Nehemiah 10

Ne 10:1-27.

THE

NAMES OF

THOSE

WHO

SEALED THE

COVENANT.

1. Nehemiah, the Tirshatha--His name was placed first in the roll

on account of his high official rank, as deputy of the Persian monarch.

All classes were included in the subscription; but the people were

represented by their elders

(Ne 10:14),

as it would have been impossible for every one in the country to have

been admitted to the sealing.

Ne 10:28.

THE

REST OF THE

PEOPLE

BOUND

THEMSELVES TO

OBSERVE

IT.

Those who were not present at the sealing ratified the covenant by

giving their assent, either in words or by lifting up their hands, and

bound themselves, by a solemn oath, to walk in God's law, imprecating a

curse upon themselves in the event of their violating it.

Ne 10:29-39.

POINTS OF THE

COVENANT.

29-37. to observe and do all the commandments, &c.--This national

covenant, besides containing a solemn pledge of obedience to the divine

law generally, specified their engagement to some particular duties,

which the character and exigency of the times stamped with great

urgency and importance, and which may be summed up under the following

heads: that they abstain from contracting matrimonial alliances with

the heathen; that they would rigidly observe the sabbath; that they

would let the land enjoy rest and remit debts every seventh year; that

they would contribute to the maintenance of the temple service, the

necessary expenses of which had formerly been defrayed out of the

treasury of the temple

(1Ch 26:20),

and when it was drained, given out from the king's privy purse

(2Ch 31:3);

and that they would make an orderly payment of the priests' dues. A

minute and particular enumeration of the first-fruits was made, that

all might be made fully aware of their obligations, and that none might

excuse themselves on pretext of ignorance from withholding taxes which

the poverty of many, and the irreligion of others, had made them

exceedingly prone to evade.

32. the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our

God--The law required every individual above twenty years of age to

pay half a shekel to the sanctuary. But in consequence of the general

poverty of the people, occasioned by war and captivity, this tribute

was reduced to a third part of a shekel.

34. we cast the lots . . . for the wood offering--The carrying of the

wood had formerly been the work of the Nethinims. But few of them

having returned, the duty was assigned as stated in the text. The

practice afterwards rose into great importance, and

JOSEPHUS speaks

[The Wars of the Jews, 2.17, sect. 6]

of the Xylophoria, or certain stated and solemn

times at which the people brought up wood to the temple.

38. the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the

Levites take tithes--This was a prudential arrangement. The presence of

a dignified priest would ensure the peaceful delivery of the tithes; at

least his superintendence and influence would tend to prevent the

commission of any wrong in the transaction, by the people deceiving the

Levites, or the Levites defrauding the priests.

the tithe of the tithes--The Levites, having received a tenth of all

land produce, were required to give a tenth of this to the priests. The

Levites were charged with the additional obligation to carry the tithes

when received, and deposit them in the temple stores, for the use of the

priests.

39. and we will not forsake the house of our God--This solemn

pledge was repeated at the close of the covenant as an expression of

the intense zeal by which the people at this time were animated for the

glory and the worship of God. Under the pungent feelings of sorrow and

repentance for their national sins, of which apostasy from the service

of the true God was the chief, and under the yet fresh and painful

remembrance of their protracted captivity, they vowed, and (feeling the

impulse of ardent devotion as well as of gratitude for their

restoration) flattered themselves they would never forget their vow, to

be the Lord's.