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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Nehemiah 13:1 - 13:14
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In the Temple and its Services
v. 1. On that day, namely, the day of the dedication of the walls, they read in the Book of Moses in the audience of the people, evidently the Book of Deu_7:1-6; Deu_23:3-8; and therein was found written that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God forever, neither by being made a part of the Jewish nation nor by entering into its organization through marriage; to be exact, no Moabite or Ammonite family could be admitted to the privileges of the Jewish Church until in the tenth generation after quitting heathenism and formally declaring its adherence to the Jewish religion;
v. 2. because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them that he should curse them, Num_22:5; howbeit, our God turned the curse into a blessing, Num_23:11; Num_24:10.
v. 3. Now, it came to pass, when they had heard the Law, this particular passage, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude, excluding all the children of mixed marriages from the congregation by authority of the divine Law. At this point of the narrative there seems to be a gap of about twelve years.
v. 4. And before this, rather, in the face of all this, in spite of the reforms instituted by Nehemiah at the time of his first sojourn in Jerusalem, Eliashib, the priest, the successor of Jehoiakim, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of God, as the high priest of the Jews, was allied unto Tobiah, contracting a family relation with this enemy of the Jews by marriage;
v. 5. and he had prepared for him a great chamber, where Tobiah could reside when visiting Jerusalem, where aforetime they laid the meat-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn (grain), the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites and the singers and the porters, and the offerings of the priests. So Eliashib had calmly converted a number of cells of the Temple which had been designated for Un-bloody sacrificial offerings and tithes into a dwelling for this stranger and enemy of the Jews. Note that the Levites, whose duty it was to assist in the sacrifices, are distinguished from the priests on the one hand and from the singers and porters on the other.
v. 6. But in all this time, while this desecration took place, was not I at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, about twelve years after his first trip to Jerusalem, came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king, his earnest request to return to Jerusalem for a second time was granted;
v. 7. and I came to Jerusalem and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, the abuses which he had introduced in Nehemiah's absence, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God, providing living quarters for his relative within the precincts of the Temple.
v. 8. And it grieved me sore; therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber, much as our Lord later cleansed the Temple courts of the venders and money-changers.
v. 9. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God with the meat-offering and the frankincense.
v. 10. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, a fact which had probably furnished Eliashib with an excuse to appropriate the storage-cells for the use to which he had put them; for the Levites and the singers, including the porters, that did the work, were fled every one to his field, compelled to leave their posts in order to provide for the maintenance of themselves and their families.
v. 11. Then contended I with the rulers and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? The enthusiasm shown at the dedication of the walls had been replaced by an utter apathy, which permitted a total neglect of the Temple worship. The reproof was directed to the priests to whom the management of the Temple and its services had been committed, who should have opposed the course of Eliashib with all emphasis. And I gathered them, the Levites, and set them in their place, giving them back the positions which they formerly held.
v. 12. Then brought all Judah, all the members of the Jewish Church, the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries, the storehouses of the Temple, as they had pledged themselves to do.
v. 13. And I made treasurers over the treasuries, placed men in charge of the storehouses: Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah, these men being responsible for the Temple stores of offerings and tithes; and next to them was Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, a very necessary virtue in this position, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.
v. 14. Remember me, O my God, concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof, for everything that was required to be observed in connection with the Temple worship. This was not a prayer of self-glorification, but a testimony of God's grace in the life of Nehemiah, and every believer may not only rightly boast of the possession of such grace, but also rejoice over it after the manner of Nehemiah.