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Nehemiah
Chapter Ten
New King James Version (NKJV)
Nehemiah 10:1.
Now those who placed their seal on the document were: Nehemiah
the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
YLT And over those sealed
[are] Nehemiah the Tirshatha, son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,
Verses
1-27
Now those that
sealed were,....
That sealed the covenant,
made Nehemiah 9:38.
Nehemiah the
Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah; the governor of the Jews:
and Zidkijah;
who seems also to have
been a prince, since, without, it could not be said it was sealed by their
princes, Nehemiah 9:38
though some think both these were priests, and then the princes must be
supposed to be among the chief of the people, Nehemiah 10:14,
from hence to the end of the twenty seventh their names follow; the names of
the priests, Nehemiah 10:2, who
were in all twenty one; no mention is made either of Eliashib the high priest,
nor of Ezra the priest and scribe; some think the former had not behaved well
in his office, and that the latter was either sick, or returned to Babylon, or
however hindered by some providence or another, since we hear of him both a
little before and after, Nehemiah 8:2 then
the names of the Levites, Nehemiah 10:9, in
all seventeen, most of which we have met with in this book before; next follow
the names of the chief of the people, Nehemiah 10:14,
their number in all forty four; and their names may be observed in the list of
those that came out of Babylon with Zerubbabel; the whole number of those that
sealed, princes, priests, Levites, and chief of the people, were eighty four.
Nehemiah 10:2.
Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
YLT Seraiah, Azariah,
Jeremiah,
Nehemiah 10:3.
Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,
YLT Pashhur, Amariah,
Malchijah,
Nehemiah 10:4.
Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
YLT Huttush, Shebaniah,
Malluch,
Nehemiah 10:5.
Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
YLT Harim, Meremoth,
Obadiah,
Nehemiah 10:6.
Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
YLT Daniel, Ginnethon,
Baruch,
Nehemiah 10:7.
Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
YLT Meshullam, Abijah,
Mijamin,
Nehemiah 10:8.
Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the
priests.
YLT Maaziah, Bilgai,
Shemaiah; these [are] the priests.
Nehemiah 10:9.
The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of
Henadad, and Kadmiel.
YLT And the Levites: both
Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;
Nehemiah 10:10.
Their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
YLT and their brethren:
Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
Nehemiah 10:11. Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,
YLT Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,
Nehemiah 10:12.
Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
YLT Zaccur, Sherebiah,
Shebaniah,
Nehemiah 10:13.
Hodijah, Bani, and Beninu.
YLT Hodijah, Bani, Beninu.
Nehemiah 10:14.
The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
YLT Heads of the people:
Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani,
Nehemiah 10:15.
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
YLT Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Nehemiah 10:16.
Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
YLT Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
Nehemiah 10:17.
Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
YLT Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur,
Nehemiah 10:18.
Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,
YLT Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,
Nehemiah 10:19.
Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
YLT Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
Nehemiah 10:20.
Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
YLT Magpiash, Meshullam,
Hezir,
Nehemiah 10:21. Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
YLT Meshezabeel, Zadok,
Jaddua,
Nehemiah 10:22.
Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
YLT Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
Nehemiah 10:23.
Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
YLT Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub,
Nehemiah 10:24.
Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
YLT Hallohesh, Pilha,
Shobek,
Nehemiah 10:25.
Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
YLT Rehum, Hashabnah,
Maaseiah,
Nehemiah 10:26.
Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,
YLT and Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,
Nehemiah 10:27.
Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
YLT Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
Nehemiah 10:28.
Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the
gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated
themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their
sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding—
YLT And the rest of the
people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim,
and every one who hath been separated from the peoples of the lands unto the
law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every knowing
intelligent one,
And the rest of
the people,....
That did not sign and
seal:
the priests,
the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims;
the porters and singers
were Levites; but those so called were such as waited upon the priests, as the
Nethinims were persons that waited on them:
and all they
that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God;
proselytes, who had
renounced Heathenism, and embraced the true religion, had received the law of
God, and professed to walk according to it:
their wives,
their sons, and their daughters, everyone having knowledge, and having
understanding;
of the nature of the
covenant, and the things contained in it, of what was required of them, and of
what they promised, of the nature of an oath they entered into, and of the sin
of perjury.
Nehemiah 10:29.
these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a
curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of
God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and
His ordinances and His statutes:
YLT are laying hold on their
brethren, their honourable ones, and coming in to an execration, and in to an
oath, to walk in the law of God, that was given by the hand of Moses, servant
of God, and to observe and to do all the commands of Jehovah our Lord, and His
judgments, and His statutes;
They clave to
their brethren, their nobles,....
Who had signed and sealed
the covenant, they declared their approbation of it, attended to it, and
ratified what they had done in their name:
and entered
into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses
the servant of God;
they bound themselves with
an oath that they would keep the law of God, and added a curse or imprecation
on themselves to it should they break it; or, according to Piscator, they went
into the space between the two pieces of the calf, which they cut asunder for
the confirmation of the covenant, and so they cursed themselves if they should
break it, see Jeremiah 34:18
and to observe
and do all the commandments of the Lord our God, and his judgments and his
statutes;
all the laws, moral,
ceremonial, and judicial; this they engaged to do in general; some particulars
follow.
Nehemiah 10:30.
We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the
land, nor take their daughters for our sons;
YLT and that we give not our
daughters to the peoples of the land, and their daughters we take not to our
sons;
And that we
would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their
daughters for our sons,....
Intermarry with them as
they had done, and were prone to do, and even did after this, Nehemiah 13:23.
Nehemiah 10:31.
if the peoples of the land
brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from
them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year’s produce
and the exacting of every debt.
YLT and the peoples of the
land who are bringing in the wares and any corn on the sabbath-day to sell, we
receive not of them on the sabbath, and on a holy day, and we leave the seventh
year, and usury on every hand.
And if the
people of the land bring ware,....
Any thing to be sold, any
sort of goods, that being sold might be taken away, as the word signifies:
or any victuals
on the sabbath day to sell;
anything to make food of;
wheat or barley, as Aben Ezra interprets it; the same word is rendered corn;
see Gill on Genesis 42:1; to
sell which was not lawful on the sabbath day, see Amos 8:5
that we would
not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day;
any festival, as the feast
of the passover, pentecost, and tabernacles:
and that we
would leave the seventh year:
the ground untilled in
that year, the vines unpruned, and the fruits of the earth, which sprung of
themselves, for the poor to gather, Leviticus 25:4,
and the
exaction of every debt;
that they would not demand
the payment of any debt on the seventh year, as the law required they should
not, Deuteronomy 15:2.
Nehemiah 10:32.
Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves
yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
YLT And we have appointed
for ourselves commands, to put on ourselves the third of a shekel in a year,
for the service of the house of our God,
Also we made
ordinance, for us,....
Laws among themselves,
binding them to that which the laws of God did not:
to charge
ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel, for the service of the house
of our God;
the particulars of which
follow in the next verse; for the defraying of which there used to be a
treasury in the temple; but now there was none, and therefore they took this
method to assess themselves; and being poor, instead of the half shekel, which
in some cases was required, they only charged themselves with the third part of
one; though Aben Ezra thinks this was added to the half shekel, and was paid
over and above that; according to BrerewoodF1De Pond. & Pret.
Vet. Num. c. 1. , it was of the value of ten pence of our money: WaserusF2De
Antiqu. Num. Heb. l. 2. has given us the figure of one of these coins, with
this inscription, a "third" part of a shekel of Israel.
Nehemiah 10:33.
for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular
burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy
things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of
the house of our God.
YLT for bread of the
arrangement, and the continual present, and the continual burnt-offering of the
sabbaths, of the new moons, for appointed seasons, and for holy things, and for
sin-offerings, to make atonement for Israel, even all the work of the house of
our God.
For the
shewbread,....
To defray the expenses of
the twelve loaves, which every week were set on the table of shewbread, Leviticus 24:5,
and for the
continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering;
for the daily sacrifice,
morning and evening, which always had a meat offering along with it, Exodus 29:38,
of the
sabbaths, and of the new moons;
on which were additional
sacrifices, Numbers 28:9,
and for the set
feasts;
of passover, pentecost, and
tabernacles; in which also were offered other sacrifices, besides the daily
one, Numbers 28:16,
and for the
holy things:
which were both by way of
thanksgiving to God, and that they might feast and rejoice together:
and for the sin
offerings, to make an atonement for Israel;
for the whole body of the
people, and so were made at the public expense:
and for all the
work of the house of our God;
whatever else was
necessary that is not mentioned.
Nehemiah 10:34.
We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for
bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according to our fathers’
houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God as it
is written in the Law.
YLT And the lots we have
caused to fall for the offering of wood, [among] the priests, the Levites, and
the people, to bring in to the house of our God, by the house of our fathers,
at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of Jehovah our God, as
it is written in the law,
And we cast the
lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people,....
The priests and Levites
were in one lot, and the people in another, as Aben Ezra:
for the wood
offering;
for providing wood to burn
upon the altar continually, concerning which MaimonidesF3Hilchot
Cele Hamikdash, c. 6. sect. 9, 10. Vid. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn.
Taanith, c. 4. sect. 5. thus writes:"what is the wood offering? there was
a time fixed for families to go out unto the forests, and bring in wood of
disposition (to be laid in order on the altar); and the day when it came to the
turn of a family to bring the wood, they offered up freewill burnt offerings,
which were called a wood offering; and it was to them as a good day (or
festival), and they were forbid to mourn, fast, or do any work on it;'and he
observes, that if a single person brought wood of his own free will, he was
obliged to the same; and JosephusF4De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 17. sect.
6. speaks of a feast called χυλοφορια, when it was
customary for all to bring wood to the altar, to keep alive the sacred fire,
that it might not go out, which, according to him, was on the fourteenth of the
month Lois, or August; but this was not the business of all the people, lots
were cast, as here said, who should do it, and when:
to bring it
into the house of our God;
the temple, where there
was a place called the "wood room", into which the wood was brought
after it had been wormed by the priestsF5See Lightfoot's Prospect of
the Temple, ch. 25. .
after the
houses of our fathers;
or families on whom the
lot fell to do it: some render it:
into the house
of our fathers,
meaning the same as
before; the temple so called, because they built it, and worshipped God in it;
so Jarchi and Aben Ezra:
at times
appointed, year by year;
as the lot directed;
these, according to the Jewish doctorsF6Misn. Taanith, c. 4. sect.
5. , were nine times in the year; on the first of Nisan (or March), the sons of
Arach, of the tribe of Judah, brought the wood; on the twentieth of Tammuz (or
June), the posterity of David, of the tribe of Judah; on the fifth of Ab (or
July), the children of Parosh, of the tribe of Judah; on the seventh of the
same month, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab; on the tenth of the same
month, the posterity of Senaah, of the tribe of Benjamin; on the fifteenth of
the same month, the children of Zattu, and with them the priests and Levites,
and all who were of an uncertain tribe, &c. on the twentieth of the same
month, the posterity of Pahathmoab, of the tribe of Judah; on the twentieth of
Elul (or August), the children of Adin, of the tribe of Judah; on the first of
Tebeth (or December), the posterity of Parosh again brought the wood:
to burn upon
the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law;
the wood should be burnt
upon it, and fire kept on it continually, Leviticus 6:12, for
this refers only to that, the wood offering is nowhere spoken of in the law.
Nehemiah 10:35.
And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our
ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the
house of the Lord;
YLT and to bring in the
first fruits of our ground, and the first fruits of all fruit of every tree,
year by year, to the house of Jehovah,
And to bring
the firstfruits of our ground,....
Not that they cast lots to
do this, but they bound themselves with an oath, according to the law, to do
it; this is the first of all the fruits of the earth, Exodus 23:19, though
Aben Ezra restrains it to the sheaf of the firstfruits, and to the two wave
loaves, Leviticus 23:10,
and the
firstfruits of all fruit of all trees;
which, as Aben Ezra
observes, their wise men restrain to the seven kinds only mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:8.
Nehemiah 10:36.
to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is
written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house
of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;
YLT and the firstlings of
our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of
our herds and our flocks, to bring in to the house of our God, to the priests
who are ministering in the house of our God.
Also the
firstborn of our sons and of our cattle,....
Such as were unclean, as
Aben Ezra notes, as the ass, &c. and are distinguished from clean ones
mentioned in the following clause; now both these, their sons, and this sort of
cattle, were to be redeemed by a price paid to the priests: as it is written in
the law, Exodus 13:2,
and the
firstlings of our herds, and of our flocks;
clean cattle, which were
to be offered, Numbers 18:17,
to bring to the
house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God;
a price for the one sort,
and the other for sacrifice.
Nehemiah 10:37.
to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit
from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the
storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the
Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming
communities.
YLT And the beginning of our
dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit of every tree, of new wine, and
of oil, we bring in to the priests, unto the chambers of the house of our God,
and the tithe of our ground to the Levites; and they -- the Levites -- have the
tithes in all the cities of our tillage;
And that we
should bring the first fruits of our dough,....
According to the law in Numbers 15:20
and our
offerings;
their heave offerings, Numbers 18:8
and the fruit
of all manner of trees;
bore by them on the fourth
year after their planting, Leviticus 19:23
of wine and oil;
to which Aben Ezra
restrains the fruit of the trees, see Numbers 18:12, all
these they were to bring
unto the
priests, to the chambers the house of our God;
there to be laid up for
the use of it; and oil and wine were frequently used in sacrifices:
and the tithes
of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in
all the cities of our village;
the tenth part of the
produce of their agriculture everywhere throughout the land, see Numbers 18:21.
Nehemiah 10:38.
And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites
when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the
tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.
YLT and the priest, son of
Aaron, hath been with the Levites in the tithing of the Levites, and the
Levites bring up the tithe of the tithe to the house of our God unto the
chambers, to the treasure-house;
And the priest
the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes,....
There was always to be a
priest with the Levites at such times, to take notice what quantity they
received, that they might not be under any temptation, or lie under any
suspicion of defrauding the priests of their due, who were to have a part in
the tithes, as follows:
and the Levites
shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the
chambers, into the treasure house:
which were in the court of
the priests for that purpose; for out of the tithes of the Levites there was
another tithe or tenth part taken, and given to the priests, see Numbers 18:26.
Nehemiah 10:39.
For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring
the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where
the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and
the gatekeepers and the singers are; and we will not neglect the house
of our God.
YLT for unto the chambers do
they bring in -- the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi -- the heave-offering
of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, and there [are] vessels of the
sanctuary, and the priests, those ministering, and the gatekeepers, and the
singers, and we do not forsake the house of our God.
For the
children of Israel, and the children of Levi, shall bring the offering of the
corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers,....
In the temple:
where are the
vessels of the sanctuary;
to put the said things
into, that they might be ready at hand when wanted, as they often were for the
meat and drink offerings:
and the priests
that minister, and the porters, and the singers;
who dwelt there when in
their ministrations, and were supported by the above tithes and gifts:
and we will not
forsake the house of our God;
neither forsake the
assembling themselves there for worship, nor neglect to make the necessary
provisions for the service of it, as they had too much done, but now resolve
for the future to behave better.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》