A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 1
Nehemiah CHAP. I.
THIS Chapter is a Narrative, how Nehemiah was ſtirr'd up to repair the Walls of Jeruſalem, wherein we have thoſe Circumſtances; the Time, Place, Means and Manner.
Remark the Firſt, This Book begins with [The Words of Nehemiah] hence Sancti…, &c. do infer, that he was the Pen-man of this Book, being writ in an eaſier and plainer ſtile than Ezra wrote, who (as Wolphius obſerves) mixt his Book with much Chalde…, but many Ancients make Ezra this Book's Author alſo, calling it the ſecond Book of Ezra, &c. However Nehemiah is the principal Subject of it, who (according to the Notation of his Name, Hebr. the Comfort of God) was a moſt ſingular Comforter from God to his Countreymen, the afflicted Church of God: [And it came to paſs] ver. 1. that Phraſe declareth this Book to be a Continuation of the foregoing Book, Nehemiah being God's third Inſtrument to Comfort his Diſconſolate Church, after the Captivity's Years were expired, and deſervedly counted and called the third Founder of the Common-wealth of the Jews after Zerubbabel and Ezra.
Remark the Second, The Time when, is expreſs'd in the twentieth Year of Artaxerxes about thirteen Years, after Ezra and his Company firſt came to Jeruſalem, Ezra 7.8. with Neh. 2.1. during this interſpace, there is a ſilence of any thing done (ſaith Dr. Lightfoot) from Ezra's Action of Reforming their mixt Marriages, Ezra 10. (which moſt probably was done in Darius's ſeventh) until his twentieth, and then Nehemiah began to ſtir, but in this ſpace of twelve Years (ſaith the Doctor) we may well conceive, that the Prophet Zechary was Propheſying among the People, and helping for ward the Reformation, which Time (ſaith he) taketh up his 9.10.11.12.13.14. Chapters. In which the Prophet propheſieth plainly of many things concerning Chriſt, and the Time of his coming, &c.
Remark the Third, The Place where, Nehemiah was in Shuſhan, ver. 1. which was the King's Winter-Palace, as Ecbatana was his Summer-Palace, &c. and the City was call'd Shuſhan, which ſignifies a Lilly, not only becauſe it abounded with Lillies in the Spring, but chiefly for its beautiful Situation▪ In this Palace Nehemiah was a Courti… with the King, and as Cup-bearer to him, ver. 11. as Eſther came to the Kingdom, ſo Nehemiah to this Office, for ſuch a Time as this, Eſth. 4.14. Though he was a Captive, a Stranger, and one of another Religion, yet is made the King's Taſter, which was … Office not only of great Honour, but alſo of mighty Truſt, wherein the Life of the the… greateſt King upon Earth was put into his Hands: This muſt needs be looked upon as an over-ruling Work of Almighty God, to cauſe ſundry Pagan Princes thus to Countenance a Religion, the excellency whereof they were ſo ignorant, and to protect that People, whom their Subjects hated, even with a perfect hatred.
Remark the Fourth, The Means whereby Nehemiah came to be ſtirred up, was the coming of Hanani, &c. from Jeruſalem to Shuſhan upon ſome important Errand, doubtleſs for the good of their Countrey; becauſe they took that tedious Journey in the d…th of Winter in the Month Chiſteu, the middle of our November, ver. 1, 2. of theſe he asked, how it fared with God's Church, which was his chiefeſt Care, and Hanam (a Gracious Man, according to the Notation of his Name) relates to him the afflicted Eſtate of the City of God [Its Walls remain'd ſtill broken down, and its Gates (that had been burnt down by Nebuchadnezzar) were ſtill unrepaired] ver. 3. N. B. Juniu… and others obſerve, that Cyrus gave them Power to build the Temple; but not the Walls, &c. for fear of a new Rebellion, and though the Jews Adverſaries accus'd them to the King, that they were Building the Walls, Ezra 4. yet was it a falſe Accuſation. Therefore may it well be wondred at, how ſo many thouſand Levites (beſides many Citizens of all Sexes and Sizes) could live there in ſafety from the Samaritans (their deadly Enemies) without caſting up ſome Bulwarks (ſaith A Lapide) becauſe to keep a continual Watch and Ward round about the City, ſeemeth too great a Charge for ſuch few Citizens as yet did inhabit it, ſeeing ſo many Jews were not yet returned; and Comeſtor adds here, that many Murtherers broke in upon them in the Night-Time and ſlew many of them, plundering their Houſes, &c.
Remark the Fifth, Nehemiah's Sympathy with his Suffering Holy City Jeruſalem; ver. 4. this good Man no doubt had (as he was a Courtier in the King's Palace) a whole Confluence of all Creature-Comforts for himſelf; yet could he find no more Content in them all, than Haman did in all his, but with a baſer Mind, Eſth. 5.11, 13▪ … this avail'd him nothing, ſo long as it went ill with Sion, he was even ſick of the Affliction of Joſeph, as well as Grieved, Amos 6.6. N. B. No ſooner had Nehemiah heard from theſe Meſſengers, the Malady of the returned Jews (how they were the Samaritans ſcorn for their living in an unwall'd City, and would have been their ruine, but for fear of offending the Perſian King) then he puts himſelf in the poſture of a Mourner, ſitting down upon the ground covering himſelf with Aſhes (ſaith Maſius) and mourn'd [Rabbim Jomim, Hebr.] many Days with Weeping and Faſting, to ſhew his deep ſorrow of Heart, and to prepare himſelf the better for Prayer [Before the God of Heaven] which ſhews (ſaith Wolphius) how much he differ'd from the Religion of the Perſians, who worſhip'd the Sun, &c. and with his Face turned toward the Temple (ſaith Sanctius) ſee 1 Kings 8.44, 48. Dan. 6.10.
N. B. 1. From [It came to paſs, &c.] Humane Affairs fall not out by Hap hazard, or by Chance (as the Vulgar ſaying is) but by the Wiſe All-diſpoſing Providence of God, which was a ſpecial Cauſe that theſe good Men met together here; and by mutual Conference kindled (like Live-Coals) one anothers Affections, and that thereby a Remedy might be provided by that Divine Providence againſt the Malady, &c.
N. B. 2. So great was this good Man's Grief for the Churche's Calamity, that he could not ſtand under it, but ſinks down to the Earth, yet hath his Heart lift up to Heaven, that high Hill from whence he look'd for help, Pſalm 121.1, 2, 3. The reproach of the ſolemn Aſſemblies was ſuch a burden to him, Zeph. 3.17, 18. that it kept him in this mournful Poſture, not only many Days, but for three Months or more in preparing himſelf to Petition the King, Chap. 1.1, 2. and 2.1.
Remark the Sixth, Nehemiah's Prayer to God, for an effectual redreſs of that great Grievance, and for an acceptable Addreſs to the King for it.
Mark 1. The Preface of his Prayer, ver. 5. Anna Jehovah, Hael Hagadol, Hebr. I beſeech thee moſt great God, &c. Wolphius obſerves, this Word [Anna] implies a preſſing Neceſſity, as well as a bare intreaty; and that he might be Truſting as well as Trembling, he deſcribes God by his Goodneſs as well as by his Greatneſs; ſaying [Lord, thou haſt ever kept Covenant with thy People] ſurely thou wilt not break it now with thoſe that have but a ſpark of Love to thee in them: Thus hath he here Faith in God, as before he had Love to God's Church.
Mark 2. He ſheweth himſelf a true Member of the Church of God, ver. 6. If one Member ſuffer, all the Members ſuffer with it, 1 Cor. 12.26. ſo did Nehemiah here in the ſubſtance of his Prayer, preſſing hard upon God for his Audience to his Servant, while he was ſpreading the ſad Caſe of his diſtreſſed Brethren, and Confeſſing his own Sins, and the Sins of his Fathers, as well as the People's. This he inſiſts upon with earneſtneſs, that having got off the Guilt of all their Sins, he might with more Courage and Comfort deprecate God's Judgments, and more eaſily deſire and obtain God's Mercy, &c.
Mark 3. He prevents an Objection, ver. 7. acknowledging it very true, that they were altogether unworthy of any Divine Favour, for (he ſaith) in corrupting we have corrupted our ſelves againſt thee, Hebr. [Chabul Chabalenu Lak.] we have bedirtied our ſelves moſt filthily, as Chabul ſignifies, 1 Kings 9.12, 13. ſo have bound over our ſelves unto thee to be puniſh'd, as Dirty Sinners deſerve no better, for we have broke all thy Bonds (Moral, Ceremonial and Judicial Laws) and caſt all thy Cords from us, as Pſalm 2.3. thus he lays load on their Sins to preoccupate God (as it were) from ſaying [I will ſhew Mercy no more, &c.] Judg. 10.13, 14.
Mark 4. He confirms his Faith in Prayer with God's Promiſe, ver. 8, 9. putting him in Mind of what God had promiſed by Moſes, Deut. 4.29, 30, 31, 32. and 30.4. and by Solomon, 1 Kings 8.48. N. B. Man cannot carry God's People farther, than that God can fetch them back again even from Indea, &c. now Nehemiah doth not cry here [Remember Lord, &c.] as if God could really forget. N. B. 'Tis only foreign dictum, but foreign Intellectum, 'tis ſpoken Metaphorically, after the manner of Men, but muſt be underſtood, according to the Majeſty of God, who only ſeems to forget (as Man really may) when highly provoked by his People, as if they never had been his People, nor made them any Promiſes. N. B. In this Caſe, God gives his Prophets and People leave to be his Remembrancers, Iſa. 62.6, 7. Thus David did with ſucceſs, Pſalm 119.49. and thus Nehemiah doth vigorouſly, and ſpeeds accordingly.
Mark 5. He pleads not only God's Intereſt in his Church, and his Relation to them, but alſo it was God's Honour to ſave them; ſaying (as Wolphius ſaith) ſeeing [Thou art our Lord, and we thy Servants, thou art our King and we thy Subjects] ver. 10. therefore thou art concern'd in Point of Honour to ſave us, ſo every Maſter will Work to his Power for ſaving his Servants, and every King will do no leſs for his Subjects: And if thou Lord wilt not do ſo, our Neighbour Nations will ſay we ſerve a bad Maſter, &c. Oh do not part with thy Purchaſe from Egypt, and from Babylon ſo eaſily, &c.
Mark 6. The Concluſion of his Prayer, ver. 11. He ends as he began, ver. 5. pleading the loweſt degree of Grace was at leaſt found in them; namely [They at leaſt deſired to fear God's Name] therefore begs, that God may not caſt them off (ſaith Wolphius) as having nothing but an empty Title of God's People, and that his Petition to the King might be made proſperous, whom he calls [this Man] ſo much below God, who had his Heart in his Hand, Prov. 21.1. and he turn'd it, &c.