the others in the s&me order &S Ezra, but Kennicott's theory, that the three lists- spells some of the n&mes differontly-e. g. that of Ezra, that of Nehemiah, and that in '· Azariah " for " Seraiah " " Raltmiah " for the first of Esdras-had all one original, and "Reelaiah," "Misperetb." for "Mizpar," that the existing differences proceeJ entirely and "Nehum" for "Rehum." from mistakes of the copyists, is the only Ver. 15. -Binnui Ezra has "Bani" tenable one. It is especially remo.rko.blo which receives confum&tion from Neh. x. i4 that the differences in the numbers of the e.nd 1 Esdras v. 12. three lists consist chiefly in a single unit, Ver. 21.-The children of Ater. Up to a sfr1,gle ten, 01· a single hundred-or in a this N ehemi&h observes the same order as five ; less often in two units, or two tens, or Ezra ; but the reme.ining personal names two hundreds, or in a six-differences pro- (three) are placed differently. bably arising from the obliteration of one Yer. 24.-The children of Hariph. Ezra or two signs in a notation resembling the has "Jorah" inst,e&d of Hariph (Ezra ii. Roman or the Egyptia.n, where there are 18) ; but "Hariph" is confirmed by Neh. special signs for a thousand, e. hundred, ten, X. 19. five, o.nd the unit, complex numbers being Yer. 25.-The children of Gibeon. For expressed by repetition of these, as 3438 in "Gibeon" Ezra has '' Gibbar" -e. name Latin inscriptions by MMMCCCCXXXVIII. otherwise unkno= to us. '' Gibeon " should Any fading of e. sign in such e. notation e.s probably be read in both places. this causes a copyist to diminish the amount Yer. 33.-The men of the other Nebo. by one, five, ten, a hundred, a thousand, &c. Ko Nebo has as yet been mentioned, which A fading of two signs may produce a dimi- makes it unlikely that the text is correct nution of two thousand, two hundred, twenty, here. Apparently the word translated "the two ; or again of eleven hundred, one hun- other" (acher) has been accidentally re- dred and ten, one hundred and five, fifteen, peated from the next verse. Ezra has " the eleven, six, and the like. men of N ebo" simply. Ver. 67.-Two hundred e.nd forty-five Vers. 39-42.-This section exactly re- singing men e.nd singing women. Ezra says produces Ezra ii 36-39. 200 ; bnt this must be a round number. Ver. 43.-The children of 1eshna, of Xe.d- 1 Esdras confirms Nehemie.h (eh. v. 42). miel, and of the children of Hodeve.h may Vers. 68, 69.-The numbers of the animals be correct,ed from Ezra ii 40 and iii 9. It are identical in Ezra and Nehemiah. The should be "J eshna and Kadmiel, of the apocryphal Esdras has an enormous and children of Hodevah." This ancestor of most improbable augmentation of the num- Jeshua and Kadmiel appears under the three ber of the horses (7036 for 736). forms of Hodevah, Hodaviah (Ezra ii 40), Ver. 70.-The Tirshe.the. ge.ve. This is and Judah (Ezra iii 9). additional to the information contained in "fer. 46.-TheNethinims. Thelistwhich Ezra, who does not separate Zerubbabel's follows is very close to that of Ezra (eh. ii offering from that of the other heads of 43--54). .A few names a.re differently spelt, families (eh. ii. 69). The account of the obla- e.nd one of Ezra's names (A.kk:ub--ch. ii 45) tions is altogether more exact in Nehemie.h is omitted. than in the earlier historian. For the value Vers. 57-62.-The children of Solomon's of the contributions made, see the comment ■erve.nts. This section and the section on Ezra (1. s. c.). which follows (vers. 63--65) a.re nearly iden- Ver. 73.-And all Israel dwelt in their tical in Ezra and N eherniah. .A few names cities. The document found by Nehemiah only are slightly different. (ver. 5) probably ended with these words Ver. 66. - The whole congrege.tion to- (comp. F.zra ii. 70); and eh. vii. should gether was forty and two thonee.nd three here terminate, na it does in the Septuagint. hllll.dred e.nd threescore. It makes against Having completed the account of whe.~ hap- the view of Bishop Patrick and others, who pened in the sixth month, Elul (eh. VI. 15), regard Ezra's list as made at Babylon, some and transcribed the register which he had time before the final departure, and N ehe- the good fortune to discover at that date, miah 's as made at Jerusalem, after the arrival Nehemiah proceeds to relate events belong• of the exiles, that the sum total is in each ing to the seventh month. case the ea.me (see Ezra ii 64). Bishop
HOMILETICS. Vers. 5-69.-A.n lwnourable re.gist,er. Account of those who had returned to the Holy Land under Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and other leaders; found by 1:l'ehern~ah when seeking guidance in making a general census of the people. In readmg tlus record, tl,l' following observations suggest themselves:- en. v11. 6-73.J THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. 77