A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 2
Nehemiah CHAP. II.
THIS Chapter gives an Account. Firſt, How Nehemiah obtained a Commiſſion from the King to rebuild the Walls of Jeruſalem, &c. And Secondly, How he improved that Royal leave againſt Oppoſition.
Remarks upon the Firſt Part. As
Firſt, See the ſure Courſe this good Man took for Succeſs: He applies himſelf firſt to God by Prayer, and afterwards He Addreſſes to the King with his Petition: The Prayer of Faith founded upon the Covenant Grace (as his was) cannot eaſily miſcarry. 'Tis granted, it was long (even above three Months, from Chiſleu, Neh. 1. to Niſan, Chap. 2.1.) betwixt his Petition to God, and this Petition to the King: Reaſons are rendred, 1. His Turn to wait upon the King came not till the Month of March. 2. He could not march ſo tedious a Journey in the deep of Winter. 3. The King might be under ſome Indiſpoſition, or ſuch Attendants were about him, as were known Adverſaries to the Jews; ſo that Nehemiah could find no fit ſeaſon for his Petition preſenting until now, that his Deſign might not be diſappointed. Or, 4. And that chiefly, he thought fit that ſome conſiderable Time might be ſpent in ſeeking God for ſucceſs in ſo weighty an Affair, both by himſelf, and ſome of his Brethren in Prayer and Faſting.
Remark the Second, The fit opportunity, that he found was at a Feaſt, ver. 2, 6. where the Queen was preſent, whom A Lapide reckons (with many more Learned Men) to be Queen Eſther, and Menochius makes Mordecai alſo to be a Gueſt at this Feaſt; which, if ſo, muſt needs give Nehemiah a fair opportunity to Petition freely; but his heavy Heart (diſcover'd by a ſad Countenance) had like to have ſpoil'd all in his handing Wine to the King, ver. 2. N.B. For King's generally are made Merry by Muſicianers and Jeſters, and more eſpecially the Perſian Kings; for no Mourner might be ſeen in Ahaſuerus's Court, Eſth. 4.4. but this good Man had been Macerating his Body, and Afflicting his Soul for ſome Months as above; hence it was that he could not have any blithe Aſpect, which the King (being a Prudent Man, and a Loving Maſter) ſoon obſerved. N. B. Maſius makes an odd Conſtruction upon the King's Queſtion [Why is thy Countenance ſad, &c?] The King was Jealous he had put ſome Poiſon into his Wine, and that the Malice of his Mind was diſcovered by the ſadneſs of his Countenance [Vulius eſt index Animi] the Face is an Indication of the Heart: And that which increaſed the King's Jealouſie was, that Nehemiah (ſaith Menochius) refuſed (from his ſadneſs) to Taſt to that Wine he handed to the King, though the Office of the King's Taſter requir'd him to do ſo. This Suſpicion of Treaſon in the King made Nehemiah fore afraid (ſaith Wolphius) but neceſſity of obeying (ſaith Tirinus) overcame his fear.
Remark the Third, Nehemiah's Anſwer to the King's Queſtion, concerning the Cauſe of his ſad Countenance, ver. 3. after he had recover'd his Courage both from former Grief and preſent Fear: He ſaith (ſays Sanctius) It is ſo far from me to have any Treaſonable Deſign againſt thy Life, that I pray for its length in the Land of the Living [Let the King live for ever] or very long, therefore thou need not ſuſpect my ſadneſs which in Truth hath another Cauſe; namely, the common Calamity of the City of his Fathers Sepulchres laying waſte at this Time: Grotius well obſerveth, he ſpeaks not one Word of the Temple, of Religion or Worſhip, wiſely conſidering that he ſpake to a Pagan King, and before ſuch Courtiers, who (like Gallio, Acts 18.17.) Cared for none of thoſe things, but of his Fathers Sepulchres, which all Nations accounted Sacred and Honourable, and no leſs than a piece of Sacrilege to Annoy or Demoliſh them, and which would not be avoided ſo long as the Gates thereof lay waſte.
Remark the Fourth, The King became willing to redreſs the true Cauſe of his Cup-bearer's great Grief, aſſoon as he underſtood it, ver. 4. ſaying [For what doſt thou make Requeſt?] This put Nehemiah to Prayer again, after his much Praying, in Chap. 1. not now by turning aſide into ſome ſecret Place, but by darting up (ſaith Grotius) an Ejaculatory Deſire, which was expreſs'd before God by himſelf [Grant me Mercy, Lord, in the ſight of this Man] Chap. 1.11. N.B. Thus ought we to begin our Petitions to Kings with Prayers to God: And thus with hearty Ejaculations, we may Pray always, continually and without ceaſing, Eph. 6.18. Col. 4.2. 1 Theſſ. 5.17. If we do but thus dart up our Deſires from a ſincere Heart, and enflamed Affections at all times, in all places and upon all occaſions, when we are alone, or in Company, or in working any lawful Work. Thus Moſes cryed to God, yet ſpake nothing, Exod. 14.15. ſo Hannah was not heard, and yet ſhe prayed, 1 Sam. 1.13. and thus Nehemiah here, that God would direct his own Tongue and incline the King's Heart, ſaith Menochius: Such ſudden Prayers heartily and frequently uſed, argue an Heavenly Heart, and an Holy Familiarity of Men with God; and a Converſation in Heaven, Phil. 3.20.
Remark the Fifth, Nehemiah then Petitions the King, after he had thus prayed to God, ver. 5. Wherein
Mark 1. Though he was an high Favourite at Court above many Nobles (not betruſted with the King's Life as he was) yet pleads he not his own Merit, but only the King's Mercy, ſaying [If it pleaſe thee, &c.]
Mark. 3. Nor doth he Petition for any higher Office at Court, as many ambitious Courtiers (ſo great a Favourite of the King as he was) would have done under his Circumſtances, &c.
Mark 3. But only [ſend me as thy Commiſſioner into Judah] not abſolutely ſaying [to rebuild the City] ſaith Sanctius, but only [the City of his Fathers Sepulchres] which repeated Expreſſion (ſaith Menochius) denoteth that the Care of Antient Sepulchres was a commendable Cuſtom highly accounted off among the Perſians.
Mark 4. He humbly propoſeth this Requeſt wrapping it up in modeſt Inſinuations of acquieſcing in the King's Will and Wiſdom, pleading his former Favours as a Pledge of Future and further, &c.
Remark the Sixth, The King grants his Requeſt, ver. 6. which was God's Anſwer to Nehemiah's Prayer, Chap. 1.11. and here ver. 4. Love is Liberal, and Charity is no Churl, the King was not he that can deny him any thing, Jer. 38.5. eſpecially when Nehemiah's Prayer-hearing God had bended his Heart toward him, Prov. 21.1. he denies not his ſuit, but only Indents with him for the Time; ſaying [How long wilt thou be abſent?] as if he had been loath (ſaith A Lapide) to loſe the preſence of ſo faithful and dear a Servant too long out of his Palace: And 'tis added alſo [the Queen ſitting by] either to intimate that this was an unuſual ſolemn Feſtival Meeting, at which (ſaith Maſius) though it be the manner of the Perſian Kings to Dine and Sup alone at other ordinary Times, yet the Queen and ſome of her Children are allowed Admiſſion: Or (as ſome others ſuppoſe) It was an hint, that this was Eſther (as before) the Queen-Mother, and the Rabbins relate, that this King Artaxerxes Darius was her Son; if ſo, it may eaſily be preſumed, that this Queen ſitting by, muſt aſſiſt Nehemiah in his Cauſe, and cauſe it to be more acceptable to the King by her Mouth.
Remark the Seventh, The King ſet him a Time for his return, ver. 6. which (Junius, Piſcator and Maſius ſay) was at twelve Years end mentioned, Chap. 5.14. and 13.6. but Menochius, A Lapide, &c. ſay, his Royal leave was for a far ſhorter Time at the firſt, for which Cauſe among others he built the Walls with ſuch a quick Diſpatch, even in fifty two Days, Chap. 6.15. and probably not long after that, he returned to the King, by whom he was ſent a ſecond Time with a more ample Commiſſion; not only becauſe the Queen and Mordecai (as they ſay) promoted it, but alſo becauſe his ſpeedy return did much oblige the King himſelf to make him twelve Years Governour of Judah, as both neceſſary and profitable, &c.
Remark the eighth, The King's ſecond grant upon Nehemiah's ſecond Requeſt, ver. 7, 8. Wherein,
Mark 1. From his former Encouragement, he makes a farther Encroachment upon the King's Favour in a new, and another requeſt for Letters Patents to the King's Lieutenants beyond Euphrates. N.B. May not we do ſo with the King of Kings, who is a whole Sea of Salvation, former Favours are a Pawn of Future; Experience breeds Confidence; God never left bating, till Abraham left begging, Gen. 18.32.
Mark 2. Vittenuli, Hebr. Grant me Letters to the Deputies, that they may 1. Safely conduct me through their ſeveral Countreys; well knowing, that the Jews neareſt Neighbours were their worſt Enemies: And 2. In particular to Aſaph the Keeper of the Forreſt of Lebanon, that he might furniſh him with Wood neceſſary for his Work; and particularly, for his Palace, Governour like, Chap. 5.14, 17, 18.
Mark 3. Wolphius well obſerveth here, that Nehemiah doth no leſs acknowledge the Goodneſs of God's Providence over him (as Ezra had done before him, Ezra 7.6, 9.) than the Kindneſs of the King, in granting both his firſt and this ſecond, which was a double Petition. N. B. Ezra had been aſhamed to ask a Convoy from the King, Ezra 8.22. and the Reaſon is rendred there, becauſe he had diſcours'd with the King about God's Protection and Providence to his People; but Nehemiah had not done ſo, therefore their Caſes were different: Tho' Nehemiah did likewiſe commit his Caſe and Cauſe to God's keeping as well as Ezra, yet Requeſts he of the King a Convoy beyond the River, where he was ſenſible of leaſt Safety. N. B. 'Tis a great Truth, that in all our Enterprizes, God is ſo to be Truſted, as if we had uſed no Means; and yet the Means are ſo to be uſed, as if we had no God to truſt in: Tho' the care of the End belongs to God, yet the care of the Means belongs to us.
The Second Part of this Chapter is Nehemiah's Improvement of this his Royal Commiſſion, in this Narrative.
Remark the Firſt; Nehemiah's ſetting forth on his Journey, ver. 9, 10. The King was ſo kind to him as to grant him more (ſaith Sanctius) than he requeſted of him; for he ask'd only a Conduct when he came beyond the River, becauſe he thought he might be ſafe enough on this ſide; yet the King was ſo careful of his Safety, (being ſo dear a Servant) that he ſuffers him not to Travel to Euphrates without a Life-guard, ver. 9. And thus being ſafely Guarded, (which was another Gracious Anſwer of God to both his Solemn Prayer, Chap. 1.11. and his Ejaculation here, ver. 4.) he came to the Governours beyond the River, ver. 10. Sanballat and Tobiah ſoon heard of it by their Wives being Jeweſſes; and this was [rang ragna gedola, Hebr. a very great evil to their envious Eyes, (tho' ſo ally'd.) Who can ſtand before Envy? Prov. 27.4.
Remark the Second; He comes ſafely to the City Jeruſalem with the ſecond Convoy he had requeſted, ver. 7. and Reſted himſelf three Days after ſo long a Journey, and enquiring into the State of the City, ver. 11. concealing both his Intentions ſo far and ſo long as he well could, knowing that the Life of his Enterprize lay in Secreſie, for which he only Rode the Round in the Night to make his obſervations of the Walls by the light of the Moon (that Miſtreſs of the Night, Pſal. 136.9.) yet not alone, leſt he ſhould expoſe his Life to Danger; but his few Attendants were Foot-men, to prevent noiſe and notice of what he did, ver. 12. N. B. Wolphius ſaith, that the Sabbath was one of his three Days Reſt before he walk'd his Round to obſerve how the Citizens kept that Solemn Day. He walks round the City from Gate to Gate and viewed the Walls every where, that he might order ſufficient Proviſions for ſo vaſt Reparations; but in his way met with ſo much Rubbiſh, that his Beaſt under him could very hardly paſs along, ver. 13, 14. and when he had walked the Round and view'd the Ruines he returns again, ver. 15.
Remark the Third; He Conſults about carrying on his Work of Reparation when he had taken a full view of all the Ruines, ver. 16. as ſoon as he ſaw a fit ſeaſon to ſpeak, Eccleſ. 3.7. Hitherto he had not ask'd the Ruler's Advice, but now he excellently Times a word of Wiſdom, Iſa. 50.4. ſaying, [Come let us Build Jeruſalem's Walls that lie waſte, that we be no more a Reproach] ver. 17. With theſe Arguments he ſtirs them up to Aſſiſt him in the Work: Multorum manubus grande levatur opus, Many hands make light work. And that they might the more heartily join with him, he in a pithy and pathetical Speech declareth to them, that he had found the Divine Aſſiſtance of God and the Humane Help of the King to promote it; ſo it was both Honeſt and Eaſie, v. 18. And when the Rulers and old Builders heard that both God and the King favour'd the Work, they ſaid one to another (ſaith Vatablus) Let us loſe no more Time and linger no longer, but fall ſpeedily upon this Letobah, Hebr. good Work, that we may Recover with our Diligence, what thoſe in former Times loſt by their Diſobedience.
Remark the Fourth, Is the Obſtruction they met with in this good Work, but was Removed by this good Magiſtrate, ver. 19, 20.
Mark 1. Sanballat, Tobiah and Geſhem, that had been Sad before at the Tidings of a New Governour, &c. were now Mad with Malice, deriding them for Fools, that could never effect what they now attempted, and accuſing them for Rebelling againſt the King.
Mark 2. Wiſe Nehemiah renders not Railing for Railing, nor Honours them ſo far as to let them know they had the King's Licenſe, but ſaith, [The God of Heaven ſets us above your reach, and the King has committed Samaria to your care; ye have nothing to do with Judea being Samaritans, as Ezra 4 3.]