The covenant and those who sealed it
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| 1 ¶ Now those that sealed
were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,
.2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah, .4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the priests. |
1 -
Sealed
That is, those signing or agreeing to the covenant. See chapter 9.
2 - Seraiah ... These were names of priests serving at around 444 BC. See on ne1212. |
| 9 And the Levites: both Jeshua
the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;
10 And their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodijah, Bani, Beninu. |
9 - Levites Jeshua, Binnui, and Kadmiel were heads of three major families of Levites who returned with Zerubbabel ezr0240, ezr0309, ne0743, ne0904,5. |
| 14 The chief of the people; Parosh,
Pahathmoab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani,
15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur, 18 Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21 Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub, 24 Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 And Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah. |
14
- Chief of the people Or "leaders of the people." Through
verse 20 families who returned with Zerubbabel are named.
(See verses linked above at verse 9.) |
| .28
And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the
singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from
the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and
their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
29 They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes; |
28 - The rest of the people "Those who were not present at the sealing ratified the covenant by giving their assent, either in words or by lifting up their hands, and bound themselves, by a solemn oath, to walk in God's law, imprecating a curse upon themselves in the event of their violating it." (JFB Commentary) |
| 30 And that we would not give
our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for
our sons:
31 And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt. |
30 - Not give our daughters Family connections were considered important. The people were not to make marriage ties. |
| 32 ¶ Also we made ordinances
for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for
the service of the house of our God;
33 For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. .34 And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law: |
32 - Third part ... for the service "The law required every individual above twenty years of age to pay half a shekel to the sanctuary. But in consequence of the general poverty of the people, occasioned by war and captivity, this tribute was reduced to a third part of a shekel." (JFB) |
| .35
And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all
fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:
36 Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God: .37 And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. |
35
- Firstfruits Of the ground ex2319,
ex3426,
de2602;
of the trees
le1923.
36 - Firstborn of our sons To be redeemed – an offering given for sons and animals nu1815ff. 37 - Tithes For the support of the ministry. This apparently had been neglected. |
| 38 And the priest the son
of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the
Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God,
to the chambers, into the treasure house.
39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God. |
38 - The priest ... with Representatives of priests and levites helped avoid temptation. The levites got the tithe and were to pass on a tithe of that to the priests nu1825ff. |
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