Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah’s Prayer
1The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:
In the month of Kisleva in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,b 2Hanani,c one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnantd that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. Article: The Murashu Texts and the Elephantine Papyri
3They 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.e”
4When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.f For some days I mourned and fastedg and prayed before the God of heaven. 5Then I said:
“LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God,h who keeps his covenant of lovei with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hearj the prayerk your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confessl the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7We have acted very wickedlym toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8“Remembern the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scattero you among the nations, 9but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gatherp them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’q
10“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.r 11Lord, let your ear be attentives 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 favort in the presence of this man.”
I was cupbeareru to the king.
Nehemiah 2
Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem
1In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,a 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, 2so 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, 3but I said to the king, “May the king live forever!b Why should my face not look sad when the cityc where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?d” Map: Jerusalem of the Returning Exiles
4The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5and 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.”
6Then the kinge, 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.
7I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,f so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8And 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 citadelg 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,h the king granted my requests.i 9So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalryj with me.
10When Sanballatk the Horonite and Tobiahl the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.m
Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls
11I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three daysn 12I 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.
13By night I went out through the Valley Gateo toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate,p examining the wallsq of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gater and the King’s Pool,s but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16The 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.
17Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.t Come, let us rebuild the wallu of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.v” 18I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on mew and what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
19But when Sanballatx the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshemy the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us.z “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
20I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,a but as for you, you have no shareb in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
Nehemiah 3
Builders of the Wall
1Eliashiba the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuiltb the Sheep Gate.c 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.d 2The men of Jerichoe built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.
3The Fish Gatef was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 4Meremothg 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. 5The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa,h but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.
6The Jeshanah Gatei 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. 7Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeonj and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. 8Uzziel 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.k 9Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. 10Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. 11Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens.l 12Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters. Photo
13The Valley Gatem was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah.n 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.o
14The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem.p He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.
15The 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,,q by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. 16Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur,r made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs,s of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.
17Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah,t carried out repairs for his district. 18Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. 19Next 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. 20Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21Next to him, Meremothu son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.
22The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. 23Beyond 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. 24Next to him, Binnuiv son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner, 25and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard.w Next to him, Pedaiah son of Paroshx 26and the temple servantsy living on the hill of Ophelz made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gatea toward the east and the projecting tower. 27Next to them, the men of Tekoab repaired another section, from the great projecting towerc to the wall of Ophel.
28Above the Horse Gate,d the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. 29Next 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. 30Next 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. 31Next 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; 32and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gatee the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.
Nehemiah 4
Opposition to the Rebuilding
1When Sanballata heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2and in the presence of his associatesb 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 rubblec—burned as they are?”
3Tobiahd 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!”e
4Hear us, our God, for we are despised.f Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5Do not cover up their guiltg or blot out their sins from your sight,h for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
6So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
7But when Sanballat, Tobiah,i 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. 8They all plotted togetherj to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
10Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborersk is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
11Also 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.”
12Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13Therefore 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. 14After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraidl of them. Rememberm the Lord, who is great and awesome,n and fighto for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
15When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it,p we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.
16From 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 17who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weaponq in the other, 18and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpetr stayed with me.
19Then 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. 20Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet,s join us there. Our God will fightt for us!”
21So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 22At 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.” 23Neither 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.
Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah Helps the Poor
1Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. 2Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”
3Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields,a our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”b
4Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s taxc on our fields and vineyards. 5Although we are of the same flesh and bloodd as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery.e Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”f
6When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!”g So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8and said: “As far as possible, we have boughth 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.i
9So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproachj of our Gentile enemies? 10I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest!k 11Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interestl you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”
12“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 oathm to do what they had promised. 13I also shookn 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,”o and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
14Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,p when I was appointed to be their governorq in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15But 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 Godr I did not act like that. 16Instead,s I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
17Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 18Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultryt 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. Photo
19Rememberu me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.
Nehemiah 6
Further Opposition to the Rebuilding
1When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah,a Geshemb 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— 2Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.c”
But they were scheming to harm me; 3so 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?” 4Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
5Then, the fifth time, Sanballatd sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6in which was written:
“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem,e 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 7and 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.”
8I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”
9They 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.”
10One 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 templef, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”
11But 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!” 12I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against meg because Tobiah and Sanballath had hired him. 13He 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.i
14Rememberj Tobiah and Sanballat,k my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetl Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophetsm have been trying to intimidate me. 15So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
Opposition to the Completed Wall
16When 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.
17Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18For 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. 19Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Nehemiah 7
1After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers,a the musiciansb and the Levitesc were appointed. 2I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani,d along with Hananiahe the commander of the citadel,f because he was a man of integrity and fearedg God more than most people do. 3I 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.”
The List of the Exiles Who Returned
7:6-73pp — Ezr 2:1-70
4Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it,h and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5So 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:
6These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exilesi whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 7in company with Zerubbabel,j Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):
The list of the men of Israel:
8the descendants of Parosh 2,172
9of Shephatiah 372
10of Arah 652
11of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,818
12of Elam 1,254
13of Zattu 845
14of Zakkai 760
15of Binnui 648
16of Bebai 628
17of Azgad 2,322
18of Adonikam 667
19of Bigvai 2,067
20of Adink 655
21of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98
22of Hashum 328
23of Bezai 324
24of Hariph 112
25of Gibeon 95
26the men of Bethlehem and Netophahl 188
27of Anathothm 128
28of Beth Azmaveth 42
29of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirahn and Beerotho 743
30of Ramah and Geba 621
31of Mikmash 122
32of Bethel and Aip 123
33of the other Nebo 52
34of the other Elam 1,254
35of Harim 320
36of Jerichoq 345
37of Lod, Hadid and Onor 721
38of Senaah 3,930
39The priests:
the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973
40of Immer 1,052
41of Pashhur 1,247
42of Harim 1,017
43The Levites:
the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah) 74
44The musicians:s
the descendants of Asaph 148
45The gatekeepers:t
the descendants of
Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 138
46The temple servants:u
the descendants of
Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
47Keros, Sia, Padon,
48Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,
49Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
50Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
51Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
52Besai, Meunim, Nephusim,
53Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
54Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
55Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
56Neziah and Hatipha
57The descendants of the servants of Solomon:
the descendants of
Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
58Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
59Shephatiah, Hattil,
Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon
60The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomonv 392
61The 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:
62the descendants of
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 642
63And 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).
64These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 65The 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.w
66The whole company numbered 42,360, 67besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers. 68There were 736 horses, 245 mules, 69435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
70Some 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. 71Some of the heads of the familiesx gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. 72The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.y
73The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the temple servants,z along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.a
Ezra Reads the Law
When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,b
Nehemiah 8
1all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate.a They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses,b which the LORD had commanded for Israel.
2So on the first day of the seventh monthc Ezra the priest brought the Lawd before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gatee in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
4Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platformf 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.
5Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standingg above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their handsh and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7The Levitesi—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructedj the people in the Law while the people were standing there. 8They 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.
9Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levitesk who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.”l For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
10Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothingm prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joyn of the LORD is your strength.”
11The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”
12Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy,o because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
13On 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. 14They found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary sheltersp during the festival of the seventh month 15and 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.
16So 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 Gateq and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.r 17The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them.s From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebratedt it like this. And their joy was very great.
18Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra readu from the Book of the Lawv of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation,w there was an assembly.x
Nehemiah 9
The Israelites Confess Their Sins
1On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.a 2Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners.b They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors.c 3They 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. 4Standing on the stairs of the Levitesd were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the LORD their God. 5And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up and praise the LORD your God,e who is from everlasting to everlasting.”
“Blessed be your glorious name,f and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. 6You alone are the LORD.g You made the heavens,h even the highest heavens, and all their starry host,i the earthj and all that is on it, the seask and all that is in them.l You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heavenm worship you.
7“You are the LORD God, who chose Abramn and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeanso and named him Abraham.p 8You 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.q You have kept your promiser because you are righteous.s
9“You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt;t you heard their cry at the Red Sea.,u 10You sent signsv and wondersw 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 namex for yourself,y which remains to this day. 11You divided the sea before them,z so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths,a like a stone into mighty waters.b 12By dayc you ledd them with a pillar of cloud,e and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.
13“You came down on Mount Sinai;f you spokeg to them from heaven.h You gave them regulations and laws that are justi and right, and decrees and commands that are good.j 14You made known to them your holy Sabbathk and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. 15In their hunger you gave them bread from heavenl and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock;m you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted handn to give them.o
16“But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked,p and they did not obey your commands.q 17They refused to listen and failed to rememberr the miracless you performed among them. They became stiff-neckedt and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery.u But you are a forgiving God,v gracious and compassionate,w slow to angerx and abounding in love.y Therefore you did not desert them,z 18even when they cast for themselves an image of a calfa and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.b
19“Because of your great compassion you did not abandonc them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloudd 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. 20You gave your good Spirite to instructf them. You did not withhold your mannag from their mouths, and you gave them waterh for their thirst. 21For forty yearsi you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing,j their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.k
22“You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon,l king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan.m 23You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky,n and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess. 24Their children went in and took possession of the land.o You subduedp 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. 25They captured fortified cities and fertile land;q they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things,r wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished;s they reveled in your great goodness.t
26“But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law.u They killedv your prophets,w who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.x 27So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies,y who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassionz you gave them deliverers,a who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.
28“But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight.b 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 compassionc you delivered themd time after time.
29“You warnede them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogantf and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’g Stubbornly they turned their backsh on you, became stiff-neckedi and refused to listen.j 30For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets.k Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.l 31But in your great mercy you did not put an endm to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and mercifuln God.
32“Now therefore, our God, the great God, mightyo and awesome,p who keeps his covenant of love,q do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardshipr 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. 33In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous;s you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.t 34Our kings,u our leaders, our priests and our ancestorsv did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the statutes you warned them to keep. 35Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodnessw to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve youx or turn from their evil ways.
36“But see, we are slavesy today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. 37Because 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.z
The Agreement of the People
38“In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement,a putting it in writing,b and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”
Nehemiah 10
1Those who sealed it were:
Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hakaliah.
Zedekiah, 2Seraiah,a Azariah, Jeremiah,
3Pashhur,b Amariah, Malkijah,
4Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk,
5Harim,c Meremoth, Obadiah,
6Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
7Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
8Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah.
These were the priests.d
9The Levites:e
Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,
10and their associates: Shebaniah,
Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11Mika, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.
14The leaders of the people:
Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,f
17Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
18Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
19Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,g
21Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23Hoshea, Hananiah,h Hasshub,
24Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
27Malluk, Harim and Baanah.
28“The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servantsi and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoplesj for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— 29all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oathk 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.
30“We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.l
31“When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath,m we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the landn and will cancel all debts.o
32“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: 33for the bread set out on the table;p for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moonq 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.r
34“We—the priests, the Levites and the people—have cast lotss to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of woodt to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law.
35“We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the LORD each year the firstfruitsu of our crops and of every fruit tree.v
36“As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstbornw 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.x
37“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.y And we will bring a tithez of our crops to the Levites,a for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.b 38A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithesc up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. 39The 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.”d
Nehemiah 11
The New Residents of Jerusalem
11:3-19pp — 1Ch 9:1-17
1Now 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,a the holy city,b while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.c 2The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
3These 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,d 4while other people from both Judah and Benjamine lived in Jerusalem):f
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; 5and 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. 6The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 men of standing.
7From 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, 8and his followers, Gabbai and Sallai—928 men. 9Joel son of Zikri was their chief officer, and Judah son of Hassenuah was over the New Quarter of the city.
10From the priests:
Jedaiah; the son of Joiarib; Jakin; 11Seraiahg son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub,h the official in charge of the house of God, 12and 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, 13and 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, 14and his associates, who were men of standing—128. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.
15From the Levites:
Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; 16Shabbethaii and Jozabad,j two of the heads of the Levites, who had charge of the outside work of the house of God; 17Mattaniahk son of Mika, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph,l the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.m 18The Levites in the holy cityn totaled 284.
19The gatekeepers:
Akkub, Talmon and their associates, who kept watch at the gates—172 men.
20The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, each on their ancestral property.
21The temple servantso lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them.
22The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah,p the son of Mika. Uzzi was one of Asaph’s descendants, who were the musicians responsible for the service of the house of God. 23The musiciansq were under the king’s orders, which regulated their daily activity.
24Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerahr son of Judah, was the king’s agent in all affairs relating to the people.
25As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath Arbas and its surrounding settlements, in Dibont and its settlements, in Jekabzeel and its villages, 26in Jeshua, in Moladah,u in Beth Pelet,v 27in Hazar Shual,w in Beershebax and its settlements, 28in Ziklag,y in Mekonah and its settlements, 29in En Rimmon, in Zorah,z in Jarmuth,a 30Zanoah,b Adullamc and their villages, in Lachishd and its fields, and in Azekahe and its settlements. So they were living all the way from Beershebaf to the Valley of Hinnom.
31The descendants of the Benjamites from Gebag lived in Mikmash,h Aija, Betheli and its settlements, 32in Anathoth,j Nobk and Ananiah, 33in Hazor,l Ramahm and Gittaim,n 34in Hadid, Zeboimo and Neballat, 35in Lod and Ono,p and in Ge Harashim.
36Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin.
Nehemiah 12
Priests and Levites
1These were the priestsa and Levitesb who returned with Zerubbabelc son of Shealtield and with Joshua:e
Seraiah,f Jeremiah, Ezra,
2Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,
3Shekaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4Iddo,g Ginnethon, Abijah,h
5Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,
6Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,i
7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah.
These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Joshua.
8The Levites were Jeshua,j Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah,k who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. 9Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services.
10Joshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib,l Eliashib the father of Joiada, 11Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.
12In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families:
of Seraiah’s family, Meraiah;
of Jeremiah’s, Hananiah;
13of Ezra’s, Meshullam;
of Amariah’s, Jehohanan;
14of Malluk’s, Jonathan;
of Shekaniah’s, Joseph;
15of Harim’s, Adna;
of Meremoth’s, Helkai;
16of Iddo’s,m Zechariah;
of Ginnethon’s, Meshullam;
17of Abijah’s,n Zikri;
of Miniamin’s and of Moadiah’s, Piltai;
18of Bilgah’s, Shammua;
of Shemaiah’s, Jehonathan;
19of Joiarib’s, Mattenai;
of Jedaiah’s, Uzzi;
20of Sallu’s, Kallai;
of Amok’s, Eber;
21of Hilkiah’s, Hashabiah;
of Jedaiah’s, Nethanel.
22The 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. 23The family heads among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the book of the annals. 24And the leaders of the Leviteso 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.p
25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. 26They 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.
Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem
27At the dedicationq 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,r harps and lyres.s 28The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem—from the villages of the Netophathites,t 29from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the musicians had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. 30When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people,u the gates and the wall.
31I 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.v 32Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, 33along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34Judah, Benjamin,w Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35as well as some priests with trumpets,x 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, 36and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani—with musical instrumentsy prescribed by David the man of God.z Ezraa the teacher of the Law led the procession. 37At the Fountain Gateb 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 Gatec on the east.
38The 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 Ovensd to the Broad Wall,e 39over the Gate of Ephraim,f the Jeshanah Gate,g the Fish Gate,h the Tower of Hananeli and the Tower of the Hundred,j as far as the Sheep Gate.k At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.
40The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials, 41as well as the priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets— 42and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. 43And 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.
44At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storeroomsl for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes.m 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.n 45They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the musicians and gatekeepers, according to the commands of Davido and his son Solomon.p 46For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph,q there had been directors for the musicians and for the songs of praiser and thanksgiving to God. 47So 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.s
Nehemiah 13
Nehemiah’s Final Reforms
1On 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,a 2because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaamb to call a curse down on them.c (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.)d 3When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.e
4Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storeroomsf of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah,g 5and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithesh of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.
6But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxesi king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission 7and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashibj had done in providing Tobiahk a room in the courts of the house of God. 8I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.l 9I gave orders to purify the rooms,m and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.n
10I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them,o and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.p 11So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?”q Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.
12All Judah brought the tithesr of grain, new wine and olive oil into the storerooms.s 13I 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.t
14Rememberu 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.
15In 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.v Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. 16People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbathw to the people of Judah. 17I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? 18Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city?x Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”y
19When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath,z 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. 20Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21But 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. 22Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.
Remembera me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love. Photo
23Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had marriedb women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.c 24Half 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 languaged of Judah. 25I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oathe 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.f 26Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him.g He was loved by his God,h and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.i 27Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marryingj foreign women?”
28One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashibk the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballatl the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.
29Rememberm them, my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.n
30So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign,o and assigned them duties, each to his own task. 31I also made provision for contributions of woodp at designated times, and for the firstfruits.q
Rememberr me with favor, my God.
1 3:5 Or their Lord or the governor
3 3:13 That is, about 1,500 feet or about 450 meters
4 3:15 Hebrew Shelah, a variant of Shiloah, that is, Siloam
5 3:16 Hebrew; Septuagint, some Vulgate manuscripts and Syriac tomb
6 3:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 24); most Hebrew manuscripts Bavvai
1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-6 is numbered 3:33-38, and 4:7-23 is numbered 4:1-17.
2 4:5 Or have aroused your anger before
3 4:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
1 5:15 That is, about 1 pound or about 460 grams
2 5:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac I
2 6:6 Hebrew Gashmu, a variant of Geshem
1 7:68 Some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ezra 2:66); most Hebrew manuscripts do not have this verse.
2 7:70 That is, about 19 pounds or about 8.4 kilograms
3 7:71 That is, about 375 pounds or about 170 kilograms; also in verse 72
4 7:71 That is, about 1 1/3 tons or about 1.2 metric tons
5 7:72 That is, about 1 1/4 tons or about 1.1 metric tons
1 8:8 Or God, translating it
1 9:5 Or God for ever and ever
2 9:9 Or the Sea of Reeds
3 9:22 One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts Sihon, that is, the country of the
4 9:38 In Hebrew texts this verse (9:38) is numbered 10:1.
1 In Hebrew texts 10:1-39 is numbered 10:2-40.
2 10:32 That is, about 1/8 ounce or about 4 grams
3 10:33 Or purification offerings
1 11:14 Most Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew their
1 12:4 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also verse 16); most Hebrew manuscripts Ginnethoi
2 12:5 A variant of Miniamin
3 12:14 Very many Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also verse 3); most Hebrew manuscripts Shebaniah’s
4 12:15 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also verse 3); Hebrew Meraioth’s
6 12:31 Or proceed alongside
7 12:38 Or them alongside
1:1 The words of. Originally an introduction to the title of a separate composition (Jer 1:1; Am 1:1), though the books of Ezra and Nehemiah appear as a single work from earliest times (see Introduction to Ezra: Ezra and Nehemiah). Nehemiah. Means “The LORD comforts.” Kislev . . . twentieth year. November-December, 445 bc. See chart. Susa. See note on Ezr 4:9.
1:2 Hanani. Probably a shortened form of Hananiah, which means “The LORD is gracious.” one of my brothers. See 7:2. The Elephantine papyri (see chart; see also article) mention a Hananiah who was the head of Jewish affairs in Jerusalem. Many believe that he is to be identified with Nehemiah’s brother and that he may have governed between Nehemiah’s first and second terms. Jewish remnant. See Ezr 9:8 and notes on Ge 45:7; 2Ki 19:30–31; Isa 1:9; 10:20–22; Zec 8:23.
1:3 province. See note on Ezr 2:1. wall of Jerusalem is broken down. The lack of a city wall meant that the people were defenseless against their enemies. Thucydides (1.89) describes the comparable condition of Athens after its devastation by the Persians in 480–479 bc. Excavations at Jerusalem during 1961–67 revealed that the lack of a wall on the eastern slopes also meant the disintegration of the terraces there. When Nebuchadnezzar assaulted Jerusalem in 586, he battered and broke down the walls around it (2Ki 25:10). The Jews had attempted to rebuild the walls earlier in the reign of Artaxerxes I, but after the protest of Rehum and Shimshai ordered the Jews to desist. See note on Ezr 4:21–23.
1:5 who keeps his covenant of love. Nehemiah begins his prayer by invoking God’s faithfulness. See 9:32; see also Dt 7:9,12 and note. who love him and keep his commandments. See Da 9:4; Ex 20:6 and note.
1:8 Remember. See notes on 13:31; Ge 8:1; a key word in the book (4:14; 5:19; 6:14; 13:14,22,29,31). unfaithful . . . scatter. Dispersion was the inescapable consequence of the people’s unfaithfulness (Dt 28:63–67). By the NT period there were still more Jews in the Diaspora (dispersion) than in the Holy Land.
1:10 your people . . . you redeemed. Although they had sinned and failed, they were still God’s people by virtue of his redeeming them (Dt 4:34; 9:29).
1:11 Give your servant success today. Cf. Ge 24:12. cupbearer. According to the Greek historian Xenophon (Cyropaedia, 1.3.9), one of the cupbearer’s duties was to choose and taste the king’s wine to make certain that it was not poisoned (2:1). Thus Nehemiah had to be a man who enjoyed the unreserved confidence of the king. The need for trustworthy court attendants is underscored by the intrigues that characterized the Achaemenid court of Persia. Xerxes, the father of Artaxerxes I, was killed in his own bedchamber by a courtier.
2:1 Nisan . . . twentieth year. March-April, 444 bc (see chart). King Artaxerxes. See chart. sad in his presence. No matter what one’s personal problems were, the king’s servants were expected to keep their feelings to themselves and to display a cheerful disposition before him.
2:3 May the king live forever! A common form of address to kings (cf. note on Ps 62:4). city. Nehemiah does not mention Jerusalem by name (v. 5); he may have wished to arouse the king’s sympathy by stressing first the desecration of ancestral tombs.
2:4 prayed. Before turning to answer the king, Nehemiah utters a brief, spontaneous prayer to God. One of Nehemiah’s striking characteristics is his frequent recourse to prayer (1:4; 4:4,9; 5:19; 6:9,14; 13:14,22,29,31).
2:6 queen. Ctesias, a Greek who lived at the Achaemenid court, informs us that the name of Artaxerxes’ queen was Damaspia and that he had at least three concubines. Like Esther (Est 5), Damaspia may have used her influence with the king. The Achaemenid court was famous for the great influence exercised by the royal women. Especially influential was Amestris, the cruel wife of Xerxes and mother of Artaxerxes I. How long will your journey take . . . ? Nehemiah probably asked for a brief leave of absence, which he then had extended. We can infer from 5:14 that he spent 12 years on his first term as governor of Judah. In the 32nd year of Artaxerxes, Nehemiah returned to report to the king and then came back to Judah for a second term (13:6–7). See photo.
2:7 letters . . . provide me safe-conduct. A contemporary document from Arsames, the satrap of Egypt who was at the Persian court, to one of his officers who was returning to Egypt orders Persian officials to provide him with food and drink on the stages of his journey. Trans-Euphrates. See note on Ezr 4:10.
2:8 park. The Hebrew for this word is pardes, a loanword from Old Persian meaning “enclosure,” a pleasant retreat. The word occurs elsewhere in the OT only in Ecc 2:5 (“parks”) and SS 4:13 (“orchard”). citadel. Probably refers to the fortress north of the temple, the forerunner of the Antonia fortress built by Herod the Great (Josephus, Antiquities, 15.11.4; see Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24).
2:9 army officers and cavalry. In striking contrast to Ezra (see note on Ezr 8:22), Nehemiah was accompanied by an armed escort since he was officially Judah’s governor.
2:10 Sanballat. A Babylonian name, meaning “Sin (the moon-god) has given life.” Horonite. Identifies him as coming from (1) Hauran (Eze 47:16,18), east of the Sea of Galilee; (2) Horonaim, in Moab (Jer 48:34); or, most probably, (3) either Upper or Lower Beth Horon, two key cities about 11 miles northwest of Jerusalem, which guarded the main road to Jerusalem (Jos 10:10; 16:3,5; 1 Maccabees 3:16; 7:39; see map). Sanballat was the chief political opponent of Nehemiah (v. 19; 4:1,7; 6:1–2,5,12,14; 13:28). He held the position of governor over Samaria (cf. 4:1–2). An Elephantine papyrus letter of the late fifth century bc to Bagohi (Bigvai), governor of Judah, refers to “Delaiah and Shelemiah, the sons of Sanballat, governor of Samaria.” In 1962 a fourth-century bc papyrus listing the name Sanballat, probably a descendant of Nehemiah’s contemporary, was found in a cave north of Jericho. Tobiah. Means “The LORD is good.” He may have been a worshiper of the Lord (Yahweh), as indicated not only by his name but also by that of his son Jehohanan (6:17–18), meaning “The LORD is gracious.” Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam, son of Berekiah, the leader of one of the groups repairing the wall (3:4,30; 6:18). Tobiah also had a close relationship with Eliashib the priest (13:4–7). Ammonite. See Ezr 9:1; see also note on Ge 19:36–38. Tobiah was probably governor of Transjordan under the Persians. In later generations a prominent family bearing the name of Tobiah was sometimes associated with the region of Ammon in non-biblical texts. very much disturbed. The reasons for the opposition of Sanballat and Tobiah were not primarily religious but political. The authority of the Samaritan governor in particular was threatened by Nehemiah’s arrival.
2:12 Nehemiah was cautious and discreet as he inspected the city’s fortifications. one I was riding on. Probably a mule or donkey.
2:13 Nehemiah did not make a complete circuit of the walls but only of the southern area (see map). Jerusalem was always attacked from the north because it was most vulnerable there, so the walls had probably been completely destroyed in that part of the city. Valley Gate. See 3:13. According to 2Ch 26:9 Uzziah fortified towers in the west wall, which overlooked the central valley between the Hinnom and Kidron Valleys. Excavations in 1927–28 uncovered the remains of a gate from the Persian period, which has been identified as the Valley Gate. Jackal Well. Many interpreters suggest that this was En Rogel (Jos 15:7–8; 18:16; 2Sa 17:17; 1Ki 1:9), a well situated at the junction of the Hinnom and Kidron Valleys, 250 yards south of the southeast ridge of Jerusalem (see map). Others suggest that it was the Pool of Siloam (see map). Dung Gate. Perhaps the gate leading to the rubbish dump in the Hinnom Valley (cf. 3:13–14; 12:31; 2Ki 23:10). It was situated about 500 yards south of the Valley Gate (3:13).
2:14 Fountain Gate. Possibly in the southeast wall facing toward En Rogel (3:15; 12:37). King’s Pool. Hezekiah may have diverted the overflow from his Siloam tunnel (cf. 2Ki 20:20; 2Ch 32:30) to irrigate the royal gardens (2Ki 25:4) located outside the city walls at the junction of the Kidron and Hinnom Valleys. The King’s Pool was probably therefore the Pool of Siloam (3:15) or the adjacent Birket el-Hamra. not enough room. Possibly because of the collapse of the supporting terraces (cf. 2Sa 5:9; 1Ki 9:15,24) on the east side of the city.
2:17 ruins. The condition of the walls and gates of the city since their destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 bc, in spite of abortive attempts to rebuild them. The leaders and people had evidently become reconciled to this sad state of affairs. It took an outsider to assess the situation and to rally them to renewed efforts.
2:18 my God . . . and . . . the king. Nehemiah could personally attest that God was alive and active in his behalf and that he (Nehemiah) had come with royal sanction and authority.
2:19 Sanballat . . . Tobiah. See note on v. 10. Geshem. Inscriptions from Dedan in northwest Arabia and from Tell el-Maskhutah near Ismailia in Egypt bear the name Geshem, who may have been in charge of a north Arabian confederacy that controlled vast areas from northeast Egypt to northern Arabia, including the southern part of the Holy Land. Geshem may have been opposed to Nehemiah’s development of an independent kingdom because he feared that it might interfere with his lucrative spice trade. Arab. See 2Ch 9:14; Isa 21:13; Jer 25:24. Arabs became dominant in Transjordan from the Assyrian to the Persian periods. Sargon II of Assyria resettled some Arabs in Samaria in 715 bc. Early Greek and Roman sources reveal that the Arabs enjoyed a favored status under the Persians.
3:1–32 One of the most important chapters in the OT for determining the topography of Jerusalem (see maps here and here). The narrative begins at the Sheep Gate (northeast corner of the city) and proceeds in a counterclockwise direction around the wall. About 40 key men are named as participants in the reconstruction of about 45 sections. The towns listed as the homes of the builders may have represented the administrative centers of the province of Judah. Ten gates are named: (1) Sheep Gate (v. 1), (2) Fish Gate (v. 3), (3) Jeshanah Gate (v. 6), (4) Valley Gate (v. 13), (5) Dung Gate (v. 14), (6) Fountain Gate (v. 15), (7) Water Gate (v. 26), (8) Horse Gate (v. 28), (9) East Gate (v. 29), (10) Inspection Gate (v. 31). The account suggests that most of the rebuilding was concerned with the gates, where the enemy’s assaults were always concentrated. Not all the sections of the walls or buildings in Jerusalem were in the same state of disrepair. A selective policy of destruction seems to be indicated by 2Ki 25:9.
3:3 Fish Gate. See 12:39. During the days of the first temple, it was one of Jerusalem’s main entrances (2Ch 33:14; Zep 1:10). Merchants brought fish from either Tyre or the Sea of Galilee to the fish market (13:16) through this entrance, which was located in the north wall of the city (see note on Zep 1:10).
3:4 Meremoth. See note on Ezr 8:33. Meshullam. Repaired a second section (v. 30). Nehemiah complained that Meshullam had given his daughter in marriage to a son of Tobiah (see 6:17–18 and note on 2:10).
3:5 Tekoa. A small town about 6 miles south of Bethlehem and 11 miles from Jerusalem. It was the hometown of the prophet Amos. nobles. These aristocrats disdained manual labor.
3:6 Jeshanah Gate. In the northwest corner. It may be another name for the Gate of Ephraim (see 12:39), which otherwise is not mentioned in ch. 3.
3:8 goldsmiths. See vv. 31–32. perfume-makers. See 1Sa 8:13. Broad Wall. See 12:38. In 1970–71 archaeological excavations in Jerusalem uncovered such a wall west of the temple area (see photo). It is dated to the early seventh century bc and was probably built by Hezekiah (2Ch 32:5). The expansion to and beyond the Broad Wall may have become necessary because of the influx of refugees fleeing from the fall of Samaria in 722–721.
3:10 Jedaiah . . . made repairs opposite his house. See vv. 23,28–30. It made sense to have him and others repair the sections of the wall nearest their homes.
3:11 Tower of the Ovens. It was on the western wall, perhaps in the same location as one built by Uzziah (2Ch 26:9). The ovens may have been those situated in the “street of the bakers” (Jer 37:21).
3:12 daughters. A unique OT reference to women working on the wall, although the Chronicler refers to Sheerah, who built three cities (1Ch 7:24). When the Athenians attempted to rebuild their walls after the Persians had destroyed them, it was decreed that “the whole population of the city—men, women and children—should take part in the wall-building” (Thucydides, 1.90.3).
3:13 Valley Gate. See note on 2:13. a thousand cubits. An extraordinary length (see NIV text note); probably most of the section was relatively intact. Dung Gate. See note on 2:13.
3:14 Beth Hakkerem. Means “house of the vineyard.” It was a fire-signal point (Jer 6:1) and is identified with Ramat Rahel, two miles south of Jerusalem. It may have been the residence of a district governor in the Persian period.
3:15 Fountain Gate. See note on 2:14. Pool of Siloam. See NIV text note; perhaps the Lower Pool of Isa 22:9 (see note on Isa 8:6). King’s Garden. See note on 2:14. City of David. See 12:37; see also 2Sa 5:7 and note.
3:16 Beth Zur. A district capital, 13 miles south of Jerusalem. Excavations in 1931 and 1957 revealed that occupation was sparse during the early Persian period but was resumed in the fifth century bc. tombs of David. Cf. 2:5. David was buried in the city area (1Ki 2:10; 2Ch 21:20; 32:33; Ac 2:29). The so-called Tomb of David on Mount Zion, venerated today by Jewish pilgrims, is in the Coenaculum building, erected in the fourteenth century ad. Such a site for David’s tomb is mentioned no earlier than the ninth century ad. House of the Heroes. May have been the house of David’s mighty warriors (see 2Sa 23:8–39), which perhaps served later as the barracks or armory.
3:17–18 Keilah. Located about 15 miles southwest of Jerusalem, it played an important role in David’s early history (1Sa 23:1–13).
3:20–21 The residences of the high priest and his fellow priests were located inside the city along the eastern wall.
3:25 upper palace. Perhaps the old palace of David (see 12:37). Like Solomon’s palace, it would have had a guardhouse (Jer 32:2).
3:26 Ophel. See v. 27. The word means “swelling” or “bulge,” hence a (fortified) “hill” (as in Mic 4:8; see NIV text note there), specifically the northern part of the southeastern hill of Jerusalem, which formed the original City of David, just south of the temple area (2Ch 27:3). Water Gate. So called because it led to the main source of Jerusalem’s water, the Gihon spring. It must have opened onto a large area, for the reading of the Law took place there (8:1,3,16; 12:37). projecting tower. Perhaps the large tower whose ruins were discovered by archaeologists on the crest of the Ophel hill in 1923–25. Excavations at the base of the tower in 1978 revealed a level dating to the Persian era.
3:27 men of Tekoa. The common people of Tekoa did double duty, whereas the nobles of Tekoa shirked their responsibility (see note on v. 5).
3:28 Horse Gate. Where Athaliah was slain (2Ch 23:15). It may have been the easternmost point in the city wall—a gate through which one could reach the Kidron Valley (Jer 31:40).
3:29 East Gate. May have been the predecessor of the present Golden Gate (see note on Eze 44:2).
3:31 goldsmiths. See v. 8. Inspection Gate. In the northern part of the eastern wall.
3:32 Sheep Gate. Back to the point of departure (see v. 1).
4:2 he said. Disputes between rival Persian governors were frequent. Sanballat asked several derisive questions to taunt the Jews and to discourage them in their efforts. burned. Fire had damaged the stones, which were probably limestone, and had caused many of them to crack and crumble.
4:4–5 As in the so-called imprecatory psalms (see note on Ps 5:10; see also article), Nehemiah does not himself take action against his opponents but calls down on them redress from God. In v. 5 Nehemiah’s prayer echoes the language of Jer 18:23.
4:7 Ashdod. See note on Isa 20:1. It became a district capital under Persian rule.
4:9 prayed . . . posted a guard. Prayer and watchfulness blend faith and action and also emphasize both the divine side and the human side (see notes on Jas 2:14–26).
4:10 giving out. The picture is of workers staggering under the weight of their load and ready to fall at any step.
4:11 our enemies said. Either Nehemiah had friendly informants, or the enemy was spreading unsettling rumors.
4:12 ten times over. Many times.
4:13 lowest points . . . exposed places. Nehemiah posted men conspicuously in the areas that were the most vulnerable along the wall.
4:14 Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord. See note on 1:8. The best way to dispel fear is to remember the Lord and trust in him who alone is to be feared (see Dt 3:22; 20:3; 31:6; Ps 56:3–4).
4:16 shields. Made primarily of wood or wickerwork and therefore combustible (Eze 39:9). armor. The Hebrew for this word designated primarily a breastplate of metal or a coat of mail (2Ch 18:33).
4:17 work with one hand . . . weapon in the other. Means either that the workers carried their materials with one hand and their weapons with the other or simply that the weapons were kept close at hand.
4:21 till the stars came out. Indicates the earnestness of their efforts, since the usual time to stop working was at sunset (Dt 24:15; Mt 20:8).
4:22 guards by night. Even men from outside Jerusalem stayed in the city at night so that some of them could serve as sentries.
4:23 See NIV text note. Although the precise meaning of the end of the verse is not clear, the implication is that constant preparedness was the rule. According to Josephus (Antiquities, 11.5.8), Nehemiah “himself made the rounds of the city by night, never tiring either through work or lack of food and sleep, neither of which he took for pleasure but as a necessity.”
5:1–19 During his major effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah confronted a socioeconomic crisis that had deep moral implications. Among the classes affected by the crisis were (1) the landless, who were short of food (v. 2); (2) the landowners, who were compelled to mortgage their properties (v. 3); and (3) those forced to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates and sell their children into slavery (vv. 4–5).
5:2 grain. About six to seven bushels would be needed for a man to feed his family for a month.
5:3 mortgaging. Even those who had property were forced to mortgage it, benefiting the wealthy few (cf. Isa 5:8). In times of economic stress the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. famine. The economic situation was aggravated by the natural conditions that had produced a famine. Some 75 years earlier the prophet Haggai had referred to a time of drought, when food was insufficient (Hag 1:5–11). Such times of distress were considered to be expressions of God’s judgment (Isa 51:19; Jer 14:13–18; Am 4:6). Famines were common in Canaan. They occurred in the times of Abraham (Ge 12:10), Isaac (Ge 26:1), Joseph (Ge 41:27,54), Ruth (Ru 1:1), David (2Sa 21:1), Elijah (1Ki 18:2), Elisha (2Ki 4:38) and Claudius (Ac 11:28).
5:4 tax. It is estimated that the Persian king collected the equivalent of 20 million darics (see NIV text note on Ezr 8:27) a year in taxes. Little was ever returned to benefit the provinces, because most of it was melted down and stored as bullion. Alexander the Great found at Susa alone 9,000 talents (about 340 tons) of coined gold and 40,000 talents (about 1,500 tons) of silver stored as bullion. As coined money was increasingly taken out of circulation by taxes, poverty increased dramatically. The acquisition of land by the Persians and its removal from production also contributed to produce a 50 percent rise in prices during the Persian period.
5:5 slavery. In times of economic distress families would borrow funds, using family members as collateral. If a man could not repay the loan and its interest, his children, his wife, or even the man himself could be sold into bondage. An Israelite who fell into debt, however, would serve his creditor as a “hired worker” (Lev 25:39–40). He was to be released in the seventh year (Dt 15:12–18), unless he chose to stay voluntarily. During the seven-year famine in Egypt, Joseph was approached by people who asked him to accept their land and their bodies in exchange for food (Ge 47:18–19). The irony for the Israelites was that at least as exiles in Mesopotamia their families were together, but now, because of dire economic necessity, their children were being sold into slavery.
5:6 I was very angry. Sometimes it becomes necessary to express righteous indignation against social injustice (cf. Mk 11:15–18; Eph 4:26).
5:7 interest. See notes on Ex 22:25–27; Lev 25:36; Dt 23:20. Josephus (Antiquities, 4.8.25) explains: “Let it not be permitted to lend upon usury to any Hebrew either meat or drink; for it is not just to draw a revenue from the misfortunes of a fellow countryman.”
5:8 fellow Jews who were sold. Impoverished fellow Jews could be hired as servants, but they were not to be sold as slaves (Lev 25:39–42). to the Gentiles. The sale of fellow Hebrews as slaves to foreigners was forbidden (Ex 21:8). kept quiet. Their guilt was so obvious that they had no rebuttal or excuse (cf. Jn 8:7–10).
5:9 not right. Failure to treat others, especially fellow believers, with compassion is an insult to our Maker and a blot on our testimony (cf. Pr 14:31; 1Pe 2:12–15).
5:11 one percent. Perhaps one percent per month, an annual interest rate of 12 percent. grain, new wine and olive oil. See notes on 10:37; Dt 7:13.
5:13 shook out the folds of my robe. Symbolizing the solemnity of an oath and reinforcing the attendant curses for its nonfulfillment. Amen. See 8:6; Nu 5:22; see also note on Dt 27:15.
5:14 thirty-second year. From Apr. 1, 433 bc, to Apr. 19, 432. Nehemiah served his first term as governor for 12 years before being recalled to court (13:6), after which he returned to Jerusalem (13:7) for a second term whose length cannot be determined. food allotted to the governor. See v. 18. Provincial governors normally assessed the people in their provinces for their support. But Nehemiah, like Paul (1Co 9; 2Th 3:8–9), sacrificed even what was normally his in order to serve as an example to the people.
5:15 governors. The Hebrew for this word is used of Sheshbazzar (Ezr 5:14) and Zerubbabel (Hag 1:1, 14; 2:2), as well as of various Persian officials (Ezr 5:3, 6; 6:6–7,13; 8:36; Ne 2:7, 9; 3:7). Nehemiah was not referring here to men of the caliber of Zerubbabel. Some believe that Judah did not have governors before Nehemiah and that the reference here is to governors of Samaria. But archaeological evidence, in the form of seals and seal impressions, confirms the reference to the previous governors of Judah. heavy burden. It was customary Persian practice to exempt temple personnel from taxation, which increased the burden on lay people. assistants. If the governors themselves used extortion, their underlings often proved even more oppressive (cf. Mt 18:21–35; 20:25–28). reverence for God. Those in high positions are in danger of abusing their authority over their subordinates if they forget that they themselves are servants of a superior “Master in heaven” (Col 4:1; cf. Ge 39:9; 2Co 5:11).
5:16 did not acquire any land. Nehemiah’s behavior as governor was guided by principles of service rather than by opportunism.
5:17 ate at my table. As part of his social responsibility, a ruler or governor was expected to entertain lavishly. A text found at Nimrud has Ashurnasirpal II feeding 69,574 guests at a banquet for ten days. When Solomon dedicated the temple, he sacrificed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats and held a great festival for the assembly for 14 days (1Ki 8:62–65). We are not told how many he fed (cf. 1Ki 4:27).
5:18 Each day. The meat listed here would provide one meal for 600–800 persons, including the 150 Jews and officials of v. 17. Cf. Solomon’s provisions for one day (1Ki 4:22–23). choice sheep. Cf. Mal 1:8. poultry. Chickens were domesticated in the Indus River Valley by 2000 bc and were brought to Egypt by the time of Thutmose III (fifteenth century bc). They were known in Mesopotamia and in Greece by the eighth century. The earliest inscriptional evidence of poultry in the land of Canaan is the seal of Jaazaniah (dated c. 600 bc), which depicts a fighting rooster (see photo below).
5:19 Remember me. See note on 1:8; cf. Heb 6:10. A striking parallel to Nehemiah’s prayer is found in a prayer of Nebuchadnezzar: “O Marduk, my lord, do remember my deeds favorably as good [deeds]; may (these) my good deeds be always before your mind.”
6:1 Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem. See notes on 2:10,19.
6:2 Ono. Located about seven miles southeast of Joppa near Lod (modern Lydda), in the westernmost area settled by the returning Jews (Ne 7:37; 11:35). It may have been proposed as neutral territory, but Nehemiah recognized the invitation as a trap (cf. Ge 4:8; Jer 41:1–3).
6:3 Nehemiah’s sharp reply may seem like a haughty response to a reasonable invitation, but he correctly discerned the insincerity of his enemies. He refused to be distracted by matters that would divert his energies from rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall.
6:4 Four times. Nehemiah’s foes were persistent, but he was equally persistent in resisting them.
6:5 unsealed letter. During this period a letter was ordinarily written on a papyrus or leather sheet, which was rolled up, tied with a string and sealed with a clay bulla (seal impression) to guarantee the letter’s authenticity. Sanballat apparently wanted the contents of his letter to be made known to the public at large.
6:6 their king. Persian kings did not tolerate the claims of pretenders to kingship, as can be seen from the Behistun (Bisitun) inscription of Darius I. In NT times the Roman emperor was likewise suspicious of any unauthorized claims to royalty (Jn 19:12; cf. Mt 2:1–13).
6:8 Nehemiah does not mince words. He calls the report a lie. He may have sent his own messenger to the Persian king to assure him of his loyalty.
6:9 hands will get . . . weak. Figurative language to express the idea of discouragement. The Hebrew for this phrase is used also in Ezr 4:4; Jer 38:4, as well as on an ostracon from Lachish dated c. 588 bc (see photo).
6:10 Shemaiah . . . was shut in. Perhaps as a symbolic action to indicate that his own life was in danger and to suggest that both Nehemiah and he must flee to the temple (for other symbolic actions, see 1Ki 22:11; Isa 20:2–4; Jer 27:2–7; 28:10–11; Eze 4:1–17; 12:3–11; Ac 21:11). Since Shemaiah had access to the temple, he may have been a priest. He was clearly a friend of Tobiah (cf. v. 12) and therefore Nehemiah’s enemy. It was at least credible for Shemaiah to propose that Nehemiah take refuge in the temple area at the altar of asylum (see Ex 21:13–14 and notes), but not in the “house of God,” the temple building itself.
6:11 Even if the threat against his life was real, Nehemiah was not a coward who would run into hiding. Nor would he transgress the law to save his life. As a layman, he was not permitted to enter the sanctuary (Nu 18:7). When King Uzziah entered the temple to burn incense, he was punished by being afflicted with leprosy (2Ch 26:16–21).
6:12 The fact that Shemaiah proposed a course of action contrary to God’s word revealed him as a false prophet (cf. Dt 18:20; Isa 8:19–20; see note on Dt 13:1–5).
6:13 If Nehemiah had wavered in the face of the threat against him, his leadership would have been discredited and morale among the people would have plummeted.
6:15 twenty-fifth of Elul. Oct. 2, 444 bc. fifty-two days. The walls that lay in ruins for nearly a century and a half were rebuilt in less than two months once the people were galvanized into action by Nehemiah’s leadership. Archaeological investigations have shown that the perimeter of the wall in Nehemiah’s day was much reduced. Josephus states (Antiquities, 11.5.8) that the rebuilding of the wall took two years and four months, but he is doubtless including such additional tasks as further strengthening of various sections, embellishing and beautifying, and the like. The dedication of the wall is described in 12:27–47.
6:17–18 Tobiah was related to an influential family in Judah, since his son Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam, who had helped repair the wall of Jerusalem (3:4,30).
7:2 in charge of Jerusalem. Over Rephaiah and Shallum, who were over sections of the city (3:9,12). Hanani. See note on 1:2. citadel. See notes on 2:8; 3:1.
7:3 until the sun is hot. Normally the gates would be opened at dawn, but their opening was to be delayed until the sun was high in the heavens to prevent the enemy from making a surprise attack before most of the people were up.
7:6–73 Essentially the same as Ezr 2. See notes there for the nature of the list and the reasons for the numerous variations in names and numbers between the two lists.
7:73 settled in their own towns. See note on Ezr 2:70. seventh month. October-November, 444 bc.
8:1–18 The reading from “the Book of the Law of Moses” by Ezra is the first reference to Ezra in almost 13 years since his arrival in 458 bc.
8:2 first day of the seventh month. Oct. 8, 444 bc; the New Year’s Day of the civil calendar (see note on Lev 23:24), celebrated as the Festival of Trumpets (Nu 29:1–6), with cessation of labor and a sacred assembly. women. See 10:28. Women, together with children, are specifically mentioned as present on such solemn occasions (Dt 31:12; Jos 8:35; 2Ki 23:2).
8:3 read it aloud. See Ex 24:7; Ac 8:30 and note; 1Ti 4:13; Rev 1:3. from daybreak till noon. The people evidently stood (vv. 5,7) for five or six hours, listening attentively to the reading and explanation (vv. 7–8,12) of the Scriptures.
8:5 book. Scroll (see note on Ex 17:14). people all stood up. The rabbis deduced from this verse that the congregation should stand for the reading of the Torah. It is customary in Eastern Orthodox churches for the congregation to stand throughout the service.
8:6 lifted their hands. See Ex 9:29 and note; Ps 28:2; 134:2; 1Ti 2:8. Amen! Amen! See notes on Dt 27:15; Ro 1:25. The repetition conveys the intensity of feeling behind the affirmation (for other repetitions see Ge 22:11 and note; cf. 2Ki 11:14; Lk 23:21). worshiped. In its original sense the Hebrew for this verb meant “to prostrate oneself,” as the frequently accompanying phrase “to the ground” indicates. In 2Ch 20:18 Jehoshaphat and the people “fell down in worship before the LORD” when they heard his promise of victory.
8:8 read. See note on v. 3. making it clear. Rabbinic tradition understands the Hebrew for this expression as referring to translation from Hebrew into an Aramaic Targum (see NIV text note). But there is no evidence of Targums (free Aramaic translations of OT books or passages) from such an early date. The earliest extensive Targum is one on Job dated c. 150–100 bc (from Qumran). Targums exist for every book of the OT except Daniel and Ezra-Nehemiah. understood. See v. 12.
8:10 choice food. Delicious, festive food prepared with much fat. The fat of sacrificial animals was offered to God as the tastiest element of the burnt offering (Lev 1:8,12), the fellowship offering (Lev 3:9–10), the sin offering (Lev 4:8–10) and the guilt offering (Lev 7:3–4; see chart). The fat was not to be eaten in these cases. send some to those who have nothing. It was customary for God’s people to remember the less fortunate on joyous occasions (2Sa 6:19; Est 9:22; contrast 1Co 11:20–22; Jas 2:14–16).
8:15 myrtles. Evergreen bushes with a pleasing scent (Isa 41:19; 55:13; Zec 1:8,10–11). palms. The date palm was common around Jericho (Dt 34:3; 2Ch 28:15). shade trees. Cf. Eze 6:13; 20:28. Later Jewish celebrations of the Festival of Tabernacles include waving the lulav (made of branches of palms, myrtles and willows) with the right hand and holding branches of the ethrog (a citrus native to Canaan) in the left.
8:16 courts of the house of God. See note on 13:7. The temple that Ezekiel saw in his visions had an outer and an inner court (see model and article). Ezekiel’s temple was to some extent patterned after Solomon’s, which had an inner court of priests and an outer court (1Ki 6:36; 7:12; 2Ki 21:5; 23:12; 2Ch 4:9; 33:5). The temple of the NT era had a court of the Gentiles and an inner court, which was subdivided into courts of the women, of Israel and of the priests. The Temple Scroll from Qumran has God setting forth in detail an ideal temple. Columns 40–46 describe the outer court as follows: “On the roof of the third story are columns for the constructing of booths for the Festival of Tabernacles, to be occupied by the elders, tribal chieftains, and commanders of thousands and hundreds.” Gate of Ephraim. A gate of the oldest rampart of Jerusalem (see note on 3:6; see also 2Ki 14:13). It was restored by Nehemiah (12:39).
8:17 From the days of Joshua . . . until that day. The phrase does not mean that the Festival of Tabernacles had not been celebrated since Joshua’s time, because such celebrations took place after the dedication of Solomon’s temple (2Ch 7:8–10) and after the return of the exiles (Ezr 3:4). Apparently what is meant is that the festival had not been celebrated before with such great joy (cf. 2Ch 30:26; 35:18).
9:1–37 The ninth chapters of Ezra, Nehemiah and Daniel are devoted to confessions of national sin and to prayers for God’s grace.
9:3 quarter of the day. About three hours.
9:5–37 One of the most beautiful prayers outside the Psalms, it reviews God’s grace and power (1) in creation (v. 6), (2) in the Abrahamic covenant (vv. 7–8), (3) in Egypt and at the Red Sea (vv. 9–11), (4) in the wilderness and at Sinai (vv. 12–21), (5) during the conquest of Canaan (vv. 22–25), (6) through the judges (vv. 26–28), (7) through the prophets (vv. 29–31) and (8) in the present situation (vv. 32–37). Cf. Ps 78; 105–106. See similar prayers in Ezr 9:5–15; Da 9:3–19 (see also note there).
9:17 appointed a leader. Their intention to do so is recorded in Nu 14:4. gracious . . . abounding in love. See note on Ex 34:6–7.
9:21 clothes did not wear out. Evidence of the special providence of God (see Dt 8:4; 29:5; contrast Jos 9:13). swollen. Or “blistered”; the Hebrew for this word occurs only here and in Dt 8:4.
9:25 See Dt 6:10–12 and note; Jos 24:13. fertile. See v. 35; cf. Nu 14:7; Dt 8:7; Jos 23:13. wells already dug. Because of the lack of rainfall during much of the year, almost every house had its own well or cistern in which to store water from the rainy seasons (2Ki 18:31; Pr 5:15). By 1200 bc the technique of waterproofing cisterns was developed, permitting greater occupation of the central hills of Judah. vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees. Cf. Dt 8:8. The Egyptian story of Sinuhe (c. 2000 bc) describes Canaan as follows: “Figs were in it, and grapes. It had more wine than water. Plentiful was its honey, abundant its olives. Every (kind of) fruit was on its trees.” See note on Ex 3:8. well-nourished. Elsewhere the Hebrew for this word always implies physical fullness and spiritual insensitivity.
9:29 The person who obeys them will live by them. See note on Lev 18:5. Stubbornly they turned their backs. See Zec 7:11; cf. the similar expressions in v. 16; 3:5; Hos 4:16.
9:36 we are slaves. A lament that, though they had returned to the promised land, full restoration had not yet occurred.
9:37 rule over our bodies. See 1Sa 8:11–13. The Persian rulers drafted their subjects into military service. Some Jews may have accompanied Xerxes on his invasion of Greece in 480 bc.
10:1–27 A legal list, bearing the official seal and containing a roster of 84 names.
10:9–13 Most of these names appear also in the lists of Levites in 8:7; 9:4–5.
10:31–33 Perhaps a code drawn up by Nehemiah to correct the abuses listed in 13:15–22.
10:32 third of a shekel. Ex 30:13–14 speaks of a “half shekel” as “an offering to the LORD” from each man who was 20 years old or more as a symbolic ransom. Later Joash used the annual contributions for the repair of the temple (2Ch 24:4–14). In the NT period many Jewish men sent an offering of a half shekel (actually two drachmas, its equivalent; see Josephus, Antiquities, 3.8.2) for the temple in Jerusalem (see Mt 17:24 and note). The pledge of a third of a shekel in Nehemiah’s time may have been due to economic circumstances.
10:34 cast lots. A common method of determining God’s will in the OT period (see notes on 11:1; Pr 16:33; Jnh 1:7). contribution of wood. Though there is no specific reference to a wood offering in the Pentateuch, the perpetual burning of fire on the sanctuary altar (Lev 6:12–13) would have required a continual supply of wood. Josephus mentions “the festival of wood offering” on the 14th day of the fifth month (Av). The Jewish Mishnah (rabbinic interpretations and applications of Pentateuchal laws compiled c. ad 200) lists nine times when certain families brought wood and stipulates that all kinds of wood were suitable, except the vine and the olive. The Temple Scroll from Qumran describes the celebration of a wood offering festival for six days following a new olive oil festival.
10:39 See 13:11. We will not neglect. Haggai (Hag 1:4–9) had accused the people of neglecting the temple.
11:1 cast lots. See 10:34. Lots were usually made out of small stones or pieces of wood. Sometimes arrows were used (Eze 21:21). one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem. Josephus (Antiquities, 11.5.8) asserts: “But Nehemiah, seeing that the city had a small population, urged the priests and Levites to leave the countryside and move to the city and remain there, for he had prepared houses for them at his own expense.” The practice of redistributing populations was also used to establish Greek and Hellenistic cities. It involved the forcible transfer from rural settlements to urban centers. Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee was populated with Gentiles by such a process by Herod Antipas in ad 18. holy city. See Isa 48:2 and note; Da 9:24; Mt 4:5; 27:53; Rev 11:2; cf. Joel 3:17.
11:2 In addition to those chosen by lot (v. 1), some volunteered out of a sense of duty. But evidently most preferred to stay in their hometowns.
11:8 928. The men of Benjamin provided twice as many men as Judah (v. 6) to live in and protect the city of Jerusalem.
11:9 New Quarter. See 2Ki 22:14 and note; 2Ch 34:22; Zep 1:10. Like the “market district” (Zep 1:11), which was probably the Tyropoeon Valley area, the New Quarter was a new suburb in north Jerusalem (see map). Excavations indicate that the city had spread outside the walls in this direction by the late eighth century bc before the so-called Broad Wall was built c. 700 by Hezekiah (see note on 3:8).
11:16 outside work. Duties outside the temple (cf. 1Ch 26:29) but connected with it.
11:23 king’s orders . . . regulated. David had regulated the services of the Levites, including the musicians (1Ch 25). The Persian king Darius I gave a royal stipend so that the Jewish elders might “pray for the well-being of the king and his sons” (Ezr 6:10). Artaxerxes I may have done much the same for the Levite choir.
11:25–30 An important list, corresponding to earlier lists of towns in Judah. All these names also appear in Jos 15 with the exception of Dibon, Jekabzeel (but see Kabzeel in Jos 15:21), Jeshua, Mekonah and En Rimmon (but see Ain and Rimmon in Jos 15:32). The list, however, is not comprehensive, since a number of towns listed in ch. 3; Ezr 2:21–22 are lacking.
11:26 Moladah. Near Beersheba; later occupied by the Idumeans. Beth Pelet. Means “house of refuge,” a site near Beersheba.
11:27 Beersheba. See note and NIV text note on Ge 21:31. Archaeological excavations reveal that the city was destroyed by Sennacherib in 701 bc and only resettled in the Persian period.
11:29 En Rimmon. Means “spring of the pomegranate,” probably Khirbet Umm er-Ramamin, nine miles north-northeast of Beersheba (Jos 15:32). Zorah. See note on Jdg 13:2. Jarmuth. Eight miles north-northeast of Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin), it was one of five Canaanite cities in the south that attempted to halt Joshua’s invasion (Jos 10:3–5).
11:30 Zanoah. A village in the Shephelah district of low hills between Judah and Philistia. The residents of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate (3:13). The site has been identified with Khirbet Zanu, three miles south-southeast of Beth Shemesh. Adullam. See note on Ge 38:1. Lachish. See Jos 10:3; see also notes on Isa 36:2; Mic 1:13. Azekah. See note on Jer 34:7. Hinnom. The valley west and south of Jerusalem; Gehenna in the NT (see notes on Isa 66:24; Rev 19:20).
11:32 Anathoth. See note on Jer 1:1. Nob. See note on 1Sa 21:1. Ananiah. Probably Bethany, meaning “house of Ananiah” (see note on Mt 21:17).
11:35 Lod. See note on Ezr 2:33. Ono. See note on 6:2. Ge Harashim. See 1Ch 4:14 and note; the broad valley between Lod and Ono. The name may preserve the ancient memory that the Philistines in that area were blacksmiths (1Sa 13:19–20).
12:1 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel. See Ezr 3:2, 8; 5:2; see also note on Hag 1:1. Joshua. Returned from Babylonian exile in 538/537 bc (see vv. 10,26; 7:7; Ezr 2:2 and note; Hag 1:1; Zec 3:1 and note). Jeremiah. Not the prophet Jeremiah, who would have been dead by this time. Ezra. Not the Ezra of the book, who was the leader of the exiles who returned 80 years later.
12:7 leaders of the priests. The rotation of 24 priestly divisions was established at the time of David (see 1Ch 24:3,7–19 and note on 24:4). Twenty-two heads of priestly houses are mentioned in vv. 1–7. Inscriptions listing the 24 divisions of the priests probably hung in many synagogues in the Holy Land. Fragments of two such inscriptions have been recovered—from Ashkelon in the 1920s and from Caesarea in the 1960s (dated to the third and fourth centuries ad).
12:9 opposite them. See v. 24; Ezr 3:11 and note; cf. 2Ch 7:6. The singing was antiphonal, with two sections of the choir standing opposite each other. services. The Hebrew for this word is the title of a work from Qumran (Mishmarot), which discusses in detail the rotation of the priestly families’ service in the temple according to the sect’s solar calendar and synchronized with the conventional lunar calendar.
12:10 Joshua. See note on v. 1. Joiakim. See vv. 12,26. Eliashib. See vv. 22–23; the high priest who assisted in rebuilding the wall (3:1,20–21; 13:28). A priest named Eliashib was guilty of defiling the temple by assigning rooms to Tobiah the Ammonite (13:4,7). It is not known whether this Eliashib was the same as the high priest.
12:11 Jonathan. Since v. 22 mentions a Johanan after Joiada and before Jaddua, and v. 23 identifies Johanan as “son” of Eliashib, some believe that “Jonathan” is an error for “Johanan.” Further complicating the identification are attempts to identify this high priest with a “Johanan” mentioned in the Elephantine papyri and in Josephus (Antiquities, 11.7.1). Such an identification, however, is disputable.
12:12–21 All but one (Hattush, v. 2) of the 22 priestly families listed in vv. 1–7 are repeated (Rehum, v. 3, is a variant of Harim, v. 15; Mijamin, v. 5, is a variant of Miniamin, v. 17) in this later list, which dates to the time of Joiakim (v. 12), high priest in the late sixth and/or early fifth centuries bc.
12:22 Darius the Persian. Probably Darius II Nothus (423–404 bc).
12:23 book of the annals. Cf. 7:5. This may have been the official temple chronicle, containing various lists and records. Cf. the annals of the Persian kings (Ezr 4:15; Est 2:23; 6:1; 10:2); cf. also the “book of the annals of the kings,” mentioned frequently in 1, 2 Kings.
12:26 Nehemiah . . . Ezra. See note on 8:9.
12:27 dedication. See note on Ezr 6:16. cymbals. See note on Ezr 3:10. Cymbals were used in religious ceremonies (1Ch 16:42; 25:1; 2Ch 5:12; 29:25). Ancient examples have been found at Beth Shemesh and Tell Abu Hawam. harps. See note on Ge 31:27; used mainly in religious ceremonies (1Sa 10:5; 2Sa 6:5; Ps 150:3). Ancient harps have been reconstructed from information derived from the remains of harps at Ur, pictures of harps, and cuneiform texts describing in detail the tuning of harps. lyres. Had strings of the same length but of different diameters and tensions (see 1Ch 15:16; Da 3:5).
12:28 Netophathites. From Netophah, a town near Bethlehem (7:26).
12:29 Beth Gilgal. Perhaps the Gilgal near Jericho (see note on Jos 4:19), or the Gilgal of Elijah (2Ki 2:1), about seven miles north of Bethel.
12:30 purified. See note on Lev 4:12. The Levites are said to have purified all that was sacred in the temple (1Ch 23:28) and the temple itself (2Ch 29:15) during times of revival. Ritual purity was required of God’s people to live in his holy presence (Lev 20:26).
12:31 two large choirs. See note on v. 38. The two great processions probably started from the area of the Valley Gate (2:13,15; 3:13) near the center of the western section of the wall. The first procession, led by Ezra (v. 36), moved in a counterclockwise direction upon the wall; the second, with Nehemiah (v. 38), moved in a clockwise direction. Both met between the Water Gate (v. 37) and the Gate of the Guard (v. 39), then entered the temple area. Cf. Ps 48:12–13. to the right. Or “to the south.” Jews oriented themselves facing east, so the right hand represented the south (Jos 17:7; 1Sa 23:24; Job 23:9). Dung Gate. See note on 2:13.
12:35 trumpets. See note on Ezr 3:10. Each choir had priests blowing trumpets, as well as Levites playing other musical instruments. Asaph. See note on 11:17.
12:38 choir. Or “thanksgiving choir” (v. 40). Tower of the Ovens. See note on 3:11. Broad Wall. See note on 3:8.
12:39 Gate of Ephraim. See notes on 3:6; 8:16. Jeshanah Gate. See note on 3:6. Fish Gate. See note on 3:3. Tower of Hananel . . . Tower of the Hundred . . . Sheep Gate. See note on 3:1. Gate of the Guard. Cf. Jer 32:2.
12:44 Judah was pleased. The people cheerfully contributed their offerings to support the priests and Levites (cf. 2Co 9:7). ministering. See Dt 10:8.
12:47 Zerubbabel. See Ezr 1:2 and note. contributed. The Hebrew for this verb implies continued giving.
13:5 provided him with a large room. During Nehemiah’s absence from the city to return to the Persian king’s court, Tobiah, one of his archenemies, had used his influence with Eliashib to gain entrance into a chamber ordinarily set aside for the storage of tithes and other offerings (see 10:37 and note; cf. Nu 18:21–32; Dt 14:28–29; 26:12–15). Elsewhere we read of the chamber of Meshullam (3:30) and of Jehohanan (Ezr 10:6).
13:6 thirty-second year of Artaxerxes. See note on 5:14. king of Babylon. The title was assumed by Cyrus after his conquest of Babylon (Ezr 5:13) and was adopted by subsequent Achaemenid (Persian) kings.
13:7 came back to Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s second term must have ended before 407 bc, when Bagohi (Bigvai) was governor of Judah according to the Elephantine papyri. Some have suggested that after Nehemiah’s first term he was succeeded by his brother Hanani (see note on 1:2). courts. See note on 8:16. Zerubbabel’s temple had two courtyards (Zec 3:7; cf. Isa 62:9).
13:8 displeased . . . threw. Nehemiah expressed his indignation by taking action (cf. vv. 24–25; 5:6–7). Contrast the reaction of Ezra, who “sat down appalled” (Ezr 9:3). Nehemiah’s action calls to mind Christ’s expulsion of the money changers from the temple area (Mt 21:12–13).
13:9 rooms. Though only a single chamber was mentioned in vv. 5–8, additional rooms were involved. A parallel to the occupation and desecration of the temple by Tobiah comes from a century earlier in Egypt, where Greek mercenaries had occupied the temple of Neith at Sais. Upon the appeal of the Egyptian priest Udjahorresnet (see photo), the Persian king had the squatters driven out and the temple’s ceremonies, processions and revenues restored. The priest’s stele says: “And His Majesty commanded that all the foreigners who had settled in the temple of Neith should be driven out and that all their houses and all their superfluities that were in this temple should be thrown down, and that all their own baggage should be carried for them outside the wall of this temple.”
13:10 Nehemiah was apparently correcting an abuse of long standing. Strictly speaking, the Levites had no holdings (Nu 18:20, 23–24; Dt 14:29; 18:1), but some may have had private income (Dt 18:8). Therefore the Levites were dependent on the faithful support of the people. This may explain the reluctance of great numbers of Levites to return from exile (see Ezr 8:15–20). For the complaints of those who found little material advantage in serving the Lord, see Mal 2:17; 3:13–15.
13:12 tithes. See 12:44. Temples in Mesopotamia also levied tithes for the support of their personnel.
13:13 Of the four treasurers, one was a priest, one a Levite, one a scribe and one a layman of rank. trustworthy. Nehemiah appointed honest men to make sure that supplies were distributed equitably, just as the church later appointed trustworthy people for this purpose (Ac 6:1–5).
13:15 treading winepresses. See notes on Isa 5:2; 16:10. Sabbath. The temptation to violate the Sabbath rest was especially characteristic of non-Jewish merchants (see 10:31; Isa 56:1–8). On the other hand, the high regard that many had for the Sabbath was expressed by parents who called their children Shabbethai (see 8:7; 11:16; Ezr 10:15).
13:19 When evening shadows fell on the gates. Before sunset, when the Sabbath began. The Israelites, like the Babylonians, counted their days from sunset to sunset (the Egyptians reckoned theirs from dawn to dawn). The precise moment when the Sabbath began was heralded by the blowing of a trumpet by a priest. According to the Jewish Mishnah (c. ad 200), on the eve of the Sabbath they used to blow three blasts to cause the people to cease from work and three to mark the break between the sacred and the profane. Josephus (Wars, 4.9.12) speaks of the location on the parapet of the temple where a priest blew the trumpet. Excavators at the temple mount recovered a stone from the southwest corner of the parapet with the inscription “for the place of the blowing [of the trumpet]” (see photo).
13:23 Ezra had dealt with the same problem of intermarriage some 25 years before (see note on Ezr 9:1). Ashdod. See 4:7; Isa 20:1 and notes. Ammon and Moab. See note on Ge 19:36–38.
13:25 pulled out their hair. See Ezr 9:3; Isa 50:6 and notes. The action was likely meant both to punish and to shame (see 2Sa 10:4). You are not to give. Nehemiah’s action was designed to prevent future intermarriages, whereas Ezra dissolved the existing unions.
13:26 Solomon. Israel’s outstanding king in terms of wealth and political achievements (1Ki 3:13; 2Ch 1:12). Solomon began his reign by humbly asking for wisdom from the Lord (1Ki 3:5–9). he was led into sin. In later years his foreign wives led him to worship other gods, so that he built a high place for Chemosh, the god of the Moabites (1Ki 11:7).
13:28 son-in-law to Sanballat. According to Lev 21:14 the high priest was not to marry a foreigner. The expulsion of Joiada’s son followed either this special ban or the general prohibition against intermarriage. The union described in this verse was especially rankling to Nehemiah in the light of Sanballat’s enmity (2:10). Josephus (Antiquities, 11.7.2) records that an almost identical episode, involving a marriage between the daughter of a Sanballat of Samaria and the brother of the Jewish high priest, took place a little over a century later in the time of Alexander the Great.
13:30 duties. Or “divisions,” referring to the assignment of particular duties to groups of priests and Levites, possibly on a rotating basis (see note on 12:9).
13:31 wood. See 10:34 and note. Remember me with favor. The last recorded words of Nehemiah recapitulate a theme running through the final chapter (vv. 14,22; see note on 1:8). His motive throughout his ministry was to please and to serve his divine Sovereign.