PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Nehemiah
George Rawlinson [1812-1902] · 132,821 words · 151 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Nehemiah — Section 121
EXPOSITION. below, in ver. 14 ; but the reading of "Mal- CHAPTER XII. luch" is confirmed by eh. x. 4. Hattush. LIST OF THE LEVITICAL Al\'1> PRIESTLY It is curious that Hattush is omitted from FAMILIES WRICH l!ETUlt..'sED FROM BAIIYLON the third list (infra, vers. 12-21). He '\'\"ITH ZERUBB.A..BEL (eh. rii 1-9). This…
1,405 wordsSECTION 122The Pulpit Commentary — Nehemiah — Section 122
Palestinie.n Jews e.t the time, beyond the recording the heads of the priestly and slight hints furnished by this che.pter. These Levitical courses, which Nehemiah he.s noted hints eeem to imply that under him special as belonging to the de.ys of J oiakim, we.s attention WB.S pa.id to the formation of lists, continu…
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Vere. 1-26.-Miniseers in God: s temple. These lists, once so important, are to us little more than fragmentary relics of a vanished system. They remind us how all that is external decays and passes away. They may, however, also suggest to us truths which abide and retain their worth throughout all ages. I. THE VARIETI…
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the Church, the One e'l"er-abidin?, Comforter, assure us that this will ever be the ea~<'- Still "the labourers are few, ' and constant prayer should be presented to "the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." V. THE UNCERTAINTY OF FAME. Many of the most excellent live and die unnoti…
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Vers. 1-26, 44-47.-Ministers of tlie Lord. Twenty-six verses of this chapter are given to the record of the names of priests and Levites. That fact itself is sug- gestive. It is indicative of the high place which the ministers of God held in the national estimation. We meet in these chronicles with the names of few …
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EXPOSITION. DEDICATION OF THE WALL (eh. xii 27- miah appointed the temple officers (eh. xiii. 43). It is supposed by some that the author 1), and that appointment followed closely has here departed from the chronological on the dedication (eh. xii 44). We may order, and gone back to a date not much account for the lon…
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placed the whole circuit of the wall under xxiii. 14 ; Levit. xiv. 34-53). In case the Divine protection, confessing in this either the wall or the gates should be in any M>lemn a.et the intrinsic worthlessness of auch way unclean, they were made to underao a legal purification before the ceremony ~f mere walls and bu…
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eddres~ed the people on a former occasion Ver. 48. - Also that day they ofl'ered (eh. viii. 9), so now they conjointly con- great aaori11.ces. David had inaugmatod ducted the ceremony of the dedication. the ''tabernacle" which he rul\de for the ark Ver. 3i. -At the fountain gate. See of the covenant at Jerusalem with…
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this way provided for tho sustenance of the Ver. 45.-This verse is wrongly translated clerical body, he was able to insist on their in the A. V. It should be rendered, as in regular performance of all their duties ; and the Vulgate and the Septuagint-" And they the success of his arrangements was such, that (i. e. the …
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meet and right that they should praise him for--( 1) The wall itself, so strong a defence against their enemies ; within which the citizens, with the temple and religious ser- vices, would be secure. (2) The wonderful way in which they had been led and prospered in the work. (3) The conquest effected over great obstac…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS .AUTHORS. Vers. 1-47.-Joy of Jerusalem. "That day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced : for God bad made them rejoice with great joy : the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off" (ver. 43). I. THE CONSTITUENTS OF TRUE JOY. These are-1. Th…
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the tex_t give a graphic description of this interesting scene. The Levites who bad been d1sperBed through the province were "sought out of all their places" (ver. 27) 11~d the "sons of the singerB gathered themselves together 11 (ver. 28) from "th~ v1lla&"es round about Jerusalem'>, (ver. 29). It was a day of sacre…
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certain matters connected with hie province, (vers. 14, 22, 29, 31), and for the plainness or for some other reason unknown to ue. and roughness of the laJJl,(nage (sec especially During his absence various evil practices, to vers. 9, 17, 21, 25, 28). The authorship of which some reference has been already made Nehe…
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the word tnmsle.ted " allied " means "a N ehernie.h had it purified, e.nd so reconse- relation," either by blood or 'me.rrie.ge. In crat.ed. He then ordered the restoration to the present CIIBe the relationship must have their former place of the various stores which been by means of a marriage. had been removed to …
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ad loc. ). Unto their brethren. I. e. to the sins m~~ strongly denounced by Jeremiah priests nnd Levites, brethren of Shelemiah (c~.. xvu. 21-27) e.nd Ezekiel (eh. xx. 13; e.nd Pedainh. xxu. 8, 26, &c.). And did not our God Ver. 14. -Remember me, 0 my God, Or, bring all this evil upon ua and upon this "Think upon me, …
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thnt Nehemiah does not regard his good which set him above 11.II other earthly deeds RS sufficient for his justification but monarchs. Who was beloved of his God. throws himself unreservedly on God's m~rcy. See 2 Sam. xii. 24. And God made him Yer. 23.-In those de.ys. I. e. "About king over all Israel. See l Kings i…
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HOMILETICS. Vera. 1-3.-Separationfrom Israel of fordgners. In the public reading of the Jaw, the oommand was met with to keep the Ammonite and the Moabite out of the congregation of God for ever. Upon this, interpreting the precept apparently as applicable to nil strangers, the people separated from them "the mixed m…
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Ver. 2:-Foes turned into friends. "Our God turned the curse into a blessing." Balaam, who was hired to curse Israel, and desired to do so, was compelled to bless them. A unique instance ; but suggesting the general truth that God makes the efforts of men to injure his people a means of doing them good, and of doing …
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an alien, but an ene~y. 3; The person who committed i~ was the appointed guardian of the rooms. As high pnest, he should have been too Jealous of the sanctity of the temple ; as II having the oversight of the chamber of the house of God," he should have been too faithful to his duty; as head of the priests and Levites,…
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Ver. 11. -Forsahng the house o/ God. "Why is the house of God forsaken ? " The question addressed by Nehemiah to the rulers may well have bad respect at once to their own neglect, the withholding of contributions by the people, and the conse- quent abandonment of the temple by the Levites. We may apply it to the neg…
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Vera. 15-22.-Sabbatli-"breaking suppressed. A promise to observe the sabbath was one of the articles of the solemn covenant recorded in eh. x. We read here how it was violated by some of the people, and how Nehemiah put a stop to their practices. I. THE PROFANATION OF THE SABBATH WHICH PREVAILED. 1. Among country Jews…
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7 ~ er~. 23-?9,-Fo1·bidden ma.rri,ages. This chapter might have been written to brmg mto pomted contrast the promises of the people ( eh. x.) and their subsequent practice. In nearly every particular the covenant so solemnly made was broken. We have recorded in this paragraph- !. A GREAT EVrL. 1. Marriages with fo…
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eijc11pe the human (ver. 29). 5. The worth of those who are zealous in opposing nnd suppressing sin. They are among the best of patriots and philanthropists. For tr.e perils of states, 11nd the miseries of men in general, aris(' mainly from sin. How surpassingly worthy then of all praise and love is the Son of God, who…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-31.-Tlie blessing of God on an active lifefounded upon ltis word. I. TnE _ TR(TE RELIGIOUS REFORMATION, both negative and positive. 1. Abuses must be vigorously attacked and cleansed away. The house of God has to be purified of strangers. '.!.'he neglect of discipline a terrible…
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JV. THAT INDIVIDUAL MEN HAVE A GREAT AND GRAVE POWER FOR GOOD AND EVIL (vers. 4, 5, 8, 9). One man, the high priest, had very gravely compromised the people by admitting Tobiah, the enemy, to a chamber of the house of the Lord. It is impos- sible to say how much evil might not have arisen from this foolish step had not…
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have risked and suffered all privations rather than forsake their work. But however this may have been, it is certain that the people had no right whatever to reckon on such heroism ; they ought to have acted on the supposition that these were men of average piety, and that men of ordinary goodness will not continue…
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l. A SERIOUS DELINQUENCY. The law of the sabbath (Exod. xx. 8-11 ; xx:xi. 13-- 17; Num. xv. 32-36) was openly defied. Husbandmen were treading their wine~ preBijeB and were bringing corn into the city, and were lading asses on that day ot sacred rest (ver. 15); all kinds of fruit were also carried in and sold (ver. …
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of ~he ~:tbbath, N~hemial! had to lament another grave evil which had grown up durmg- Ins absence m Persm. In these ,·crses we have- I. A CASE OF ALARMING DEFECTION. "In those days" of his return some of the Je,vs had married" "iYes of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab" (ver. 23). Ezra had enco~ntered the same evil, !1…
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regartlcd. On our wistlom or folly hero hangs our weal or our woe for life, and the future of others too, even of those in whom we shall be most deeply interested. If there be one step which, more than any other, should be taken with profound and protracted care, with devout and religious thoughtfulness, it is this ste…
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deed), be asks him to '' spare him according to the greatness of his mercy" ( ver. 22). So Paul felt ; for while speaking of those who "by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory, honour, and immortality," &c. (Rom. ii. 7), he speaks of "counting all things but dung to win Christ and be found in him, not ha…
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THEME PAGZ CHAPTER XII. An Intruder Ejected 144 THEME PAO'Z Suspended Ministrations Restored 145 Ministers in God's Temple ... 129 Forsaking the Houso of God 146 8acretl Singing 130 Sabbath-Breaking Suppressed 147 Ministers of the Lord 131 Forbidden Marriages 148 'l'he Dedication of the Wall 135 Nehemiah: his Characte…
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Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.