Day 136: Nehemiah 7-9

(The previous post covered the conflicts from Sanballat that Nehemiah dealt with from both outside and inside community.)

Nehemiah 7
¹ Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
² that I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the castle, charge over Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.

(After the wall was built and the doors were up, Nehemiah gave his brother, Hananiah, charge over Jerusalem because he was faithful and feared God above many. Nehemiah's twelve years were completed.)

³ And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand on guard, let them shut the doors, and bar ye them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.
⁴ Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.

(We have seen that many houses were finished and people were living in them. This verse meant the many houses that would eventually exist were not yet built.)

⁵ And my God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of them that came up at the first, and I found written therein:

(God put into Nehemiah's heart to set the people up by genealogy.)

(Verses 6-73: the citizens of Jerusalem who returned from the Babylonian captivity.)

⁶ These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and that returned unto Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;
⁷ who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

(Remember, the Nehemiah in verse 7 was not the cupbearing Nehemiah who came over without a group and wrote this book. What followed was a list of the people who came from Babylon with Zerubbabel.)

⁸ The children of Parosh, two thousand a hundred and seventy and two.
⁹ The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.
¹⁰ The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.
¹¹ The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen.
¹² The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
¹³ The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.
¹⁴ The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.
¹⁵ The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight.
¹⁶ The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight.
¹⁷ The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.
¹⁸ The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.
¹⁹ The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven.
²⁰ The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five.
²¹ The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.
²² The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.
²³ The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.
²⁴ The children of Hariph, a hundred and twelve.
²⁵ The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.

(The Gibeonites were the people who deceived Joshua and Israel into covenanting with them (Joshua 9). They heard what Israel did to Jericho and Ai and did not want the same to happen to them.)

²⁶ The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, a hundred fourscore and eight.
²⁷ The men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty and eight.
²⁸ The men of Beth-azmaveth, forty and two.
²⁹ The men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and three.
³⁰ The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.
³¹ The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty and two.
³² The men of Beth-el and Ai, a hundred twenty and three.

(Beth-el was the place where God changed Jacob's name to Israel (Genesis 35). Ai was the second city the Israelites took upon entering the Promised Land (Joshua 8-9).)

³³ The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two.
³⁴ The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
³⁵ The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
³⁶ The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.

(Jericho was the first city the Israelites took upon entering the Promised Land (Joshua 1-6).)

³⁷ The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one.
³⁸ The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

(These were the men of Israel who came out of Babylon first.)

³⁹ The priests: The children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.
⁴⁰ The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.
⁴¹ The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
⁴² The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

(These were the priests who returned from exile.)

⁴³ The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four.
⁴⁴ The singers: the children of Asaph, a hundred forty and eight.
⁴⁵ The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, a hundred thirty and eight.

(These were the Levites who returned from exile.)

⁴⁶ The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
⁴⁷ the children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,
⁴⁸ the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Salmai,
⁴⁹ the children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,
⁵⁰ the children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,
⁵¹ the children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah.
⁵² The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephushesim,
⁵³ the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
⁵⁴ the children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
⁵⁵ the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah,
⁵⁶ the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

(These were the descendants of the Nethinim who returned from exile. "Nethinim" were temple servants assigned to the Levites and priests for service in the sanctuary.)

⁵⁷ The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,
⁵⁸ the children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
⁵⁹ the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the children of Amon.

(These were the descendants of the servants of king Solomon who returned from exile.)

⁶⁰ All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.

(The descendants of the temple servants (Nethinim) and Solomon’s servants together numbered 392.)

⁶¹ And these were they that went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers' houses, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel:
⁶² The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.

(A total of 642 people recorded here were unable to produce proof of their families having been in the nation of Israel.)

⁶³ And of the priests: the children of Hobaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name.
⁶⁴ These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they deemed polluted and put from the priesthood.

(The descendants of these three families were not found in the records of the genealogy so they were barred from the priesthood.)

⁶⁵ And the governor said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.
⁶⁶ The whole assembly together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,
⁶⁷ besides their men-servants and their maid-servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.
⁶⁸ Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;
⁶⁹ their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

(A total of 42,360 people returned to Judah, in addition to 7,337 servants and 245 singers, both men and women. They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.)

⁷⁰ And some from among the heads of fathers' houses gave unto the work. The governor gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, five hundred and thirty priests' garments.

(The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold coins, 50 gold basins, and 530 robes for the priests.)

⁷¹ And some of the heads of fathers' houses gave into the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pounds of silver.

(Some of the families' leaders gave in the amount of 20,000 gold coins and about 2,750 pounds of silver for the work.)

⁷² And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand pounds of silver, and threescore and seven priests' garments.

(The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, about 2,500 pounds of silver, and 67 robes for the priests.)

⁷³ So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities. And when the seventh month was come, the children of Israel were in their cities.

(Chapters 8 through 10:30 are written in third person and recorded the events that occurred during the charge of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra was most likely near ninety years old when these events happened and may have been the author of this section. This meant the first seven chapters of this book were written by Nehemiah and after Ezra added portions, Nehemiah's work was absorbed into Ezra's book.)




Nehemiah 8
¹ And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Jehovah had commanded to Israel.

(The people gathered together in the street as one man and told Ezra to bring the book of the Law.)

² And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
³ And he read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

(Ezra brought the Law before all that could hear with understanding. Ezra read the Law and the people were attentive.)

⁴ And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
⁵ And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

(When Ezra opened the book, all the people stood up. This symbolized respect of the Law and reverence to God.)

⁶ and Ezra blessed Jehovah, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with the lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped Jehovah with their faces to the ground.

(Ezra blessed God and all the people said "Amen, Amen" and worshipped God. Amen meant "so be it." Saying "Amen" is a statement of your will that you are in agreement with what was just said.)

⁷ Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

(Certain men were there to cause the people to understand the Law (teachers). Jeshua was the high priest during the dedication of the temple.)

⁸ And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.

(The Law was read clearly and understanding was given to the people.)

⁹ And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto Jehovah your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

(Nehemiah was the governor. If Ezra was twenty-one years old when he led the second group of exiles, he would have been around ninety years old at this time.)

¹⁰ Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye grieved; for the joy of Jehovah is your strength.
¹¹ So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
¹² And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

(The people understood the words declared unto them.)

¹³ And on the second day were gathered together the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to give attention to the words of the law.
¹⁴ And they found written in the law, how that Jehovah had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;
¹⁵ and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
¹⁶ So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim.
¹⁷ And all the assembly of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths; for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
¹⁸ Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the ordinance.

(The people took part in the feast of Tabernacles for the first time since the days of Joshua. They gathered every day of the convocation to receive instruction from the Law.)




Nehemiah 9
¹ Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth upon them.
² And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

(The Israelites separated themselves from the strangers and confessed their sins and the sins of their fathers.)

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

(One fourth of the day they read the Law and another fourth part they confessed and worshipped.)

(Verses 4-37: the Levites declared God’s goodness to the people and the Levites confessed the wickedness of the people.)

⁴ Then stood up upon the stairs of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto Jehovah their God.
⁵ Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless Jehovah your God from everlasting to everlasting; and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
⁶ Thou art Jehovah, even thou alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are thereon, the seas and all that is in them, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
⁷ Thou art Jehovah the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham,
⁸ and foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it unto his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous.

(This would have built their faith. The declaration began all the way back to Abraham and his actions of faith.)

⁹ And thou sawest the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red Sea,
¹⁰ and showedst 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, and didst get thee a name, as it is this day.
¹¹ And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their pursuers thou didst cast into the depths, as a stone into the mighty waters.
¹² Moreover in a pillar of cloud thou leddest them by day; and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

(A great reminder that it was God who led them day and night.)

¹³ Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments,
¹⁴ and madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them commandments, and statutes, and a law, by Moses thy servant,
¹⁵ and gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commandedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.
¹⁶ But they and our fathers dealt proudly and hardened their neck, and hearkened not to thy commandments,
¹⁷ and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and forsookest them not.
¹⁸ Yea, 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;
¹⁹ yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of cloud departed not from over them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way wherein they should go.

(Even after many injustices by the Israelites, God continued to lead them day and night.)

²⁰ Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
²¹ Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

(This covered the Exodus all the way through the first generation wandering in the wilderness. Notice, verse 20 stated it was the Holy Spirit through the prophets that guided the people.)

(Verses 22-31: the cycle of Israel's relationship with God.)

²² Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and peoples, which thou didst allot after their portions: so they possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.
²³ Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land concerning which thou didst say to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.
²⁴ So the children went in 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 peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would.
²⁵ And they took fortified cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all good things, cisterns hewn out, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit-trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.
²⁶ Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their back, and slew thy prophets that testified against them to turn them again unto thee, and they wrought great provocations.
²⁷ Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours who saved them out of the hand of their adversaries.
²⁸ But 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 from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies,
²⁹ and 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 thine ordinances, (which if a man do, he shall live in them,) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
³⁰ Yet many years didst thou bear with them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
³¹ Nevertheless in thy manifold mercies thou didst not make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

(Verses 32-37: a request to God for Him to intervene.)

³² Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and lovingkindness, let not all the travail seem little before thee, that hath come 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 Assyria unto this day.
³³ Howbeit thou art just in all that is come upon us; for thou hast dealt truly, but we have done wickedly;
³⁴ neither 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.
³⁵ For 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 them, neither turned they from their wicked works.
³⁶ Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it.
³⁷ And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have power over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.
³⁸ And yet for all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, seal unto it.

(A sure covenant was made. Sure meant "faith, support, certain.")

(This post covered the completion of Nehemiah's governorship and Ezra reading the Law to the people with them making a covenant with God.)

Day 137