NEHEMIAH: BUILDER OF THE WALL

Nehemiah by Adolf Hull 1919 – Wikimedia

Light of Israel Bible Commentaries

Jim Gerrish

Light of Israel Bible Commentaries
Colorado Springs, CO

INTRODUCTION

To some, Nehemiah may seem like a dusty old book that has little interest at the present. However, when we better understand the history and prophecy underlying this book, we will realize that Nehemiah is one of the most interesting and unique works in the whole Bible.

“From the start the reader gains access to the memoirs of an ancient court official and embarks on a journey into the world of Persia and Judea in the mid-fifth century BC.” ¹

Nehemiah, in his comfortable role as cupbearer for the world’s most powerful ruler at that time, heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and the gates of the city were burned. He heard that the people of Jerusalem were beset with great trouble and disgrace. When he heard this report, he wept and prayed. His weeping and praying went on for several months. Unlike many in those days and even today, he really cared about Jerusalem.

Nehemiah was not weeping and praying for the destruction done by Nebuchadnezzar some 140 years before. That was not news but rather old history. To understand the new threat, we need to read Ezra 4:8-23, particularly focusing on verses 4:12-13, 21. Samaritan enemies had gotten King Artaxerxes to stall the work in Jerusalem. They then apparently came by force to destroy what was newly built of the wall and gates. This was what deeply grieved Nehemiah.

When he asked for permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he was asking that the king would change his mind. That was a dangerous thing to attempt in ancient times, especially when Persian kings felt their decrees could not be revoked. When Nehemiah miraculously got the king’s permission, the prophetic clock of Daniel 9:24-27 began to tick, counting down to the Messiah’s coming, his death and resurrection, the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, the second dispersion of Israel and the end of the age. Nehemiah was surely moving in sync with biblical prophecy.

There has always been a lot of discussion concerning the authorship of Ezra and Nehemiah. The Book of Nehemiah in ancient times was always combined with the Book of Ezra. It is very possible that Ezra wrote and assembled the books as well as the books of Chronicles. Nineteenth- century American theologian, Albert Barnes says: “In the earliest form of the Hebrew canon known to us the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were united in one, under the name of ‘The Book of Ezra.’ After a while, a division was made, and the two books which we now recognize were distinguished as ‘the First Book of Ezra’ and ‘the Second Book of Ezra…”’ ² It was after the time of Christ, in the days of Origen and Jerome that they were spoken of as entirely separate books. It took the Jews until 1448 AD to finally separate them. Nehemiah was the author of his book’s main body (chapters 1 to 7), along with parts of chapters 12 and 13. ³ Likely it was Ezra who later consolidated these works.

In a very short time, Nehemiah gave the city of Jerusalem something that every ancient city simply had to have. He gave them a defensive wall and strong gates. Without these things no one was safe and even the new temple could be plundered. Long before, the Psalmist had sung “Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in” (Psa. 24:7). Thanks to Nehemiah, some generations later the King Messiah did come through the gates of Jerusalem.

CHAPTER 1

The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Nehemiah 1:1

These are the words of Nehemiah, whose name in Hebrew means “God has comforted.” Nehemiah was the son of Hakaliah and that is all the genealogy we are given. It was the winter month of Kislev and nearing the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes I or 446/445 BC. The kings of Persia used Susa (Shushan) as their winter quarters and Ecbatana as their summer one.

“Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem” (1:2). It was now some ninety years since the captives had returned to Israel from Babylon and some 160 years since the Babylonian captivity began. We need to remember that Nehemiah had never seen Jerusalem or her temple. Yet, his heart is deeply concerned about them.¹ This reminds us of Psalm 137:5-6: “If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.” Jeremiah the prophet had asked: “Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are?” (Jer. 15:5). Nehemiah had pity, he asked about the welfare of Jerusalem and then he mourned for several months over her.

The person bearing the news about Jerusalem was one Hanani, said to be a brother to Nehemiah. English Bible scholar, Peter Pett says that he “… may well have been his brother, although the word need only indicate a kinsman. The Hanani in Nehemiah 7:2 may or may not be identical, for Hanani was a common name.” ² Dr. Max Anders of Western Seminary feels that since Nehemiah was a member of the king’s personal staff he probably knew about the former judgment against Jerusalem and capitulation to the hostile forces around the city.³ Nehemiah’s meeting with Hanani should remind us all of a great truth. Warren Wiersbe, pastor, religious broadcaster and commentator sums it up: “You never know what God has in store even in a commonplace conversation with a friend or relative, so keep your heart open to God’s providential leading.” ⁴

“They said to me, ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire’” (1:3). We remind ourselves again that this was not the destruction of Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC but most likely the destruction recently wrought by surrounding enemies (cf. Ezra 4:7-24) with at least a nod of approval from the king. Beloved radio pastor, Dr. G. Vernon McGee, conveys to us what might have been the normal response to such news: “He could have said, ‘It’s too bad, brethren. Sorry to hear it. I’ll put you on my prayer list. God bless you.’” ⁵

“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (1:4). We are reminded again of the Psalmist who mourned for Jerusalem: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion” (Psa. 137:1). McGee says, “There is too much talk and not enough tears. You are not God’s messenger if the message doesn’t cause you personal anguish.” ⁶ Wiersbe comments: “The Book of Nehemiah begins with ‘great affliction’ (Neh. 1:3) but before it closes, there is great joy (8:12, 17). ‘Weeping may endure for a night…Ps 30:5’…Our tears water the seeds of providence that God has planted on our path; and without our tears, those seeds could never grow and produce fruit.” ⁷

All this might make us wonder about how we view Jerusalem today. Most Christians in our time take a rather nonchalant attitude toward Jerusalem, regardless of what God and the Bible say about the city. It might surprise us Christians that we have a command to pray for Jerusalem’s peace in Psalm 122:6. It is interesting that God wants us to “bug” him about Jerusalem. In Psalm 62:7 it is said, “and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” We might ask ourselves if we have ever wept over Jerusalem. We live in a day, and it seems to be a continual day when evil men and nations are determined to divide Jerusalem and steal it away from the Jewish people who have come home from all over the world. When was the last time that we asked about Jerusalem’s welfare? We may have some praying to do. We too may need to approach our government officials on behalf of Jerusalem.

NEHEMIAH’S PRAYER

Then I said: “LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.”
Nehemiah 1:5-6

It has been said, “If prayer isn’t absolutely necessary to accomplish your vision, your goal isn’t big enough” ⁸ Nehemiah prayed and kept on praying from about December 446 BC to the following March or April (445) or the twentieth year of Artaxerxes.⁹ He prayed until the answer came. He not only confessed the sins of Israel but he confessed his own sins and the sins of his family. The Bible says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Prov. 28:13). The early Anglican commentator John Trapp said: “This is the soul’s vomit…” ¹⁰ Confession is a way of coughing up or spitting up the sin in our life. For confession to be complete it must also include a vow not to return to the confessed sin. In Leviticus 26:40-42, we learn that confession of sin was a necessity for the people if they were to return to their covenant land.

“We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses” (1:7). To become sinners in actuality, all we need is time. Since Adam fell in the Garden of Eden human beings have been sinners by their very nature. The Bible says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom. 3:23). It also says, “All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psa. 14:3). Nehemiah would soon learn that even some of the precious exiles who had returned to the land were also deep in sin and rebellion.

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name’” (1:8-9). The present scattered condition of God’s people was evidence that they had failed to obey God’s commands. Moses told them it would happen and it certainly did. But there is a great promise embedded in this verse. If they return and obey the Lord, he will bring them back to the land (cf. Deut. 30:1-4). This had happened under Zerubbabel and Ezra.

We also note that there is something here for the future diaspora or dispersion of the Jews. God promised to bring them back from the farthest horizon or the end of the earth. The first gathering was only from the East, but the last gathering will be worldwide. Many of us have lived to see God’s word come true as we have seen Israel regathered from over a hundred nations. Indeed, God did promise to bring his people home a second time (Isa. 11:11). We can believe that there was a great deal of repenting and obeying that went on in recent decades as the nation of Israel was returned home.

“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand” (1:10). Nehemiah politely reminds God that the Israelites are his people and not Nehemiah’s people. I remember when my wife and I went to Israel as volunteers we said, “God this is your baby. We will help you raise it but you have to pay the bills.” He did, and we served in Israel for sixteen years without any visible means of support.

“‘Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.’ I was cupbearer to the king” (1:11). Nehemiah not only prayed for the success of his prayers, but he prayed for others of God’s loyal servants. Nehemiah was certainly focused on the coming meeting with King Artaxerxes I. He refers to him as “this man” no doubt realizing that although he was the most powerful king on earth at the time, still he was just a mere man whom God could use.

Then Nehemiah casually mentions that he was serving in the position of king’s cupbearer. God had already raised up many of his people to become prominent in the king’s court. We think of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the Babylonian court. Then there was Queen Esther and Mordecai in the Persian court. Perhaps at that time no one had as great a position as Nehemiah. He was the king’s cupbearer and in that position he tasted the wine for poison before giving it to his majesty. He was the one man in whom the king placed absolute trust.¹¹

Olmstead says, “The cupbearer…in later Achaemenid times was to exercise even more influence than the commander-in-chief.” ¹² Commentators have said several things about Nehemiah’s position. Wiersbe said, “A man who stood too close to the king in public had to be handsome, cultured, knowledgeable in court procedures, and able to converse with the king and advise him if asked (see Gen. 41:1-13).” ¹³ Adam Clarke, an early British Methodist theologian, comments: “It is likely he was of a very eminent family, if not of the blood royal of Judah, as only persons of eminence could be placed in the office which he sustained in the Persian court…” ¹⁴

CHAPTER 2

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, Nehemiah 2:1

The month of Nisan was roughly equivalent to our April. It was the beginning of the new year for Israel and also for Persia. Since it was a time of celebration and a season when the king was known to do acts of generosity, Nehemiah may have chosen to present his cause before the king at this time. As we have mentioned, Nehemiah held the office of cupbearer to the king.¹ This post gave him much access to royalty. The Scottish divine Robert Jamieson describes the work of cupbearers: “Having washed the cup in the king’s presence and poured into their left hand a little of the wine, which they drank in his presence, he then handed the cup to him, not grasped, but lightly held with the tips of their thumb and fingers.” ² However, on this occasion, Nehemiah was weighted down with sadness over Jerusalem and that sadness showed. He had been in sadness over Jerusalem with prayer and fasting for four months.

“so the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.’ I was very much afraid,” (2:2). We can be sure that Nehemiah’s fear was not exaggerated but very real. Sadness was not permitted in the presence of the king since a visit in his presence was to bring only joy. Also, “Sadness, after all, might suggest the dissatisfaction of a plotter…” ³ The presence of the king was an awesome place. We learn from the Book of Esther that one who even came before the king unbeckoned would be put to death (Esth. 4:11). To have the king point out one’s sadness was no doubt most terrifying.

“but I said to the king, ‘May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’” (2:3). The expression “May the king live forever!” was the usual way to address the king. It was a prayer for the king’s well-being. This was normal court language. It was a prayer for the king’s continual health.⁴ The cupbearer was especially anxious that the king live long and not be poisoned.

We immediately see here a masterful presentation by Nehemiah. He is careful not to mention the city of Jerusalem and to politicize the conversation. Instead, he speaks only of his father’s burial site and the deep sorrow he had that it was in ruins. Anders mentions, “Respect for ancestral burial sites was of great concern to ancient peoples, particularly imperial rulers…” ⁵ Pett adds: “Persian kings attempted to give their sepulchers the appearance of a house or palace, even when they were utilizing rock tombs.” ⁶

Had Nehemiah mentioned Jerusalem he would have started off on a sour note since the king had sometime before made a ruling against the city and sided with the hateful Samaritans (Ezra 4:7-24). Nehemiah would have been on dangerous ground in asking favor for Jerusalem because the rulings of the Persian kings could not be changed (Dan. 6:8). Since the sepulcher of his father was in Jerusalem it is thought that Nehemiah was from the tribe of Judah. The early church leaders Eusebius and Jerome stated that he was.

“The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’ Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, ‘If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it’” (2:4-5). Anders says, “The king knew that, in the language of the court, Nehemiah had something in mind, so he asked, ‘What is it you want?’” ⁸ Nehemiah knew that he was at a critical moment and he sent one of those flash prayers up to God. Wiersbe says that these emergency prayers are OK especially if they are backed up by months of praying and fasting.⁹ “It was only after speaking to the King of Kings that he was prepared to answer the king of Persia.” ¹⁰

DANIEL’S MYSTERIOUS SEVENTY SEVENS

Again, Nehemiah does not say a word about Jerusalem. He speaks only of Judah and the burial places of his ancestors. However, Nehemiah does ask permission to rebuild the city. The words “rebuild” appear in the original and in almost all of the translations. This statement is prophetically important and connects with Daniel’s amazing prophecy in 9:24-27. In a mere four verses Daniel summarizes coming world history to the end of the age in terms of seventy ‘sevens,’ or seventy time periods of seven years each (490 years). That whole amazing period would begin with a decree to rebuild Jerusalem. Scholars feel that this second decree of Artaxerxes in 445 was that decree since it has the word “rebuild” in it.¹¹

The angel Gabriel informed Daniel that from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed ruler comes will be a combined period of seven ‘sevens’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ The initial period of seven ‘sevens’ seems to be related to the resettlement of the land and the rebuilding of the temple after the Babylonian captivity. The total period for our consideration will thus be sixty-nine ‘sevens’ or 483 years (Dan. 9:25). The final ‘seven’ is not included in our calculations.

After 62 ‘sevens’ the Messiah would come and die for his people. Apparently, around 69 ‘sevens’ the Romans would come and destroy the city and the temple. It seems that with Jerusalem and the temple being destroyed the divine time clock stopped. There is one ‘seven’ remaining and that seven years will bring the consummation of the age and the return of the Messiah. Interestingly, we have been in a suspended period of two-thousand years. For this reason, the early Christians believed they were living in the last hour (1 Jn. 2:18). In a real sense, the divine clock has stopped with seven minutes to midnight or a new day.

Daniel was then introduced to the final period of ‘seven.’ It will obviously come at the end of the age due to the presence of the Beast or Antichrist pictured in this period. At that time the covenant will be renewed with Israel for a short and turbulent period of seven years. This period may well be marked by the building of a new temple in Jerusalem and even by the renewal of animal sacrifices. In the middle of this period, the Beast or Antichrist who is spoken of in Daniel and Revelation will put an end to sacrifice and proclaim that he himself is God (cf. Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4). He will set up the abomination of desolation in a wing of the temple, but then his awful reign will be brought to an end (Dan. 9:27).

There are many complexities related to this account. If we take the second decree of Artaxerxes in 445 BC (there were four different decrees to consider) we need to make some allowances. Daniel was probably speaking of lunar years with months of 30 days each. The lunar year was made up of 360 days. This would shorten the period by six or seven years. Lunar years are very common in the Bible and Israel still runs on a lunar calendar. If we recalculate based on lunar years it would bring us to around AD 31. That is an extremely significant time and very close to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

We can see how Nehemiah was working with the flow of prophecy. It was not just his idea but it was God’s idea and he had foretold it long before. We must give Nehemiah plenty of credit for his boldness and faith to make it happen. Derek Kidner, the British Old Testament scholar says: “Further, he will be asking the king to revise his policy, for the decision against Jerusalem had been official. True, the decree had left a loophole for change (see Ezr. 4:21)…” ¹² Through all this, Nehemiah probably remembered the words of Proverbs 16:14, “A king’s wrath is a messenger of death…”

NEHEMIAH GETS HIS ANSWER

Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. Nehemiah 2:6

We can be sure that Nehemiah breathed a great sigh of relief as the king spoke. He knew the king and queen had accepted his proposal. We are told that the king was even pleased with it. Sometime before, the king had ruled against Jerusalem but as we mentioned, he left himself a loophole. He had said, “Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order” (Ezra 4:21). Rulings of Persian kings could not be changed as we remember. While the king could not change a ruling, the King of Kings could change it. The Bible says the king’s heart is like a watercourse and the Lord can change it however he wills (Prov. 21:1).

We note that the queen was present at this festival. Commentators generally feel that this was a private festival since queens were not allowed to attend regular ones. We know from historical records that her name was Damaspia. Pett speculates: “The mention of the queen sitting by suggests that she may well have approved Nehemiah’s request and have added her voice to his.” ¹³Anders adds: “Historians agree that Artaxerxes was greatly influenced by women, and Damaspia’s presence may have worked in Nehemiah’s favor.” ¹⁴

We might wonder how God changed the king’s mind. Again, from historical records, we know that the Persian Empire had been threatened by some rebellions. There was a big problem of rebellion in Egypt as well as in the area described as Beyond the River.¹⁵ The latter was the exact area where Nehemiah would be going. Nehemiah was one of the most trusted men in the kingdom. Who could better represent the king and his interests in such a turbulent time than Nehemiah?

The scripture tells us that Nehemiah served as Governor for 12 years (5:14). When asked by the king how long he would stay he surely did not say 12 years. It is likely that he might have returned after the wall was built, just a few months later. Kidner says, “He is more likely to have reported back after the dedication of the walls, within the year, and then to have had his appointment as governor renewed.” ¹⁶ At that time the king might have been anxious that he go back to Jerusalem and continue his stabilizing work. We learn from 5:14 that Nehemiah was appointed governor from the outset.

“I also said to him, ‘If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?’” (2:7). Nehemiah probably had done a lot of thinking, planning and praying regarding his request. Anders says, “Prayer and planning complement each other in working out God’s will.” ¹⁷ We know from scripture that some of these officials despised Jerusalem and had done everything in their power to destroy the city. Now they will have to actually assist Nehemiah in his work of building up the city. David Guzik, pastor and biblical writer, comments: “…Nehemiah didn’t ask because he wanted to take advantage of the king. Instead, he showed honor and respect to the king by inviting him to participate in a worthy work.” ¹⁸

“‘And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?’ And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests” (2:8). In his careful planning, Nehemiah had learned about Asaph who kept the royal trees. Asaph was a Hebrew name and it is possible that the forest was close to Jerusalem. The Persian word pardês is used here and it means forest or park.¹⁹ It is interesting that “…this was the first mention of the controversial wall that lay in ruins because of Artaxerxes’s command.” ²⁰

The citadel by the temple that is mentioned is felt by several commentators to be the castle that protected and overlooked the temple. This structure was rebuilt later in Herod’s time and named Antonia.²¹ J. G. McConville of Trinity College in England summarizes: “…a request for the fortification of any city in the realm was potentially suspicious…he had, at an unspecified earlier stage in his reign, put a stop to the very business of fortification which Nehemiah now wished to resume (cf. Ezra 4:7-23)…” ²² Who says that God cannot remove mountains? (Matt. 17:20). McGee chides, “The king, the priest, and the prophet actually failed to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and cleanse the temple, so God raised up Nehemiah, whom we designate a layman.” ²³

THE TRIP TO JERUSALEM

So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me. Nehemiah 2:9

The trip to Jerusalem could take a couple of months but since Nehemiah was traveling with cavalry the trip could have been shorter. His immediate purpose was to touch base with the governors of Trans-Euphrates and deliver his credentials. Kidner says, “There was more than protection to be gained from the military escort. It meant an arrival in style, impressively reinforcing the presentation of credentials to the neighboring governors and making very plain the change of royal policy…” ²⁴ Pett adds that it “would in itself speak volumes.” ²⁵

Some might wonder why Nehemiah had military protection while Ezra with a large company of exiles and very much treasure traveled without escort. Ezra certainly depended heavily on God. Nehemiah did too, but his office was much different that of Ezra’s. He was the new governor of the Jewish territory and the king would have had it no other way.

“When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites” (2:10). As Nehemiah delivered his credentials, he met two of the three culprits who would try their best to defeat his plans. These men were high officials of the Persian government. Sanballat was governor of Samaria and Tobiah was likely governor of Ammon. Although Sanballat was a Babylonian name his children had YHWHistic names. We know this from the Elephantine Papyri and the Samaritan Papyri. Sanballat was called the Horonite because he was likely from Beth-horon.²⁶ It may have been a name given him in contempt by Nehemiah. The YHWHistic names speak of the syncretism that both Ezra and Nehemiah dreaded.

Tobiah was a common Jewish name but Tobiah was not a common person. He was an official with great power, and probably was governor of Ammon. Although he also apparently involved in religious syncretism, he still had many connections in Jerusalem. He was likely trying to serve the true God while at the same time giving honor to the idols of the land. He was near of kin and allied to Eliashib, the high priest of Israel (13:4-9). With that connection he gathered a lot of inside information and passed it on to his cronies.²⁷ In a fit of holy rage Nehemiah would later throw all of Tobiah’s belongings out of the temple compound (13:7-8).

“That the returnees were thought of as ‘the children of Israel’ hints at the fact that the returnees now indeed saw themselves as the true Israel, something already made clear in Ezra 2:2; Ezra 3:8; Ezra 9:8…” ²⁸ The other member of the terrible threesome, and one we will meet later in verse 19, was the Arab, Geshem. We will speak more about him when we arrive at that verse.

Guzik says, “Our spiritual enemies don’t mind as long as all we do is plan and pray and talk; but when God’s people start doing something, they take notice.” ²⁹

NEHEMIAH’S NIGHT RIDE

I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. Nehemiah 2:11-12

For three days Nehemiah rested from his long trip, just as Ezra had rested three days from his trip. After that, he got busy with his work. With Tobiah snooping around Jerusalem and with all the evil connections he had, we can understand why Nehemiah kept everything secret. The great Spurgeon said: “You will often find it best not to commit your plans to others. If you want to serve God, go and do it, and then let other people find it out afterwards. You have no need to tell what you are going to do, and, I may add, there is no need for you retelling what you have done, for very, very frequently God withdraws himself when we boast of what is being done.” ³⁰

Guzik continues saying: “There is no way he could have made this tour with a dry eye, knowing the extent of the damage and the fear, poverty, and insecurity the broken walls meant in the lives of the people.” ³¹ Scripture says, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls” (Prov. 25:28 NKJ).

“By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate” (2:13-15). There are several good maps drawn up by Bible scholars that mark out Nehemiah’s route. Probably one of the best is the map in The Macmillan Bible Atlas, Third Edition.³² The authors, Yohanan Aharoni, Michael Avi-Yonah, Anson F. Rainey and Ze’ev Safari are all professors in the land of Israel. Three of them are Israeli professors and they all have long experience in the land.

These professors feel that Nehemiah primarily concerned himself with the Old City of David during his night ride. In Israel, we gave our tour groups a quick picture of the City of David while standing on the wonderful Talpiot viewpoint to the south. If one holds out the left fist in front, and sticks the thumb down, it would cover the City of David. It is the small portion running down in the valley to the south. The rest of the hand would cover Ophel, the Temple Mount and the upper city.

The Macmillan Atlas has Nehemiah leaving from the Valley Gate on the west side, near the top of David’s City. It has him traveling south on the west side of the city, past the Pool of Siloam and the Dung gate at the very bottom of the city. Then it has him traveling past the Fountain Gate and up the east side of the city which bordered the Kidron Valley. He was not able to travel all the way around because of the massive wreckage of the earlier walls and the very steep slopes. So he had to retrace his steps and once again go out through the Valley Gate. It is interesting that at present there are still massive ruins on the eastern side. Today this area is being excavated and is a very popular tourist attraction where one can see the remains of David’s City, Warren’s Water Shaft and even walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel across the city to the Pool of Siloam. This excavation is called The City of David.

The Jackal’s Well he mentions can no longer be located. The Dung Gate was in a different place than the one with that name today. It was at the very bottom of David’s City and was the gate where garbage and rubbish were carried out. Nehemiah passed the Fountain Gate which may have led to the spring En Rogel.³³ It appears that on the east side, Nehemiah had to dismount and walk over the ruins. He never made it up to the Water Gate (Gihon Spring) or to the top of the city. When Nehemiah later finished his work he made the city smaller by moving the eastern wall further up on the slope.³⁴ He probably was trying to avoid dealing with all the wreckage on the eastern side. It is interesting that “The description of Nehemiah’s night-ride (vs. 13-15) affords incidental information, more than anywhere else in the Old Testament about the layout of ancient Jerusalem.” ³⁵

BOTH THE BUILDING AND THE OPPOSITION BEGIN

The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. Nehemiah 2:16

Once again, we see the wisdom of Nehemiah in not telling anyone about his plans. We will note later that as soon as the plan was revealed the opposition began. The opposition was no minor thing but came from some of the most politically powerful people in the whole area.

“Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace” (2:17). Nehemiah was now speaking from personal experience and with much authority. Anders says, “The shambles of Jerusalem reflected badly upon their religious faith.” ³⁶The hundred-year-old problem desperately needed to be fixed. “Someone has defined leadership as ‘the art of getting people to do what they ought to do because they want to do it.’” ³⁷ It is easy to see Nehemiah’s sterling quality of leadership shining through.

“I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’ So they began this good work” (2:18). The returnees had tried to build a wall more than once and had always failed. This time they had the king’s close representative who had come with plenty of political and spiritual power to do the job. “None in Israel could deny the direct providence of God in reversing Artaxerxes; decree of Ezra 4:23.” ³⁸ Everyone present saw it all as a Godsend and the work began immediately.

“But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. ‘What is this you are doing?’ they asked. ‘Are you rebelling against the king?’” (2:19). So far, we have introduced Sanballat and Tobiah but now we must introduce Geshem the Arab. “The evidence points to the ruler of an influential Arabian kingdom, the biblical Kedar which controlled the trade routes from Arabia to the Mediterranean and held sway over the coastal strip…” ³⁹ Pett says of him: “Geshem was an important ruler over combined tribes of Arabians to the east and south of Judah, which at this time had good relations with the Persian Empire. His name has been found as ‘King of Qedar’ on a silver vessel… He was thus a formidable opponent. He was probably the Gashmu [some translations] mentioned in Nehemiah 6:6. His interest in opposing the building of the walls of Jerusalem may well have been his fear that Jerusalem would become a trading center that would rival his own trading activities. Trading rights were very carefully guarded.” ⁴⁰

It is more than amazing that as God began to draw the Jews back to the land the second time from the 1880s onwards (Isa. 11:11), it was the Arabs (descendants of Ishmael) who once more stood against the establishment of Israel and Jerusalem. This Arab struggle has now been going on for at least a hundred years. From the 1960s onward it has been supposedly a struggle for an Arab Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem. The land had been earlier divided with Arabs living mostly in Judea and Samaria (called the West Bank) and with Jews being crowded into coastal and desert areas. Three major wars have been fought with the Arabs along with many lesser wars and skirmishes. There have been thousands of terror attacks launched by Arabs. It is mostly Arab Moslems who have so bitterly opposed the return of the Jews. It seems that some things just never change.

When the threesome heard of Nehemiah’s plan they began with ridicule. Someone has called ridicule “the weapon of those who have no other.” ⁴¹ Their charge of rebelling against the king was a total bluff. Nehemiah had already delivered his credentials to them and they surely knew that he had the authority to rebuild Jerusalem.

“I answered them by saying, ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it’” (2:20). It is interesting that several generations before, Zerubbabel had told the enemies almost the very same thing (Ezra 4:1-5). Both Ezra and Nehemiah would not allow even Jewish people who were syncretistic in their views and practices to join the holy work of building the temple or the city of Jerusalem.

Guzik says a similar thing about our spiritual enemies today. We need to say to them: “You have no heritage or right or memorial in me. I belong to Jesus Christ. You don’t belong here. You may as well move on because I’m not going anywhere.” ⁴² At this point it is interesting that Nehemiah does not base his authority on the king but on the King of Kings. There are some beautiful lines from the hymn writer John Newton that sum up our case very well. They are lines based upon Psalm 87. ⁴³

Savior, since of Zion’s city
I through grace a member am,
Let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in thy name:

Fading is the worldling’s pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure
None but Zion’s children know.

CHAPTER 3

Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. Nehemiah 3:1

Building a wall around Jerusalem was a massive work. British humorist Jerome K. Jerome said, “I like work, it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.” ¹ The returnees had been sitting and looking at the work for almost a hundred years. Now it was time to do the work. It is interesting that the high priest led his fellow priests and started the work. This chapter is filled out with more than 50 other people who followed his example.²

The fact that the high priest led out is testimony to the great leadership of Nehemiah. Later on, we will discover that Eliashib was really a secret enemy of Nehemiah. The leading of the high priest was surely a testimony and encouragement to all the workers. McConville says: “Their co-operation on the walls is one of the Old Testament’s finest pictures of its ideal of Israelite brotherhood.” ³ Anders says: “In the work of God, the greatest accomplishments come from a unity of purpose when people of diverse backgrounds, interests, and abilities join together under a compelling vision. Success is achieved not because we are all the same but because our differences are put aside to work for a greater goal.” ⁴

We might say a thing or two about the high priest Eliashib. We note that Eliashib was the grandson of the great Jeshua (Neh. 12:10). In Nehemiah 13:4, 7, we will learn that Eliashib was also a close associate with the enemy Tobiah. Also, Joiada, one of the sons of Eliashib, was son-in-law to the other enemy, Sanballat the Horonite (13:28). When we realize that Tobiah and Sanballat were likely involved in syncretism we can understand how serious that situation was. Both were greatly opposed to the blessing and well-being of Jerusalem.

Eliashib and the priests constructed the Sheep Gate. The north side of the city was the only side that was not protected by deep ravines so it was necessary to build strong walls, gates and towers to ward off enemies. It is noted that they rebuilt the Sheep Gate. That probably indicates that it had been totally destroyed by enemies.⁵ We can understand why the priests desired to rebuild this gate since it was close to the temple. It was also the gate where the sheep were brought in for marketing and sacrifice.

The matter of building defensive walls and gates is probably not what we suppose. The stones were likely those left over from the Babylonian destruction. They were not just concrete blocks that we are used to. The stones were much larger and they were quite heavy. Also, from the Kenyon excavation on Nehemiah’s east wall, we know that the wall was eight feet thick (2.43 m.). ⁶ So, to build a wall it took a lot of heavy stones and a lot of lifting (Prov. 27:3). It reminds us of Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…” Also, it was not just a matter of hanging gates like we would hang curtains. The gate structures were quite large and complex. The present gates of Jerusalem may give us some idea. They often have a sharp turn on the inside and a tall bulwark or rampart above for their defense. Forces strategically placed above could keep enemy soldiers on the outside from getting too close to the actual gate. The priests built the northern towers and walls and then they dedicated them. Other walls were not dedicated until later (12:27).

Pett comments: “A city which was largely uninhabited, lay partially in ruins, had no means of protection, and was making little impact on the surrounding area (apart from its significance to the returnees themselves as the site of the temple), was about to arise from the ashes and become a powerful influence throughout the area.” ⁷

“The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them” (3:2). The wall had approximately 40 sections of variable lengths.⁸ So people from surrounding towns and areas were assigned a section to complete. It appears that Nehemiah tried to assign them the area of the city that was closest to them. We know from Ezra’s list that 345 exiles were settled in Jericho (Ezr. 2:34). They certainly had a connection with Jerusalem and the temple. We will see that several other outlying villages and cities were also a part of the rebuilding. We know nothing about Zakkur. He probably had a large family to help him build. We need to note that the building was going on in a counterclockwise direction.

BUILDING OTHER GATES

The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. Nehemiah 3:3

The Fish Gate was west of the Sheep Gate and each gate had a defensive tower near it, the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. This whole north side of the city was probably thoroughly destroyed by the Babylonians. We see that the Fish Gate also had to be rebuilt. Marvin Breneman, Buenos Aires Professor of Old Testament, says of it: “The ‘Fish Gate’ was near the northwest corner, probably also called the Ephraim Gate (8:16; 12;39; 2 Kgs. 14:13) and the Middle Gate (Jer. 39:3). There probably was a fish market there at one time. It is thought to have been near the location of the present-day Damascus Gate.” ⁹ Roads from it led north to the Sea of Galilee and toward Tyre (Neh. 13:16). These areas were the sources of most fish in Jerusalem.¹⁰ Israel had a warm climate most of the year so we need to understand that many fish were salted before they were transported. On the Sea of Galilee, fish were salted at Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene.

We need to understand how massive this repair and rebuilding project was. We have 38 individual workers named in this chapter and 42 different groups identified.¹¹ They were organized by common interests, professions and by geography. Pett comments: “Each group was given its task to do and were left to get on with it…Divinely speaking it reminds us that God has a place for all of us so that we can participate in his purposes, and that he is individually interested in what each of us is doing.” ¹² Pett continues: “We learn here a recurring lesson of life in that having rebuilt our spiritual gateway with God’s help we are to set up doors, bars and bolts to keep out the enemy (compare Ephesians 6:10-18). It is not spiritual to be careless.” ¹³

“Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs” (3:4). Meremoth and his father are mentioned in Ezra 8:33. Texas Bible professor Bob Utley feels that this shows a definite historical link between Ezra and Nehemiah.¹⁴ We do need to understand that many names mentioned are quite common and there is often no sure way of a positive identification. We should take note of the word “repaired.” The Hebrew is cha-zaq and is used 20 times in this chapter. It means to make strong and to fortify.¹⁵

“The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors” (3:5). The men of Tekoa were an ambitious group. Later we see them repairing another section of the wall (3:28). It is interesting that they worked without their leaders. Tekoa was the home of the prophet Amos (Amos 1:1) and it was situated on the edge of the wilderness. It is thought by some that these leaders were subservient to Sanballat, ¹⁶but it seems more likely that they were in league with Geshem since they were several miles south of Bethlehem and near the wilderness. D. Guthrie of London Bible College comments: “Their territory was on the fringes of civilization, adjacent to the area controlled by Geshem (cf. 2:19).” ¹⁷ Once again, we see how difficult the job of Nehemiah was.

“The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place” (3:6). In Hebrew, this is known as the Old Gate (NKJ, NRS, RSV). Wiersbe feels like this was the gate at the northwest corner of the city (2 Ki. 14:13; Jer. 31:38).¹⁸ Pett reminds us: “It must be recognized that the repairing of a gateway was not simply a matter of preparing a place to hang the gates, but would include the construction and repair of guardrooms, administrative rooms and storerooms within the gateway.” ¹⁹

REPAIRING THE WALLS

Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah – Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth – places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates.
Nehemiah 3:7.

We need to remember that we are still moving counterclockwise in direction and are now going south on the west side of Nehemiah’s city. Both Gibeon and Mizpah were cities approximately five miles (8 km.) north and northwest of the city. These areas were not under Nehemiah’s jurisdiction. They were part of the large Persian province named Beyond the River, or Trans-Euphrates, which included Syria and most of the land of Israel. It was called the fifth satrapy.

Some translations read as though this satrap had a residence in Jerusalem (NASB, NKJV) but it would seem quite unlikely that he would have an official residence in the city. Barnes tries to clarify this by saying: “The meaning is thought to be ‘the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, who, though they worked for Nehemiah, were not under his government, but belonged to the jurisdiction of the governor on this side the river.’” ²⁰

“Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall” (3:8). It is rather amazing to see goldsmiths, who normally dealt with small and precious things, to be lifting heavy stones. McGee quips, “These men were really rock-and-rollers now!” ²¹ It just did not seem to be an appropriate job for jewelers and perfume makers but they pitched in with all their hearts.

A mention of the Broad Wall pricks this author’s interest. The Broad Wall was constructed by Hezekiah at the time of the Assyrian threat. It ran in a westerly/southwesterly direction from the temple and helped enclose the large Mishneh area. This wall was excavated from 1968 to 1982 by Nahman Avigad. The wall was massive being some 23 feet (7 meters) broad.²² Since its excavation, a portion of this wall is seen on regular display in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. When my family and I moved to Israel in 1982 we stayed with friends in the Jewish Quarter for several weeks. The couple we stayed with saw themselves as intercessors or, “watchmen on the wall” (Isa. 62:6), and they prayed constantly for Jerusalem’s welfare. Little did we know at the time that this ancient wall ran under the very area where we all were staying!

“Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him” (3:9-10). Clarke comments: “Probably the city was divided into two parts; one for Judah, and the other for Benjamin, each having its proper governor. Rephaiah mentioned here was one of these governors, and Shallum, mentioned in verse 12, was the other. There were other rulers or governors of particular country or village districts.” ²³ Nehemiah regularly assigned people to repair the wall that was next to their homes or businesses. He knew they would have a vested interest in doing a good job.

“Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters” (3:11-12). Malkijah (my King is God) may well have been mentioned in Ezra 10:31. If so, he was confronted by Ezra for having a pagan wife. Apparently, Malkijah got it right with God and served him.²⁴ The Tower of the Ovens is possibly a reference to the area where the bakers worked. Shallum, the ruler of the second half of Jerusalem (cf. 3:9) worked with the help of his daughters. Utley says, “It is unusual in this culture that this man’s daughters would help him in manual labor. It is so unusual that it is specifically stated!” ²⁵

MORE GATES TO REPAIR

The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung Gate. Nehemiah 3:13

As we remember, the Valley Gate was the one where Nehemiah began his night inspection of the City of David. This gate was discovered by J. W. Crowfoot in 1927. ²⁶ Zanoah was a town in the territory of Judah (Josh. 15:34, 56), about 10 miles (16 km.) west of Jerusalem.

We note that this group also repaired the wall for a thousand cubits toward the Dung Gate. A cubit was the distance from the tip of a man’s hand to the elbow. The whole distance would have been around 525 meters (1722 ft.).²⁷ Some have questioned how such a great distance could be repaired by one group. Anders says, “Quite possibly the wall was not as severely damaged in this area, allowing the workers to mend a longer section.” ²⁸The archaeologist Ritmeyer says: “The builders were constructing on top of a high rock scarp, so only a low wall was required. If others had to build a 15 foot (4-5 m.) high wall, the latter team would only have had to build 3 feet (1 m.) in order to protect the defenders of the city. Here again, is a wonderful confirmation of the veracity of Nehemiah’s
account.” ²⁹

“The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place” (3:14). In earlier times King Manasseh had allowed young children to be burned in the fire, sacrificing them to pagan gods. All this was done in the Hinnom Valley (2 Chron. 33:6). Later King Josiah in his reforms turned the valley into a rubbish heap (2 Ki. 23:10). Rubbish of all kinds was carried through the Dung Gate and cast into the valley. Jesus later compared the valley with hell or Gehenna (Matt. 23:15). The old Dung Gate has not yet been discovered by archaeologists.

The district of Beth Hakkerem (house of the vineyard) was close to Tekoa (Jer. 6:1). We note that Malkijah was the designated ruler of this district. It seems that Nehemiah had chosen leaders not only from areas in and around Jerusalem but also from areas across the country.³⁰

“The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David” (3:15). As we pass the Pool of Siloam, the King’s Garden and the Dung Gate we are rounding the southern end of David’s city and beginning to climb up the eastern side. There we approach the Fountain Gate. Ritmeyer believes that this gate may have provided access to the spring of En-rogel. This spring was referred to as the Dragon Well (Neh. 2:13).³¹ The NIV refers to it as the Jackal Well (2:13).

THE DIFFICULT EASTERN SIDE

Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes. Nehemiah 3:16

Breneman remarks: “The style of this section of the text is somewhat different from vv. 1-15. The most evident difference is that the landmarks are now primarily houses and other buildings instead of gates…the wall on the east side of the city did not follow the old wall but was built farther up on the crest of the hill.” ³² Pett adds: “Many see it as a wholly new section of the wall, built higher up the slope because the wall at this point had been so thoroughly demolished that its rubble made building on the old line impossible.” ³³ In this section, we will be seeing many builders and many sections built. Ritmeyer says, “A typical section would have been about 82 feet (25 m.) long.” ³⁴

The tombs of David are mentioned here and that could be confusing. Today the traditional tomb of David is on the western ridge of the present Old City of Jerusalem. There is absolutely no archaeological evidence for this location. We read in 1 Kings 2:10, that David was buried in his own small city.³⁵ Obviously, Nehemiah is speaking here of that original tomb of David before it was moved. My son is a licensed Israeli tour guide and I have gone with him in years past to inspect these two tombs. They were in the ancient City of David although biblical custom generally required that tombs be placed outside inhabited areas. It was Raymond Weill in 1913-14 who identified these tombs as from the Royal House of David.³⁶

Beth Zur (house of rock), home of Azbuk, was located south of Bethlehem, about fifteen miles (24 km.) from Jerusalem. We know nothing about the artificial pool or the House of Heroes mentioned in this verse.

“Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah” (3:17-18). This is the area where Nehemiah on his night ride found a pile of rubble so deep that he moved the new wall up the hill to avoid it. It seems that the Levites had much to do with the repairs in this area. Keilah was a village in the old Philistine coastal plain (Josh. 15:44). David once rescued the city but then had to flee from King Saul’s advance (1 Sam. 23:1-13).

“Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle of the wall. Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest” (3:19-20). Mizpah means “watchtower” in Hebrew and there were several places with this same name. Clarke says of the armory and this section of wall: “This was a tower that defended the angle where the two walls met; or the city arsenal, where shields, spears…were kept to arm the people in time of danger.” ³⁷ Ritmeyer sheds more light on this section. He notes that the house of armor might be the same one that Hezekiah showed the Babylonian messengers (Isa. 39:2). He says of the “angle” or turning of the wall that an actual wall fragment of Nehemiah’s period was found by French excavator Charles Clermont-Ganneau in 1873. The wall had two turnings or angles since part of it was moved further up the slope to avoid all the rubble.³⁸

We note how Baruch repaired the wall “zealously.” That is more evidence of the good and positive leadership of Nehemiah. Pett comments: “In view of the close connection with the house/palace of the High Priest all this may suggest that it is most likely that Baruch was a priest.” ³⁹

“Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it. The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region” (3:21-22). Ritmeyer says of Meremoth that he, “must have been a very diligent worker, as he had already built the first section of the city wall next to the Fish Gate.” ⁴⁰ This area, close to the house of the high priest, was necessarily made by priests.

“Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner,” (3:23-24). Once more we see that people were assigned to repair the wall in the area of their own houses. Nehemiah could be sure that these people would do an excellent job. It is of interest that portions of Nehemiah’s wall in this area were found during the 1980s excavations of Yigal Shiloh.⁴¹

“and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower” (3:25-26). The temple servants or Nethinim made repairs in this area. The Nethinim were originally Levites (Num. 8:14-16) but in time captive people were made a part of this group. Many Nethinim dwelt in Ophel, a rise or bulge near the Temple Mount. It was a handy place for temple service and for drawing water (Josh. 9:23). Apparently, the Gihon Spring was near the Water Gate of this section. It was Jerusalem’s main source of water.⁴² Wiersbe remarks: “Jerusalem was one of the few great cities of antiquity that was not built near a great river, and the city depended on reservoirs and springs for its water.” ⁴³

“Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel. Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house” (3:27-28). The busy Tekoites had taken on another repair job (cf. 3:5). Utley says of the “great projecting tower” in this area: “Apparently, there were two towers by the Water Gate, one noticeably larger.” ⁴⁴ Nehemiah mentions the Horse Gate but he does not mention any repairs on it. Perhaps it was left in good shape from the Babylonian attack. Interestingly, there is a vaulted empty area under the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount today that is called Solomon’s Stables. In Crusader times this area was given to housing the horses of the Templar Knights.

“Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters” (3:29-30). Pett says of Meshullam, “His daughter, in fact, married the son of Tobiah the Servant (Nehemiah 6:18), and he may well have been influential for Tobiah also later having a chamber in the Temple (Nehemiah 13:4-9).” ⁴⁵

“Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs” (3:31-32). Once again, a goldsmith who normally works with small and precious things is found lifting very heavy stones. Others of his trade will join him in these two verses. The Inspection Gate is mentioned here. In Hebrew its name is miphkad, meaning muster inspection, or appointed place.⁴⁶

We have made the circuit of Nehemiah’s walls. Breneman comments: “…the book’s concern for separation from pagan influence suggests it also had symbolic significance (cf. 13:19-22). Rather than simply providing security, the walls encouraged in the people of God a sense of identity and distinctiveness.” ⁴⁷ The people worked together despite some of their differences. Nehemiah’s building has spiritual meaning for us today. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, Paul says: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

CHAPTER 4

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, Nehemiah 4:1

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “God had one Son without sin, but he never had a son without trial.” ¹ All God’s people undergo trials. Sometimes those trials are words, either whispered by the devil or shouted by foes. Someone once said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That old bit of wisdom is patently untrue. “It’s because words do have such profound effect that we devise defenses against them.” ² When Sanballat, governor of the Samaritans, heard about the Jewish successes he was filled with rage and immediately began to ridicule the Jews. Sanballat probably felt that a growing and secure Jewish government was a threat to his power. As Dehoff says, “Nothing makes the enemies of the Lord’s work anymore indignant than the success of God’s people.” ³

“and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, ‘What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble – burned as they are?’” (4:2). Sanballat, the Persian governor had some military troops at his disposal. It was before these troops that he carried on his tirade against the Jews. He first called the Jews feeble or weak. The devil often uses a little bit of truth in his charges. The Jews were feeble and so are we as Christians. But when we are weak, then we are strong in Christ (2 Cor. 12:1-10). When we are weak God gets all the glory from our successes.

Sanballat chided them about restoring their wall. The wall was a real threat to his power, as we have said. What was more of a threat was the offering of sacrifices and the restoration of the Jewish faith. He chided them for using burned and crumbly stones. Limestone does become weak once it is burned. While it is true that gates and buildings were burned, the wall for the most part was only broken down.⁴

“Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, ‘What they are building – even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!’” (4:3). Tobiah had a Jewish name and it is thought that he was Jewish. Yet, he was not a friend of Israel. We have a lot of those kinds of Jews around today, and some even in the land of Israel. Tobiah chided them with the mention of a fox. There were apparently many foxes in the ruined city of Jerusalem.⁵ The fox was known as an animal that was light of foot and could walk without leaving much of a track.⁶ If a fox could break down the wall it was a very weak wall.

NEHEMIAH’S APPEAL TO GOD

Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Nehemiah 4:4

Nehemiah was a praying man as we will observe in several places (4:9; 5:19; 6:9, 14; 13:14, 22, 29, 31). In the Old Testament, God’s people were permitted to curse their enemies (e. g. Psa. 58:6; 69:25; 109:14). Here Nehemiah does that very thing. McConville says: “Nehemiah’s curse is thus a declaration of God’s opposition to those who willfully oppose Judah.” ⁷

“Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart” (4:5-6). Nehemiah continues with his prayerful curse against the enemy, asking God not to cover or forgive their sins. In spite of the ridicule and opposition, the wall was completed to half its height. Again, it was foresight and good direction of Nehemiah to build all the walls at the same time. A wall that is broken in only one place is like a chain that is broken in only one place. It is no longer any good. The secret to building that much of the wall in such a short time was that the people worked whole-heartedly.

A UNITED ATTACK

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.” Nehemiah 4:7-8

Already we have been introduced to most of the surrounding enemies. Here we see the people of Ashdod now included. Pfeiffer & Harrison say, “The Ashdodites, who belonged to the Philistine race, were probably easily aroused by Sanballat to fight their old enemies, the Jews.” ⁸ The Arabs mentioned here must be a reference to Geshem, who had control of the Arabs through the vast lands to the south. Undoubtedly, he had some more Arabs in the area of Samaria since the Assyrians had earlier transplanted some there. It is remarkable that Israel was totally surrounded by enemies with Tobiah and the Ammonites to the east, Sanballat and the Samaritans to the north, Geshem and the Arabs to the south and now the Ashdodites to the west.⁹

Because of their great anger, the enemies came with one mind to fight against Jerusalem. Breneman comments: “Anger will often be the world’s response to God’s work because it challenges worldviews and values.” ¹⁰ These enemies soon learned that because of Nehemiah’s skill and his fervent prayers their attack was made impossible. Likely, some other considerations slowed down their plans for battle. Sanballat could have to answer to the satrap who governed the area Beyond the River. “Although Samaria, Judea, etc., were within the Persian Empire, local rivalries were not precluded. But there was a limit to these…” ¹¹

“But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat” (4:9). James Burton Coffman, twentieth-century Churches of Christ commentator reminds us of the old World War II song, “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.” ¹² Nehemiah put the people on battle alert and that by itself likely discouraged the enemy from attacking. Guzik encourages us today saying: “When we see an area of our Christian life that needs particular attention, it isn’t enough to pray. You need to set a watch as well – give special attention and accountability to that area of your life until you are walking in consistent victory… Our prayers do not replace our actions; they make our actions effective for God’s work.” ¹³

“Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, ‘The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall’” (4:10). It is bad enough to have dangerous enemies on the outside but in many ways, it is worse to have discouraged folks on the inside. They were agreeing with the enemy who said they were “feeble.” (4:1-3). Wiersbe, with his long pastoral experience, says that discouragers are usually doubters and compromisers as well.¹⁴

Guzik comments: “Judah was supposed to be the strongest, bravest tribe. It was the tribe of great kings and ultimately, the Messiah himself. It was a special challenge and a discouragement to have this word come from the tribe of Judah…” ¹⁵ Guzik also says: “It is doubtful these enemies knew exactly how discouraged the people of God were. But certainly, the counsels of spiritual darkness in high places knew – and the attack was planned…” ¹⁶

“Also our enemies said, ‘Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work’” (4:11). Death threats are serious things. Today in most US jurisdictions a death threat is a serious crime. Certainly, such a death threat as this would cause people to walk cautiously. However, God’s people could not live in fear. “In his First Inaugural Address, on March 4, 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said to a nation in the grip of an economic depression, ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’” ¹⁷

“Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, ‘Wherever you turn, they will attack us’” (4:12). These were Jews who lived near the Gentile areas and they were repeating what they had heard the enemies say. The expression “ten times” is probably not to be taken literally. It is an expression that simply means “a number of times.” Other examples of this can be seen in Genesis 31:7, 41 and Daniel 1:12. ¹⁸

“Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows” (4:13). Pett comments: “It was one thing to carry out spasmodic surprise raids on groups of defenseless builders in Jerusalem, which could be explained away. It was quite another to take on Jews who were fully armed, organized and ready to defend themselves, thus turning their raids into direct and deliberate warfare.” ¹⁹

Apparently Nehemiah brought the fearful and complaining Jews and their families into the city and made them a part of its defenses.²⁰ He stationed people in the lowest, exposed places so that the enemies could see that the city was well defended. So in the low places and the high places Jewish defenders could be seen.

“After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes’” (4:14). Once again the people are reminded that the Lord was their defense. Also, Nehemiah reminded them that “The battle was not for some abstract notion, or a pile of stones, but for those people who stood next to them.” ²¹ It was a battle for their wives, their little ones and their homes.

THE BATTLE WON

When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work. Nehemiah 4:15

There were probably several things that prevented the enemy attack. God had simply frustrated it. Also, the people were prepared for war. While the enemies might get away with an attack on a helpless populace they would probably not get away with a full-scale war against Judah. Kidner suggests that the king’s letters favoring Jerusalem might have given them pause.²²

With the enemy at bay, the work of wall-building could now go on. However, the work would proceed with extreme caution, not taking their security for granted. “…Charles Haddon Spurgeon published a paper called Sword and Trowel, named after what is written here…” ²³ While the people would not forsake their building tools, neither would they forsake their swords.

“From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me” (4:16-18). The work on the wall from this point went slower but it went a lot safer. Every workman was fully prepared to fight if necessary. Since it was a time long before two-way radios and cell phones, Nehemiah kept the trumpeter at his side. In case the trumpet sounded every armed person knew to assemble at that point and be prepared for war.

We note in verse 16 that some of the men wore armor (shir-re-nim). Barnes describes this armor by saying: “Coats of mail were common in Assyria from the ninth century B.C., and in Egypt even earlier. They were made of thin laminae of bronze or iron, sewn upon leather or linen, and overlapping one another.” ²⁴ As we can see from these verses the Jewish builders were also in every sense soldiers equipped not only to build but to defend their city. Breneman adds “…those who were building needed both hands free, so they carried a sword at their side.” ²⁵

“Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!’” (4:19-20). We have sensed already that there were not so many people living in Jerusalem. While the small City of David was compact, the northern limits, including the temple area, were quite spacious and thus difficult to defend. We will see later in 11:1 that lots had to be cast to force more people to live in Jerusalem.

“So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. At that time I also said to the people, ‘Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day’” (4:21-22). This was very intense work, “from daylight to dark.” It is from this verse we realize that Nehemiah required the outlying family members to move into the safety of Jerusalem and help with its defense. In all the struggles Nehemiah was not just an observer but a participant. Anders says, “Nehemiah never required more from those under him than he was willing to do.” ²⁶

“Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water” (4:23). An early quote that may have come from Thomas Jefferson says: “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” Early twentieth-century commentator, John Dummelow says of this last verse: “…the text is too defective to be translated with certainty: the LXX omits the clause.” ²⁷ The water seems to refer to bathing or taking a water break.²⁸

The commentator Henry Halley sums up: “Nehemiah with faith in God, skillfully arming and arranging his men, drove straight ahead with the work; and in spite of all obstacles, the Wall was finished in 52 days; and Jerusalem was again a fortified city, 142 years after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.” ²⁹

CHAPTER 5

Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. Nehemiah 5:1

Guthrie comments: “…it is usually held that these events took place after the rebuilding of the wall. It is just possible that the economic pressures caused by the building program, in which most normal income would be suspended, brought the underlying abuses of vv. 1-5…” ¹

McConville feels that since the wives were involved and mentioned expressly only here in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, they were possibly at the forefront of this protest.² It was a severe social crisis. The wives were closer to the crisis since they were the ones who had to stretch the dwindling supply of food for their large families. They might have been complaining to their husbands, “We can’t eat walls!” ³

It is just like the devil when he loses one battle to try a different approach. Since he could not win from without, he switched to an attack from within. His attack was now against the precious unity of the congregation. His tool would focus on selfishness. “When God’s people fight one another they certainly are neither fighting the real enemy nor getting God’s work done.” ⁴

“Some were saying, ‘We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain’” (5:2). We have three classes of people mentioned in verses 2 through 5. The first class mentioned in this verse seems to be made up of laborers. Many of these probably lived a “hand to mouth” existence. They were landless folks, often with large families, and their situation was the most precarious. Just missing one day’s pay could send such a family into a financial tailspin. It was a day before credit cards so sometimes these families had to go hungry. “For many in Judah there was no safety margin built into the family budget…” ⁵

“Others were saying, ‘We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine’” (5:3). In this verse, we learn of a new factor that was causing stress. There was a famine taking place. We do not know the extent of this famine, but almost any kind of famine would cause some suffering. These Israelites were mortgaging their properties in order to get enough food to eat. We might ask why God sent a famine when the people had obediently built his wall around Jerusalem. These verses make clear that there was a lot of oppression dealt to the poor by Israel’s wealthy. God could not have been pleased.

These people were landowners but their homes, fields and vineyards were now mortgaged so that they could have enough food to eat. It seems that the problem here was that the wealthy Jews were loaning money and charging interest to their Israelite brothers. Such a thing was forbidden in Exodus 22:25 and Leviticus 25:36. McConville says: “With their land in pledge they had no resources available for economic recovery.” ⁶

“Still others were saying, ‘We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards’” (5:4). This last group had a different kind of problem. They could not pay the king’s tax. “The Persian king received a fortune in annual tribute, very little of which ever benefited the local provinces…” ⁷ There are references to this tax in Ezra 4:13 and Esther 10:1. People often had to borrow money at exorbitant rates to pay the tax. Again, the charge of interest between Israelites was strictly forbidden in scripture as we have said (cf. Exo. 22:25; Lev. 25:36-41; Deut. 23:19-20).

“Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others” (5:5). The enslavement of children seems horrible to our societies today. Yet, we sometimes forget that there is presently a terrible plague of sex slavery among the young going on around us. In recognizing reality in ancient times the Bible permits the selling of children to pay a family debt (e.g. Exo. 21:2-11; Deut. 15:12-14; 2 Ki. 4:1). It was understood that the debt slave would be set free on the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:39-43) if not before. “The son or daughter had to work for the creditor until the debt was paid…In many cases the daughter was taken as wife by the creditor or for one of his sons.” ⁸

Nehemiah was really angry about this whole situation. Poor people who sold off their children often had no means of buying them back. The rich in Israel grew richer and the poor grew poorer. “Thomas Merton said it best: ‘To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell.’” ⁹For such reasons God designed the Year of Jubilee that we have mentioned. It kept the economic system in balance so that the rich would not get richer and the poor would not get poorer.¹⁰

NEHEMIAH RESPONDS TO THE DEBT CRISIS

When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. Nehemiah 5:6

We might say that Nehemiah finally “blew his cool” over this dreadful situation. He got really angry about it. There is such a thing as “righteous indignation” that is acceptable to God. It is OK so long as we are not angry for our own selfish reasons. The Bible does say that we can be angry and not sin (Eph. 4:26). “If you become angry because God’s program, God’s glory, and God’s name are being hurt then you can ‘be angry and sin
not.’” ¹¹

“I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, ‘You are charging your own people interest!’ So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said: ‘As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!’ They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say” (5:7-8). Nehemiah always took time to think and pray about situations before acting upon them. He faced a big problem since he was charging the wealthy leaders with a grievous sin. They were breaking the law of God and charging interest to their own Jewish brethren. “The oppression of fellow Jews was as shameful as Jerusalem’s broken walls…” ¹² “The lenders were behaving like pawnbrokers – and harsh ones at that – instead of like brothers.” ¹³

Nehemiah’s strategy was to call a large assembly of the people. He reminded them that they in the past had bought back Jewish slaves from the Gentiles and now they were selling their own brothers as slaves. No doubt many of the leaders got red faces as they realized the inconsistency of their actions. “…Nehemiah had completely checkmated any public opposition by the rulers and nobles by his confronting them before a general assembly of the whole population…” ¹⁴

“So I continued, ‘What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest!” (5:9-10). Certainly, the surrounding Gentiles would scoff at poverty-stricken Jews. The rich were making some of their own people laughingstocks to the enemies. If they were walking in the fear of God they would have freely given to those in need (Lev. 25:35). As Christians, we have the same instruction to lend to those in need (Lk. 6:35). We are even to do this for our enemies. Nehemiah himself had made loans to the needy but he certainly did not charge them interest. Still, he includes himself with the guilty in order not to seem like a judge to them. We note here that Nehemiah was probably a wealthy person. We will see that more clearly in verses 14 and following. Perhaps he came from a wealthy family or he may have become wealthy in personal service to the king.

“Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them – one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil” (5:11). This was no doubt an embarrassing position for the wealthy lenders to be in. They were called out and charged before the whole assembly. Now Nehemiah commands them to give back what they had taken wrongfully. Commentators appear to be in agreement that the one percent mentioned here is per month, making a total of 12 percent per year in interest.¹⁵ Interest during the Persian period ran much higher than this.

THE WEALTHY LENDERS AGREE

“We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. Nehemiah 5:12

Guzik comments: “Their teachable, correctable spirit was impressive; too few are willing to admit they are wrong and to do what is right – especially if money is involved.¹⁶ It is likely that those who disagreed were too embarrassed to disagree openly, so the matter was quickly decided.

Nehemiah, with his good understanding of human nature, was not satisfied with just an agreement. He called in the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath before the Lord that they would all do what they said. McGee with his long church experience says, “…I think one of the biggest mistakes I ever made in the ministry was to believe some Christians.” ¹⁷ An oath before the Most High made it certain that the leaders would act and that the poor of Israel could have their needed relief.

“I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, ‘In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!’ At this the whole assembly said, ‘Amen,’ and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised” (5:13). The symbolic shaking out of one’s robe can be seen in other places in scripture (cf. Job 38:13; Acts 18:6). Personal items were often carried in a fold of the cloak and held in by a belt.¹⁸ Nehemiah was saying symbolically that God would shake them out if they failed to keep their word. The people replied “Amen” or “so be it,” as they fully agreed with what was said.

NEHEMIAH’S TESTIMONY

Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year – twelve years – neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. Nehemiah 5:14

This is the first evidence we have that Nehemiah was officially appointed as governor of Judea. We are also given the length of his first term, which would have run twelve years, from 445 to 433 BC.¹⁹

Nehemiah states that he did not receive the normal food allowance due to Persian governors. This allowance came through a tax upon the people and he was not willing to burden them further. He came as one who served like Jesus did later (Lk. 22:27). We see the same spirit in the apostle Paul, who would not receive the normally expected financial help from the Corinthian Church (1 Cor. 9:12). Anders says: “As a political official under authority of Persia, the governor was to levy taxes on the people in order to supply his own wage and satisfy his expenses. Many satraps became wealthy and powerful through this method…” ²⁰

All this might remind us of the American father George Washington. It is said that during the Revolutionary War he paid for three ships to be built and outfitted. After he became President he never sought reimbursement for his sacrifice.²¹

“But the earlier governors – those preceding me – placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that” (5:15). Several commentators feel sure that Nehemiah did not have reference to Zerubbabel when he spoke of former governors.²² Anders says: “The forty shekels, about one pound, probably was a daily allowance for the governor, including the purchase of food and wine for his expected hospitality needs” ²³ We can understand that Nehemiah had to be quite wealthy to meet these daily needs out of his own pocket.

“Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land” (5:16). McGee says: “Nehemiah did not go into the real estate business. He stayed out of land speculation. He gained no mortgages on land by lending money or grain. He did not take anything on the side.” ²⁴ His assistants did not lord it over the people but they worked on the wall like everyone else. Dummelow says of him: “The whole conduct of Nehemiah was that of a warmhearted, generous
man.” ²⁵

“Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations” (5:17). Nehemiah’s table reminds us of King Solomon’s to a degree. In addition to the bread, Solomon’s table required “ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl” (1 Ki. 4:22-23). We also might remember how wicked queen Jezebel fed four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal plus four hundred prophets of Asherah at her table (1 Ki. 18:19). All the luxury and provision of kings were usually at the people’s expense in the form of taxes. However, Nehemiah insisted on paying these great amounts out of his own pocket.

“Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people” (5:18). Pett comments; “Seemingly he met the whole out of his own family estates. He was in complete contrast with the general run of rulers who used their offices in order to obtain whatever they could get.” ²⁶ Nehemiah set a sterling example of real leadership for his people. Breneman says, “Leadership means going further than those one is leading.” ²⁷

“Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people” (5:19). Nehemiah probably never intended for everyone to see all this information since it was originally written as a private diary.²⁸ He certainly has not impressed us as a braggart so far in his writing. He has appeared as a humble servant of God who was intent on loving and ministering to the Lord’s people. He simply wanted God to remember his good work.

CHAPTER 6

When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it – though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates –Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; Nehemiah 6:1-2

McConville says that Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem were playing their last great scene here.¹ They knew it was “now or never” if they were to stop Nehemiah. Anders comments: “Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem realized they could not stop the wall’s completion, so they turned their attention to eliminating Nehemiah.” ² Nehemiah speaks here of not having all the doors in place. We learn in chapter 3:1, 3, 6, 13, 14 and 15 that some of the doors were previously installed. They were not all installed, and it was still feasible, though very difficult for the enemy to enter the city.

In order to pursue their highly dangerous plan, the three invited Nehemiah to have a summit conference with them on the plain of Ono. This plain is thought to be about equidistant from Samaria and Jerusalem, but the plain smelt of treachery.³ The plain of Ono could almost become proverbial for negotiators. Today we would probably refer to it as the plain of “Oh no!”

We are reminded here of Proverbs 27:6 where it says: “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” It is quite clear that the enemies desired to do Nehemiah harm by either kidnapping him or killing him.

“so I sent messengers to them with this reply: ‘I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’ Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer” (6:3-4). The heat was surely turned up on Nehemiah. Former US President Harry Truman wrote in Mr. Citizen, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!” ⁴ Nehemiah could take the heat. When persons fully know their calling and gifts from God it is much easier to resist the temptation to veer away from that calling. God wants us to be guideposts, not weathervanes.⁵

“Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written: ‘It is reported among the nations – and Geshem says it is true – that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king” (6:5-6). Sanballat knew that there had been some revolts against Persia, specifically the satrap Megabyzus and a revolt in Egypt as well. He knew that an insinuation of revolt would get the attention of Nehemiah, who certainly did not want to face such a charge.

The unsealed or open letter was an insult since it implied that anyone could read it. Its contents could be described as mere gossip. Someone has defined gossip, “as news you have to hurry and tell somebody else before you find out it isn’t true!” ⁶ “Once before, Artaxerxes had been convinced that Jerusalem posed a threat to Persian interests, labeling it ‘a place of rebellion and sedition’ (Ezra 4:19).” ⁷ That was gossip too.

“and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.” I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head” (6:7-8). For prophets to make such a proclamation was important since prophets were generally respected in Israel. However, the whole report was make-believe. It was an attempt to alarm Nehemiah and to cause him to act out of fear.

“They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.’ But I prayed, ‘Now strengthen my hands’” (6:9). McConville says of Nehemiah’s prayers: “They are often one-liners (v. 9), sometimes longer (v. 14). But they all show how finely intermeshed were Nehemiah’s life of action and his life of prayer.” ⁸ I admit to praying a few of these bullet prayers at different points of my life. Often they are really necessary.

A PROPHETIC PLOT

One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you – by night they are coming to kill you.” Nehemiah 6:10

Nehemiah probably went to Shemaiah’s house because he claimed to have a word of prophecy and because, for some reason, he was shut-in. Some have felt he was shut in due to some uncleanness. However, this was not possible since he was thinking of entering the temple. More than likely, he was pretending to be shut in because of fear. When he suggested that he and Nehemiah should flee and hide in the temple, Nehemiah must have realized immediately that he was a false prophet. Neither Shemaiah nor Nehemiah were priests of God and for them to enter the temple would have been a severe breach of the law (Num. 1:51; 18:7). Long before, King Uzziah had presumptuously entered the temple and he was stricken with leprosy (2 Chron. 26:16-21).

For a great leader like Nehemiah to have fled would have been seen as uncertainty and weakness.⁹ For him to have gone with Shemaiah and entered the temple would have been a disaster for his public image and could have brought about his untimely death at God’s hands.

“But I said, ‘Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!’ I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him” (6:11-12). Anders comments: “Tobiah, through marriage, had close connections to the priesthood. He also had business connections and a network of loyalists within the ruling hierarchy of Jerusalem. These associations provided Tobiah with leverage among the elite throughout the city.” Anders adds: “If Nehemiah had succumbed to their trickery, he would have fallen into disrepute with the priesthood, and then they would have given Nehemiah a bad name to discredit him.” ¹⁰

Barnes notes: “The existence of a party among the Jews who sided with Sanballat and lent themselves to his schemes, is here for the first time indicated. Compare Nehemiah 6:14, Nehemiah 6:17-19; 13:4-16; 13:28.” ¹¹

“He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me” (6:13-14). Nehemiah, in light of this attack, sends up another of his “bullet” or “telegraph” prayers. He knew with so many enemies against him, both inside and outside, he had better stay in close touch with God. It is rather amazing to see that so soon after the exile Israel already had such an abundant supply of false prophets. The female prophetess is mentioned here. Kidner says of her: “Noadiah had some evil predecessors, who mixed magic and money-making with their prophesying in Ezekiel’s day (Ezek. 13:17-23).” ¹²

COMPLETION OF THE WALL

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. Nehemiah 6:15

Guzik comments; “The amount of time it took to finish the job was remarkably short. The walls were in ruins for more than 100 years, and then they were set right in a period of only 52 days.” ¹³ Such a feat could only be done with divine assistance. When we consider how much internal opposition Nehemiah faced, we might wonder how he could have stuck to the job and finished it. The wall was completed in Elul which corresponds to our August/September. Guthrie notes how the whole operation was timed between the main cereal harvest and the vintage harvest.¹⁴

“When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God” (6:16). This was such an astounding work that even the enemies had to admit that God helped in it. This may serve as a faint picture of the end of this age when all enemies will have to admit that the Lord is God and they will bow to him in reverence (Phil. 2:10-11).

“Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah” (6:17-18). When we look at the persistence of Nehemiah’s enemies we might need to heed that saintly Scottish minister, Andrew A. Bonar. He advised: “Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.” ¹⁵ We realize that the Jerusalem scene was a “can of worms” regarding its support or non-support of Nehemiah. Later in Nehemiah’s book, we will learn that even the high priest Eliashib had an alliance with Tobiah (13:4-8). Tobiah was a deeply compromised Jew who desperately wanted to be a part of the exile remnant but was rejected. He was willing to try anything to gain power and defeat Nehemiah.

McGee says of him: “Tobiah had evidently married a daughter of one of the nobles! All of this time there was this playing ‘footsie’ with the enemies of God.” ¹⁶ We realize that Meshullam, one of the workers on the wall (3:4, 30) by his compromises was undermining the work that he himself was doing.¹⁷

“Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me” (6:19). Tobiah’s friends acted as a “Fifth Column” to undo the work of Nehemiah.¹⁸ We can see why Nehemiah needed to offer up so many of his quickie prayers to God.

CHAPTER 7

After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. Nehemiah 7:1

Several commentators see this section plus the genealogical listing as part of Nehemiah’s memoirs.¹ The original appointments of gatekeepers, musicians and Levites were prescribed in the Bible, and they regarded only the temple (1 Chron. 26:1-13), but at this point, Nehemiah gives them expanded duties. They are now not just watching over the temple but watching over the defense of the whole city. Obviously, Nehemiah was preparing things for his immediate return to Persia and to the king. Wiersbe asks, “What good are walls if the gates are open to every foe who wants to enter the city?” ² This unusual appointment reflects the severe shortage of people living in the Holy City at that time (cf. Neh. 7:4).

“I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do” (7:2). Both names have the meaning of God being gracious. While some have tried to say that the names are in reference only to one person, we see that two persons are indicated in the next verse.³ These two would no doubt have to share some authority with Rephaiah and Shallum who were previously appointed rulers of half-districts in Jerusalem (3:9 & 12).

We spoke earlier (1:2) of Hanani probably being a relative of Nehemiah. If he was indeed an actual brother, this verse would offer some indication of that. Nehemiah was leaving Hanani in a great position of leadership so he must have had a lot of confidence in him. After all, everything that Nehemiah had accomplished could be lost in a matter of weeks because of the many vicious enemies that were still around.

It seems that Nehemiah was preparing well for his approaching absence. This reminds us of Ephesians 6:13 where Paul says: “…and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then…” Nehemiah could return to Shushan and the King of Persia knowing that Jerusalem was in good hands.

“I said to them, ‘The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses’” (7:3). A few commentators feel that this instruction has to do with closing the gates at the hot siesta time in Jerusalem when residents are still prone to eat a bite and take a nap. However, the plain sense seems to be that the gates would be opened late and closed early.⁴ Nehemiah must have been troubled after the working crowds left to realize that the population of Jerusalem was quite small. Walls and gates alone could not defend the city, it took people. Much earlier the Jebusites (2 Sam. 5:6) had made the tragic mistake of depending upon walls and gates alone. “The final strength or weakness of a city is its people.” ⁵ Nehemiah was determined that the city would be inhabited by a truly Jewish population.

“Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt” (7:4). Clearly, the houses had not been rebuilt because there was no wall of defense around the city and people were afraid of invaders. Now that could at last be corrected. We have seen earlier that some houses were built all around next to the wall but there was still a lot of open space.⁶

“So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:” (7:5). God put it on Nehemiah’s heart to do a registration of families. Without truly Jewish families living in the city all the other work of building the city was in vain. Fortunately for Nehemiah, the early listing of returnees from Zerubbabel’s time was located. It was most likely stored in the temple archives.⁷ While genealogies are boring to most folks today, this was by no means true in Bible times. “Genealogies were ‘lifelines’ that linked the Jews not only to the heritage of the past but also to their hope for the future.” ⁸ Coffman says, “When Mary cradled the Son of God in the Bethlehem manger, it was absolutely necessary that all men should have been certain that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed that Seed.” ⁹

McGee asks, “Why in the world would God waste so much printer’s ink and give us the same genealogy again? I will tell you why. The Word of God says, ‘…the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance (Ps. 112:6).’…‘This genealogy is just a leaf out of God’s memorial book.’” ¹⁰

When we take a close look at the following list we will note that there are some small differences between it and the genealogy in Ezra 2:1-70. Jamieson and company comment: “The lapse of so many years might well be expected to make a difference appear in the catalogue, through death or other causes; in particular, one person being, according to Jewish custom, called by different names.” ¹¹ If we copied a one-hundred-year-old document today and put it into modern expressions it would surely show some small differences.

THE LISTING OF THOSE WHO RETURNED

These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah): The list of the men of Israel:” Nehemiah 7:6-7

McConville says that this list, “to all intents and purposes [is] identical with Ezra 2:1-70” ¹² Pett comments: “A far better explanation for some, if not all, of the differences is that the two accounts represent the list of returnees as prepared on different dates during the first months of arrival, the second one being updated as a result of information submitted from the various clans, because of the arrival of further exiles (e.g. the sons of Azgad, compare Nehemiah 7:17 with Ezra 2:12).” ¹³ The listing opens with names of leaders, beginning with Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the high priest and various others.

Here we have not dealt again with the peculiarities of the two lists but with more information regarding their small differences can be found by looking at our commentary on Ezra 2:1-70.

“the descendants of Parosh 2,172

⁹ of Shephatiah 372
¹⁰ of Arah 652
¹¹ of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,818
¹² of Elam 1,254
¹³ of Zattu 845
¹⁴ of Zakkai 760
¹⁵ of Binnui 648
¹⁶ of Bebai 628
¹⁷ of Azgad 2,322
¹⁸ of Adonikam 667
¹⁹ of Bigvai 2,067
²⁰ of Adin 655
²¹ of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98
²² of Hashum 328
²³ of Bezai 324
²⁴ of Hariph 112
²⁵ of Gibeon 95
²⁶ the men of Bethlehem and Netophah 188
²⁷ of Anathoth 128
²⁸ of Beth Azmaveth 42
²⁹ of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743
³⁰ of Ramah and Geba 621
³¹ of Mikmash 122
³² of Bethel and Ai 123
³³ of the other Nebo 52
³⁴ of the other Elam 1,254
³⁵ of Harim 320
³⁶ of Jericho 345
³⁷ of Lod, Hadid and Ono 721
³⁸ of Senaah 3,930
³⁹ The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973
⁴⁰ of Immer 1,052
⁴¹ of Pashhur 1,247
⁴² of Harim 1,017
⁴³ The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah) 74
⁴⁴ The musicians: the descendants of Asaph 148
⁴⁵ The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 138
⁴⁶ The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
⁴⁷ Keros, Sia, Padon,
⁴⁸ Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,
⁴⁹ Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
⁵⁰ Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
⁵¹ Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
⁵² Besai, Meunim, Nephusim,
⁵³ Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
⁵⁴ Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
⁵⁵ Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
⁵⁶ Neziah and Hatipha
⁵⁷ The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
⁵⁸ Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
⁵⁹ Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon
⁶⁰ The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392
⁶¹ The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:
⁶² the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 642
⁶³ And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).
⁶⁴ These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
⁶⁵ The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.
⁶⁶ The whole company numbered 42,360,
⁶⁷ besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers.
⁶⁸ There were 736 horses, 245 mules,
⁶⁹ 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
⁷⁰ Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests.
⁷¹ Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver.
⁷² The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.
⁷³ The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,” (7:8-73).

We may make some final comments on these last few verses beginning with verse 70. Jamieson and company say: “With Nehemiah 7:69, the register ends, and the thread of Nehemiah’s history is resumed…” ¹⁴ However when we note the ending of verse 73 the whole section seems to be applicable to the original settlement under Zerubbabel. There does appear to be some difference in the amounts of gold and silver. Ezra 2:69 speaks of 1100 pounds of gold (500 kg.) and 3 tons of silver (2.8 metric tons), while Nehemiah 7:71-72 speaks of 769 pounds of gold (307 kg.) and about 3.3 tons of silver (2.9 metric tons).¹⁵ Perhaps these figures are close enough when we consider that some one hundred years of history had passed with all its events and adjustments.

Wiersbe closes this chapter by saying: “One of the key lessons we can learn from this long chapter is that people are important to God…He used common people who were willing to risk their futures on the promises of God. Today, God is still calling people to leave their personal ‘Babylon’ and follow him by faith. The church is living in a day of reproach (Neh. 2:17), and there are ‘ruins’ all around that need to be rebuilt.” ¹⁶

CHAPTER 8

all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. Nehemiah 8:1

This chapter really begins with the last statement of the previous chapter. The people coming together as one is a Hebrew idiom for unity.¹ God can do things when his people are unified before him. Interestingly, this important gathering took place near the Water Gate rather than in the temple area. Of course, this was a popular place where many people went daily. The Water Gate was located near the southeast corner of the temple, just south of Ophel. We know it today as the Gihon Spring or the main source of water for the ancient city of Jerusalem.²

We have here the sudden appearance of Ezra the Scribe who had been absent for a number of years. It is within the realm of reason that Nehemiah may have sent for him when the wall was completed in order that he might participate in the celebration.³The reading of the Book of the Law in its entirety was in answer to instructions laid down by God in Deuteronomy 31:9-13.

It was a great time for celebration since the holy month of Tishri (our September/October) was beginning. This month started with the sounding of the trumpet on the first day; then the Day of Atonement on the tenth day; and the week-long celebration of Tabernacles beginning on the fifteenth day. In Israel today after the trumpets sound there are ten Days of Awe as people prepare for the Day of Atonement. This awesome day is not mentioned by Nehemiah. The month of Tishri today is almost taken up with celebration. If you want something done in Israel during this time people are likely to answer you with “a-cha-re ha hag” (after the holiday). The seventh month for Israelites was the crown of the whole year.⁴

We sense the Spirit of God working even before the reading of the Law. J. Edwin Orr defined revival as: “The Spirit of God working through the Word of God, in the lives of the people of God.” This chapter is a great example of this.⁵ The city’s material needs had been met with the building of the wall and now their spiritual needs were being met.⁶

“So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand” (8:2). This meeting came at an awesome time. It started with the dual events of Rosh Kodesh, the beginning of the month or the New Moon and the sounding of trumpets (Lev. 23:24; Num. 10:10; 29:1). On many occasions, I was in Jerusalem as trumpets were sounding over the city and it never failed to send a chill of excitement up my spine.

This was a general meeting that even included children, at least those with some understanding of what was going on. Often meetings in Israel did not include women but this one did.

“He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law” (8:3). Nehemiah probably read in Hebrew for about six hours and the people continued to be very attentive to the words of the Lord. It is always a good sign when people want to hear the Bible. The holy scriptures helped Israel to become the “people of the Book.” They have greatly helped other nations throughout history. French author Victor Hugo once said, “England has two books, the Bible and Shakespeare. England made Shakespeare but the Bible made England.” ⁷

“Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam” (8:4). Bible commentators see this structure as a prototype pulpit that may have emerged along with the synagogue itself during the Babylonian period.⁸ The thirteen helpers may well have been priests supporting him. Pett says, “Together with Ezra they made up fourteen, seven and seven, an intensification of the number of divine perfection and completeness…” ⁹

“Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up” (8:5). Standing for the scripture reading is a sign of utmost respect for the word. This custom has continued down to the present in some congregations. Unfortunately, the public reading of scripture, which is clearly commanded in the New Testament (1 Tim. 4:13), has not continued in most places. It is strange today that we probably have more access to the Bible than any people in history. Yet, we seem to read it less and less. There is a gross ignorance of the Bible today in many churches. The evangelist Ray Stedman was distressed with the biblical ignorance of church members in the many places he ministered. He even heard one man remark: “I thought Dan and Beersheba were husband and wife, like Sodom and Gomorrah.” ¹⁰ The Barna organization has done some recent surveys on Bible reading in the US. Here are some of the results: “Adults who use the Bible daily account for 14 percent of the total adult population, followed by 13 percent who use it several times a week, 8 percent who do so once a week, 6 percent about once a month and 8 percent who use it three to four times a year.” ¹¹

“Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, ‘Amen! Amen!’ Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground” (8:6). We are witnessing here a great biblical praise session with the people responding by hearty “Amens.” This Hebrew praise word has the root of being firm and is related to the Hebrew emunah which means “faith” in English.¹² Many times it is translated “verily,” or “truly.” The people have an interesting posture for prayer with their faces to the ground. The normal Jewish posture for prayer was with the eyes open and hands lifted to heaven.¹³

EZRA’S HELPERS

The Levites – Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah – instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. Nehemiah 8:7-8

It is clear that most of the audience understood Ezra. Otherwise, they would not have listened to his reading for six hours straight. However, there must have been a contingent of the people whose vernacular was Aramaic. The Levites had the task of wandering through the crowds and helping these folks to understand the Law. The need for Aramaic translations probably resulted later in the Targums, the Aramaic paraphrases of the Old Testament.¹⁴

Coffman quotes Oesterley who said: “…that by Ezra’s inspiration and under his guidance the Law (of Moses) was now for the first time put before the Jews in such a way as to convince them that it was the most important thing in the world, that their lives should be conducted wholly in accordance with its precepts.” ¹⁵

“Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, ‘This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law” (8:9). The reading of the law had a profound effect upon the people. They were stunned and were weeping over their transgressions. However, it was a joyous feast day. It was necessary for Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites to help restrain their weeping. Kidner says, “holiness and gloom go ill together.” ¹⁶ They would need to hold off their weeping at least until the Day of Atonement, on the tenth day of the seventh month.

We might note here that Nehemiah is called the governor, using the Persian title Tirshatha for the first time. This was the same title used by Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:63).¹⁷ Earlier, Nehemiah had used the Hebrew title for governor (pechâh) in referring to himself (5:14). It is of interest that Nehemiah and Ezra are only seen acting together in this section and later in 12:36.¹⁸

“Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength’” (8:10). They were to go and eat richly prepared foods. They were also to drink sweet drinks or sweet wines. Israel probably had sweet wines in that early time. Even today the Hebron wines are pleasingly sweet. It was to be a time of celebration.

In their joy, they were not to forget the needy but were to send portions of food to them (cf. Deut. 16:14; Esth. 9:19). Nehemiah mentions that the joy of the Lord is our strength. It is hard to be joyful and depressed or defeated at the same time. Years ago, when many Christians sang the scriptures, we sang “the joy of the Lord is my strength” and it did a lot to lift our spirits.

“The Levites calmed all the people, saying, ‘Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.’ Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them” (8:11-12). The people obeyed their leaders and did what they were told. We note that they all now understood the word of God. The Levites had done a good job of translating and making plain the teaching of Ezra. Now they could all rejoice. The great composer Franz Josef Haydn wrote, “When I think upon my God my heart is so full that the notes dance and leap from my pen and since God has given me a cheerful heart, it will be pardoned me that I serve him with a cheerful spirit.” ¹⁹

MEN’S DAY, A TIME FOR FATHERS AND LEADERS

On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. Nehemiah 8:13

After that great first day of celebration it appears that wives, children and others went home but the men stayed for more teaching from Ezra. In verse 18 we realize that this continued throughout the whole festival. Ppeople were hungry for the word of God. A revival was in the air. “Someone asked evangelist Billy Sunday if revivals lasted, and he replied, ‘no, neither does a bath; but it’s good to have one occasionally!’” ²⁰ It is always a good sign when the men get excited and want to come to church. In the US men often lag behind while the women are left to carry on with many of the church functions.

“They found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month” (8:14). Kidner comments: “The feast had two sides to it: it was a vintage festival, the ‘ingathering at the year’s end’ (Ex. 34:22), but also a memorial to the wilderness, when God had ‘made the people of Israel dwell in booths’ (Lv. 23:43). It seems to have been this aspect that had fallen into neglect.” ²¹ Guzik says, “…We often are deceived into thinking the path of gladness is in doing our own thing, but gladness and freedom come only through obedience.” ²² The people were instructed to take branches of palms, willows and other leafy trees and build their booths or sukkahs. In Jerusalem today, city crews assist by trimming many of the trees at this time of year and leaving the branches handy for gathering.

“and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: ‘Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters’ – as it is written” (8:15). They had discovered this scripture, the only place in the Pentateuch that commands the building of booths.²³ Now they had become quite evangelistic in spreading the word about this commandment.

Today in Israel the Orthodox Jews begin to build their tabernacles immediately when the Day of Atonement ends. So after dark on that evening, they happily begin building.

OBEYING THE COMMANDMENT

So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. Nehemiah 8:16

In Jerusalem at this time of year sukkahs are seen everywhere, even on the porches of high-rise apartments. They are even seen along the sidewalks. Some labor to build fancy sukkahs while others use the easy-to-assemble bought ones. All over the downtown, the brightly colored decorations (much like our Christmas ones) are for sale. This holiday is certain to delight children and in the evenings one can hear joy reverberating from sukkah to sukkah. Often it is possible to hear fathers teaching children about the Exodus and the wilderness journey of their ancient ancestors. The simple sukkot (Hebrew plural of sukkah) are made by erecting four upright 2×4 boards to make a rectangle; then bracing them together with other boards and covering them with bedsheets or other light material. The little structures are then topped with the goodly tree branches, but not so thick as to obscure the stars. The people of Israel even eat and sleep in these flimsy structures.

“The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great” (8:17). We can see that the sukkah building really caught on with the people. They were all doing it. This caused Nehemiah to exclaim that there had been no such celebration from the days of Joshua until his day. We know from scripture that there had been some previous times when the festival was kept and when sukkot were built (cf. 1 Ki. 8:2; 8:65; 2 Chron. 7:8: 8:13; 31:3). Rawlinson suspects that there had not been such a general celebration and one so full of joy as this one.²⁴ Clarke adds: “No feast of tabernacles since Joshua’s time had been so heartily and so piously celebrated.” ²⁵

“Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly” (8:18). The people were determined to meticulously keep the laws relating to Tabernacles. We can only imagine the great joy and blessing they all felt on that last day when they all assembled before their God.

CHAPTER 9

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. Nehemiah 9:1

The people had been greatly touched by the reading of the law. It brought them to tears of repentance in 8:9, but since it was a holy day they were not allowed to be sad and were restrained by the leaders. Now, two days after the end of the feast, the great repentance they felt began to burst out. They came together with fasting and dust on their heads. They were also wearing sackcloth. Anders says, “Sackcloth was a dark, coarse material associated with sorrow and repentance. Throwing dust, or putting it on one’s head, symbolized humiliation.” ¹ Perhaps sackcloth today could be compared to a rough burlap bag. The sackcloth and dirt must have left them with a good deal of discomfort. However, it seems that most of their discomfort was on the inside. The Bible says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret…” (2 Cor. 7:10).

It is interesting that the law came to make the trespass increase. The law is like an x-ray or a magnifying glass regarding our sins. In days gone by the law was preached and people repented in droves. Today the law is not preached and there is little repentance. Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God,” and sermons like that helped bring about the Great Awakening in America. “The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more…” (Rom. 5:20).

“Times occur in the life of the faith community when public sorrow and confession of sin are appropriate. These occasions bind together believers and reinforce their humble state before God, they also result in praise for God’s great mercy and grace.” ²

“Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors” (9:2). The great Feast of Tabernacles was always open to all people but when God’s covenant people came together to pray and seek the Lord’s face Gentiles were not allowed (Lev. 20:26). The people were still in a penitent mood so they continued to stand and confess the sins of themselves and of their ancestors. Somehow, we have the idea that repentance is for the unredeemed only. However, there are many places in scripture where the elect are called upon to repent. This was one of those places.

Years ago I heard it said best by a Christian football player. He said that when he was saved he became a “repenting type person.” God wants us to keep on repenting. Redpath says, “God will never plant the seed of his life upon the soil of a hard, unbroken spirit. He will only plant that seed where the conviction of his Spirit has brought brokenness, where the soil has been watered with the tears of repentance as well as the tears of joy.” ³

“They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God” (9:3). This was the third reading of the law (cf. the first was in 8:4-8; the second was in 8:13-15). They listened to the law for three hours and then confessed their sins and worshipped for three hours. We can imagine that such a service would not go over too well in our day of 30-second sound bites and short attention spans. Lord help us!

“Standing on the stairs of the Levites were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the LORD their God. And the Levites – Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah – said: ‘Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting’” (9:4-5a). Coffman says something interesting about this service: “A very important revelation of this chapter is that it was the Levites, and not the priests, who led Israel in this penitential prayer of confession and praise of God. From the Book of Malachi, we learn of the near total apostasy of the Jewish priesthood; and in Zechariah, they are clearly revealed as the false shepherds who destroyed the nation. There is not a word in this chapter that even hints of any priestly participation in this great repentance, confession and prayer.” ⁴ Of course, some generations later it was the priesthood that was very much involved in having Jesus crucified.

The Levites could have stood on the stairs of the wooden platform that we mentioned earlier or they could have stood on the stairs of the temple that was close by. Guzik says: “The following prayer is thought to be the longest prayer in the Bible – and yet takes only six and one-half minutes to say. Prayer does not need to be long to be glorious and effective.” ⁵ Regarding our own sometimes pitiful efforts at praying Anders says: “If people feel that prayer is necessary, yet they often find their minds wandering and their resolve waning…Many people use the acrostic P-R-A-Y to guide them through their praying and keep them focused… P=Praise…R=Repentance…A=Ask…Y=Yield.” ⁶

ISRAEL’S PRAISE AND REPENTANCE SESSION

Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. Nehemiah 9:5b

In the first part of this verse, the Levites had charged the people to stand up and praise the Lord. Clarke says, “It is the shameless custom of many congregations of people to sit still while they profess to bless and praise God…” ⁷ There is something about sitting too long that dulls our spiritual senses anyway. We need more Levite types today to get us on our feet in worship. We seem to have no problem standing to our feet and cheering for our favorite football teams. If we wonder how this worship was taking place, Jamieson and his team shed this light: “If this prayer was uttered by all these Levites in common, it must have been prepared and adopted beforehand, perhaps, by Ezra.” ⁸

“You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you” (9:6). Ancient people got to see the majesty of the heavenly creation most nights. There was no smog or bright city lights to dim this vast display. Today millions of folks hardly get to glimpse these heavenly wonders because most people now live in cities. We need to at least try to see the sunrise or the sunset and be careful to praise God for such wonders.

“You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous” (9:7-8). The people of Israel on many occasions recited their holy history (e.g. Psa. 78 in the OT and Hebrews 11 in the NT). This is something we desperately need in this postmodern era. Although we have Bibles everywhere in the Western world we do not seem to read them, even if they are handy on our cell phones. Many Christian young people today have little knowledge of their holy history.

Michael Holmes says: “A significant weakness of contemporary Christianity; its lack of knowledge of the Bible…Gallup and Barna have revealed, the level of Bible literacy in America is abysmal. Details of the polls’ findings have been widely reported: Only half of the Christians polled correctly identified Jesus as the person who delivered the Sermon on the Mount; barely three of five could recall the names of the first four books of the New Testament. When asked to quote a Bible verse, the most frequent response was “God helps those who help themselves” – a line written by Benjamin Franklin.” ⁹

In a 2015 interview on the 700 Club by Paul Strand, with George Barna and historian David Barton, it was revealed that “only 30 percent of Christians read the Bible and less than 10 percent have read it from cover-to-cover.” ¹⁰ Our faith heritage through Jesus also goes back to Father Abraham (Rom. 4:16-17), but a lot of Christians may not know that.

^“You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. You sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters. By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take” (9:9-12). The deliverance of Israel from Egypt is one of the most astounding stories in the history of the world. We can read about this great deliverance in Exodus chapters 7 through 14. In this drama, God brought awful plagues upon Egypt until Pharaoh decided to let Israel go. This account climaxed when the sea swallowed the whole army of Pharaoh and Israel escaped through it on dry ground. It is a classic drama of all times and gains God more eternal fame. It also became the type and pattern of our salvation in Jesus.

The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night were incredible signs. There was not a time in all the forty years of wilderness wandering that the least Israelites could not peek out of their tents and see the glory of God hovering over them. There was never another time when the that glory was so clearly and steadily revealed.

“You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them” (9:13-15). Never before in the history of the world did God come down in person and give people his laws of life. Never before did a people have statutes that would endure forever (Deut. 4:40). God’s people were fed with manna from heaven for the whole duration of their journey. Their thirst was quenched with water from the rock. I remember some years ago I was with my son Yoni, who is a licensed tour guide in Israel. We were at the Wilderness of Zin nature preserve in Israel and he called my attention to water seeping out of the face of a high sheer cliff. It was something to see water still coming out of a rock. Two times are recorded when water came out of a rock to bless Israel (Exod. 17:6; Num. 20:7-13). It likely happened several more times. Israel’s forty years in the wilderness proved that God is a really good and merciful God.

ISRAEL’S SIN AND REBELLION

But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, “This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,” or when they “committed awful blasphemies” (9:16-18).

Breneman comments: “Stiff-necked is a common biblical expression for stubbornness (cf. Exod. 32:9; Jer. 7:26; 17:23). The imagery is that of an animal that struggles against having a yoke placed on its neck.” ¹¹ They even appointed a leader to take them back to slavery in Egypt (Num. 14:4). What a terrible and unthankful response to God’s great goodness.

The worst sin of Israel was to cast a molten calf (Exodus chapter 32). They bowed down to worship it, then they ate and rose up to indulge in sexual revelry. They did all this while Moses was receiving the holy law directly from God. Today Israel has many kinds of shofars (ram’s horns) which are made from various animals. However, they never make a shofar from a cow’s horn. They are too embarrassed to do that and feel it would be an offense to God, because of their golden calf.

Still, God put up with them just as he puts up with us Christians today. Redpath says, “God’s mercy with a sinner is only equaled and perhaps outmatched by his patience with the saints, with you and me.” ¹²

“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen” (9:19-21). God’s loving care of Israel for those forty years in the wilderness is an account that boggles our materialistic minds. God was faithful to feed heavenly manna to some two million Israelites daily for all that time. Dare we doubt that our Heavenly Father can take care of us today? To top all stories of the wilderness, even their clothes and shoes did not wear out or get too small. That loving act of God is far beyond our imagination and certainly beyond our explanation. It assures us that our God can do anything!

“You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess. Their children went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness” (9:22-25). This section focuses again on the goodness of God but it makes the wickedness of Israel stand out in bold relief. Long before Moses had said: “When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you – a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant – then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Deut. 6:10-12).

Thomas Carlyle once said; “For every one hundred men who can stand adversity there is only one who can stand prosperity.” Novelist John Steinbeck wrote, “If you want to destroy a nation, give it too much – make it greedy, miserable, and sick.” ¹³ “Jeshurun [upright one or Israel] grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior” (Deut. 32:15). No doubt this is why the author of Proverbs could say: “…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread” (Prov. 30:8). It normally would take a couple of generations of hard work to make a land really livable but God gave them houses ready to move into and farms ready to cultivate.

“But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies. But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time” (9:26-28). Breneman says of these scriptures: “This section presents a threefold repetition of the same four-step historical cycle evident in the Book of Judges (see Jud. 2:10-20). (1) the people were disobedient; (2) God handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them; (3) they cried to God for help; (4) God heard and delivered them.” ¹⁴

We have to ask, “What did they think they would get from rebelling against God?” “The first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom – Lucifer.” ¹⁵ We must rephrase the question. What do we think we will get from rebelling against God?

Their fathers had been guilty of the grossest sins. They even had killed the prophets that God sent to them (cf. 1 Kings 18:4; 19:10; 2 Chron. 24:20-22; Jer. 26:20-23). Barnes says: “Jewish tradition further affirms that more than one of the great prophets (e. g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) were martyred by their countrymen.” ¹⁶ It seems that somehow that guilt had trickled down to the present generation. Pett comments: “Over a thousand years had passed since the covenant had been given, and yet they were even now not in full possession of the land. And the reason was because they and their fathers had sinned.” ¹⁷

“You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’ Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God” (9:29-31). The great C. S. Lewis once wrote, “there are only two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘Thy will be done.’” ¹⁸Despite God’s help and pleading, they lived by their own will. They turned their backs on God and his ordinances. They persecuted his prophets. They became so stiff-necked that God gave them over to their Gentile enemies. However, because of his great covenant love, he did not desert them entirely.

THE CONFESSION AND BINDING AGREEMENT

Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes – the hardship that has come on us, on our kings and leaders, on our priests and prophets, on our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly. Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our ancestors did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the statutes you warned them to keep. Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways. Nehemiah 9:32-35

This confession turns from “our father’s sins” to “our sins.” They could now say, “we acted wickedly.” Confession is agreeing with what God says about us. In spite of their sins God remained faithful to them just as he does for us. It is amazing how God continues to pursue his people in love despite their rebellion. Francis Thompson wrote the beautiful poem entitled The Hound of Heaven. In it he says:

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears
I hid from Him… ¹⁹

“The recurring theme of flight from God could be written across the entire history of humankind. None understood this better than God’s own people, Israel.” ²⁰

“But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress. In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it” (9:36-38). They were not yet in the best position but they were in a far better position than those who had remained exiles in Babylon and Persia. Because of their own sins, they were still ruled by the foreign power of Persia. Because of their own sins, much of their harvest had to be given over to that Gentile nation. Because of their own sins, they remained in great distress. All this brought them to the point of making a solemn covenant with the Almighty God.

CHAPTER 10

Those who sealed it were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hakaliah. Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Nehemiah 10:1-2

This plainly appears to be a covenant renewal ceremony (cf. Jos. 8:30-35 and 24:1ff.) in which the people were signed and sealed as participants. The list begins with Nehemiah the governor and is followed immediately by twenty-two priests. We might wonder why the chief priest was not signed on and why Ezra was not listed. Coffman says: “For all who wonder where the name of Ezra may be in this list, Cook’s opinion offers the solution that, ‘The seal of the high-priestly house of Seraiah was probably appended, either by Ezra personally or by Eliashib, both of whom were members of that house.’” ¹ Of course, Eliashib may have been a little reluctant to sign on, like he probably was concerning the wall building, but he may have joined in this case too because of its popularity with the people.² Later we learn about some real problems with Eliashib (13:4, 7, & 28).

Guzik comments: “Those who placed their seal on the document: At the end of Nehemiah chapter 9, the people had come to a place of decision, and now, collectively, the nation was going to do something about it by entering into a covenant.” ³

“Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah. These were the priests” (10:3-8). Anders remarks: “It seems reasonable that the names are ancestral family names and do not refer to individuals. This was a common method of identification in Jewish society.” ⁴

THE LEVITES

The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, and their associates: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Mika, Rehob, Hashabiah, Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Bani and Beninu. Nehemiah 10:9-13

Breneman remarks: “Of the seventeen Levitical names, some are family groups, and some are individual names.” ⁵ We remember that in the original list of returnees to the land there were quite a number of priests but very few Levites (7:43).

THE LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE

The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, Malluk, Harim and Baanah. Nehemiah 10:14-27.

Once again, it seems that the leaders’ names are not personal but rather family names. Coffman says: “The actual signing of the covenant was apparently made by various groups, heads of houses, and officials, including some individuals, who affixed their seal instead of writing a signature.” ⁶ Pfeiffer & Harrison say, “Of the thirty-three families that returned from Babylon (Ezr. 2), only thirteen are found in this list.” ⁷ The likelihood is that many other families were dispersed in the outlying areas of the Judean territory and could not handily sign.

THE BULK OF THE PEOPLE

The rest of the people – priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand –all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord. Nehemiah 10:28-29

We see here that a varied group of people also joined with the leaders in the covenant renewal. These also bound themselves to follow the Law of God. This meant separating themselves from the Gentiles. This particularly involved the matter of intermarrying with Gentiles, which had been a serious problem all along. It was not a racial matter but a religious one. We can imagine some of the problems involved with this. A Gentile wife would normally not know how to keep a kosher kitchen, that is in observing all the various food laws. She would also tend to gravitate toward her pagan family and be drawn to pagan ceremonies and worship. Of course, a Gentile father in that day would surely remove the family from the covenant and lead them all into paganism.

Pett comments: “Throughout the books of Ezra and Nehemiah certain particular contemporary issues stand out. These include the taking of idolatrous foreign wives (Nehemiah 13:23-27; Ezra 9-10), the failure to strictly observe the Sabbath (Nehemiah 13:15-22), and the exaction of debt from the poor (Nehemiah 5:1-13).” ⁸ The big problem in keeping the Sabbath was that of trading with Gentiles on that day. This was being done at times but it was against the law of God (Jer. 17:21, 22).

McConville comments: “Adherence to the law was never meant to be what it later became in some quarters, a pedantic and nitpicking attention to detail that knew and cared little about real rights and wrongs (cf. Matt. 23:23).” ⁹ In truth, calling a curse upon themselves sounds serious and perhaps even rash. It is interesting that our English Old Testament ends with this word “curse.”

The people were intent on making a new beginning in their faith. Alexander Whyte once said, “The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings.” ¹⁰ Probably some were reluctant to sign and that is usually the case. McGee remarks: “I don’t know why people can sign up for everything else in life, but they are afraid to sign up with God.” ¹¹

It was important to sign or seal this national covenant. However, it was more important to live up to the agreement stated in it. Wiersbe tells this story that he thinks might be apocryphal: “In a certain church, there was a man who always ended his prayers with, ‘And, Lord, clean the cobwebs out of my life! Clean the cobwebs out of my life!’ One of the members of the church became weary of hearing this same insincere request week after week because he saw no change in the petitioner’s life. So, the next time he heard the man pray, ‘Lord, clean the cobwebs out of my life!’ he interrupted with, ‘And while you’re at it, Lord, kill the spider!’” ¹²

PROMISES TO GOD

We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons. When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts. We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God: for the bread set out on the table; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God. Nehemiah 10:30-33

Intermarriage with pagans was a perennial problem for Israel. Kidner says: “But social climb was tempting in these trying days, and marriage offered an attractive ladder…” ¹³ As we have said earlier, to give daughters in marriage to pagan men was almost certainly to lose them and their children to paganism. In ancient cultures, the man exercised a great amount of control over the family. To take a pagan woman for their son was to invite pagan influences on the son and his family. Malachi says: “…Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god” (Mal. 2:11). We surely remember how the many pagan wives of King Solomon stole his heart away from the Lord. Of course, there were some pagan women like Rahab and Ruth who fully converted to Judaism and who chose to follow the Lord and keep his commandments. Guzik says, “The whole idea of marriage is closely connected to the idea of covenant – Malachi 2:14.” ¹⁴

The fact that pagan people often brought their wares to sell on the Sabbath was another problem. We can imagine the lure of fresh fish offered at Jerusalem’s gate to a landlocked populace. But God’s law says: “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD…” (Isa. 58:13-14).

Every seventh year or Shmita was to be a sabbath year (Exo. 23:10-11). The land was to lay uncultivated and all debts were to be forgiven. However, in ancient times and in modern times the Jewish people have found ways to get around the requirements of this law. Today the Jewish farmer may temporarily sell his land to a non-Jew in order to avoid the requirements of Shmita. This practice is known as Heter Mechira. It allows the working of the land during the sabbath year and at the close of the year the “sale” is voided and the property is returned to the Jewish farmer. We can be sure that the Jews in Nehemiah’s day used tactics like this and also found ways to avoid canceling their debts (cf. Deut. 15:1-2). We should note that this forgiveness of debt never applied to foreigners.

Thankfully, as Christians, we do not have to struggle over keeping these various laws. Jesus has kept the law for us and made it possible for us to live with the law. Through Christ, we now even live above the law. The law is now written on our hearts. Martin Luther once said, “Grace makes the law lovable to us…and the law is no longer against us but one with us.” ¹⁵

In Israel there was an obligation, much like a tax, that was charged. We see a mention of this in Exodus 30:11-14. By New Testament times we have a reference to this half-shekel offering in Matthew 17:24-27. We note in the verse above that the half-shekel had been reduced in this period to a third of a shekel. Commentators feel that the poverty in this particular era had caused the half-shekel to be lowered to a third of a shekel. This was an offering that was used for the operation and maintenance of the temple.

The various offerings of the Old Testament may leave us in some quandary regarding our giving today. Guzik says: “The New Testament speaks with great clarity on the principle of giving; that giving should be regular, planned, proportional, and private (1 Corinthians 16:1-4); that it must be generous, freely given, and cheerful (2 Corinthians 9).” ¹⁶

KEEPING THE ALTAR FIRES BURNING

We – the priests, the Levites and the people – have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the LORD each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree. As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there. Nehemiah 10:34-36

In Leviticus 6:13 we read: “The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.” As long as the altar fires were burning brightly, they attested to a warm-hearted religion. In earlier times wood for the fires was easier to find since ancient Israel had many forests. As time went on, many nearby trees were cut in order to make siege machinery, and firewood became scarce. Also, in earlier times the Nethinim, or temple servants, were the carriers of wood, but not so many of them had returned to the land.¹⁷ Apparently, the offerings of wood and other items had not been sufficient (Neh. 13:10; Mal. 3:8-12).¹⁸ We read that the people cast lots to determine the schedule for each family’s wood offering. The casting of lots had common usage in the Old Testament but is seldom used in the New Testament.

The people were also responsible for bringing their firstfruits offering to the temple. In Proverbs 3:9-10 it is written: “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Bringing the first ripe fruits as an offering to the Lord was a way of showing God’s ownership of the entire harvest.¹⁹

They were also to bring as an offering to God their firstborn sons and the firstborn of their animals (Exo. 13:1-13; 34:19-20). Obviously, their sons were not sacrificed like their animals, but they were rather redeemed with animal offerings.

THE OFFERINGS, THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES

Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and olive oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work. A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept. We will not neglect the house of our God. Nehemiah 10:37-39

There were several occasions in Israel’s history when the proper tithes and offerings were not brought to the temple as prescribed. At such times the temple of God languished and the temple officials had to go to work on the farms. At this particular time, it seems that the offerings were not coming in as commanded. Pett says: “‘Firstfruits’ is not the same word as that previously used for firstfruits and means ‘prime’. It could therefore refer to the ‘first’ or it could signify the ‘best, choicest.’” ²⁰

The tithe was brought to the Levites and they had the responsibility of also giving a tenth of what they received to the priests (Num 18:25-32). The scripture here says that a priest was to accompany and oversee this transaction. So, even God’s ministers have the responsibility of tithing in the Old Testament.

Despite what we often hear in the churches, the New Testament does not require the Christian to give a tithe. We have only the clear instruction of 1 Corinthians 16:1-3, where we are instructed to set aside a proportional amount for our offering to the Lord. However, when we consider that Israel’s giving started with ten percent it gets our attention. When we add up all the other various offerings of Israel their total giving would almost have to be at least fifty percent of their income. The whole idea in the Bible is to keep our money moving around to help others. We cannot dare hoard our wealth for ourselves. We do remember that Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek centuries before the Law of God was given (Gen. 14:18-20).

Guzik comments: “Covenants were not made in the ancient world, they were cut – because almost always an animal was sacrificed as part of the covenant. A covenant always costs something, and our point of decision will cost us something – the self-life, comfort, ease and some of the passing pleasures of this world. Count the cost to see if it’s worth it!” ²¹

CHAPTER 11

Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. Nehemiah 11:1

This verse tells us that the leaders of the people had settled in Jerusalem. This was obvious from the fact that 150 officials dined regularly at Nehemiah’s table (5:17).¹ Still, the city for the most part was sparsely settled. That posed an imminent danger. Dummelow says, “The city had received fortifications; but these were useless unless they were manned.” ² It would only be a matter of time until Jerusalem’s deadly enemies would realize that the city was weak and undermanned. In some ways, the city was like a ghost town. Nehemiah desired that the Jerusalem be occupied by holy covenant people who would be intent upon defending her.

In order to solve this urgent population problem, Nehemiah came up with a plan of tithing the people. A tenth of the Israelites would be required to live in Jerusalem and nine tenths would be able to continue living in the rest of the country. This plan showed some genius but it surely worked a great hardship on many settlers who were not especially qualified or gifted for city living. Yet, Kidner says: “This is no rabble of refugees, settling down anywhere: they have the dignity of order and of known relationships; above all, of their calling to be ‘a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex. 19:6).’” ³

Choosing the tithe of people to live in Jerusalem was carried out by casting lots (cf. Num. 26:55-56; 1 Chr. 24:5; 25:8). We talked about this practice earlier in 10:34-36. There had been a long tradition of the high priest casting lots using the sacred Urim and Thummim but that priestly system was lost in the earlier fall of the city. Now the lot was cast between individuals as we see in Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”

Barnes notes: “Artificial enlargements of capitals by forcible transfers of population to them, were not unusual in ancient times. About 500 B.C., Syracuse became a great city in this way. Tradition ascribed the greatness of Rome, in part, to this cause.” ⁴

“The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem” (11:2). Along with those chosen by lot, there were some loyal souls who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. Obviously, living in the capital city was no easy task.

I think of the twelve years that my wife and I lived in Jerusalem. While it was a glorious holy city and we loved it, the city did present some very real problems. It was crowded with lots of traffic; housing was scarce and terribly expensive; there seemed to always be a rush of the people; and it was a prime target for terrorists.

Since Jerusalem is considerably over two thousand feet in elevation the weather can be a problem too. In the winter there can be snow and even an occasional freeze. This is hard to take while living inside uninsulated stone buildings. The winter rain never seems to come down but is mostly driven sideways by hard winds. There are usually umbrellas turned wrong-side-out and thrown away along the sidewalks. When the winter rainy season comes one might as well count on getting completely soaked at some point. We had to remind ourselves that rain was a blessing.

Probably because of the Temple Mount, there is a certain tenseness felt while living in the city. We always tried to get away from town at least once a month for this reason. Usually, when we started down the hill there was a sigh of relief as the Jerusalem pressure lifted. There is even a well-documented spiritual affliction known as the Jerusalem Syndrome that tends to affect some visitors to the city. Those afflicted may decide they are some prophet from of old or another holy person. Usually, the cure for this illness is to take the person back to their home country.

“These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem (now some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants and descendants of Solomon’s servants lived in the towns of Judah, each on their own property in the various towns, while other people from both Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem):” (11:3-4a). We note here that some of the ministering people like priests and Levites lived in the countryside and probably came into the city for their scheduled times of ministry. Other people, even from the tribe of Benjamin, lived in the city. The tribal area of Benjamin began within the city of Jerusalem and ran northward from there.

Utley says of the temple servants: “This term…in post-exilic texts always has the article and is plural. It designates a temple labor force. The origin of the term may be ‘the given ones,’ referring to those non-Israelites defeated in battle by King David and given to the temple to help the Levites (cf. Ezra 8:20); therefore, they are like ‘Solomon’s servants’ (cf. Ezra 2:58; Neh. 7:60; 11:3).” ⁵

THE DESCENDANTS OF JUDAH

From the descendants of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez; and Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Kol-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah. The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 men of standing. Nehemiah 11:4b-6.

Commentators are prone to say that there are only minor differences between this list and the one in 1 Chronicles 9:4-6. However, when we check closely, we find quite a number of differences in the whole list. Utley says that only about half of the names are the same.⁶ Some of the differences may involve variations in spelling or pronunciation. Compare Athaiah here with Uthai in Chronicles or Maaseiah here with Asaiah in Chronicles. Kidner notes that Chronicles adds the descendants of Zerah, the twin brother of Perez (Gen. 38:27-30).⁷

THE DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN

From the descendants of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah, and his followers, Gabbai and Sallai – 928 men. Joel son of Zikri was their chief officer, and Judah son of Hassenuah was over the New Quarter of the city. Nehemiah 11:7-9

When compared with the list in 1 Chronicles 9:7-9, we find that it is fuller and has a small difference in numbers (956).⁸ In the Chronicles list we have Sallu the same, with the addition of Ibneiah, Elah and Meshullam. We have noted here that Joel was the chief officer and Judah was over the New Quarter. It is possible that Joel was an assistant to Hanani, Nehemiah’s brother (cf. Neh. 7:2). ⁹ It seems that Gabbai and Sallai were followers of Sallu rather than being leaders themselves.

THE PRIESTS

From the priests: Jedaiah; the son of Joiarib; Jakin; Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the official in charge of the house of God, and their associates, who carried on work for the temple – 822 men; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, and his associates, who were heads of families – 242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, and his associates, who were men of standing – 128. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim. Nehemiah 11:10-14

When we compare the priestly list to 1 Chronicles 9:10-13, we note that Jedaiah (Jediah) is the same. So is Jakin and Adiah. Chronicles has Azariah in place of Seraiah. This is a difference in spelling only since both are sons of Hilkiah. 1 Chronicles adds Jehoiarib and deletes Amashsai. Seraiah is listed as being in charge of the house of God. Clarke feels that he had command over the secular matters while the high priest ruled over the spiritual matters.¹⁰

Nehemiah takes pains to list the lineage of several of these priests. This was a very important thing, especially for the priesthood. Anders says, “They demonstrate a cohesive, core population that was considered ethnically and religiously pure.” ¹¹ Chronicles gives a total list of the priests who were heads of families amounting to 1760. The “men of standing” are seen by Pett as making up a military unit for the defense of the temple and even the city.¹²

THE LEVITES

From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the heads of the Levites, who had charge of the outside work of the house of God; Mattaniah son of Mika, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. The Levites in the holy city totaled 284. Nehemiah 11:15-18

Let us look at 1 Chronicles 9:14-16 and make some comparisons. Shemaiah is listed first but Shabbethai and Jozabad are not listed. Mattaniah is listed and Bakbukiah might be Bakbukkar in Chronicles. The 1 Chronicles list also shows Heresh, Galal and Obadiah among the Levite leaders. When we are dealing with complicated lists that are thousands of years old we can understand how Bible translators may have various ideas as to the meaning of the original.

We see here that Mattaniah who had an Asaph in his family line led out in the praises. Clark calls him “The precentor, pitcher of the tune, or master-singer.” ¹³ It is thought by some commentators that Bakbukiah was the assistant to Mattaniah. I believe that God still has some Levite types in our congregations. These people with their heavenly gifts of music make us want to stand up and sing God’s praises.

The Levites in the Holy City totaled 284. However, it is thought that many Levites lived outside of the city (cf. Neh. 11:3, 20).¹⁴

THE GATEKEEPERS

The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon and their associates, who kept watch at the gates – 172 men. Nehemiah 11:19

Only two gatekeepers are named here but we are told that they had associates. We see two of these, Shallum and Ahiman named in 1 Chronicles 9:17. Pett comments: “In some ways the title gate-keepers gives a wrong impression. These men did not just watch the gates. They held a position of trust and had responsibility for the treasury and the chambers in the Temple (1 Chronicles 9:26), as well as the furniture and worship accessories (fine flour, wine, oil, frankincense and spices – 1 Chronicles 9:29). They had overall responsibility for the security of the Temple area.” ¹⁵

The Bible gives us much more information on gatekeepers in 1 Chronicles 9:17-29. Although we are not told that gatekeepers were Levites, they are listed as such in 1 Chronicles 9:23-26; 26:1-19. Some of these had part-time residence in Jerusalem (1 Chr. 9:22, 25).

THE REST OF THE PEOPLE

The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, each on their ancestral property. Nehemiah 11:20

This verse is almost a repetition of Nehemiah 11:3. Utley says about the Levites: “Originally the tribe of Levi did not inherit land. The Lord Himself was their inheritance (cf. Num. 18:20, 24; Deut. 10:9; 18:1-2; Jos. 13:14, 33). The Levites asked Joshua for houses in certain special cities called ‘Levitical cities’ (cf. Joshua 21) along with a small part of the surrounding pastureland. In this way, they could grow vegetable gardens or raise an animal.” ¹⁶

“The temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them” (11:21). As we have mentioned earlier, the temple servants were originally prisoners of war who did menial tasks relating to the temple. By this time they were fully integrated into Israel. They lived on the hill Ophel which was near the temple on the southeast side. They were also near the spring of Gihon so they could have quick access to the water supply.

“The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mika. Uzzi was one of Asaph’s descendants, who were the musicians responsible for the service of the house of God. The musicians were under the king’s orders, which regulated their daily activity” (11:22-23). Coffman mentions how the Persian king favored the Levities. He gave them a regular payment and exempted them from customs and taxes (Ezra 7:24). It is likely that the king was aware of the general corruption of the priesthood and thus he favored the Levites.¹⁷

Uzzi and his associates were under the orders of the king. There may not have been another time in history when the worship of God was under the king’s orders. It seems that many kings and political leaders have often been opposed to the Lord’s worship and have even resisted it.

“Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah son of Judah, was the king’s agent in all affairs relating to the people” (11:24). Pethahiah was the king’s governmental representative in all affairs related to the Jewish people. He was himself of Jewish descent so he was well aware of all the nation’s concerns. He was likely a representative of the Jewish people in the Persian court as well.¹⁸

“As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba and its surrounding settlements, in Dibon and its settlements, in Jekabzeel and its villages, in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Beth Pelet, in Hazar Shual, in Beersheba and its settlements, (11:25-27). Kiriath Arba was the ancient name for Hebron (Gen. 23:2; Josh. 14:15). It was originally named for one of the giants. It is interesting that the newer Israeli settlement founded in 1968 on the outskirts of Hebron is called by this ancient name, Kiryat Arba. Kidner thinks that Jewish settlement in Kiriath Arba was certainly beyond their allotted area of Yehud (Judah) and was likely in the area of Idumea.¹⁹ This would have then fallen in the area of Geshem the Arab. It may illustrate that the Jews were free to settle anywhere in the Persian Empire.

Beersheba is a city on the edge of Israel’s great desert wilderness. It is about 20 miles (32 km.) south of Jerusalem. Kidner thinks it was almost certainly in the area of Idumea.²⁰Today the modern Israeli city of Be’er Sheva is referred to as the “capital of the Negev,” and boasts a population approaching a quarter of a million people.

“in Ziklag, in Mekonah and its settlements, in En Rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, in Lachish and its fields, and in Azekah and its settlements. So they were living all the way from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom” (11:28-30). We probably remember that Ziklag was the city where David and his men dwelt when they were in the territory of the Philistines. While David and his men were away the Amalekites captured and burned the city. They then carried off all the plunder including David’s two wives. Although he and his men were extremely tired and fatigued, they pursued the Amalekites, defeated them and recovered everything and everyone. This account is told to us in 1 Samuel 30:1-31.

Lachish was a major biblical city (cf. Josh.12:3-16; 2 Chron. 11:9). Today it exists only as a tel or archaeological site. It is located in the Shephelah, or the hills and valleys leading up to Israel’s highlands.

“The descendants of the Benjamites from Geba lived in Mikmash, Aija, Bethel and its settlements, in Anathoth, Nob and Ananiah, in Hazor, Ramah and Gittaim, in Hadid, Zeboim and Neballat, in Lod and Ono, and in Ge Harashim. Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin” (11:31-36). Now Nehemiah describes the settlement of the Benjamites. Mikmash, in the hills northeast of Jerusalem, was the site where Jonathan and his armor-bearer routed a very large Philistine force and brought about a great victory for Israel (1 Sam. 14:1ff). Bethel, of course was an important city where Father Abraham first pitched his tent (Gen. 12:8). It was the place where Jacob saw the vision of a ladder to heaven (Gen. 28:12). Unfortunately, it was also the place where Jeroboam set up a golden calf (1 Ki. 12:29).

Anathoth was the home of the prophet Jeremiah. Hazor was not the same as the important site in the upper Galilee but was a different one. Ramah was the home of the prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 7:17). Lod nearer the coast is today the area of Ben Gurion Airport. So most tourists to Israel start off in the area of Lod. All this tells us that the exiles from Babylon had settled over a rather large area of what was ancient Israel.

CHAPTER 12

These were the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Joshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluk, Hattush, Shekaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Nehemiah 12:1-3

Anders comments: “Legitimacy was important in establishing the postexilic community. Because of this, the chronicler inserted various lists of priests and Levites to document the genuineness of the faith community and its religious authority.” ¹ We note here that the author went all the way back to the beginning of the return in 537 BC and to the days of Zerubbabel and Joshua. This was almost a century earlier.

Breneman gives us an outline of these verses that will help keep our heads straight. “Verses 1-7 present the family names of the priests at the time of the first return; vv. 8-9 list the Levites of the same time; vv. 10-11 list the line of high priests; vv. 12-21 list the priests in the time of Jehoiakim, the second generation after the return; vv. 22-23 add details about the records; vv. 24-26 continue with the Levites and details on
chronology…” ²

Copying lists of names and numbers seems to have been a challenge in ancient times. Guthrie sees that the interpretation of these lists presents a great difficulty.³ For instance, when we compare this listing of priests in Zerubbabel’s time with the listing in Ezra 2:36-39, there seems to be little agreement. Some of these problems might be solved when we consider that personal names and family names may be used interchangeably. The total priestly descendants under Ezra were 4,289, so there is room for some name changing. Some names are just missed by copyists, as we see Hattush listed in 12:1-7 and missing in 12:12-21. The Ezra we see listed here is obviously a priest but certainly not the Ezra who came much later in 458 BC.

“Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Joshua” (12:4-7). Jamieson mentions here that Abijah was an ancestor of John the Baptist (Lk. 1:5).⁴ The three lists of priests are quite confusing. Pett comments: “…The whole situation is undoubtedly complex, and many suggestions have been made by commentators, too numerous to deal with simply.” ⁵ Coffman says: “The discrepancies, questions, problems and variations in all of these are insoluble at this period of time, twenty-five centuries afterward…” ⁶

The three listings of Nehemiah 12:1-7; 12:12-21 and 10:2-8 are not completely identical, although they have many names in common. However, Pashur, Malchijah, Obadiah, Daniel, Baruch and Meshullam only appear in the Nehemiah 10 list.⁷ When we try to match these lists with the one in Ezra 2:36-39 we run into more problems. For instance, Immer does not appear at all; there is one appearance of Pashur; two appearances of Jedaiah; and two of Harim. Some have suggested that these priestly houses may have broken down into sub-houses, since there were originally twenty-four orders established by David in 1 Chronicles 24:1-19.

We need to remember that the list in 12:1-7 is that of the first home-comers. The list in 12:12-21 is a whole generation later, and the earlier list in 10:2-8 is Nehemiah’s own generation. ⁸ A lot can happen in a generation and certainly a lot can happen in a period of almost one hundred years. Things change. Some people die and some people are born. We should not concern ourselves that the lists over such a long period do not completely match.

“The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services” (12:8-9). Pett comments: “…It is noteworthy that Jeshua, Binnui and Kadmiel, in that order, are constantly the first names spoken of when the Levites are described, the exception being Nehemiah 12:24…” ⁹We should note that this Jeshua is not connected to the high priest of the same name, since this Jeshua is a Levite. ¹⁰ Obviously, the Levitical list of Ezra 2:40-42 is expanded. Barnes feels that the list was expanded by others who returned subsequently.¹¹ Standing opposite of each other in worship may be a reference to antiphonal singing.¹²

“Joshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada, Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua” (12:10-11). Kidner comments on this list: “…it does not necessarily include every generation. Briefly, the point at issue is whether the list takes us to the end of the Persian period, about a hundred years after Nehemiah, in the reign of Darius III (336/5-331), or whether it takes us only as far as Darius II (423-404)…” ¹³ The problem is the last high priest named Jaddua. The Jewish historian Josephus tells how Alexander the Great was about to conquer Jerusalem until he saw the high priest Jaddua and an assembly of Jews coming out to meet him. Alexander gave reverence to Jaddua and claimed that he previously had seen this same priest with his decorative attire in a vision. The priest had encouraged him to conquer the Persian Empire. As a result, Jerusalem was spared. Alexander even came and offered a sacrifice at the temple (Ant. 11. 8. 5).

Of course, Joshua arrived with Zerubbabel and the main exile body in 537 BC. Eliashib was the high priest when Nehemiah arrived almost a century later in 444. Breneman comments: “According to the Elephantine letters, a Johanan was high priest in 410 BC…New evidence shows that these names reappeared in successive generations, so that Jaddua of Josephus must have been from a later generation.” ¹⁴ Coffman thinks that there might have been several high priests named Jaddua.¹⁵

“In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of Seraiah’s family, Meraiah; of Jeremiah’s, Hananiah;
¹³ of Ezra’s, Meshullam; of Amariah’s, Jehohanan;
¹⁴ of Malluk’s, Jonathan; of Shekaniah’s, Joseph;
¹⁵ of Harim’s, Adna; of Meremoths, Helkai;
¹⁶ of Iddos, Zechariah; of Ginnethon’s, Meshullam;
¹⁷ of Abijah’s, Zikri; of Miniamin’s and of Moadiah’s, Piltai;
¹⁸ of Bilgah’s, Shammua; of Shemaiah’s, Jehonathan;
¹⁹ of Joiarib’s, Mattenai; of Jedaiah’s, Uzzi;
²⁰ of Sallu’s, Kallai; of Amok’s, Eber;
²¹ of Hilkiah’s, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah’s, Nethanel. (12:12-21).

Hopefully, the reader will not grow weary, but we have just had another listing of high priests. This listing covers subsequent generations. We see many of the same household names as with the other listings. Since this is a list of succeeding generations, we have little information on those who followed in the priestly households. The list leads off with Joiakim who may have served around Ezra’s time.¹⁶ Utley suspects that “Meremoth” and “Meraioth” are the same (v. 15); that “Helkai” of the same verse may relate to “Hilkiah” of 12:7; and that “Sallu” may relate to “Sallu” 12:7. ¹⁷

“The family heads of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, as well as those of the priests, were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian. The family heads among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the book of the annals. And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God” (12:22-24). Here we are dealing again with the Levities, but the priestly line is being used for their chronology.

Guthrie says: “The composition of these lists appears to be after the lifetimes of Nehemiah and Ezra (v. 26).” ¹⁸ There is a connection with the high priest Johanan mentioned here. The Elephantine Papyri lists him as the high priest in 410 BC. That would have been in the reign of Darius II (424-404 BC).¹⁹ It is most likely Darius II who is mentioned here as “Darius the Persian.” That brings up the possibility that there was another and later priest by the name of Jaddua.²⁰ It would be very unlikely if the Jaddua here was alive in the days of Darius III (335-331 BC). However, some of the priests lived very long lives. Pfeiffer & Harrison think that Eliashib was over 90 years of age when he entered into an agreement with Tobiah.²¹

The Book of the Annals or Book of Chronicles mentioned here are not the canonical books of 1 & 2 Chronicles with which we are familiar.²² This is another book that is no longer available. Jamieson says: “The sons of Levi . . . were written in the book of the chronicles—that is, the public registers in which the genealogies were kept with great regularity and exactness.” ²³

The Levitical leaders at this later time were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates. Pett remarks: “The truth is that the names are in fact all common Hebrew names which were regularly given (we can compare John and Peter in my day), which is why when the father’s name is lacking the names can be easily confused.” ²⁴ It is noted again that these Levities were responding to each other and it is thought that this was a form of antiphonal singing that King David had instituted using different choirs.²⁵

“Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. They served in the days of Joiakim son of Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law” (12:25-26). These were gatekeepers who were mostly responsible for the control of temple access. Kidner says: “This stresses, once more, the continuity of family responsibilities for Temple service, spanning the best part of a century.” ²⁶ We want to say here that God is concerned about individual people. He could have certainly done everything himself, but he allowed faithful people to do these jobs for him. Their names are preserved forever in the divine records. Today we need to remember that it is faithful individuals, with God’s help, and by God’s grace, who keep the kingdom wheels turning. We can say with Job: “Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high” (Job 16:19 ESV).

DEDICATION OF JERUSALEM’S WALL

At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. Nehemiah 12:27

Kidner says, “At this point, or else at verse 31, we are back with the first-person memoirs of Nehemiah. His voice was last heard directly at 7:5.” ²⁷ Some scholars try to delay this celebration by several months but common sense would put it soon after the wall was completed. In order to have a great religious celebration, it was necessary to assemble all the Levites possible. We note again that many Levites lived outside the city and it was necessary to call them in. Once again, it really helps us in our worship to have skilled and gifted musicians to lead us. From very early times, and especially from the era of David, many different musical instruments were used in worship. There were at least twenty-two different musical instruments mentioned in the Bible.²⁸ Of course, over the years our worship instruments change. I remember when I was a child in the Bible Belt, the guitar was considered a worldly instrument and was not permitted in church. Now it seems that church cannot go on without a guitar.

“The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem – from the villages of the Netophathites, from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the musicians had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem” (12:28-29). We note again that many of the Levites lived close by in cities surrounding Jerusalem. Utley places the Netophathites near Bethlehem (cf. Ezra 2:22).²⁹ Beth Gilgal was not the Gilgal far off in the Jordan Valley but one close to Jerusalem. We can assume that both Geba and Azmaveth were also nearby.

“When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall” (12:30). Commentators assume that purification involved the confession of sins, the offering of blood sacrifices, the strict observance of Mosaic law, fasting, bathing, washing of clothes, and even sexual abstinence. The scripture asks: “Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Psa. 24:3-4). Anders assumes that the gates and wall were purified by the sprinkling of water.³⁰

“I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate” (12:31). Some commentators suppose that they were walking beside the wall but it says clearly that they went along on top of the wall. Kenyon’s excavations have shown that Nehemiah’s wall was 9 feet wide (2.75 m.).³¹ This first group walked south toward the Dung Gate. It was led by Ezra (v. 36). We can assume that the groups entered at the Valley Gate (close to today’s Jaffa Gate). This was the gate where Nehemiah first entered the city (2:13). This group was to proceed around the southern limits and upward on the eastern side of the city.

“Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,” (12:32-33). Pett thinks that Hoshaiah was a very important person and leader, perhaps even deputy to Nehemiah.³² We note that half the leaders followed him.

“Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, as well as some priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zakkur, the son of Asaph, and his associates – Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani – with musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the teacher of the Law led the procession” (12:34-36). We note the trumpets and other musical instruments in this group. Wiersbe comments: “This special service of dedication would have been a failure were it not for a man who had been dead for over 500 years.” ³³

“At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the site of David’s palace to the Water Gate on the east” (12:37). This group rounded the southern tip of the city, passed the Fountain Gate and proceeded uphill to the Water Gate (cf. Neh. 3:25-26). This was very similar to the journey that Nehemiah made when he was on his night trip to spy out the condition of the wall.

“The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of the wall, together with half the people – past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped” (12:38-39). Pett says: “The fact that the company led by Nehemiah is given less prominence tends to confirm that we have here an extract from Nehemiah’s own record. Anyone else would surely have given him greater distinction.” ³⁴ It is generally thought that the two choirs met on the eastern side of the city, perhaps near the Water Gate, and from there they entered the temple.³⁵

“The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials, as well as the priests – Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets – and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away” (12:40-43). We can imagine that as the two choirs joined each other in the Temple of God there was great joy and rejoicing. McConville tells us that words of joy and rejoicing are used five times in verse 43 alone.³⁶Since the people were in such a joyous mood we read that many sacrifices were offered. Their rejoicing could be heard far away. No doubt it was a day that mothers, fathers and even children would remember for a long, long time to come.

NEHEMIAH MAKES APPOINTMENTS

At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites. Nehemiah 12:44

It was likely at this point that Nehemiah was preparing to return to the king at the palace of Shushan.³⁷ Perhaps it was for this reason that he was setting things in order at the temple. McConville remarks: “One of the twin climaxes of the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah has been reached. The Temple is up. The walls surround it. The enemy is at bay.” ³⁸

“They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the musicians and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon” (12:45). Utley says, “This seems to be a parenthesis giving further information and not part of Nehemiah’s first-person account.” ³⁹

“For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the musicians and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the musicians and the gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron” (12:46-47). The great missionary Hudson Taylor used to say, “When God’s work is done in God’s way for God’s glory, it will not lack God’s support.” ⁴⁰

CHAPTER 13

On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) Nehemiah 13:1-2

We have seen so far in this book that when the Word of God was read it had an immediate effect on the people.¹ It is sad, but as we mentioned in 9:7-8, only about 30 percent of US Christians are seriously reading the Bible today. This probably helps account for the mess that some Christians and Christian churches are in at present.

We are told here that Ammonites and Moabites could not be admitted to God’s assembly (Deut. 23:3-6). There was a good reason for that ruling. When God’s children came out of Egypt the Ammonites and Moabites mistreated them, although they were blood relatives. We learn that what a nation does can have lasting implications for the following generations. The Moabites particularly hired Balaam to curse Israel, but instead, the curse turned into a blessing (Num. 22:2ff.). They tried to curse Israel, but the curse came to rest upon their own nation. In Genesis 12:3, God said to Abram: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Many are the nations that have experienced this verse both for good and for evil.

Now the refusal to accept other people or nations is deeply frowned upon today in our Western culture. It is important that we understand this was not so much a cultural separation but a religious separation. In order to redeem fallen humanity, God started with a single man, Abraham. Then he moved to establish a holy or separate nation, Israel. After that, he formed a holy remnant within that nation and then, at last, introduced his holy Messiah. God’s saving plan could not be diluted by accepting unrepentant pagan people within it.

Before anyone panics, we need to mention that God always had a plan for pagan people to become a part of his nation Israel. They could come in by repentance and faith like Ruth the Moabitess came in. She said to her Jewish mother-in-law Naomi, “…Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). She not only joined the heritage of Israel but she became a part of the Messianic line. Many of David’s great soldiers were from pagan nations, like Uriah the Hittite. They had joined Israel and had become a part of Israel’s faith heritage.

Wiersbe laments about our condition today in Christian churches: “The ‘mixed multitude’ is composed of unsaved people who want to belong to the fellowship of God’s people without trusting the Lord or submitting to his will…‘Today the world has so infiltrated the church,’ said Vance Havner, ‘that we are more beset by traitors within than by foes without. Satan is not fighting churches – he is joining them.’” ² It is obvious today that many within the church have never truly repented or really accepted Jesus as the Lord of their lives.

“When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent” (13:3). Guzik says: “They could have thought of 20 reasons to not do what the Word of God plainly told them to do. Instead, they simply obeyed…” They could have said: “That command was made long ago and speaks to a different time;” “Things are different now;” “Let’s not go overboard;” “Let’s assign a committee to examine the issue.” ³ So it often goes on in our churches. However, these people got busy and did what the Lord commanded.

PROBLEMS WITH THE PRIESTHOOD

Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests. Nehemiah 13:4-5

We run into a problem with this first verse. We are told that a priest by the name of Eliashib had been put in charge of the storerooms. At that time Eliashib was also high priest (Neh. 3:1, 20-21; 12:10; 13:28). Several commentators have felt that the high priest could not have been put in charge of the storerooms, but it had to be another priest with the same name.⁴ There is one thing for sure and that is the high priest Eliashib was fully responsible for what happened in the temple storerooms. It was undoubtedly Eliashib the high priest who was associated with Tobiah.

The name Tobiah has come up a lot in this book. He was from the country of Ammon but he was obviously Jewish or part Jewish. His name in Hebrew means “God is good.” He might well have belonged to a Jewish family that did not go on the exile. It seems that he was a compromised Jew in some sense. He was obviously interested in gaining power and influence. There is one thing for sure, that he resisted Israel’s resettlement and the building of the wall. He was, in fact, a deadly enemy of the true Israel.

Tobiah had been given a room or possibly a suite of rooms adjoining the temple (cf. v. 9). It is amazing how the old serpent loves to coil himself around the things of God and try his best to destroy them. Tobiah had lodged his ugly self in the very space allowed for the storage of offerings for the Levites, priests, musicians and gatekeepers. Utley notes that “… it was unlawful for anyone but Levites to be in this temple area.” ⁵ We will see later in verse 10 that many of these ministries had not been supplied with food and essentials and had gone back to work on their small farms. Because of evil in the holy place the work of God had been neglected. Breneman remarks, “Certainly the high priest must have known about the matter and even permitted it.” ⁶

“But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God” (13:6-7). We mentioned in 12:44ff. that Nehemiah was probably preparing to return to the King of Persia, since the wall was built, and he was probably going back to report on that. That year was 444 BC, the same year that he had come. Here we are told that he also returned to the emperor in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, which would have been 433 BC. He had been governor of Judea from 445 to that time. We do not know how long he was away, but it was long enough for things to get into a mess spiritually. Anders says, “More than likely, Nehemiah received reports of what was happening in Jerusalem and some of the religious lapses and abuses that were taking place.” ⁷

Kidner says: “After twelve years as governor (445-433) he had returned to the emperor; then ‘after some time’ (verse 6) he obtained permission to go back to Jerusalem. If on his first visit he had been a whirlwind, on his second he was all fire and earthquake to a city that had settled down in his absence to a comfortable compromise with the Gentile
world.” ⁸

Artaxerxes is here called the “king of Babylon.” Utley explains: “This seems unusual to us because he was king of Persia and yet, Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius I are also referred to as the king of Babylon.” ⁹ The Persians had conquered mighty Babylon so they apparently continued to use this title.

“I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense” (13:8-9). Nehemiah manifested a holy zeal much like that of Christ a few centuries later, when he threw the money changers and religious merchants out of the temple (Matt. 21:12-13). All Satan ever wants is a toe hold in God’s work. Kidner says he was “ideally placed for influence and intrigue.” ¹⁰ Tobiah had many sympathizers and admirers in Jewish ranks but that could not save him from Nehemiah’s wrath. We can get the full picture here with all of Tobiah’s expensive household goods strewn out in the street.

It is amazing how when people repent and throw the junk out of their lives that good things happen all over. When the great Welsh revival began in 1904, by the next year the Swansea County Police Court reported for the first time that there was not a single arrest for drunkenness. The police literally had nothing to do. Thieves returned things they had stolen; converted gamblers reformed their ways; the courts had no cases to try. The men’s language was so reformed that pit ponies in the coal mines could no longer understand what was being said to them.¹¹

“I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields” (13:10). Nehemiah got his people busy cleaning up the rooms that Tobiah had defiled. He then filled them with the food offerings that were meant for the priests, Levites and others (cf. Deut. 12:19; 14:27; 18:1-8). Those, who had left their work and retreated to their small farms, could now happily return to the temple and minister to the Lord.

“So I rebuked the officials and asked them, ‘Why is the house of God neglected?’ Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts” (13:11). Barnes says: “During Nehemiah’s absence there had been a general falling away, and there was danger of a complete national apostasy.” ¹² They had promised Nehemiah that they would never forsake the house of the Lord (10:39) but they did, and it did not take them long to do it.

“All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and olive oil into the storerooms” (13:12). Wiersbe says: “When God’s people start to decline spiritually, one of the first places it shows up is in their giving…Giving is both the ‘thermostat’ and the ‘thermometer’ of the Christian life; it measures our spiritual ‘temperature’ and also helps set it at the right level.” ¹³ Someone wrote in Modern Maturity magazine, “The world is full of two kinds of people, the givers and the takers. The takers eat well – but the givers sleep well.” ¹⁴

“I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zakkur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because they were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites” (13:13). Nehemiah was a man who had learned to delegate authority to other people and that was one of his strong points. We remember that before he made his first return to King Artaxerxes, he appointed men over the storerooms (12:44ff.). He had been away long enough that others had taken their places or else they had grown weary and failed in their jobs. Nehemiah quickly corrected this situation. He wanted to make sure that the Levites and other ministries were well supplied with food and provisions.

“Remember me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services” (13:14). We see Nehemiah sending up another of his quick little prayers. He does it twice in this last chapter. There are times when all of us might wonder if God will remember the good things we have done. We have a scripture that was not available to Nehemiah. In Hebrews 6:10 it is promised: “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

DESECRATION OF THE SABBATH

In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah. Nehemiah13:15-16

The Jewish people generally honor the Sabbath. In Jerusalem today Fridays are a bustle of activity. The week’s work is brought to an early close. Mothers and fathers scurry to the market for last-minute food items. The house is thoroughly cleaned, the rugs beaten and the candlesticks polished. All food for the next day is prepared and kept warm by special heating arrangements so that no fire will be kindled on the Sabbath. As the afternoon passes, the air becomes laced with the aromas of exotic foods from the world over.

By 2 P.M., the shops begin to close and soon the buses stop running. The frenzy of Friday’s activities begins to wind down. Husbands return home to greet their wives with the customary bouquets of fresh flowers. It seems that all family members share a joyful anticipation of the Sabbath eve and the day with God and family. Later in the afternoon, before the Sabbath actually begins, the women often can be seen from the apartment windows reverently lighting the Sabbath candles. A blissful quiet begins to descend upon the land. The queen has come again; the bride has made her appearance. Sabbath is greeted like a queen or bride. All is at rest!

As Christians, we are under no obligation to keep the Sabbath, but those believers living in Israel get to keep the day whether they like it or not. Actually, keeping the Sabbath is like the best of two worlds because when the Sabbath ends the Lord’s Day begins. When we lived in Jerusalem it was always our custom to have many guests in for Sabbath dinner. I tried to keep my wife from having more than 15 people at the meal. Those times were some of the happiest and most fulfilling that we remember.

We might say a few words about the Sabbath for Christians. The Sabbath was a special covenant arrangement that God made with Israel. Sunday is not the same as the Sabbath since it is the first day of the week and the Sabbath is the seventh. However, whether we are Jews or Christians we certainly need a day of rest each week. When I was a child, Sunday was very much like the Sabbath. In our rural area, all the stores and businesses closed and the farmers dared not work on the day lest they be scorned by the community. Those times were opportunities to go to church and then to gather in family groups for lunch, recreation and rest. Today the Christian rest has been obliterated by our society. All of us are paying an emotional, physical and spiritual price for not taking that time of rest.

Wiersbe says: “The French agnostic, Voltaire, is supposed to have said, ‘If you want to kill Christianity, you must abolish Sunday.’ I’m not sure I agree with him, but I do know that many Christians have killed their joy, witness, and spiritual power by turning Sunday into an ordinary day and not putting Christ first in their week.” ¹⁵

Nehemiah noticed that the people were beginning to do the very things that had brought about the fall and captivity of their nation previously. He rebuked them sharply. In post-exilic times there were friendly relations with the Phoenician areas and some folks from the seacoast towns actually lived in Jerusalem. Apparently, these people did not consider that the law was binding on them and they brought in fish and other items to sell on the Sabbath. It was not these people alone since we see that the Jews themselves were doing the same things.

“I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, ‘What is this wicked thing you are doing –desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath’” (13:17-18). Kidner remarks: “Before the exile there was a growing impatience with the sabbath law. Amos in the 8^th century BC could see the merchants chafing at the weekly shut-down of business (Am: 8:5).” ¹⁶ God did not forget their attitudes and actions concerning his holy day. It was such attitudes and deeds that brought the defeat and captivity of his people in the first place. Utley says: “The Mosaic covenant promised blessing for obedience and cursing for disobedience (cf. Deuteronomy 27 – 29). The first covenant depended on human performance, but the reality of Genesis 3 doomed it from the start. It thereby forms the need for a new covenant based on YHWH’s character and the Messiah’s performance.” ¹⁷

“When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. But I warned them and said, ‘Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.’ From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath” (13:19-21). Nehemiah was determined that the Sabbath would be honored on his watch. He was not willing to trust the normal gatekeepers but set some of his own devoted people over the gates. The people kept coming on the Sabbath and setting up their bazaars to sell goods on the holy day. It was at that point that Nehemiah exercised his great authority as the Persian governor. He threatened to arrest and imprison them if they came again and with this, the Sabbath abuses ceased.

“Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love” (13:22). The Levites were already set aside to do the Lord’s will and work. Nehemiah demanded that they purify themselves further and he set them over the city gates so that the Sabbath could be guarded. It was a holy work since the Sabbath was holy.

Nehemiah sent up another of his little quickie prayers to God asking the Lord to remember his work. We cannot assume that he was trying to please God by his good works. This verse shows that he was relying not on good works but on the mercy of God.¹⁸

INTERMARRYING WITH PAGANS

Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. Nehemiah 13:23

It seems that the matter of intermarriage with pagans was a perennial problem in Judea (Ezr. Chs. 9-10; Neh. 10:30). To make matters worse they were intermarrying with the very people God had cursed, Ammon and Moab. Also, the people of Ashdod were opposed to building the wall (Neh. 4:7). McConville comments about this practice: “…which, more obviously than any other, must lead to the gradual dissolution and disappearance of the Jews as a people…Intermarriage strikes at the religious heart of the people (symbolized in the high priest’s family) and plays into the hands of their enemies…” ¹⁹

Intermarriage with pagans can be a real problem for faith people in this age. When we accept pagan ideas and concepts, we are in a sense intermarrying with paganism. We can think today of all the “live-in” relationships that even Christian couples have. There is no way that God’s will can be done in such relationships. There is no covenant involved and these associations can be broken in the twinkling of an eye. Also, the New Testament forbids Christians to intermarry with pagans (1 Cor. 7:39).

“Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language of Judah” (13:24). Wiersbe says: “A child is more likely to learn how to speak from his mother, with whom he spends more time, than from his father who is away from home each day working.” ²⁰

The Hebrew language is the language of revelation, worship and service to God. There are many words and expressions that are lacking in other languages. When the people of Israel began returning to the land in the 1880s, they could barely speak to each other because they had come from over a hundred different nations. At that time Hebrew was considered a dead language. Soon a gifted man by the name of Eliezer Ben Yehudah began to restore the Hebrew language. He forbade his children to speak anything but Hebrew and he became a fanatic about the subject.

Ben-Yehuda and his wife, Deborah, spoke Hebrew at home and in the street. The biographer, St. John, relates this story of one of their strolls through town:

One day when Deborah and Eliezer were walking down one of Jerusalem’s narrow streets, talking in Hebrew, a man stopped them. Tugging at the young journalist’s sleeve, he asked in Yiddish: “Excuse me, sir. That language you two talk. What is it?” “Hebrew” Eliezer replied.

“Hebrew! But people don’t speak Hebrew. It’s a dead language!” “You are wrong, my friend,” Eliezer replied with a fervor. “I am alive. My wife is alive. We speak Hebrew. Therefore, Hebrew is alive.” ²¹

Eliezer Ben-Yehuda Lived to gather the necessary materials for his 16-volume dictionary of the revived Hebrew language. He lived to hear Hebrew become a spoken language once again, and he saw it gain the status as one of the three official languages of the re-born country.²²

Speaking the language of the land is so important as my family learned when we moved to Israel in 1982. There is no way to deeply relate to a people without speaking their language. The Lord is interested in a people having godly offspring (Mal. 2:15). Part of that in ancient Israel was speaking the biblical language. Kidner says, “…A single generation’s compromise could undo the work of centuries.” ²³

“I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: ‘You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves’” (13:25). We can see what a fanatic Nehemiah was regarding this subject of intermarriage. Ezra plucked out his own hair and his beard (Ezr. 9:3) but Nehemiah plucked out the hair of these offenders.²⁴ In the ancient cultures, the plucking or shaving of one’s hair was a deep disgrace (1 Chron. 19:4-5). We can imagine that these men were humiliated, and in that state, they were made to promise that they would not give their children in such marriages.

“Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women” (13:26). The Lord loved Solomon with a very special love (2 Sam. 12:24). Yet Solomon had many foreign wives, even wives of the Ammonites and Moabites (1 Ki. 11:1-8). In his old age, his many foreign wives led him astray. He even became a worshipper of these foreign gods. For this, the Lord became displeased with him and took away his kingdom.

“Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?” (13:27). Spanish philosopher George Santayana is quoted as saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” It seems that the people of Judaea were having some memory problems. They had been down this road before in pre-exilic times and it caused a disaster for their nation.

This is a good place to talk about sin and the weakness of the flesh. The Law of God was analytic but not therapeutic. The law was like a magnifying glass or an x-ray. It defined sin and showed it up in individual lives, but it could not heal sin. Even the blood of Israel’s sacrifices could not heal sin (Heb. 10:4). They all pointed to the coming Messiah who would heal sin.

Guzik says: “…the law – that is, rules, vows, promises, covenants, and the such, are all ultimately powerless to stop sin. Only the grace of God, alive and flowing in our lives, can give us the power to truly overcome sin.” ²⁵ In Romans 8 we read: “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4).

“One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. And I drove him away from me” (13:28). We have to say that the high priesthood in post-exilic times was quite compromised by sin. This fact is also made plain in the later Book of Malachi. Even the priests themselves could not live by the law of the Lord. The defiled priesthood would continue to the time of Christ. For this reason, God saw fit to provide a perfect high priest in Jesus the Messiah. In Hebrews 4:15 we read: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 7:26 says: “Such a high priest truly meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.”

One of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib the high priest had actually married into the family of wicked Sanballat. This evil Samaritan ruler was another deadly enemy of Israel. It was a brazen defilement of God’s holy order. Nehemiah chased him away from Jerusalem and the priesthood and he probably took up lodging with Sanballat. He was thus expelled from the Jewish community.²⁶

McConville makes an application to our Christian community today saying: “The Church can take nothing for granted. It is never reformed once-for-all, but rather – as the Reformers in the 16^th century knew well – semper reformanda (‘always needing to be reformed’), simply because of the perversity and inconstancy within human beings.” ²⁷

“Remember them, my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites” (13:29). Nehemiah sends up the next to last of his quickie prayers. He needed God’s help in his valiant stand against Israel’s high priesthood. Thankfully, as the duly appointed Persian governor, he had the political and religious clout to do what he had just done.

“So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and assigned them duties, each to his own task. I also made provision for contributions of wood at designated times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me with favor, my God.” (13:30-31). With a purified priesthood there was some hope that the nation could accomplish God’s will. However, we have seen many examples of the fallible human nature revealed in this book. Nehemiah did what he could to stem the tide of evil that is always present. He got the temple storerooms full of firstfruits and other offerings, as well as the necessary firewood. Breneman comments: “The Book of Nehemiah begins with prayer and closes with prayer. For lasting results, ministry can never be separated from prayer.” ²⁸

In the final analysis, it was God alone who would sustain his people and bring them through to victory. In Jeremiah 24:5-7, we read this great promise: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.’”

ENDNOTES

Several sources I have cited here are from electronic media, either from websites or electronic research libraries. Thus, in some of these sources, it is not possible to cite page numbers. Instead, I have cited the verse or verses in each book (e.g. v. verse 1:1 or vs. verses 1:5-6) about which the commentators speak.

INTRODUCTION

1 Max Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), p. 132.

2 Albert Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, 1870, Introduction. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/nehemiah-1.html.

Utley adds: “Baba Bathra 15a-16a says that Ezra wrote his book, but this does not imply that he wrote Nehemiah also …There is much literary similarity between Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles.” (Utley, Introduction).

3 Peter Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, 2013, Introduction. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/pet/nehemiah-1.html

CHAPTER 1

1 Charles Ward Smith, Commentary on Nehemiah, Chuck Smith Bible Commentary, 2014, vs. 1:1-11. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/csc/nehemiah-1.html.

2 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 1:1-2.

Jamieson & Co. add: “But as that term was used loosely by Jews as well as other Orientals, it is probable that no more is meant than that he was of the same family.” (Jamieson, v. 1:2).

3 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 132.

4 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2007), p. 752.

5 J. Vernon McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991), p. 73.

6 Ibid., p. 74.

7 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 753.

8 David Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Nehemiah, vs. 1:5-7. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/nehemiah-1/

9 Derek Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1979), p. 77.

10 Quoted in Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 10.1.

11 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 1:1-3.

12 Quoted in Charles F. Pfeiffer & Everett F. Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979), p. 436.

13 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 752.

14 Adam Clarke, Commentary on Nehemiah, The Adam Clarke Commentary, 1832, v. 1:1. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/acc/nehemiah-1.html.

CHAPTER 2

1 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 144.

2 Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, & David Brown, Commentary on Nehemiah, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871-78, v. 2:1. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/jfb/nehemiah-1.html.

3 D. Guthrie, J. A. Motyer, A. M. Stibbs & D. J. Wiseman, eds., The New Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1979), p. 405.

4 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 2:3.

5 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 145.

6 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 2:3.

7 Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 2:3.

8 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 145.

9 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 756.

10 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 145.

11 Charles F. Pfieffer & Everett F. Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979), p. 437.

Pfeiffer and Harrison cannot help but exult at this point saying, “It is almost certainly the decree to ‘restore and build Jerusalem’ which was to begin the seventy weeks of prophetic years of Daniel 9:24-27.”

“Sir Robert Anderson, the eminent British astronomer and mathematician, makes a strong case that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy exactly, to the day, entering Jerusalem on A.D. April 6, 32, precisely 173,880 days from Nehemiah 2:1…” (Guzik, v. 2:1-2).

12 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 80.

13 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 2:6.

14 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, 145-146.

15 Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), p. 169.

“In 46 BC there was a revolt in Egypt that was not quelled until 455. In 448 Megabyzus, satrap of Trans-Euphrates, rebelled but was later reconciled to the king.”

Guthrie adds: “There is evidence that shortly before this incident there was a revolt by Megabyzos, satrap of Beyond the River, and the creation of an independent Judea, with a governor loyal to the king, may have seemed a wise measure to Artaxerxes.” (Guthrie, p. 405).

16 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 81.

17 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 150.

18 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 2:4-8.

19 Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 2:8.

20 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 146.

21 Pfieffer & Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 437.

22 J. G. McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1985), p. 79.

23 McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 71.

24 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 81.

25 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 2:9.

26 Dr. Bob Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 2:10 http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/old_testament_studies/VOL08OT/VOL08BOT_02.html

Pett comments: “We know from the Elephantine papyri that Sanballat was governor of Samaria in 408 BC, but clearly then aging in that his sons were acting for him…” (Pett, v. 2:10).

Kidner adds: “A document in 407 BC (38 years after the events of this chapter) refers to Sanballat as ‘governor of Samaria,’ and the Jewish name Tobiah is borne by a powerful family in Ammon for centuries to come…the Ammonite described not Tobiah’s ancestry but his chosen sphere, in which he had gained high office.” (Kidner, pp. 81-82).

Pfeiffer expands: “Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, He may have been an ex-slave in Ammon, or possibly a servant of the Persian king.” (Pfeiffer, p. 437).

27 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 757.

28 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 2:10.

29 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 2:9-10.

30 Quoted in Guzik, Ibid., pp. 11-16.

31 Ibid.,

32 Yohanan Aharoni, Michael Avi-Yonah, Anson F. Rainey, and Ze’ev Sarrai. The Macmillan Bible Atlas, Third Edition (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1993), 129.

33 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 2:13, 14.

34 Aharoni, et. al., The Macmillan Bible Atlas, Third Edition, p.129.

35 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 83.

36 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 149.

37 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , pp. 757-58.

38 Pfieffer & Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 437.

39 Anson F. Rainey, R. Steven Notley, The Sacred Bridge, Carta’s Atlas of the Biblical World (Jerusalem: Carta Jerusalem, 2006), p. 285.

Barnes adds: “The discovery that Sargon populated Samaria in part with an Arab colony explains why Arabs should have opposed the fortification of Jerusalem.” (Barnes, v. 2:19).

40 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 2:19-20.

41 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 758.

42 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 2:20.

43 Quoted in Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 84.

CHAPTER 3

1 Quoted in Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 758.

2 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 3:1-3.

3 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 89.

4 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 157.

5 Ibid., p. 158.

6 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 184.

7 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 3:1-32.

8 James Burton Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible Abilene Christian (Abilene, TX: University Press, 1983-1999), pp. 3:1-2. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/nehemiah-1.html.

9 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 187.

10 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 3:3.

11 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 759.

12 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 3:1-32.

13 Ibid, v. 3:3.

14 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 3:4.

15 Francis Brown, S. R. Driver & Charles A. Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1957), p. 304.

16 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 3:3.

17 Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 406.

18 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 761.

19 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 3:6.

20 Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 3:7.

21 McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 95.

22 Leen & Kathleen Ritmeyer, Jerusalem In The Time of Nehemiah (Jerusalem: Carta, 2005), p. 34.

23 Clarke, Commentary on Nehemiah, The Adam Clarke Commentary, v. 3:9.

Pett adds: “At least five administrative areas have been detected on the basis of the words ‘ruler of’; Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:9), Beth-hakkerrem (Nehemiah 3:14 kilometers (3 miles) north of Bethlehem), Mizpah (Nehemiah 3:15 kilometers (4 miles) south of Bethel), Beth-zur (Nehemiah 3:16 kilometers (4 miles) north of Hebron), and Keilah (Nehemiah 3:17 – in the Shephelah, 16 kilometers (10 miles) northeast of Lachish). We also have mention of the men of Jericho (Nehemiah 3:2), Gibeon and Mizpah (Nehemiah 3:7), and the men of Tekoa (Nehemiah 3:5; Nehemiah 3:27). Tekoa was 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Bethlehem. (Pett, vs. 3:1-32).

24 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 3:6-12.

25 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 3:11.

26 Ritmeyer, Jerusalem In The Time of Nehemiah, p. 38.

27 Ibid., p. 39

28 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 160.

29 Ritmeyer, Jerusalem In The Time of Nehemiah, p. 39.

30 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 3:1-32.

31 Ritmeyer, Jerusalem In The Time of Nehemiah, p. 41.

32 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 190.

33 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 3:16.

34 Ritmeyer, Jerusalem In The Time of Nehemiah, p. 38.

35 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 88.

Pett adds: “Some would argue that Semitic practice, and especially Israelite practice, is against the sepulchers being within the actual city. Such would render it ‘unclean’. Josephus tells us that they were plundered by the Hasmoneans and by Herod.” (Pett, v. 3:16).

36 Ritmeyer, Jerusalem In The Time of Nehemiah, p. 43.

37 Clarke, Commentary on Nehemiah, The Adam Clarke Commentary, v. 3:19.

38 Ritmeyer, Jerusalem In The Time of Nehemiah, p. 51.

39 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 3:20.

40 Ritmeyer, Jerusalem In The Time of Nehemiah, p. 52.

41 Ibid., p. 53.

42 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 89.

43 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 761.

44 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 3:27.

45 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 3:30.

46 Ibid., v. 3:31.

Anders comments: “There is little agreement on the identity of the Inspection Gate.” (Anders. p. 162).

47 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 192.

CHAPTER 4

1 Quoted in Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 762.

2 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 169.

3 Quoted in Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 4:1.

4 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 763.

Utley adds: “…The walls of Jerusalem, which were destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, were constructed from white limestone. When this material is burned it loses its strength and hardness and turns to powder.” (Utley, v. 4:2).

5 Jamieson, et. al., Commentary on Nehemiah, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, v. 4:3.

6 McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 108.

7 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 93.

8 Pfieffer & Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 438.

9 Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 406.

10 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 193.

11 Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 406.

12 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 4:7.

13 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 4:9.

14 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 764.

15 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 4:10.

16 Ibid., v. 4:11.

17 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 764.

18 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 4:12.

19 Ibid., vs. 4:13-15.

20 Pfieffer & Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 438.

21 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 173.

22 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 91.

23 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 4:15.

24 Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 4:16.

25 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 199.

26 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 174.

27 John Dummelow, Commentary on Nehemiah, John Dummelow’s Commentary on the Bible, 1909, v. 4:23. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dcb/nehemiah-1.html.

Kidner comments: “The last few words of this verse are unintelligible in the Hebrew as it stands…” (Kidner, p. 94).

28 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 4:23.

29 Quoted in Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 4:23.

CHAPTER 5

1 Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 406.

2 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 97.

3 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 95.

4 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 5:1.

5 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 97.

Pett comments: “…losing their adult males for nearly two months was turning out to be a catastrophe.” (Pett, vs. 5:1-13).

6 Ibid., p. 98.

7 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 765.

8 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 201.

9 Quoted in Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 765.

10 Ibid., p. 766.

11 McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 119.

12 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 183.

13 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 96.

14 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 5:6.

15 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 97.

“In verse 11 the hundredth would be a surprisingly low return on capital, but the reckoning may be in monthly terms (i.e., 12 percent per annum).

Dummelow adds: “The hundredth part] usually regarded as one percent, a month, and so equivalent to twelve percent, a year.” (Dummelow, v. 5:11).

Guthrie expands: “…hundredth of money, etc., probably relates to the monthly interest rate.” (Guthrie, p. 407).

16 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 5:12-13.

17 McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 121.

18 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 5:13.

19 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 98.

20 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 185.

21 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 5:14.

22 Pfieffer & Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 439.

Guthrie adds: “Not a reference to Shesh-bazzar or Zerubbabel but to those immediately preceding Nehemiah.” (Guthrie, p. 407).

23 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 185.

24 McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 123.

25 Dummelow, Commentary on Nehemiah, John Dummelow’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 5:16.

26 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 5:18.

27 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 208.

28 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 5:19.

CHAPTER 6

1 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 104.

2 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 194.

3 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 99.

4 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p.769.

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid., p. 770.

7 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 195.

8 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 107.

9 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 99.

10 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 197.

11 Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 6:12.

12 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 100.

13 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 6:15-16.

14 Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 407.

15 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 771.

16 McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 130.

Wiersbe adds: “For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer: (Jer. 9:4)….Because Tobiah was tied to the tribe of Judah through marriage, the nobles of Judah gave the loyalty to him that they should have given to God (Neh. 6:18). (Wiersbe, p. 771).

17 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 771.

18 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 6:17-19.

CHAPTER 7

1 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 215.

2 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 772.

3 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 7:20.

4 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 7:3.

Barnes expands: “An unusual precaution. The ordinary practice in the East is to open town gates at sunrise.” (Barnes, v. 7:3).

5 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 102.

7 Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 407.

8 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 773.

9 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 7:5.

10 McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, pp. 135-136.

11 Jamieson, et. al., Commentary on Nehemiah, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, v. 7:5.

12 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 110.

13 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 7:3.

Wiersbe adds: “…some of Nehemiah’s names and numbers differ from those recorded nearly a century before when the exiles returned from Babylon…Furthermore, the scribes who kept the public records certainly updated them after the community was established in Jerusalem…These Jews were the ‘living link’ that connected the historic past with the prophetic future and made it possible for Jesus Christ to come into the world.” (Wiersbe, p. 773).

14 Jamieson, et. al., Commentary on Nehemiah, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, v. 7:70.

16 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 774.

CHAPTER 8

1 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 8:1.

2 Ibid.

3 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 8:1.

Barnes adds: “This is the first mention of Ezra in the present book, and the first proof we have had that he was contemporary with Nehemiah. Probably he returned to the court of Artaxerxes soon after effecting the reforms which he relates in Ezra 10 and did not revisit Jerusalem until about the time when the walls were completed, or after an absence of more than ten years. It was natural for the people to request him to resume the work of exposition of the Law to which he had accustomed them on his former visit Ezra 7:10, Ezra 7:25.” (Barnes, v. 8:1).

4 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 103.

5 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 8:1-3.

6 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 775.

8 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 225.

9 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 8:4.

10 Ray Stedman, Commentary on 2 Timothy 3:1-9. http://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/timothy

11 Barna Organization: https://www.barna.com/research/state-of-the-bible-2018-seven-top-findings/

12 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 8:6.

13 Ibid.

14 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 226.

15 Quoted in Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v, 8:7.

16 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 107.

17 Dummelow, Commentary on Nehemiah, John Dummelow’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 8:9.

18 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 8:9.

19 Quoted in Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 777.

20 Ibid., p. 778.

22 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 8:14-18.

23 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 219.

24 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 8:13.

25 Clarke, Commentary on Nehemiah, The Adam Clarke Commentary, v. 8:17.

CHAPTER 9

1 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 229.

2 Ibid., p. 228.

3 Quoted in Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 9:2.

4 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 9:1.

5 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 9:4-5.

6 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, pp. 227-228.

7 Clarke, Commentary on Nehemiah, The Adam Clarke Commentary, v. 9:5.

8 Jamieson, et. al., Commentary on Nehemiah, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, v. 9:5.

“The Septuagint adds the phrase ‘and Ezra said. . .’ Apparently it is asserting the authorship of chapter 9 to Ezra instead of the Levite leaders, as the MT implies.” (Utley, v. 9:5).

9 Michael W. Holmes, The NIV Application Commentary 1 And 2 Thessalonians (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), p. 207.

10 CBN 700 Club, July 7, 2015, Paul Strand interviewed George Barna and historian David Barton about their book U-Turn: Restoring America to the Strength of Its Roots

11 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 239.

12 Quoted in Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 9:17-21.

13 Quoted in Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 781.

14 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 240.

15 David Kupelian, How Evil Works: Understanding and Overcoming the Destructive Forces That Are Transforming America (Nashville: WND Books, 2005), p.241.

16 Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 9:26.

17 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 9:5.

18 Paul Copan, How Do You Know You’re Not Wrong?, p. 214.

19 Francis Thompson: http://www.houndofheaven.com/poem

20 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 235.

CHAPTER 10

1 Quoted in Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 10:1.

2 Ibid.

3 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 10:1-8.

4 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 243.

5 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 245.

6 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 10:1.

7 Pfieffer & Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 442.

8 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 10:29-39.

9 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 131.

10 Quoted in Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 782.

11 McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 153.

12 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 782.

13 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 115.

14 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 10:30.

15 Martin Luther, Preface To The Letter Of St. Paul To The Romans, Introduction.

16 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 10:32-39.

17 Jamieson, et. al., Commentary on Nehemiah, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, v. 10:34.

Clarke adds: “There does not appear to have been any wood-offering under the law.” (Clarke, v. 10:34).

18 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 249.

19 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 10:35.

Clarke continues: “Exodus 13:1-13: As by this law the Lord had a right to all the firstborn, instead of these he was pleased to take the tribe of Levi for the whole; and thus the Levites served at the tabernacle and temple, instead of the first-born of all the tribes.” (Clarke, v. 10:36).

20 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 10:37.

21 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 10:38.

CHAPTER 11

1 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 254.

2 Dummelow, Commentary on Nehemiah, John Dummelow’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 11:1-36.

3 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 117.

4 Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 11:1.

5 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 11:3.

6 Ibid.

7 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 118.

8 Ibid.

9 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 11:9.

10 Clarke, Commentary on Nehemiah, The Adam Clarke Commentary, v. 11:11.

Jamieson & company add: “…the ruler of the house of God—assistant of the high priest (Numbers 3:32; 1 Chronicles 9:11; 2 Chronicles 19:11).” (Jamieson, et. at., v. 11:11).

11 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 254.

12 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 11:14.

13 Clarke, Commentary on Nehemiah, The Adam Clarke Commentary, v. 11:17.

14 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 11:18.

15 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 11:19-20.

16 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 11:20.

17 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 11:22.

18 Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 409.

19 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, pp.120-121.

20 Ibid.

CHAPTER 12

1 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 256.

2 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 260.

3 Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 409.

4 Jamieson, et. al., Commentary on Nehemiah, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, v. 12:4,

5 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 12:7.

6 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 12:4.

7 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 122.

8 Ibid.

9 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 12:8.

10 Ibid.

11 Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 12:8.

12 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 12:l1.

13 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 123.

14 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 261.

15 Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 12:1.

“For example there were twenty-seven Zechariahs… And even among the Twelve Apostles there were two Simons and two James. Nehemiah mentions a Jaddua here (Nehemiah 12:11,22), apparently in his times; and Josephus mentions another one more than a century later.”

16 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 257.

17 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, vs. 12:15-20.

18 Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 409.

19 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 124.

20 Pfieffer & Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 443.

21 Ibid.

22 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 257.

23 Jamieson, et. al., Commentary on Nehemiah, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, v. 12:23.

24 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 12:24.

25 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 263.

26 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 125.

27 Ibid.

28 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 12:27-29.

29 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 12:28.

30 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 259.

31 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 266.

32 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 12:31-43.

33 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 787.

34 Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, vs. 12:38-43.

35 Pfieffer & Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 444.

36 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 142.

37 McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 158.

38 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 144.

39 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, vs. 12:44-47.

40 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 788.

CHAPTER 13

1 Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 13:1.

“The entire Pentateuch is probably meant by ‘the Book of Moses.’”

2 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 789.

3 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 12:3.

4 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 147.

Utley adds: “There were many storage rooms in the temple, some along the sides of the main shrine and others in the gates (cf. Neh. 12:44). These rooms were to store the tithes of the Levites (cf. Neh. 13:5) and the necessities of the cultus rituals. They also housed the money sent from Persia. In this case they converted one of the large rooms into a personal residence for Tobiah (cf. Neh. 13:5).” (Utley, v. 13:4).

Breneman also adds: “The identity of ‘Eliashib the priest’ is not clear. An Eliashib was high priest (Neh. 3:1, 20-21; 12:10; 13:28), but this one most certainly is not the same man. The high priest would not have been in charge of the storerooms. We can assume some period of time had elapsed since the assignment of the storerooms in 12:44, especially clear from vv. 5-6.” (Breneman, p. 269).

5 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 13:7.

6 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 269.

7 Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 271.

8 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 129.

9 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 13:6.

10 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 129.

11 Charles Colson, The Sky Is Not Falling, Living Fearlessly In These Turbulent Times (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2011) pp. 182-183.

12 Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 13:10.

13 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 790.

14 Ibid., p. 791.

“Dr. Karl Menninger said, ‘Money-giving is a good criterion of a person’s mental health. Generous people are rarely mentally ill people’”

15 Ibid.

16 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 130.

17 Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 13:17.

18 Clarke, Commentary on Nehemiah, The Adam Clarke Commentary, v. 13:22.

19 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 148.

20 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 789.

Clarke enhances: “There were children in the same family by Jewish and Philistine mothers. …children who could not understand each other… (Clarke, v. 13:24).

21 Jim Gerrish, Does God Play Favorites? (Minneapolis: Cornerstone Publishing, 2000, 2003), p. 117.

22 Ibid.

23 Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 131.

24 Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT , p. 790.

25 Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 13:23-31.

26 Dummelow, Commentary on Nehemiah, John Dummelow’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 13:28.

Utley expands: “Jack Finegan, Light From the Ancient Past, vol. 11, thinks that when Nehemiah sent away Manasseh, the son of Joiada, grandson of Eliashib, the high priest, that he started the Samaritan schism and built the rival temple on Mt. Gerizim (p. 310). (Utley, vs. 13:30-31).

27 McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, pp. 150-151.

28 Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, pp. 275-276.

TIMELINE OF THE RESTORATION (POST EXILIC PERIOD)

605 Nebuchadnezzar II becomes King of Babylon (reign 605-562)

597 Babylon’s first siege of Jerusalem, Zedekiah is installed as king

588 Final siege of Jerusalem begins

586 The fall of Jerusalem and exiles removed to Babylon

582 Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream

559 Cyrus the Great becomes king (reign c. 559 – c. 529)

539 Daniel interprets handwriting on the wall

539 Babylon captured by Medes and Persians

538 King Cyrus decrees that the Jewish exiles could return

537 Almost 50,000 exiles return

535 Temple work begins and foundation is laid

534 Cambyses II (reign 530-522) stops work on the temple

(His father had put him in charge of Babylonian affairs earlier)

522 Darius I becomes king (reign 522-486)

520 Tattenai’s letter to Darius clearing way for Temple work

520 Haggai and Zechariah prophesy; work begins on the Temple

516 Completion and dedication of the Temple

490 Persians defeated by the Greeks at the great Battle of Marathon

485 King Xerxes (Ahasuerus) comes to power (reign 486-465)

483 Queen Vashti deposed

480 Persians lose the great Battle of Salamis to the Greeks

478 Esther becomes queen of Persia

474 Haman’s plot

473 Mordecai informs on Haman’s plot

473 Esther’s banquet and Haman hanged

472 Purim instituted

465 Artaxerxes I (reign 465-425)

458 Ezra journeys to Jerusalem with some additional families

445 Daniel’s seventy weeks begin

444 Artaxerxes I sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

444 The wall around Jerusalem is completed

433 Nehemiah returns to Persia

430 Possible time for Malachi’s ministry

424 Darius II (reign 424-404)

404 Artaxerxes II (reign 404-358)

396 Malachi’s ministry according to Sir Robert Anderson

358 Artaxerxes III (reign 358-338)

338 Artaxerxes IV (reign 338-336)

335 Darius III rules Persia (336-330)

333 Alexander the Great conquers the Persian Empire

330 Artaxerxes V (reign 330-329). Killed by Alexander the Great