Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Nehemiah 13:10 - 13:10

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Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Nehemiah 13:10 - 13:10


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The payment of dues to the Levites, and the delivery of the tenths and first-fruits, had also been omitted. - Neh 13:10. “And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given; and the Levites and singers who had to do the work, were fled every one to his field.” The Levites, i.e., the assistants of the priests, the singers, and also the porters, who are not expressly mentioned in this passage, were accustomed to receive during the time of their ministry their daily portions of the tenths and first-fruits (Neh 12:47). When then these offerings were discontinued, they were obliged to seek their maintenance from the fields of the towns and villages in which they dwelt (Neh 12:28.), and to forsake the service of the house of God. This is the meaning of the בָּרַח, to flee to the fields.

Neh 13:11-12

“Then I contended with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken?” It was the duty of the סְגָנִים, the heads of the community (comp. Neh 2:16), to see that the tithes, etc., were regularly brought to the house of God. Hence Nehemiah rebukes them by asking: Why is the house of God forsaken? i.e., through the non-delivery of the dues. On נֶעֱזַב, comp. Neh 10:39. This rebuke made the impression desired. Nehemiah assembled the Levites and set them in their place (comp. Neh 9:3; 2Ch 30:16; 2Ch 35:10), i.e., he brought them back to the performance of their official duties, and (Neh 13:12) all Judah (the whole community) brought the tithe of the corn, etc., into the store-chambers of the temple; comp. Neh 10:38. 2Ch 11:11.

Neh 13:13-14

“And I appointed as managers of the stores (or storehouses, i.e., magazines) Shemaiah the priest,” etc. וָאֹוצְרָה, Hiphil, for אֹוצִירָה, is a denominative from אֹוצָר, to set some one over the treasures. Whether Shemaiah and Zadok are the individuals of these names mentioned in Neh 3:30, Neh 3:29, cannot be determined. Zadok is called a סֹופֵר, a writer or secretary, not a scribe in the Jewish sense of that word. A Pedaiah occurs Neh 8:4. יָדָם וְעַל, and at their hand Hanan, probably as an under-steward. These four were placed in this position because they were esteemed faithful. וַעֲלֵיהֶם, and it was (incumbent) on them (comp. 1Ch 9:27; Ezr 10:12) to distribute to their brethren, i.e., to the priests and Levites, the portions due to them (Neh 13:10). Nehemiah concludes his account of this matter with the wish, that God may remember him concerning it (comp. Neh 5:19), and not wipe out the kindnesses which he has shown to the house of God and its watches. תֶּמַה, abbreviated from the Hiphil תַּמְחֶה, to cause to wipe out. חֲסָדִים .tuo like 2Ch 35:26. מִשְׁמָרִים (the form occurring only here), properly watches, watch-posts, here the office of attending on the service of the temple.