n» Which might be either, 1. From this corrupt High-Prieſt Eliaſhib. who took their portions, as he did the Sacred Chambers, ro his own uſe, or employed them for the entertainment of Tob:ah, and his other great Allies. Or, 2- From the People, who either out of Covetouſnelſs reſerved them to themſelves, contrary to their own tolemn agreement and Covenant, chap.10.37.or wereto offend- ed ar Eliaſh:b's horrid and manifeſt abuſe of facred things, that they abhorred the Offering and Service of God.as others did upon a like occaſion, 1 Sam. 2. 17. and therefore negle&ed ro bring in their Tithes. &c. which they knew would be preverted to bad uſes. oTo his pcflefſion in the Country,being forced to do ſo for a livelyhood,
11 Then contended I with the ruters o, and faid, Why is the houſe of God forſaken p ? And TI gathered
them together q, and ſet them in their Þ place 7.
9 Tſharply reproved thoſe prieſts to whom the management of theſe things was committed, for negle& of their Duty, and breach of their late ſolemn Promiſc- p You have not only injured men in with-holding their dues, but you have occaſioned the negleC&t of God's Houſe and Service q To Jeruſalem from their ſeveral Country Poſ- ſeſſions, . in which they were diſperſed. r Reſtored them to the exerciſe of their Ofhce.
12 Then brought all Judah the tithe /of the corn,and the new wine, and the oil unto the || treaſuries.
ſ Partly out of the reſpe& which they had to Nehemzah, and to his command . and partly becauſe they ſaw they would be applied to their proper uſes, and not abuſed, as they had beene
12 And I made treaſurers over the treaſuries, Shele- miah the prieſt, and Zadok the ſcribe z, and of the Le- yites Pedajah : and Þ next to them was Hanan the ſon of Zaccur, the fon of Mattaniah: for they were coun- ted faithful x, and + their Office was to diſtribute unto their brethren x.
t The Eccleſiaſtical Scribe, who was to keep the accounts of the Receipts and Disburſements. » By common Fame,and the conſent of thoſe who knew them. Such he now ſought our the more dili- gently, becauſe he had late experience of the perfidiouſneſs of the former Truſtees. x According to their ſeveral Families,as the Law had preſcribed. : :
14 * Remember me, O my God, concerning this y, and wine not out my | good deeds that I have done for the houfe of my God, and for the || Offices thereof.
9 What I have done with an upright heart for thy Houſe and ſer- vice be pleaſed graciouſly to accept,and remember for my good,ac- cording to thy promiſe. : ;
15 In thoſe days ſaw I in Judah ſome treading wine- preſſes on the Sabbath, and bringing in ſheaves, and lading aſles ; as alſo wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jeruſalem on the ſabbath day , and I teftified againſt them z inthe day wherein they fold vicuals. | _ 2 I proteſtedagainſtthe ation, and admoniſhed them to forbear It
ved that * the portions of the Levites for the Levites and the
i were fled every one to his =
5 -
b Heb.
Egmaing
(Or, fore-
Heb. Was upon {lM
(aber
E M I © Chap. Xil,\l will lay hands on you g. Frem that time forth came f they no more on the ſabbath,
£ I will puniſh you and ſeize your goods: For this was a temptati- on to covetous or needy Jews that hved in or near the City to ſteal opportunitics of buying their Commodities, which then they might
do with more advantage. | 22 And I commanded the Levites, that they ſhould Cleanſe themſelves b, andzthat they ſhould come and keep the gates i, to ſanctifie the ſabbath-dav. Remember me, O my God, —_— this aiſo, and ſpare me ac- cording to the || greatneſs of thy mercy &.
h Partly becauſe the work they were now ſet upon, though com- mon inits nature, yer was holy in deſign ofir, and had reſpe&un- to the Sabbath : and partly, becauſe the day in which they were to do this was the Sabbath-day,for the obſervation Whereof rhey were obliged to prepare and purifie themſelves. / Either, 1. The Gates of the Temple. Bur a particular command was ſuperfluous in that caſe, becauſe it was their conſtant work and charge to .do this both Sabbath-days and eve: y day. Or rather, 2. The Gates of the City ; for of them he ſpake laſt, wer. 19. and nor daring to truſt the common Porters of thoſe Gates, not being able always to em- ploy his men in that work, he committerh the charge of them for the preſent ſeaſon, and upon the Sabbath-days, to the Levites, to whom the care of ſJan&itying rhe Sabbath 41d properly belong. k Whereby he intimates, that though he mentioned his Good-works as things wherewith God was well-pleaſed, and which he had pro- miſed to reward, yet he neither did,nor durſt truſt to their merit, or his own worthineſs, but, when he had done all, he judged himſelf an unprofitable ſervant,and one that needed God's infinite Mercy and Indulgence to pardon all his fins,and particularly thoſe infirmities and corruptions which adhered to his good deeds. | 23 Inthoſe days days alfoſaw 1 Jews that #* had mar- 4 o;, z,g ried wives of Aſhdod 1, of Ammon, #»d of Moab : made to I A City of the Philiſtines, 1 Sam. 5. 1, 2, &Cc. awell with 24 And their children ſpake half in the ſpeech of them. Aſhdod, and # could not ſpeak in the Jews language, ,£2r3-9:2,
—— f f Heb they but according to the language Þ+ of each people m. diſcerned m Which their Mothers inſtilled into them, together with their ,;; 9 ſpeak. Principles and manners- + Heb. of 25 AndI contended with them, and || curſed them #, people and and {mote ocertain of them p, and pluckr off their hairq, people. and made them ſwear by God, ſaying, Ye ſhall not gy omg give your daughters unto their ſons, nor take their
daughters unto your ſons, or for your ſelves.