a The next day but one after the Feaſt of Tabernacles, which be- gun on the 14th d:y, and ended on the 22th day, Levie. 23. fortheir conſciences having then been fully awakened by the Law read ro them, and their hearrs being full of grief for their grear ſins, which they were not ajlowcd to expreſs in that time of publick Joy and Triumph ; now when that was paſt, they reſume their former thoughts and paſſions, and recalling their fins to mind, ſer aparc a day for folema faſting and humiliations
2 And * the leed of Ifrael ſeperated themſelves from
all + ſtrangers b, and ſtood and confeifed their fins, and * I
the iniquiries of their fathers c.
6 From all familiar and unnecetfary ſociety with the heathens and particularly from thoſe ſtrange Women whom ſome of them had married. For though Ezra had done this formerly, Ezra 10 as far as he hid knowledge of the perſons faulty, and power ro re- drets their faults, yet ,it ſeems,thcre were ſomeCriminals,who were either without his knowledge, or out of his power : or, theſe were ſome new Delinquenrs, that fiace that time had fallen into the ſame crror, and ſhewed rite truth of their repearance, by the forſaking of their beloved fins, and deareſt relations. See again Nehem. 13 4 c Which they contels partly as one cauſe of their preſent ſulfer- ings : and partly becaute they by their praQices had juſtified their fathers ſins, and made them their own.
And they ſtood up in their places, and read in the
book of the Law d ofthe LORD their God, one fourth
| part of the day e, and «zother fourch part they coueſ-
ſed f, and worſhiped the LORD their God g.
4 So asthey did before. giving them the ſenſe of what they read, of which ſee on chap. 8. 5, 8. e To wit, for three hours; for there were accounted twelve hours in their day, John 11. 9g. Probably they began after the morning Sacrifice, at which diverlſe religious People uſed to be preſent, but now they were all aſſembled rogerher
upon this great occaſion : and they continued their work from that
eaſt, witich, thoughy long neglected, ſhould have been celebrated | rime rill the Evening Sacrifice, with which they cloled the work of
ONCE Every Year And therefore this place feems to be here defigns | the day. (]
f Both God's mercies, as appears frum the matrer of the 4 B foliow.
Ezra 10. I.
Ct. 13.30. ft
ied.
children of oy fr ang ere
1p, IX. SE i E | following ,. .., <1, #1ua their own Sins, as is expreſſed. v. 2. this day being ch-efly {er apart for that work. g Partly by the acknow- ledgment and adoration of his wonderful mercy 1 forgiving their fins, and ſaving them from the deſerved Judgments, which they either fe'r or feared, and giving them his Law, and the knowledge thereof & partly by imploring his further grace and m-rcy to them. 4 Tien ſtood up upon the || ttairs of the Levices -, Jeſhua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebi- af, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud VOIC? 2 unto the LORD their God.
h Or, «pon the ſcaffold, &c 3. e. Upon ſuch Sraifs, or rather Scaf- folds. or Pulpirs, as the Levites uted to itand upon, when rhey taught the People. Burt you muſt northin{ rhar all the perſons here named {tood in one place, and utrered the following words rogerher; which would have cauſed great confuiion in their ſpecches, by which means, bur few of the People could have diftin&!ly heard, or underſtood them, but that they ſtood upon ſeveral Pulpirs, each of them either reaching of thar part of the Congregation which was allotted to him, or praying or bleflſing God with them. 2 Thereby teſtifying their deep ſenſe of their fins and miſcries, and their fervent and importunate deſire of God's mercy.
5 Then the Levites, Jeſhua and Kadmiel, Bani, Ha- ſhabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, «»d Pethahi- ah, ſaid &, Stand up and bleſs the LORD your God for ever and ever /; and blefled be thy glorious name,
which is exalted above all blefling and praiſe.
k All the following words. Either therefore they all uſed the ſame words, being compoſed and agreed upon by Ezra and them- ſelves ; or they all prayed in the ſame manner, and to the ſame pur- poſe, having agreed among themſelves concerning the matter of their Confeſſions and Prayers: And thefe are the words which one of themuſed ; and it1is implied that the reſt of rheir Prayers of the ſame nature. / From day to day, as long as you live, and to all eternity. | x Gen.r.1. 6 Thou, even thou art LORD alone, * thou haſt
Deur.19. made heaven, the * Heaven of Heavens, with all cheir tl hoſt, the earth and all things that are therein, the ſens and all that zs therein, and chou preſerveſt them all, and
* the Hoſt of Heaven m» worſhippeth thee,
m Either, 1. The Stars, which after their manner worſhip and praiſe God, as all the creatures do after their manner, of which ſee Pſal. 148. or rather, 2. The Angels, who are 1o called, as 1 Kings, 22.19. Lke 2. 13- who do worſhip God truely and properly. And it is moſt uſual, and reaſonable to underſtand all words properly, where there is no need of a figurative interpretation. And it this were u::lerſtoo1 of Meraphorical, and obje&ive worſhipping of God, there ſeems to be no reaſon to appropriat that to zhe hos? of Heaven, to wit, the Stars, ſeing the hoſts of Sea and Earth do in that ſenſe worthip God no leis than the Stars do, namely, in giving Angels and Men matter and occaſion of worſhiping and praiſing of God.
7 Thou art the LORD the God, who Gdidſt chooſe * Genzrr. * Abram », and broughteſt him forth out of Ur of the 31.&12.1. Chaldees, and gaveſt him the name of * Abraham. *Gen. 17. #= Out of the midit of all his Nation and Family. When thou didſt 5. paſs by, and negle& the reſt of them, ſuffering them to walk on 1n
their idolatrous and dezſtru&ive courſes ; thou didſt chuſe and fingle out him to ſerve and glorifie thee, to be Father of all the fairhtul, the Progenitor of the Mcfſias, and the perſon in whom, not we only, bur all Nations ſhould be bleſſed, and to enjoy thee to all erernity.
8 And foundelt his heart * faichtul before thee o,
R and madeſt a * covenant with him, to give the land of _— the Canaanites,the Hittites,che Amorites,and thePer1z- * Gen.z2.Zites, and the Jebufites, and the Girgaſhites, to give x ».&15.18, 1 ſay, to his ſeed, and haſt performed thy words, for & 17- 7.9. thou art righteous.