HarperCollins Study Bible

by Harold W. Attridge

  The Generosity of Nehemiah

  14Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. 15The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people, and took food and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. 16Indeed, I devoted myself to the work on this wall, and acquired no land; and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17Moreover there were at my table one hundred fifty people, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations around us. 18Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and every ten days skins of wine in abundance; yet with all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because of the heavy burden of labor on the people. 19Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

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  5.1–13 The threat from without is followed by a threat to the community’s stability from within. A shortage of food has led to large-scale debt slavery, and Nehemiah takes measures in response to an outcry from the people.

  5.2 With our sons and our daughters, we are many, preferably “we are giving our sons and our daughters as pledges” for borrowings.

  5.4 The king’s tax, the levy from the provinces for the central Persian government.

  5.7 The nobles and the officials, the lenders of money. Taking interest. The Hebrew means rather “seizing (persons, land, and goods) given in pledge against debts.” Interest on loans was illegal (Lev 25.36–37; Deut 23.19–20) but taking pledges was sanctioned by the law (Deut 24.10). Nehemiah, himself one of the moneylenders (v. 10), is not confessing to any illegal act, but accepts that pledge-taking from kinspeople is not good (v. 9).

  5.10 Stop this taking of interest, rather “stop this taking in pledge,” and perhaps implying also the return of pledges already taken.

  5.11 Interest on, rather “pledge on.”

  5.13 The fold of my garment, the ancient equivalent of pockets. The people, the nobles and moneylenders.

  5.14–19 The account of Nehemiah’s generosity as governor now continues the theme of the benefits of his rule for the Judeans.

  5.14 Nehemiah’s appointment as governor was only implicit in 2.5–8. It ran from 445 to 433/2 BCE. As governor, he was entitled to deduct his own expenses from the taxes he collected for the central government, but he refrained from doing so.

  5.15 Forty shekels of silver a day (about 1 pound).

  5.17 Those…from the nations, imperial and provincial officials.

  NEHEMIAH 6

  Intrigues of Enemies Foiled

  1Now when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that there was no gap left in it (though up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?” 4They sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. 5In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6In it was written, “It is reported among the nations—and Geshema also says it—that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall; and according to this report you wish to become their king. 7You have also set up prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. So come, therefore, and let us confer together.” 8Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own mind” 9—for they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

  10One day when I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, tonight they are coming to kill you.” 11But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Would a man like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!”12Then I perceived and saw that God had not sent him at all, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13He was hired for this purpose, to intimidate me and make me sin by acting in this way, and so they could give me a bad name, in order to taunt me. 14Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

  The Wall Completed

  15So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraidb and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 17Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 19Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence, and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

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  a Heb Gashmu

  b Another reading is saw

  6.1–7.4 In spite of traps for Nehemiah, the wall is finished and security arrangements made.

  6.1 Sanballat, Tobiah. See note on 2.10. Geshem the Arab. See notes on 2.19; 4.7.

  6.2 The plain of Ono, ca. twenty miles northwest of Jerusalem. To do me harm. Nehemiah does not know what kind of harm exactly.

  6.3 It is a witty reply to make the work his excuse for refusing the invitation when the purpose of the invitation is to make him cease the work.

  6.5 An open letter, an unsealed sheet of papyrus or an ostracon (a piece of pottery) containing a charge of treason could be fatal for Nehemiah.

  6.7 There is a king in Judah. It is not impossible that Nehemiah was being hailed by some as a messiah, as Haggai (2.21–23) and Zechariah (3.8; 4.6–10; 6.10–14) had hailed a former governor, Zerubbabel.

  6.9 But now…hands, a prayer that suits the time of the events rather than of the writing (cf. note on 4.4–5).

  6.10–13 Sanballat engineers another attempt to discredit Nehemiah and make him stop the wall building.

  6.10–11 Shemaiah seems to have been inveigling Nehemiah to enter the temple, which was forbidden to him as a layman, in order to destroy his reputation. How this is connected to what Nehemiah perceived as a threat to his life is hard to tell.

  6.10 Shemaiah, an otherwise unknown prophet apparently in league with Sanballat. Confined to his house, for some religious reason.

  6.14 A prayer like that of v. 9 except that it belongs rather to the time of writing. Noadiah and the rest of the prophets, allusions to otherwise unknown events.

  6.15 The wall, begun on August 11, was finished on October 2, 445 BCE.

  6.17–19 Instead of an account of the dedication of the wall, which will come in 12.27–43, we have a further note of hostility toward Nehemiah. It is hard to see what Tobiah hoped to achieve by both threatening Nehemiah and having his friends praise him to Nehemiah.

  NEHEMIAH 7

  1Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 2I gave my brother Hanani charge over Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel—for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. 3And I said to them, “The gates of Jerusal
em are not to be opened until the sun is hot; while the gatekeepersa are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their watch posts, and others before their own houses.” 4The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few and no houses had been built.

  Lists of the Returned Exiles

  5Then my God put it into my mind to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who were the first to come back, and I found the following written in it:

  6These are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried into exile; they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. 7They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.

  The number of the Israelite people: 8the descendants of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy-two. 9Of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy-two. 10Of Arah, six hundred fifty-two. 11Of Pahath-moab, namely the descendants of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred eighteen. 12Of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four. 13Of Zattu, eight hundred forty-five. 14Of Zaccai, seven hundred sixty. 15Of Binnui, six hundred forty-eight. 16Of Bebai, six hundred twenty-eight. 17Of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty-two. 18Of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-seven. 19Of Bigvai, two thousand sixty-seven. 20Of Adin, six hundred fifty-five. 21Of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, ninety-eight. 22Of Hashum, three hundred twenty-eight. 23Of Bezai, three hundred twenty-four. 24Of Hariph, one hundred twelve. 25Of Gibeon, ninety-five. 26The people of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred eighty-eight. 27Of Anathoth, one hundred twenty-eight. 28Of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two. 29Of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty-three. 30Of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty-one. 31Of Michmas, one hundred twenty-two. 32Of Bethel and Ai, one hundred twenty-three. 33Of the other Nebo, fifty-two. 34The descendants of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four. 35Of Harim, three hundred twenty. 36Of Jericho, three hundred forty-five. 37Of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-one. 38Of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred thirty.

  39The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah, namely the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy-three. 40Of Immer, one thousand fifty-two. 41Of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven. 42Of Harim, one thousand seventeen.

  43The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua, namely of Kadmiel of the descendants of Hodevah, seventy-four. 44The singers: the descendants of Asaph, one hundred forty-eight. 45The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, of Ater, of Talmon, of Akkub, of Hatita, of Shobai, one hundred thirty-eight.

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

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

  60All the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants were three hundred ninety-two.

  61The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove their ancestral houses or their descent, whether they belonged to Israel: 62the descendants of Delaiah, of Tobiah, of Nekoda, six hundred forty-two. 63Also, of the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, of Hakkoz, of Barzillai (who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name). 64These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean; 65the governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food, until a priest with Urim and Thummim should come.

  66The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty, 67besides their male and female slaves, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven; and they had two hundred forty-five singers, male and female.68They had seven hundred thirty-six horses, two hundred forty-five mules,b 69four hundred thirty-five camels, and six thousand seven hundred twenty donkeys.

  70Now some of the heads of ancestral houses contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury one thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred thirty priestly robes. 71And some of the heads of ancestral houses gave into the building fund twenty thousand darics of gold and two thousand two hundred minas of silver. 72And what the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, two thousand minas of silver, and sixty-seven priestly robes.

  73So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.

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  a Heb while they

  b Ezra 2.66 and the margins of some Hebrew Mss: MT lacks They had…forty-five mules

  7.1 The singers, and the Levites, probably to be omitted as a scribal addition.

  7.2 It is likely that the text refers to only one city governor, Hanani, Nehemiah’s brother; Hananiah is an alternative writing of the name.

  7.3 The strict security precautions are not hard to understand, but obviously not opening the gates until the sun is hot was unusual.

  7.4 Wide and large, 30 or 40 acres. No houses, i.e., no new houses, for there were already inhabitants of the city (cf., e.g., 3.20; 7.3).

  7.5–73a Nehemiah takes a census of the people to prepare for the repopulating of the city (11.1–2). The list that follows is largely identical with Ezra 2. This old list, which Nehemiah says he found, may have been useful in establishing which families were of pure Jewish descent, for only those would have been eligible for transfer to Jerusalem.

  7.73b–9.37 In these chapters Ezra is the principal figure, and it seems that they were originally integrated with the Ezra memoir of Ezra 7–10.

  7.73b–8.12 Ezra summons the people to a ceremony for the reading of the law. In the present context, it occurs about a week after the finishing of the wall (cf. 6.15), but on the view that Neh 8–9 reports events of 458 BCE and that that was the year of Ezra’s arrival, the reading of the law took place two months after Ezra came to Jerusalem (cf. 8.2 with Ezra 7.9).

  NEHEMIAH 8

  Ezra Summons the People to Obey the Law

  When the seventh month came—the people of Israel being settled in their towns—1all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had given to Israel. 2Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. 3He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 4The scribe Ezra stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites,a helped the people to understand the law, while the people remained in their places. 8So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the
reading.

  9And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our LORD; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 11So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

  The Festival of Booths Celebrated

  13On the second day the heads of ancestral houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to the scribe Ezra in order to study the words of the law. 14And they found it written in the law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the people of Israel should live in boothsb during the festival of the seventh month, 15and that they should publish and proclaim in all their towns and in Jerusalem as follows, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths,c as it is written.” 16So the people went out and brought them, and made boothsd for themselves, each on the roofs of their houses, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. 17And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made boothse and lived in them; for from the days of Jeshua son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. 18And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the book of the law of God. They kept the festival seven days; and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.