Me went vith his Weapon for Vat or,
at Jeruſalem. 12 Therefore ſet I + in the lower places behind the
tz vwer yall y, end on the higher places z, I even fer the peo-
777" ple after their families, with their ſwords, their ſpears lace, XC : F ;
and their bows, y To ſtand by, and within the Walls where they were loweſt and
E M 1 4 H.
3 Some alſo there were that ſaid, We have morga- ged ourlands, vineyeards, and houſes, that we might buy corn, becauſe of the dearth.
4 Which might: eaſily happen, both from the multitude cf the People now in and near Jerryſalem, and from their buiiding work, which wholly took them up,and kept them from taking care of their own Families,and from the expeQation and Dread of their enemies
Invaſion, which hindred them from going abroad to fetch in Pro- vitton, and the people round about from bringing it in to them; or
not yet raiſed to their due height, and therefore moſt liable ro the | from divers other cauſes.
Enemies afſault. z Upon the tops of the Walls where they were finiſhed, and the towers which were built here and there upon the Wall; whence they might ſhoot arrows, or throw ſtones againſt their enemies, when they made their Approaches.
14 And 1 looked, and roſe up, and ſaid untothe no- bles, and to the rulers, and to the reſt of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the LORD which is great and terrible, and fighc for your brethren, your ſons andyour daughters, your wives, and your houſes;
15 And it came to paſs when our enemies heard that it was knowa unto us, and God had brought their counſel ronought, that we returned all of us to che wall, every one unto his work 4.
a Our enemies being fruſtrated in their hopes, which were wholly built upon the ſecrecy, and iuddenneſs of their attempr, we knowing this, returned to our vuſineſs. |
16 And it came to paſs from chat time forth b, that the half of my ſervants « wrought in the work,and the other half of them held both the ſpears, che ſhields, and the bows, and the habergeons ; and the rulers were behind alle the houſe of Judah f.
b Leſt our enemies ſhould repeat their enterprize. c Of my domeſtick Servants, and of my Guards, who ſhould have attended upon my own perſon. 4i.e- All their weapons: they ſtood in their Arms prepared for Bzttel, e Partly to encourage them in their work, and ſometimes to afliſt with their own hands: and partly to dire& and command thcm in caſe of an aſſault, fi. e. The Jews who were upon the wall. ;
17 They which built on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with thoſe that laded every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon ge
g This is 1.0t to bs taken properly, for they could never have done their wo:k with one hand ; and the next Verſe tells us the Sword was not in their hands, but by their ſide ; bur figuratively; this being a proverbial ſpeech, ſuch as is frequent amongſt the La- tines, as when they ſay of a man pretending kindneſs with evilde- ſign, He carried bread in one hand, and a fone in another.
18 For the builders, every one had his {word pgirded ft by his ſide, and ſe built: and he that ſounded the
trumpet h was by me. ; þ To call the People together, when, and where 1t was fit and
neceſlary.
19 And Ifaid unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the reſt of the people, The work is great and large, and weare ſeparated uponthe wall,one far from another.
20 In what place therefore ye hear the ſound of che trumpet ; reſort ye thither unto us: our God ſhal fight
for us. 21 So we laboured in the work : and half of them
held the Spears, from the riſing of the morning, cill the ftars f appeared z.
; Working very early, and very late.
22 Likewiſe at the ſame time {aid T unto the pec- ple, Let every one with his ſervant lodge within Jeru- falem k, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
k Not in the Suburbs, or adjoining Villages, as probably many of them did, returning thence to their work in the morning,
23 So neicher I, nor my brethren, nor my ſervants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes /, || ſaving that every one put them off for waſhing m.
I Neither by day, nor by night, as. the manner is when we go to Bed ; they conſtantly kept themſelves in a readineſs for fight- ing. m When they were to waſh and cleanſe rhemſclves from ſome natural or moral impurity, which mightbefal them or their garments
The people complain of their Brethren, by reaſon of their Debts, Mortgages, and Bondage, 1-—— 5- Nehemiah rebuketh the Uſurers, and cauſeth them to make a Covenant of Reſtitution, 6 13. He forbeareth his own Allowance, and keepeth Hoſpitality, 1, —— 16. The quantity of his Prepara: ions, and his Prayer, 18, 196
ND there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives, againſt their brethren the Jews a. a To wit, the great and rich ones who had opprefled their Bre-
thren. 2 For there were that ſaid, We, our ſons, and our
daughters are many b: therefore we take up Corn for
them-c, that we may eat, and live. :
6 Which is in it ſelf a Bleſſing, bur to us is turned into a Curſe ei.e. We are forced by our and their Neceflities to take up Corn, to wit, upon their own unreaſonable terms, as is here implied, and Plainly ez prefſcd inthe following Relation. Orhers,Ler us rake up,&Cc. 7. e. ſcing we do the, publick Work, let proviſion be made for us and our Ciildren out of thepublick Stock, But this 15 no Petition,
but a complaint, as will app-ar.
4 There were alſo that ſaid, We have borrowed money for the Kings tribute e, and that wupcr our lands and vineyards»
e Which was Jaid upon them all. Sce Ezra 4: 13 & 7: 24:
5 Yet now Gur fleſh ;s as the fleſh of our brethren f, our children as their children : and lo, we bring into bondage g our ſons and our daughters þ co be ſervants, and /ome of our daughters are brought into bondage al- ready, neither is it in our power to redeem them i ; tor 0.
ther men have our lands and vineyards.
f We are of the ſame Nature, and Nation, and Religion with them, although they treat us as if we were Beaſts or Heathens, for= getting both Humanity and God's Law, Deut- 15; 7: g We are com- pelled to ſell them for our Subſiſtence. þ Wh'ch was an evidence of their great Neceflity, becauſe their daughters were more render, and weak, and unfit for Bond. ſervice, and more expoſed to Injuries than their Sons. : Which we are allowed to do, Ex2d. 21. 7. bur have not wherewith to do it.