Nehemiah 9

Ne 9:1-3.

A

SOLEMN

FAST AND

REPENTANCE OF THE

PEOPLE.

1. Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month--that is, on the

second day after the close of the feast of tabernacles, which commenced

on the fourteenth and terminated on the twenty-second

(Le 23:34-37).

The day immediately after that feast, the twenty-third, had been

occupied in separating the delinquents from their unlawful wives, as

well, perhaps, as in taking steps for keeping aloof in future from

unnecessary intercourse with the heathen around them. For although this

necessary measure of reformation had been begun formerly by Ezra

(Ezr 10:1-17),

and satisfactorily accomplished at that time (in so far as he had

information of the existing abuses, or possessed the power of

correcting them) yet it appears that this reformatory work of Ezra had

been only partial and imperfect. Many cases of delinquency had escaped,

or new defaulters had appeared who had contracted those forbidden

alliances; and there was an urgent necessity for Nehemiah again to take

vigorous measures for the removal of a social evil which threatened the

most disastrous consequences to the character and prosperity of the

chosen people. A solemn fast was now observed for the expression of

those penitential and sorrowful feelings which the reading of the law

had produced, but which had been suppressed during the celebration of

the feast; and the sincerity of their repentance was evinced by the

decisive steps taken for the correction of existing abuses in the

matter of marriage.

2. confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers--Not only

did they read in their recent sufferings a punishment of the national

apostasy and guilt, but they had made themselves partakers of their

fathers' sins by following the same evil ways.

3. they . . . read in the book of the law--Their extraordinary zeal

led them to continue this as before.

one fourth part of the day--that is, for three hours, twelve hours

being the acknowledged length of the Jewish day

(Joh 11:9).

This solemn diet of worship, which probably commenced at the morning

sacrifice, was continued for six hours, that is, till the time of the

evening sacrifice. The worship which they gave to the Lord their God,

at this season of solemn national humiliation, consisted in

acknowledging and adoring His great mercy in the forgiveness of their

great and multiplied offenses, in delivering them from the merited

judgments which they had already experienced or which they had reason

to apprehend, in continuing amongst them the light and blessings of His

word and worship, and in supplicating the extension of His grace and

protection.

Ne 9:4-38.

THE

LEVITES

CONFESS

GOD'S

MANIFOLD

GOODNESS, AND

THEIR

OWN

WICKEDNESS.

4. Then stood up upon the stairs--the scaffolds or pulpits, whence

the Levites usually addressed the people. There were probably several

placed at convenient distances, to prevent confusion and the voice of

one drowning those of the others.

cried with a loud voice unto the Lord--Such an exertion, of course,

was indispensably necessary, in order that the speakers might be heard

were then engaged in expressing their deep sense of sin, as well as

fervently imploring the forgiving mercy of God; and "crying with a loud

voice" was a natural accompaniment of this extraordinary prayer

meeting, as violent gestures and vehement tones are always the way in

which the Jews, and other people in the East, have been accustomed to

give utterance to deep and earnest feelings.

5. Then the Levites . . . said, Stand up and bless the Lord your

God--If this prayer was uttered by all these Levites in common, it

must have been prepared and adopted beforehand, perhaps, by Ezra; but

it may only embody the substance of the confession and thanksgiving.

6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--In this solemn and

impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins,

and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers,

they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and

omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and

government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate His mercies and

distinguished favors to them as a nation, from the period of the call

of their great ancestor and the gracious promise intimated to him in

the divinely bestowed name of Abraham, a promise which implied that he

was to be the Father of the faithful, the ancestor of the Messiah, and

the honored individual in whose seed all the families of the earth

should be blessed. Tracing in full and minute detail the signal

instances of divine interposition for their deliverance and their

interest--in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage--their miraculous

passage through the Red Sea--the promulgation of His law--the

forbearance and long-suffering shown them amid their frequent

rebellions--the signal triumphs given them over their enemies--their

happy settlement in the promised land--and all the extraordinary

blessings, both in the form of temporal prosperity and of religious

privilege, with which His paternal goodness had favored them above all

other people, they charge themselves with making a miserable requital.

They confess their numerous and determined acts of disobedience. They

read, in the loss of their national independence and their long

captivity, the severe punishment of their sins. They acknowledge that,

in all heavy and continued judgments upon their nation, God had done

right, but they had done wickedly. And in throwing themselves on His

mercy, they express their purpose of entering into a national covenant,

22. Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations--that is, put them

in possession of a rich country, of an extensive territory, which had

been once occupied by a variety of princes and people.

and didst divide them into corners--that is, into tribes. The propriety

of the expression arose from the various districts touching at points

or angles on each other.

the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon--Heshbon being

the capital city, the passage should run thus: "the land of Sihon or

the land of the king of Heshbon."

32. Now therefore, our God . . . who keepest covenant and mercy--God's

fidelity to His covenant is prominently acknowledged, and well it

might; for their whole national history bore testimony to it. But as

this could afford them little ground of comfort or of hope while they

were so painfully conscious of having violated it, they were driven to

seek refuge in the riches of divine grace; and hence the peculiar style

of invocation here adopted: "Now therefore, our God, the great, the

mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy."

36. Behold, we are servants this day--Notwithstanding their happy

restoration to their native land, they were still tributaries of a

foreign prince whose officers ruled them. They were not, like their

fathers, free tenants of the land which God gave them.

37. it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us

because of our sins--Our agricultural labors have been resumed in the

land--we plough, and sow, and till, and Thou blessest the work of our

hands with a plentiful return; but this increase is not for ourselves,

as once it was, but for our foreign masters, to whom we have to pay

large and oppressive tribute.

they have dominion over our bodies--Their persons were liable to be

pressed, at the mandate of their Assyrian conqueror, into the service

of his empire, either in war or in public works. And our beasts are

taken to do their pleasure.

38. we make a sure covenant, and write--that is, subscribe or sign it.

This written document would exercise a wholesome influence in

restraining their backslidings or in animating them to duty, by being a

witness against them if in the future they were unfaithful to their

engagements.