18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

3 Or, matters.

Verse 2. In some one of the villages in the plain of Ono.'-Probably the word rendered in the villages' should be left as a proper name-in Cephirim'-which was most likely the same as Chephirah, one of the towns which belonged to the Gibeonites, and afterwards to the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. ix. 17; xviii. 26).

5. With an open letter in his hand.'-That the letter was open, is very probably noticed as a circumstance denoting the disrespect with which Nehemiah was treated. Although the Orientals do not close their letters after our fashion, they never send them open but to an inferior person, or to one whom, if a superior or equal, they intend to treat with studied disrespect. The letters of the Western Asiatics, which are usually very brief, are commonly rolled up, and the roll flattened to about the breadth of an inch. These letters are not sealed with wax; but pasted at the ends, or else a bit of paper is fastened around with gum and sealed with the usual ink impression. Letters to inferiors are often sent as unsealed rolls; but to superiors and even equals they are neatly done up in bags of silk, satin, or taffety. D'Arvieux relates a reform which he introduced into the official correspondence of the chief emir of the Arabs settled in Palestine. The illness of this chief's secretary, and the inconvenience it occasioned, induced him to undertake his duty in writing the emir's letters. They had before been coarsely written and rudely done up. 'I made a cipher,' he says, 'of his (the emir's) name and titles, in which every letter was artificially interwoven. This I put at the top or bottom of the letters, according to the quality of the person addressed, with strokes or flourishes on each side, to give him, according to the way of the Orientals, some marks of grandeur..... The prince, considering the manner in which I did his letters, upon

large paper, in a character he was not used to, and with a magnificence that was till then unknown to him, was quite overjoyed.' He afterwards adds, that before the letters were dispatched, he fitted them up in little taffety bags, of several colours, a formality to which the emir had been an utter stranger. The latter was so delighted with all this that he cried up D'Arvieux for the best scribe in the world. 'But,' he says, 'I should not have passed for such among nicer and more instructed persons; but I was with the Arabs of the desert, who are very ignorant; and although what I did was very indifferent, it was good enough for the Bedouins-a people without ceremony and without politeness.' This being the case, Nehemiah would probably have overlooked the unceremonious state of the letter had it come from Geshem the Arabian; but Sanballat doubtless knew well what was due to a person in Nehemiah's station; and therefore the open state of the letter could be nothing less than a studied insult.-It will be observed that D'Arvieux notices the large size of the paper on which he wrote; accordingly, letters to kings and princes are written on very large paper, with great breadth of margin. These fold in a large size, and are elegantly done up in cases of silk, satin, or of silk interwoven with threads of silver or gold. In this case the ribbon, or gold or silver lace with which the bag is tied, is sometimes, after being knotted, passed through wax, which is impressed with a seal in the usual manner.-The omission of all such little epistolary ceremonials, about which the Orientals are very particular, was a significant circumstance which Nehemiah could not fail to notice-particularly as he had been brought up in one of the most ceremonious courts in the world.

CHAPTER VII.

1 Nehemiah committeth the charge of Jerusalem to Hanani and Hananiah. 5 A register of the genealogy of them which came at the first out of Babylon, 8 of the people, 39 of the priests, 43 of the Levites, 46 of the Nethinims, 57 of Solomon's servants, 63 and of the priests which could not find their pedigree. 66 The whole number of them, with their substance. 70 Their oblations.

Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,

2 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.

1 Heb. broad in spaces.

3 And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors. and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.

4 Now the city was 'large and great; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.

5 ¶ And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,

6 These are the children of the province,

2 Ezra 2. 1, &c.

that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;

3

7 Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;

8 The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.

9 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.

10 The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.

11 The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen.

12 The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

13 The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.

14 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.

15 The children of 'Binnui, six hundred forty and eight.

16 The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight.

17 The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.

18 The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.

19 The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven.

20 The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five.

21 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.

22 The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.

23 The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.

24 The children of 'Hariph, an hundred and twelve.

25 The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.

26 The men of Beth-lehem and Netophah, an hundred fourscore and eight.

27 The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.

28 The men of 'Beth-azmaveth, forty and

30 The men of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.

31 The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two.

32 The men of Beth-el and Ai, an hundred twenty and three.

33 The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two. 34 The children of the other "Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

35 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.

36 The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.

37 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one.

38 The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

39 The priests: the children of "Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.

40 The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.

41 The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.

42 The children of Harim, a thousand and

seventeen.

43 The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the children of "Hodevah, seventy and four.

44 The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred forty and eight.

45 The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, an hundred thirty and eight.

46 ¶ The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

47 The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,

48 The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,

49 The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,

50 The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,

51 The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,

52 The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim,

53 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

54 The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

5 Or, Jora. 10 1 Chron. 24. 7.

7 Or, Azmaveth. 8 Or, Kirjath-arim. 11 Or, Hodaviah, Ezra 2. 40; or, Judah, Ezra 3. 9.

56 The children of Neziah, the children of

Hatipha.

57 ¶ The children of Solomon's servants : the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,

58 The children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

59 The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of 12 Amon.

60 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.

13

61 And these were they which went up also from Tel-melah, Tel-haresha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not shew their father's house, nor their "seed, whether they were of Israel.

62 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.

63 And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.

64 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.

65 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy

66

The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,

67 Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.

:

68 Their horses, seven hundred thirty and six their mules, two hundred forty and five: 69 Their camels, four hundred thirty and five: six thousand seven hundred and twenty

71 And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver.

72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pound of silver, and threescore and seven priests' garments.

73 So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.

...

Verse 3. Let not the gates. be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by.'-The gates were to be opened in the presence of the responsible officers named, and not until somewhat after sunrise, probably that any enemies might be clearly seen, and the inhabitants up and in a condition to defend themselves. Most Oriental towns of any consequence are walled, and great strictness is usually observed in shutting and opening the gates. They are usually closed about sunset, and opened about sunrise. When once closed, they are seldom opened to let any one pass in or out, unless to persons of great authority or consequence. The rule is generally very strict, though not equally so in all places. For this reason travellers are obliged to calculate their journeys so as to arrive at towns before the gates close, as they may otherwise have to wait outside all night; or, when travelling by night, they endeavour to manage so as not to arrive long before the gates are opened. Parties seldom travel by day except in winter; and in that season the uncomfortable prospect of spending a cold night outside the walls of a town occasions great anxiety when any unforeseen delay on the road renders it doubtful that the town may be reached before the gates are closed. In those parts of Western Asia where the winter cold is severe, disastrous consequences sometimes arise from miscalculation or delay.

4. The city was large and great: but the people were few therein.-The walls were doubtless built on the old foundations, which accounts for this. The circumference of the walls is now only about two miles and a half; but it must anciently have been far more extensive. Josephus says, the circumference of the city was thirty-three furlongs: but as this was after the third wall had been built by Agrippa, the city in Nehemiah's time must have been less extensive. On such a point Josephus is a better authority than Hecatæus, who makes the circumference of Jerusalem to have been fifty furlongs-that is, more than six miles. The observation in the text, though only applicable to the then existing state of Jerusalem, would be, according to our ideas, applicable to most Oriental towns. They cover a great extent of ground in comparison with their population. For although the streets are narrow, the houses usually stand so much apart, and every respectable house is built with such large open courts, and then there are often so many gardens and plantations, that Asiatic towns do not contain generally anything near the population of English towns of similar extent. But the naturally contracted site of Jerusalem probably had some effect in preventing this dispersed mode of building under ordinary circumstances.

law.

CHAPTER VIII. 1 The religious manner of reading and hearing the 9 They comfort the people. 13 The forwardness of them to hear and be instructed. 16 They keep the feast of tabernacles. AND all the 'people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the 'scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh

month.

3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a 'pul1 Ezra 3. 1. 2 Ezra 7. 6. 3 Heb. that understood in hearing.

pit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people ;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

8 So they read in the book in

4 Heb. from the light. 5 Heb. tower of wood.

the law of

6 Heb. eyes. 567

10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.

12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.

7 Or, the governor.

14 And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded 'by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.

17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was "a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

11 Ieb, a restraint.

9 Heb. by the hand of.

Verse 1. To bring the book of the law.'-This being the first day of the seventh ecclesiastical year was the new year's day of the civil year, and therefore a great day. The first day of every month was a festival; and the commencement of this month was also particularly distinguished as the feast of Trumpets, which continued for two days. The people were probably apprized, on this great occasion, that Ezra had finished his edition of the books of the Law; and which they therefore desired to hear read to them. Ezra was no doubt rejoiced at the invitation.

4. A pulpit of wood.... made for the purpose.'Something probably in the shape of a scaffold or raised platform, ascended by steps, and railed or otherwise fenced. It must have been large, as it contained thirteen persons besides Ezra.

7. Caused the people to understand the law.'-It is probable that, as Ezra read the law in pure Hebrew, the Levites explained or translated it, period by period, into the Chaldee dialect, which, from their long residence in Babylonia, had now become the vernacular tongue of the Jews. It is indeed important to note, that from the time of the Babylonish captivity the Hebrew ceased to be the language of the Jews, although perhaps it was not completely displaced by the Chaldee till the time of the Maccabees. The Hebrew and Chaldee were cognate dialects, both of which have long ceased to be living tongues; and the knowledge of the latter, as a dead language, has only been preserved through its having been once used by the Jews. Through that use we have certain portions of the Scripture (Ezra iv. 8, to vi. 18; vii. 12-26; Jer. x. 11; Dan. ii. 4, to the end of ch. vii.) in Chaldee; and also the Targums or paraphrases, which were written in that language to make the sacred books intelligible to the people. For the Law has

always, even to this day, been read to the people in Hebrew; after which, while the Chaldee remained the vernacular tongue, an explanation was given in it, after the precedent supposed to be here established by Ezra. These explanations were at first oral, but were afterwards written down, and form the Targums or paraphrases which are still preserved. The Chaldee, as in use among the Jews, doubtless acquired many words peculiarly Hebrew. It is quite certain that the Chaldee did become the vernacular tongue of the Jews from the time of the Captivity; but it is contended by some, that the Hebrew was at this time intelligible to the people; and therefore that the explanation given by the Levites did not consist in interpretation, but in an exposition of the meaning of difficult passages. We think, however, that if the language of the people was in such a condition on the return from the Captivity that Chaldee ultimately became the vernacular tongue, that language must necessarily have been so much more familiar to them than the pure old Biblical Hebrew as to have rendered some verbal explanation of the latter indispensable. Those who have attended to languages in a state of transition will apprehend that a very considerable proportion of what was read was intelligible to the people, but that there were many words and phrases which they could not understand; and we conceive that the Levites, in repeating, from different sides of the pulpit, what Ezra had read, employed, in such instances at least, Chaldee words and phrases of equivalent meaning. Whether they also gave an expository explanation is not necessarily a separate or opposing question, since they may have done both, and probably did so, considering how imperfectly the mass of the people were then acquainted with the Law.

14. That the children of Israel should dwell in booths."