t.o dnrk (ibid. vcr. 21). The wall att1t1ned v. p. 157) ; but tho oxprossion "in thoae to half its l1eight in a very short time (ibid. days" seems rather to throw back the events ver. 6),-tb_ere was then a b1;ef interruption, into the time during which the wall was in -after which came the main work of com- building. The passage is a 8ort of explana- pleting the entire circuit to its full height. tory note, showing us how Tobinh came to It is possible that the fifty-two days are be able to_ raise those intrigues inside J eru- counted from the "return to work" (ibul. salem winch have been mentioned in vers. ver. 15). 12-14. And the letters of Tobiah oame Yer. 16.-0ur enemies. The Samaritans, unto them. Rather, "and many were the the Ammonites, the Asbdodites, and the lettera of Tobiah which came to them." Arabians under Geshem are the special Ver. 18. -He was the son-in-law of ''enemies" here spoken of. The Phrenicians, Shechaniah. Rather, '• related by marriage Syrians, Moabites, &c. are the other" heathen to Shechaniah "-perhaps, but not certainly round about" the Jews. Even these last by having married his daughter. Son of were unfriendly, and disliked any increase Arah. Member, i e., of the family, tailed of J e,,ish power and prosperity. They per- the Deni-Arah, which had returned with ceived that this work was wrought of our Zerubbabel (Ezra ii. 5; Neh. vii. 10). llte- God. They could not but recognise a special shullam the son of Berechiah is mentioned Providence as befriending and protecting in eh. iii. as repairing two portions of the the Jews, who, after having been utterly wall (vers. 4, 30). crushed and rooted out by Nebuchadnezzar, Yer. 19.-Also they reported his good were now re-established in a commanding deeds, &c. Rather, " they even reported " position in Palestine, and allowed to make -they went so far as to speak to me of his their city once more an almost impregnable good actions, perhaps representing the bribes fortress. which he dispensed (ver. 12) as given from Ver. li.-lltoreover in those days. Ewald charitable motives. And they uttered my supposes that the circumstances here related words, or "communicated my affairs," to (vera. 17-19) were subsequent to the com- him. They made him acquainted with all pletion of the wall (' History of Israel,' vol my proceedings.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-9.-Craft detected and baffeed. The enemies without make cunning proposals in vain. I. THE OOCABION OF THEIR INTERFERENCE. They heard that the wall was com- pleted, though the gates were not yet set up; and, thinking that further open opposition would be useless, adopted craft. II. THE MANNER OF THEIR INTERFERENCE. 1. They repeatedly proposed a confer- ence. Pretending probably that they wished to come to a good understanding with Nehemiah, but really intending to get him into their power, that even now, their leader being gone, the Jews might leave undone the rest of the work, or that in the confusion thus caused they might march on the city and take possession of it, or undo what had been done. But Nehemiah was too wise to be thus caught. Without letting them know that he saw through their cunning design, he replied truly enough, though not the whole truth, that he could not leave the great work he was doing, and let it cease, to come down to them ; and as often as they repeated their proposal he sent the same answer. 2. They endeavoured to induce him to comply with their proposal by sending openly a false accusation against him. What they had insinuated before (eh. ii. 19) they declare now to be matter of common report, viz., that be and the Jews bad fortified Jerusalem with the intention to rebel against the Persian Jnonarcb, adding that the report was also that Nehemiah was purposing to be king, and had indeed induced certain prophets to proclaim him king. And as these re- ports must needs reach the ears of .Artaxerxes, they begged him to come to consult with them, wishing him apparently to understand that the:y would take su~h steps as might be agreed upon to prevent any ill consequences to himself, should this prove to be the case. The letter containing these accusations and proposal was sen~ "open," that the people at Jerusalem might know ~hem, and be intimida~d, and de~lrne to put ~he finishing stroke to the work. Nehemiah, however, strong m the consc10usness of ·ectitude, not only denied the truth of these pretended reports, but charged Sanballu.t with inventing them. Ill. NEHEMIAH'S nisou11cE IN HIS DIFFICULTIES, He prayed God to strengthen on. v1. 1-19.J THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. 61i