THE BOOK OF
NEHEMIAH

Nehemiah 9

1A solemn general fast and humiliation. 4The Levites make a religious confession of God's manifold goodness, and of the national sins, which had occasioned the people's miseries.


1NOW in the twenty and fourth day 1of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with 2sackclothes, and 3earth upon them.

1 Namely, the seventh month, as Neh. 8:1, when the joyful feast of the tabernacles was ended with the two and twentieth day of the said month.

2 See Gen. 37 on verse 34.

3 Unto a sign of their nothingness and unworthiness, as also of their humiliation before the Lord, and repentance for their sins. Compare 2 Sam. 1 on verse 2.

2And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all 4strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

4 That is, foreign heathens, who pertained not to the holy fellowship and communion of Israel. Hebr. children of the stranger. Compare Neh. 13:3.

3And they stood up in their place, and 5read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one 6fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.

5 Namely, the Levites. Compare Neh. 8:7, 8.

6 That is, three hours; for, the day was divided into twelve hours, John 11:9. It is to be presumed that they met together three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. Other, four times a day, and so in the sequel.

4¶Then stood up upon 7the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a 8loud voice unto the LORD their God.

7 Hebr. high-place, exalted place, high chair; not that they all stood close together upon one pulpit or scaffold and cried all at once together (which would have been a very absurd and confused work), but every one of them stood upon his own pulpit before a particular part of the congregation, that they might not hinder or interrupt one another, but might conveniently administer unto all parts or parties of the people. Compare Neh. 8 on verse 8.

8 Hebr. greater.

5Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and 9bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and 10blessed be thy 11glorious name, which is exalted above all 12blessing and praise.

9 Or, praise. Hebr. bless.

10 Or, praise. Hebr. that they bless.

11 Or, the name of thy glory. Compare Acts 7:2; 1 Cor. 2:8.

12 Or, thankfulness. Hebr. blessing; that is, which is so high and glorious that we cannot sufficiently laud and praise the same.

6Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thoua hast made heaven, the 13heaven of heavens, with 14all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou 15preservest them all; and the 16host of heaven 17worshippeth thee.

a Genesis 1; etc.; Psalm 146:6; Acts 14:15; 17:24; Rev. 14:7.

13 The third or the highest heaven. See 1 Kings 8:27; 2 Cor. 12:2.

14 See Gen. 2 on verse 1.

15 That is, Thou maintainest them in their being, which Thou hast given them.

16 See Gen. 2:1.

17 That is, honoreth, obeyeth and serveth Thee, every one according to its character, and according to Thy holy will.

7Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth outb of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the namec of Abraham;

b Gen. 11:31, 32; 12:1.

c Gen. 17:5.

8Andd foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him toe give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art 18righteous:

d Gen. 15:6.

e Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; 17:8; 26:4.

18 Keeping Thy promises unto thy people, and justly punishing the wicked.

9Andf didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

f Exod. 3:7; 14:10.

10Andg19shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.

g Exodus 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 14.

19 Hebr. given, appointed.

11Andh thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

h Exod. 14:22, etc.

12Moreoveri thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

i Exod. 13:21; 14:19; 40:38; Psalm 105:39.

13Thouj camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from 20heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and 21true laws, good statutes and commandments:

j Exod. 19:20; 20:1, etc.

20 That is, out of the sky.

21 Hebr. laws of faithfulness or truth.

14And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the 22hand of Moses thy servant:

22 That is, ministry.

15Andk gavest them bread from 23heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth waterl for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou 24hadst sworn to give them.

k Exod. 16:14.

23 That is, out of the sky.

l Exod. 17:6; Num. 20:9.

24 That is, which Thou swearest to give them. See Gen. 14 on verse 22.

16But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their 25necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,

25 See Exod. 32 on verse 9.

17And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captainm to return to their bondage: but thou art an God ready to 26pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great 27kindness, and forsookest them not.

m Num. 14:4.

n Exod. 34:7; Num. 14:18; Psalm 86:5.

26 That is, Who pardons many and great sins.

27 Or, goodness, favorableness; also verse 32.

18Yea,o when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

o Exod. 32:1, etc.

19Yet thou in thy 28manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillarp of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and 29the way wherein they should go.

28 Or, many. Also verses 27 and 31.

p Exod. 13:22; 40:38.

29 Or, them, and the way, etc.

20Thouq gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thyr manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

q Num. 11:17.

r Joshua 5:12.

21Yea,s forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

s Deut. 2:7; 8:4; 29:5.

22Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into 30corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon,t and the land of the king of 31Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

30 Or, surroundings. Some understand this of the children of Israel, unto whom the Lord divided the lands which they had taken, unto every one his inheritance. Others understand it of the conquered enemies, whom God thrusts here and there into corners, so that His people freely took and hereditarily possessed the land, and continued in the hereditary possession thereof.

t Num. 21:21, 33.

31 Understand the land which the king of the Moabites had formerly possessed, and which was taken away from him by king Sihon. See Num. 21:26, 27.

23Their children also multipliedstu thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.

u Gen. 22:17.

24So the children went inv and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

v Joshua 1; 2; 3; etc.

25And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of 32all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and 33fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and 34delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

32 That is, all manner of.

33 That is, trees, bearing edible fruits.

34 Or, delighted themselves in thy great good, that is, in the great and many good things, which Thou gavest them.

26Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law 35behind their backs, and slew thy prophetsw which testified 36against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

35 Compare Psalm 50 on verse 17; Ezek. 23:35, etc.

w 1 Kings 18:4; 19:10; 2 Chron. 24:21.

36 Or, among them. Also verses 29, 30, 34.

27Thereforex thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

x Judges 2:14, etc.

28But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;

29And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (whichy if a man do, he shall live in them;) and 37withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their 38neck, and would not hear.

y Lev. 18:5; Ezek. 20:11; Rom. 10:5; Gal. 3:12.

37 Hebr. given a backsliding shoulder. A similitude borrowed from beasts that will not bear the yoke or burden.

38 See Exod. 32 on verse 9.

30Yet 39many years 40didst thou forbear them, and testifiedstz against them by thy spirit 41in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.

39 As long as the kingdoms of Judah and Israel had continued.

40 Thou hadst patience with them, and sparedst them, delaying the punishment.

z 2 Kings 17:13; 2 Chron. 36:15.

41 Hebr. in the hand of thy prophets:

31Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou 42didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

42 Hebr. thou didst make them no finishing nor destruction. Compare Jer. 4:27 with the annotation.

32Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the 43trouble seem little before thee, that hath 44come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of 45Assyria unto this day.

43 That is, all the punishments and miseries that have come upon us.

44 Hebr. found.

45 Or, Asshur.

33Howbeit thou art justaa in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done 46right, but we have done wickedly:

aa Deut. 32:4; Dan. 9:14.

46 Hebr. done truth or faithfulness.

34Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

35For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before 47them, neither turned they from their wicked works.

47 Or, before their face; that is, hadst set open and delivered unto them, that they might take it and possess it. So elsewhere often.

36Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:

37And 48it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

48 Namely, the land. Other, its increase or profit is great or manifold; but, as if they would say, it is not for us, but for strange kings.

38And 49because of all this we 50make a 51sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, 52seal unto it.

49 Or, in of all this, namely, all this evil which is come upon us, and presses us still at present; or, from all this, that is, to testify that we mean all this truly and sincerely, and engage ourselves unto true repentance, to turn away Thy just wrath, and to be made partakers of Thy blessing. See Neh. 10:29.

50 See Gen. 15 on verse 17, 18.

51 Hebr. a sureness or firmness.

52 Hebr. are, or shall be for or at the sealing or the thing sealed, namely, in the name of us all. Other, for or over the sealing were, etc. Understanding that the confession ended with the previous verse, and that now in this last verse is further related what they did after the confession, to make it effectual and ratified. Therefore they annex this verse to the following chapter, and render it thus: Now of all this we made a sure covenant, and wrote it, etc.