Nehemiah 10:34
Ver. 34. 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 Maimonides {c} 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 Josephus {d} speaks of a feast called culoforia, 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 priests {e}
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 doctors {f}, 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, Le 6:12, for this refers only to that, the wood offering is nowhere spoken of in the law.{c} Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, c. 6. sect. 9, 10. Vid. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Taanith, c. 4. sect. 5. {d} De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 17. sect. 6. {e} See Lightfoot's Prospect of the Temple, ch. 25. {f} Misn. Taanith, c. 4. sect. 5. Nehemiah 10:35Ver. 35. 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, Ex 23:19, though Aben Ezra restrains it to the sheaf of the firstfruits, and to the two wave loaves, Le 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 De 8:8. Nehemiah 10:36Ver. 36. 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, Ex 13:2,and the firstlings of our herds, and of our flocks; clean cattle, which were to be offered, Nu 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 10:37Ver. 37. And that we should bring the first fruits of our dough,.... According to the law in Nu 15:20and our offerings; their heave offerings, Nu 18:8and the fruit of all manner of trees; bore by them on the fourth year after their planting, Le 19:23of wine and oil; to which Aben Ezra restrains the fruit of the trees, see Nu 18:12, all these they were to bringunto 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 Nu 18:21. Nehemiah 10:38Ver. 38. 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 Nu 18:26. Nehemiah 10:39Ver. 39. 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 Entire Bible.