Verse 1. Priests. But not all, as some are omitted. See verse 7. 22, and so forth—Josue, or Jesus, the high priest.—Esdras, the famous scribe, who is supposed to have returned to Babylon, and to have been living under Nehemias, who came to Jerusalem 81 years after Zorobabel. If, therefore, Esdras was only 20 years old at the former period, he must have lived above 100 years, ( Calmet.) which is not improbable. Lyran. Tirinus. and so forth—He returned again with many of his countrymen, by the king’s leave. Worthington.
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Verse 7. Chief. Heads of the 24 great families. 1 Chronicles 24:18.
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Verse 8. Hymns. To preside over the bands. Calmet. 11:17. Calmet.
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Verse 9. Office. Hebrew “in the watches,” each in his turn, (Vatab.) “daily.” Septuagint Menochius.
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Verse 10. Joacim. These are some of the successors of Josue, ( Menochius.) who were high priests till the time of Jeddoa, or Jaddus. Worthington.
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Verse 11. Jonathan, is called Johanan by S. Jerom, (in Dan.) Josephus, and so forth—Jeddoa. The Jaddus, who went to meet Alexander, in his pontifical attire, and was graciously received by him; as the monarch revered in his person the God of the Hebrews, who had formerly appeared to him in this manner, to encourage him to undertake the conquests of Asia. Josephus xi. 8.—Some think that the names of Jonathan and Jeddoa, and the verse 22, 23, and 24, have been inserted since the time of Nehemias; as he must have lived 140 years, to see the conquests of Alexander. Tirinus. Petau. N. Alex. Tirinus. 2 Dis. 7.—He could not be less than 20, when he returned in 3550. Jaddus met Alexander in 3672; consequently, at that time, Nehemias was 142 years old. But if he died at the commencement of the reign of Darius Codomannus 3668, he would still be 138. Calmet.—Yet this longevity is by no means incredible, verse 1. Calmet. 13:28. Bible.—Usher ( A. 3602) maintains that Johanan was pontiff under Memnon.
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Verse 12. Saraia had given his name to one of the principal families, at the head of which was Maraia, at this time. The Latin MSS. Septuagint and Syr. style him Amaria.
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Verse 17. Phelti was chief of two families, ( Calmet.) or perhaps the name of the head of Miamin ( Bible.) is lost. Vatable.—And, is not in Hebrew “of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Pittai,” Prot. Bible.
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Verse 19. Jodaia. The same name is written Idaia, verse 6, and 21.
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Verse 22. Persian. Surnamed Codomannus, ( Bible.) Condomanus, (Grot. Calmet.) or Natus, under whom Jaddus was born, though he was pontiff under the former. Usher, A. 3553.
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Verse 23. Chronicles. Not those which are now extant: but some records which regarded the families of the priests. See 1 Ezra 2:61.—The son, or grandson of Eliasib. The author refers to others records, verse 26. Calmet.
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Verse 24. Order. Hebrew “ward over-against ward.” One company kept guard while another retired. Menochius.
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Verse 25. Entrances. These are not distinctly mentioned before. See 1 Chronicles 26:15. 17. Ezekiel 40:8. Calmet.—Septuagint have only, after order, or him, verse 25. “When I assembled the door-keepers, (verse 26,) in the days of Joakeim.” Bible.
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Verse 26. Scribe. Could these records have any greater authority than Nehemias himself? It seems, therefore, that this had been added by a later hand, whose testimony is perfectly authentic and inspired. Calmet.—Nehemias might also refer to some records which he, or some other, had drawn up. Bible.
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Verse 27. Wall. Some time before, (Usher. Calmet.) or now, when the houses were completed. V. Bede. Tirinus.—Places, for greater solemnity. The ancients deemed “the walls and gates sacred things, the property of no man.” Justinian, l. sacra loca.—Ovid describes the superstitious rites, with which the Romans laid the foundations of their cities, on some lucky day.
Fossa fit ad solidum, fruges jaciuntur in imâ, and so forth Fast. iv.
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Verse 30. Were purified first, that they might purify the rest. Bible.—Priests were obliged to abstain from wine, and from their wives, while they were on duty. See 2 Chronicles 29:34, and 35:2, and so forth Levites were to wash their garments. Leviticus 8:21. All lepers, and so forth required a certain purification, ib. verse 2. 6 and Numbers 19:16. Care was taken that no dead body was found on the walls. These were probably sprinkled with water, and so forth like the tabernacle. Leviticus 8:11.
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Verse 31. Choirs. This is not expressed in Hebrew and Septuagint but must be understood. Prot. “great companies of them that gave thanks. Whereof one went.” Bible.—The princes led the way, then the priests sounded the trumpets, (Numbers 10:8) the Levites sung, and were followed by the people. All were divided into two equal parts, and went round half the city. Calmet.—They set out from the dunghill-gate, on the west, and proceeded to the watch-gate, on the east, verse 38. Menochius.
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Verse 35. Esdras, mentioned verse 33, was the chief personage, at the head of this company. Bible.
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Verse 37. And, and so forth Prot. “And the other company of them that gave thanks.”—And upon. Hebrew “beyond.” This company ( Bible.) proceeded northward. Calmet.
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Verse 38. Watch-gate. Syr. and Arab. “great gate,” by which they came down.
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Verse 42. Great. Numerous, or victims of a large size, oxen, and so forth
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Verse 43. Thanksgiving. S. Jerom, Septuagint and Syr. have read in a different manner from the present Hebrew ( Calmet.) which has, “for the tithes to gather into them out of the fields of the cities, the portions of (or by) the law assigned to the priests, and so forth Tora, “law,” has been read, toda, “thanksgiving,” by S. Jerom; and sarim, “princes,” has been substituted for sadim, “fields.” Bible.—The Syriac admits the second reading. Calmet.—Septuagint omit the first entirely. “For the tithes, and for the collections in them, brought to the princes of the cities, being the portions for the priests,” and so forth Bible.
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Verse 44. Expiation. Or the legal purifications, ( Menochius.) when necessary. Bible.
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Verse 45. Asaph was master of music in the reign of David. Menochius.
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Verse 46. Sanctified. That is, they gave them that which by the law was set aside, and sanctified for their use. Challoner.—The Levites paid a tithe to the priests, (Calmet. 10:38 and Numbers 18:26. Calmet.) as the people did to them. Worthington.