not to bo supposed that they stood during tho reading they .ca?sed the people to un- the whole of the six hours that Ezra's read- derstand by explammg the meaning of each ing lasted. passage. Ver. 6.-Ezra. blessed the Lord. Ezra. Ver. 9.-Nehemiah, wbich ia the Tir- began by an ascription of praise to Jehovah, ahatha. The term "Tirshatha" had pre- as the Levites, probably under his direction, viously__ been applied ~nly _to Zerubbabel begin in eh. ix. 6, and as David began his (Ezra 11. 63; Neh. vu. 6~), but it was last address to the congregation (1 Chron. applicable to any governor. The writer of xxix. 10). The grea.t God. The epithet the ssction, introducing Nehemiah here for belongs to the writer rather than to Ezra. the first time, naturally gives him a. title of himself, who in his own book never uses it. reverence. Nehemiah's modesty ha.cl ma.cl 0 It recurs in this section (eh. ix. 32), and is him content to describe himself by th0 also employed by Nehemiah (eh. i. 6). general and comparatively weak term pe- Amen, Amen. The repetition marks in- chah. Said unto the people ... Mourn not. tensity of feeling, as does the lifting up A combined remonstrance is made against their hands. Compare 2 Kings xi. 14 ; the open grief of the people by the civil Luke xxii:i. 21 ; and for the lifting up of and ecclesiastical rulers, and by the order the ha.nds, so natural in prayer, see Ps. of Levites. Mourning was unsuitable for a cxxxiv. 2; 1 Tim. ii. 8, &c. Worshipped day of high festivity, the opening day of the Lord with their faces to the ground. the civil year and of the sabbatical month, Compare 2 Chron. vii. 3 ; Ezra x. 2. itself a sabbath or day of rest, and one to be Ver. 7.-J'eshua, llani, Sherebiah, &c. kept by blowing of trumpets (Lev. xxiii. 24, Levitical families, not individual Levites 25; Num. :xxix. 1-6). (see eh. ix. 4, 5; x. 10-13; xii. 8, &c.). Ver, 10. -Then he said. Either Ezra And the Levites. I. e. " the rest of the or Nehemiah, but probably the fonner, to Levites." Caused the people to understand whom it appertained to give religious direc- the law. Expounding it, dwing pauses in tions. Eat the fat and drink the sweet. the reading. The people stood in their I. e. "Go and enjoy yourselves, eat and place. Rather, " were in their place" drink of the best-let there be no fasting, -remained throughout the whole of the nor even abstinence, on such a da.y as this." reading and exposition without quitting But at the same time send portions unto their places. It is not probable that they them for whom nothing is prepared. Make stood. the poor partakers of your joy. "The Ver. 8.-They read in the book in the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow" law of God distinctly. That is, so that should have their part in the feast (Deut. every word could be distinctly heard. Com- xvi. 14). And for yourselves, remember pare Ezra iv. 18, where a cognate word is that the joy of the Lord, i. e. religious joy, translated "plainly." And gave the sense. constitutes your strength. Translated the Hebrew words into the Ver. 12.-To make great mirth. Or popular Aramaic or Chaldee. And caused "great rejoicing," not "mirth" in tho them to understa.nd the reading. Liter- sense which the word now commonly bears. ally, "in the reading." In the course of
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-12.-Religious instruction. "And when the seventh month came," &c. To the well-being of a people the la.hours of the religious teacher are as necessary as those of the statesma.n. Nehemiah having provided for the safety of the Jews against their enemies, Ezra, the priest and scribe, steps forward to instruct them in the law of God. Of the manner in which he did this, and the reception his instructions met with, we have a specimen in this narrative. I. The TIME of the meeting. "The first day of the seventh month" (ver. 2), the commencement of the civil year, the feast of trumpets. It was also the anniversary of the restoration of the ultar (Ezra iii. 1-3), and a.s such would be regarded with special interest. And it was the first day of the month which a.bounded in religious solemnities. II. The PLACE. The open space before the water gate (ver. 1). HI. The CONGREGATION. 1. Of whom it consisted. 11 All the people" ... 11 men and women, and all that could hear wit!:. understanding" (vers. 1, 2). Parents brought those of their children who could understand. 2. Their unanimity. 11 As one man" (ver. 1). 3. Their eagerness to learn. 11 They spake unto Ezra,'' &c. IV. The READING AND EXPLANATION OF TUE LAW. By Ezra and a nuniber of NEHEMIAH, G 82 THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. [en. vm. 1-12,