A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 5
Nehemiah CHAP. V.
THIS Chapter conſiſts of Three Parts; Firſt, A Sedition in the City: Secondly, Its Pacification: And Thirdly, The Settlement of the City in Peace.
Remarks upon the Firſt Part: Firſt, The Great Outcry of the Poor againſt the Rich, for Oppreſſing them after a moſt grievous manner, as is deſcribed ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. wherein
Mark 1. [Vaiſh Aſher Omerims, Hebr.] ver. 1. which Emphatically ſignifies (ſaith Junius) there was a great Outcry of the Mobile, ſuch as Seditious ones uſe to ſet up in their outragious Uproars, when under ſome grievous Oppreſſion, and greatly pinched with Penury and Poverty. Venter non habet Aures, The Belly hath no Ears, but it had here many Mouths to make many piteous Outcries.
Mark 2. Theſe Poor Men and their Wives cryed out, [Our Children are many] which was a Bleſſing in it ſelf, Pſal. 127.5. but to us (ſaith Junius) 'tis turn'd into a bitter Curſe when we have not Food and Raiment for them all; but (as here it was) they mourned that they had more Mouths than Meat, &c. therefore (ſay they) we are conſtrained by compulſive want, to Pawn our Children to Rich Creditors, ſo that we take up Corn to keep them Alive, v. 2. until we can Redeem them, which we are never like to do (ſaith Vatablus) ver. 5. would we never ſo gladly deſire to do it. This was a moſt grievous Aggravation.
Mark 3. Others cried out, [they had Mortgag'd their Lands, &c.] ver. 3. becauſe of the Dearth, which was cauſed (ſaith Junius) by their Neglect of Husbandry, partly through fear of their Enemy's Invaſion, and partly through Neceſſity of their Attending the Wall-building-Work: So that tho' they had Lands, &c. yet were they little better for them, for they could neither Stock nor Store them, but were forced to part with them at an Under-rate.
Mark 4. Here's a Third Complaint to good Nehemiah, ver. 4. that ſome of them had borrowed Money upon Ʋſury for paying the King's Tax, laid upon them all, Ezra 4.13. and 7.24. That this was done upon Ʋſury (ſaith Grotius) appears from ver. 7. quite contrary to God's Law, Exod. 22 25. Levit. 25.36, 37. Deut. 23.19, 20. And thus to Fawn their Lands to procure Money for paying Tribute, did cut them to the heart.
Mark 5. That which moſt Depreſſed them was, That their Oppreſſors were Iſraelites, v. 5. [So that now, ſay they, we are in no better a Caſe than when we were in the Bondage of Babylon, (ſaith Sanctius) tho' Zerubbabel, Ezra, and thou Nehemiah promis'd us all Proſperity in our own Country: Beſides, had it been an Enemy that thus injur'd us, we would have born it, Pſal. 55.12. but they be our own Friends and Countrymen, to whom our Children are ſold as Slaves, whereas we are Men as well as they, tho' Poor Men, of the ſame Nature, Nation and Religion, hewn out of the ſame Rock, Iſa. 51.1. even Abraham (ſaith Piſcator); and our Children are free-born, and as dear to us as theirs to them; then why do they hide their Eyes from their own fleſh? Iſa. 58.7. as if we had not all one Father, Mal. 2.10. but Treat us as Beaſts, or at leaſt as Pagans, forgetting both Humanity and God's Law, Deut. 15.7, 8. (ſaith Maſius.) We are worſe (ſaith Lyra) than thoſe that ſtay ſtill in Babylon among Idolaters, &c.
Remark upon the Second Part is, Nehemiah's Paciſying thoſe Clamorous Plaintiffs by Redreſſing their great Grievances under which they groan'd, ver. 6, to 13.
Mark 1. This good Man was exceedingly grieved to hear all thoſe three grievous Outcries afore-mentioned, ver. 6. Yet was he not ſo tranſported with Anger (ſaith Wolphius) but he conſults with himſelf what Methods to take, ver. 7. for Appeaſing thoſe over-troubled poor People; tho' his Mind was much incenſed, yet was it ſubject to his Reaſon.
Mark 2. He calls a Great Council together of thoſe Men that were not guilty of thoſe heinous Crimes of Oppreſſion and Ʋſury, to conſult and conclude ſome effectual Remedy, againſt that unſufferable Malady, againſt ſuch Nobles, Rulers, and Rich-men as had Acted ſo exorbitantly againſt the plain and poſitive Law of God in their Cruel Oppreſſions of, and heavy Extortions upon their poor Brethren. This he did (ſaith Maſius) that Judges and Witneſſes might be at hand, and that this publick Crime might be publickly canvaſs'd; but above all, (ſaith Wolphius) that ſuch as would not diſclaim their biting Ʋſury at Nehemiah's private Admonition, might be compell'd to Renounce it by Publick Authority with ſhame, &c.
Mark 3. Nehemiah's Oration to convince the Offenders by his own Example, ver. 8. ſaying, [We have once bought our Brethren out of the Babylonians hands, and do you expect we ſhould redeem them over again out of your hands? &c.] And when he had gagg'd the Offenders, that they had nothing to Anſwer for themſelves, he drives home his Propoſition with Arguments, drawn (1.) from the Wickedneſs of it in the ſight of God, as it was a breach of his expreſs Law, which none dare tranſgreſs but ſuch as have forſaken the fear of the Almighty, ver. 9 And (2.) from the filthineſs of it in the ſight of Men: The Heathen will reproach our Religion, ſaying, See what Tyrants and Tygers theſe Profeſſors are one to another! Thus the Banks of Blaſphemy will be broken down, ver. 9. And (3.) from his own contrary Practice as Governour, ver. 10, 15. Such was his Self-denial, that he exacted not thoſe Revenues that were the due Recompence of his Publick Employment; therefore (ſaith he) for ſhame do not only renounce your Twelve at Hundred Ʋſury, but alſo reſtore the Hundredth part for twelve Months ye have received, ver. 11. So ſay Sanctius, Mariana, Oſiander, and A Lapide. &c.
Remark the Third, Upon the Third Part of this Chapter is, The Settlement of the City in Peace, which was done by many means.
Mark 1. Nehemiah, the more a Man obſerves him, the more he may Admire him: That he ſhould condeſcend thus far to come from the Court of the King of Perſia, (where doubtleſs he led a delightful Life) to the Cart here for Rebuilding Jeruſalem's Walls, where his Life was very careful and cumberſome, yea, meeting much contradiction of Sinners. N. B. How doth this commend Chriſt's Love to us, who left Heaven's Glory to be a Man of Sorrows on Earth, much more for us!
Mark 2. Such was Nehemiah's Majeſty and Elegancy of Speech, that he even melted down the Ʋſurers minds to Reſtore their Extorted Money that very Day, making them Swear to do it, and threatning that God would ſhake them out of his Lap of Providence ſuch as forſwear themſelves. Let God (ſaith Wolphius) waſte their Coffers by Fire, Robbery, &c. ver. 12, 13.
Mark 3. He purgeth himſelf from treading in the Steps of his preceding Governours, who had been ſtrict in exacting their Five Pounds a Day (ſaith Piſcator) Forty Shekels (at half-Crowns a-piece) make Five Pound; looking upon it as but juſt and equal, that they who are Nurſing Fathers to the Publick Weal (ſaith Menochius) ſhould maintain their Grandeur out of the Publick Stock, but this good Man lets go his own right and leſt it to others, that the Poor might not be oppreſſed, ver. 14, 15. N.B. Nehemiah wiſely Names no Man, that their Relations (ſaith Wolphius) might not be reflected upon: Nor doth he mean Zerubbabel, who was the Governour, nor Ezra who was only a Prieſt, ſent to rectifie Church Abuſes: But thoſe that had been betwixt Zerubbabel and Him.
Mark 4. He proceeds to Characterize the Pattern of a good Governour and pious Prince (ſaith Erpennius) and to convince all Calumniators, ver. 16, 17. ſaying, I have lived a Life of Self-denial for my twelve Years Government: For 1. I did not only overſee and encourage the Builders my ſelf duely and daily, but alſo I Labour'd with my own Hands (ſaith Lyra) to excite the Labourers with the Example of their Governour. 2. Nor did I take the opportunity of purchaſing the Lands of my poor Brethren at a low Rate to enrich my ſelf, as I might eaſily have done, but I durſt not (ſaith Wolphius) Build my Houſe upon the Ruines of others.
Mark 5. His Hoſpitality to a hundred and fifty Jews that were of his Houſehold and Rulers, beſides many Strangers that were Agents from other States, or others that came either with Complaints or Intelligence of the Enemies Deſigns, all theſe he feaſted daily at his own Coſt, ver. 17.18. from his Office in the Perſian Court, which was doubtleſs very profitable (ſaith Sanctius) as well as honourable, &c.
Mark 6. Nor doth he declare all this like a boaſting Phariſee, out of a vain Oſtentation to get himſelf a Name in the World, but to ſhew how he was conſtrained by his Love to God (as 2 Cor. 5.14.) to whom he prays, ver. 19. ſaying [as I have done thy People good for thy ſake, ſo d… thou me good for thy own ſake alſo] thus Maſius ſenſeth it out of Junius, ſo that here is nothing for Merit-mongers, but only a Praying over that Promiſe [Meaſure to me as Ishave meaſur'd to Men] Matth. 7.2. for he lean'd not on his own Merit, but meerly upon God's Mercy, as he profeſſeth after all, Chap. 13.22.