+ Heb; Samaria c, and ſaid, Whar do theſe fecbie Jews? will
Jeave ro (EY Þ fortific themleives ? will they ſacrifice ? willthey
themſelves, make an end in a day 4? will they revive the ſtones our
*. Kings,
[Or fcorner chamber.
' implacable Enemies to God, and to his people, and neceſlary for
Z- | 26 Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in * || Ophel &,
4 Hear, O our God, for we are + deſpiſed: and worn , 17, their reproach upon their own head z,and give them for debbin ; a prey in the land of captivity & : ws
; Let them be really as contemprible as they repreſent us to be.
This, and the following requeſts, may ſeem barſh, but they were both juſt, as being directed againſt ſuch malicious, inveterare, and
the vindication, and defence of God's Honour, and Worthip, and People. k Ler them be removed from our Neighbourhood ,and car- ried into Captiviry ; and there let them find no favour, bur further ſeverity. Or, give them). a prey to their Enemies, and let theſe carry them into the land of captivity.
5 And * cover not their iniquity, and let not theic »ppy,og. ſin be blotted out from before thee / ; for they have 14, :;5. provoked thee to anger be'ore the builders me.
[ Let their wickedneſs be in thy ſight, ſo as to bring down de-
' ſerved judgements upon them, that either they may be convinced and reformed, or others may be warned by their example. God is ſaid ro cover or hide fin when he forbears to puniſh it. m7. e.They have not only provoked us Builders,but thee alſo. Or, they have provoked or derided the builders to their face, 1. e. openly and 1mpu= dently, in contempt of God, and of this work, which is done by his direction and encouragement. :
6 SO built we the wall: and all the wall was joyned together unto the half thereof ; for the people had a mind to work. = Either, 1. in length or rather, 2. in height: for the whole circumference of the Wall was diſtributed among the Builders, who alſo had carried on the work, beginning at the ſheep-gate, and end- ing there alſo, as appears from ch. 3. 1, 32. and the walls of Jeruſg= lem are ſaid ro bemaae up, here v.7.
- 7 But it came ro paſs that when Sanballat, and To-
biah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the,
Albdodites, heard that ÞF the Walls of Jeruſalem were? Heb,
made up, and that the breaches began to be ſtopped s,,,,,*,,
then they were very wroth. the -
. 04.e, That the breaches which the Chaldeans had made, and left 2 Chr. 24
in the Walls, were well-nigh ſtopped up 13.
_ 8 Andconſpired all oi them rogether, to comeand to
[fight againſt Jeruſalem, and f co hinder it. + Heb: » 9 Neveitheleſs, we made our prayer unto our God, make.
and ſera watch againſt them day and night, becauſe of'” 04 chem:
to And Judah p ſaid, The ſtrength of the bearers cf buidens is decayed, and there js much rubbiſh q, ſo thar we are nor able to build the wail r.
Þ 7. e. The Jews now dwelling in Judah, to wit, ſome of them bei g partly terrified by their Enemies, and partly wearied with hard and continuallabours. q More than we are able ſuddenly to re- move. r Being f.rced ro ſpend our time in removing the rubbiſh, and orher works impoſed rpon us ; and therefore we muſt deſiſt, at Icaſt fora ſcaſon.
11 And our adverſaries ſaid, They ſhall not know, neither ſee, till we come inthe midſt among them,and flay them /, and cauſe the work to ceaſe.
J We will come ſecretly, and unexpeRedly upon them,ſo as they ſhall neither torice their danger, nor be able to prevent it.
I2 And it Came to paſs that when the Jews which dwelt by them z, came, they ſaid unto us ten times «,
[| From all places, whence ye ſhall return unto us, hey will be upon you x.
r Or, among them: whereby they came to the knowledge of their counſels. « 7.e. Very often, A certain number for an uncer- tain. x 2.e. Trey will invade you every way, by which we can come to you,or you tous; and therefore do you keep Watches on #9 #* very fide. But theſe words may be otherwiſe rendred thus, On all parts where you ſhall ve quiet, or at reſt. (i.e. ſecure: for the Hebrew Schab 11gnifies not only to return, but alſo zo be quiet, or at eaſe, as Hebricians know ) they wlll be upon us, #. e. upon our people, and City Jer:ſalem, where you are. And they rather ſay upon us than «por you, to manifeſt their affeQion to them, and conjun&i- on with them, and that rth-y looked upon themſelves as Members of the ſame Body and Church with them and rook what was defig- ned or done againſt them. as if it were againſt themſelves, and
| Or, Te# from al places ye muſt return
: 1 _ therefore gave them this friendly notice. Or the 'En- of the heeps of the rubbiſh e which are burne f ? i dred res Rho told this ( to oi. the RnwGes = 3: 50 hy 2 6 Tobiah, wv. 3. and Geſhem, c<. 2. 19. and others, whom he calls times coming from all places where they dwelt, or reſted, Heb. you reft- his Brethren, becauſe of their ConjunGtion with him in office and in- ed. The ſecond perſon being put for the third, as ir is both in the tereſt. c Whom he deſigned hereby to incenſe againſt them, or at Hebxew Language, as Gen, 10. 19. 30. & 25, 18. and in the He- leaſt ro underſtand their minds herein. 4 Do they intend to be- brew Text, Pal. 22. 9- and 1n other Languages and Authors : of gin, and finiſh the work, and keep the Feaſt of Dedication by Sa- | which ſee my Latine Synopſis upon Gen.19;19: and that it is ſo bere crifice all in one day ? for if they ſpend any long time about it, we have the conſent of the Seventy, and Arabick, and of ſome mo- they cannot think thar we, and the reſt of their Neighbours, will' dern and accurate Interprerers,who render it by a Verb of the third ſuffer theo do it. Thus he perſwaded himſeifand his Compani- perſon ) about vs; whence they came purpoſely to inform and ons, that their attempt was ridiculous; and this miſtake kept him warn us. Or thus, They told rhis to us ten times from all places whence from giving them any diſturbance, till it was too late. So God in- they did returnio us, Which phraiſe of returning tv us, 1, e. to Jeruſa- fatuated him to his own grietand ſhame, and to the advantage of Jen:, ſuirs very well with thoſe perſons who came up with their
Brethren
FH
came f
| Or,e
Me we vith þ Weapor Va! r,
1091
f
, i
Chap. V.
N EH
Brethren from Babylon to Jeruſalem, and went thence into ſeveral
parts of the countrey to dwell,where they thought meer, and retur- ned now, and at other times,as they had occaſion,to their brethren
Heb from
* Heb. on
ty loyns,
fHcb,
came for;h,
| Orevery