Bible Commentaries

Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,

Nehemiah, the Tirshatha. His name was first placed in the roll on account of his high official rank, as deputy of the Persian monarch. All classes were included in the subscription list; but the people were represented by their elders (Nehemiah 10:14), since it would have been impossible for everyone in the country to have been admitted to the sealing.

Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

No JFB commentary on these verses.

And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;

Those who were not present at the sealing ratified the covenant by giving their assent, either in words or by lifting up their hands, and bound themselves by a solemn oath to walk in God's law, imprecating a curse upon themselves in the event of their violating it.

They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;

To observe and do all the commandments ... This national covenant, besides containing a solemn pledged of obedience to the divine law generally, specified their engagement to some particular duties, which the character and exigency of the times stamped with great urgency and importance, and which may be summed up under the following heads: That they abstain from contracting matrimonial alliances with the pagan; that they would rigidly observe the Sabbath; that they would let the land enjoy rest and remit debts every seventh year; that they would contribute to the maintenance of the temple service, the necessary expenses of which had formerly been defrayed out of the treasury of the temple (1 Chronicles 26:20), and when it was drained, given out from the king's private pocket (2 Chronicles 31:3); and that they would make an orderly payment of the priests' dues. A minute and particular enumeration of the first-fruits was made, that all might be made fully aware of their obligations, and that none might excuse themselves on pretext of ignorance from withholding taxes which the poverty of many, and the irreligion of others, had made them exceedingly prone to evade.

And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons:

No JFB commentary on these verses.

Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;

The third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God. The law required every individual above twenty years of age to pay half a shekel to the sanctuary. But in consequence of the general poverty of the people, occasioned by war and captivity, this tribute was reduced to a third part of a shekel.

For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law:

We cast the lots ... for the wood offering. The carrying of the wood had formerly been the work of the Nethinims. But few of them having returned, the duty was assigned as stated in the text. The practice afterward rose into great importance; and Josephus speaks ('Wars,' 2:, 17, sec. 6) of Xylophoria, or certain stated and solemn times at which the people brought up wood to the temple.

And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:

No JFB commentary on these verses.

And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house.

The priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes. This was a prudential arrangement. The presence of a dignified priest would ensure the peaceful delivery of the tithes-at least his superintendence and influence would tend to prevent the commission of any wrong in the transaction, by the people deceiving the Levites, or the Levites defrauding the priests.

The tithe of the tithes - i:e., the Levites having received a tenth of all land produce, were required to give a tenth of this to the priests. The Levites were charged, with the additional obligation to carry the tithes when received, and deposit them in the temple stores, for the use of the priests.

For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.

We will not forsake the house of our God. This solemn pledge was repeated at the close of the covenant as an expression of the intense zeal by which the people at this time were animated for the glory and the worship of God. Under the pungent feelings of sorrow and repentance for their national sins, of which apostasy from the service of the true God was the chief, and under the yet fresh and painful remembrance of their protracted captivity, they vowed, and, feeling the impulse of ardent devotion, as well as of gratitude for their restoration, flattered themselves, they would never forget their vow to be the Lord's.