juarriages, he showed, by the mi>asure he recommended, that he deemed it better to obey God than to please his nearest relatives, yet now there Is Iiope in Israel concerning this thing—This hope, however, depended on timely measures of reformation, and therefore, instead of surrendering them.selves to despair or despondency, he counselled them to amend their error without delay, relying on God's mercy for the past. Though the proposal may seem harsh and cruel, yet in the peculiar circumstances of the Jews it was just as well as necessary; and he urged the duty of seeing it executed on Ezra, as the only person competent to carry it into effect, being possessed of skill and address for so delicate and difficult a work, and invested by God, and under liim by the Persian king (eh. 7. 2.V2S), with the requisite authority to enforce it. 5-8. Then Ezra . . . went into the chamber of Jolianan—At a private council of the princes and elders held there, under the presidency of Ezra, it was
IS-ii. Those THAT HAD TAKKN StKANGE WiVKS. 18. among the sons of tlie priests—from the names of so many men of rank appearing in the following list, some idea may be formed of the great and complicated difliculties attending the reformatory work, they gave their hands i.e., came under a solemn engagement, which was usually ratified by pledging the right hand (Proverbs G.l; Ezekiel 17.18). The delinquents of the priestly order bound themselves to do like the common Israelites
(!.'. 25), and sought to expiate their sin by sacrificing a ram as a trespass oft'ering.
THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH.
CHAPTER I.
of Jerusalem, as well as the defenceless state of the returned exiles. The commissions previously given to Zeruhbabel and Ezra extending only to the repair of the temple and private dwellings, the walls and gates of the city had been allowed to remain ii m.iss of shattered ruins, as they had been laid by the Chaldean siege.
Ver. 1-3. NeHEMIAII, tlNDEUSTANDING BY HANANI TiiK Affiicted State of Jf.iut.salem, MourtNS, Easts A.ND Prays. 1. Nelieminli tile son of Hachaliah—This eminently pious and patriotic .lew is to be (•arefully distinguished from two other persons of the same name one of whom is mentioned as helping to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (ch. 3. lf>), and the other is noticed in the list of those who accompanied Zerul)babel in the first detachment of returning exiles (Ezra 2. 2; ch.7. 7). Though
4-11. His Piiaykj{. 4. when I heaiil tlieae words . . . I sat down , , . and moitriied, . . . and fasted and prayed—The recital deeply a ll'ected the patriotic leelings of this good man, and no comfort could ho find but in earnest and )>r<)tracte<l jn-ayer, that God would fa votir the liurpose, which he seems to have secretly formed, of asking the royal permission to go to .Jerusalem. II. I was the king's cup-bearer—This olllccr, in the ancient Oriental courts, was always a person of rank and Imporl.iiice; and, from the confld(>ntial nature of his duties and his frequent access to the royal presence, possessed of great Influence.
1 i 1 1 le is known of his genealogy, it is highly ])robable that he was a descendant of the tribe of Judah and tlu! royal tamily of David. In the month ChLslen—answering to the close of November and the larger jiart of December. SUiisliaii the palace—The capital of ancient Kusiana, east of I he Tigris, a provin<'eof Persia. From the time of Cyrus
It was the I'avourite winter residence of the Persian kings.
'2. Ilaiiani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain
CHAPTER II.
men of .ludah— IIa,nani is called (ch. 7. 2) his brother. But as that term was used loosely by Jews as well as oi her Orientals, it is probable that no more is meant than
Ver. 1-20. Artaxekxes, iiNDiCKSTANnixo the CAI'SK OF Nehkmiah's Sadness, senps him with IjErrEKS and A Commission to Bt'ii.n again tiik Wat.i.s of JekhSAI.EM. 1. it came to pass In the month IVIsan—This tliat he was of the sanu; family. According to Joscphus, Nehemiah, while walking around the pahuuwalls, ovi'rheard some jwrsons conversing In the Hebrew language, and having ascertained 'hat the.v had lately returin>d from Judea, was Inlormed by mem. In answer to his eager Inquiries, of the unfinished and desolate condition wa.-i nearly four months aft(-r he had learned the di-solate and ruinous state of Jerusalem (ch. I. 1). The reasons of so long a delay cannot be ascertained. I took np the wine, and gave it unto the king—Xenophou has |»ttr-
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HUINS ()!' I'UKSKI'OMS.