A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 6
Nehemiah CHAP. VI.
AS the Fourth Chapter gives an Account of the firſt Impediment Nehemiah met with, which was External; and the Fifth Chapter of the ſecond, which was Internal; ſo this ſixth Chapter is a Narrative of his third Impediment, which was mixed, and made up of both the two former, being partly External, and partly Internal. The External by the known Enemy was twofold; Firſt, By Secret Craft and Treachery. And Secondly, By publick …hreats in an open Letter.
Remark the Firſt, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geſhem craftily ſend a Summons to Nehemiah (before he had ſet up all the Doors of the Gates) to come down to them at ſome Village in the Tribe of Benjamin, that they might Conſult together about ſome friendly Accommodation for the ſatisfaction of the King of Perſia, who was both their Maſter and his alſo, ver. 1, 2. here was fairly pretended an amicable Conference, but they foully intended to do him Miſchief, either by Murdering him, or by Impriſoning him, before he bad hang'd the City-Gates upon the Hinges.
Remark the Second, But Nehemiah here became Wiſe as a Serpent, Matth. 10.17. and ſmelt the Rat of their Deſign for either killing him or captivating him before his good Work was compleated, therefore he ſent a Meſſenger, but went not himſelf, though the Place appointed was near to Jeruſalem, that he might the ſooner be decoyed to come: His Meſſage was [I am doing a great Work, ſo that I cannot come down] ver. 3. that is, my weighty Employments muſt not give way to your empty Complements. Erpennius excellently obſerveth here, that this was indeed one, but not the only Cauſe, or principal Reaſon of his Refuſal, which was his diſcerning their Treacherous Deſign to take him out of the way, and then the Work would ceaſe to purpoſe, &c. nor did he deſire the Society of ſuch wicked Aſſociates and Infidels, &c.
N.B. 1. Nehemiah thought it not neceſſary to declare the whole Truth concerning his excuſing denial to them, yet is not he to be accuſed of Lying, no more than Samuel was, when at God's Command, he told the Bethlemites He was come to Sacrifice, 1 Sam. 16.2, 3. which was true, as here, but is ſilent in the moſt obnoxious Meſſage, &c.
N.B. 2. Learn we to anſwer the Tempter thus, I am doing a great Work, &c.] when he would inject ſome wandring thoughts to divert us from our earneſtneſs in praying-work, ſay [We cannot attend thee O Tempter, while we are attending our God] let us learn alſo to cry with David [Our Hearts are fixed upon our God, once and again, Pſalm 57.7. and 108.1.
Remark the Third, Nehemiah's not only Prudence in ſending ſuch a Prudent, yet true excuſe for his Abſence from their Conference and Conſult, but alſo his Conſtancy in refuſing to go notwithſtanding their many Solicitations of him thereunto, ver. 4, 5. thoſe ſordid and ſorry Sycophants Sanballat, &c. ſolicited this good Man four ſeveral Times into their Society, thinking to prevail with him by their Importunity, they had learnt that Leſſon from their Maſter Beelzebub, which ſignifies [The Lord of flyes] of which ſmall Infects Pliny affirmeth, Quo mugis, abiguntur, eo magis premunt: The more they are driven away, the more they preſs upon you. N.B. This holds moſt true of the Maſter fly the Devil, who will not be eaſily turn'd off from the Bait until well beaten, nor hardly then without returning again and again, as ſmarting Experience tells us in the frequent returns of wandring Thoughts in Prayer upon us.
Remark the Fourth, But Nehemiah proved as reſolute in his Divine Purpoſes, as they were in their Diabolical Plots: They found him, Hominem quadratum, a four ſquare piece, that lays firm on all ſides, and not ſo eaſily moved as Globular Matters, of which the Philoſopher affirmeth, they are removed with the leaſt touch, Quia tangunt cerram tantùm in puncto, they touch the Earth only in a Point, which is the Reaſon, why a Sledge (that lays all along upon the Ground) requires a ſtronger Draught, than a Wheel of either Car… or Coach: Thoſe often ſoliciting Adverſaries found Nehemiah as unmoveable as a Rock, ſo firm to his Principles, that four Times he anſwer'd them in the ſame Manner; which when Sanballat ſaw, he tries a fifth Trick, in leaving out his Comrade Geſhem, ver. 2. and ſending a Letter from himſelf alone, and that by the Hand of his own Servant, that it might be leſs ſuſpected and the better received; ſo reſtleſs in Sanballat, ſub aſcenſore Diabolo (as Bernard Phraſeth it) having Satan riding upon him, and born kicking and pricking him forward; and our Phraſe is, They muſt needs run whom the Devil driveth, &c.
Remark the Fifth, This Letter came open and unſealed, as if it had been no Secret to be concealed, but a common Matter every where divulged, the Contents whereof was a Threatning Nehemiah with a pretended Treaſon, ver. 6, 7. alledging from common Rumour (which commonly is a loud Lyar) that he deſigned to ſet up himſelf the King of the Jews (the ſame was caſt upon our Bleſſed Saviour, John 19.12.) and that he had not only builded the Walls for this purpoſe, but had alſo hired Prophets to preach him up as King, poſſibly miſtaking the Prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah, who propheſy'd that the Kingdom of Chriſt was near at hand, but he had no better Witneſs hereof than his fellow Conſpirator Geſhem, ver. 1, 2, 6. This Gaſhma's or Geſhem's Tongue was no ſlander, for he was known to be one that had taught his Tongue the Art of Lying, Jer. 9.3, 5.
Remark the Sixth, Though Sanballat had ſurely learnt Machiavel's Rule [Fortiter calumniare & aliquid ſultem adhaerebit] Slander ſtoutly, and ſomething will ſtick; yet was not Nehemiah much concern'd to wipe off the Slander: His clear Conſcience made him careleſly Confident, well knowing, that though Dirt may ſtick to a Mud-Wall, yet it cannot do ſo upon Marble, and that this miſreport was ſo tranſparent a Lye, that it might eaſily be ſeen through; then deals he plainly with him (which oft puts wicked Craft out of Countenance) that for a need Sanballat was ſuch an one as could ſuck ſuch a Lye out of his own Fingers-Ends, as he had done before, in Ezra 4.13. Vatablus ſaith, Nehemiah's Anſwer to Sanballat, ver. 8. was Tu mentiris, 'tis a Fiction of thy own framing, and Geſhem muſt be its Patron, &c. yea he paſſeth his Judgment upon the Plot, ver. 9. that it was only to make them afraid, while he thus Ranted at randome, that the King of Perſia would not only judge him and the Jews, but alſo himſelf and his Samaritans (ſaith Oſiander) on this Report. However at this pinch (ſaith Maſius out of Junius) Nehemiah da…teth out a ſhort but Pithy Ejaculation (in four Words, Hebr.) to the Lord: Saying [Theſe Men would weaken my Hands, but thou the Captain of my Salvation ſtrengthen thy Soldiers Hands.]
Having diſpatch'd the External Impediment, we come to the Internal.
Remark the Firſt, When the Devil found his Tools from without, Sanballat, &c. to fail him, he now (that he might not ſtarve his Work for want of Inſtruments) makes a new Experiment of other Tools from within, the Principal whereof was Shemaiah a Prieſt, who only pretended himſelf a Prophet (though only made ſo by Tobiah's Gold, that had hired him to this pretence) and who (like a grand Devotioniſt) ſhut himſelf up in his Chamber, that he had in the Temple among all the other Prieſts Chambers, here (ſaith Menochius) he pretended to Pray for the Preſervation of Nehemiah, who (as he Propheſy'd) was in great Danger of Death that very Night, ver. 10. and therefore perſwades him to ſecure himſelf in the Temple, which was (ſaith Wolphius) as a ſtrong Caſtle (beſide the ſacredneſs of the Place, which Sanballat durſt not attempt) eſpecially while the City-gates are not yet Compleated: Oh deep Diſſimulation, however Nehemiah, looking on him as a Friend, went to him to know the meaning of his becoming an Anchoret, who then would make him believe his eminent and ſudden Danger, to which he was ſubborn'd by Sanballat, in Impriſoning himſelf from pretended fear, &c.
Remark the Second, Nehemiah rejecteth the Counſel of this falſe Prophet from many Topicks: As 1. Becauſe it was baſe, and below his Dignity to embrace it, ver. 11. he accounted it better (ſaith A Lapide) to dye bravely like a Captain, than to fly baſely like a Coward, and as a Malefactor take Sanctuary in the Temple, &c. 3. Becauſe it was falſe, ver. 12, 13. his Sagacity diſcerned that Shemaiah was but Sanballat and Tohiah's Hireling, a meer Mercenary, that had ſold his Tongue to tell Lies Nehemiah perceiv'd it falſe Counſel, becauſe (ſaith Wolphius) it was quite contrary to God's Counſel given to him to Compleat the City, &c. N.B. God's Word is the best Touch-stone to try Truth by. And 3. Becauſe it was Impious Counſel, to make him Sin out of fear, ver. 13. which be was moſt afraid to do, but reſolves againſt it, and to commit himſelf to God, who had hitherto ſo protected and proſpered him, and not to Sin by distrust as this Priest did, &c.
Remark the Third, Then makes he God his Chancellour, being yet unable to relieve himſelf by Law, he remits Juſtice into God's Holy Hands, for revenge upon Tobiah and Sanballat Enemies without, and upon Shemiah and his Mistriſs, and falſe Propheteſs Noadiah, Traitors within, and many more pretending Prophets, all Penſioners to the Publick Adverſary. ver. 14. which Nehemiah would not Name (ſaith Wolphius) prudently yielding ſo far to the ſad Circumstances of his Day, his Dolour in pacifying the late Sedition, Chap. 5. made him thus wary, well-knowing, how many were ſtill diſcontented; ſome, becauſe ſo much as they would, was not given them; and others, becauſe more than they thought juſt was taken from them; theſe were brib'd to betray and diſgrace him, ſo he remits all to a just God.
Remark the Fourth, The wonderful and quick diſpatch of Nehemiah's Compleating the Walls and Gates to the confounding of all his Enemies, ver. 15, 16. All was perfected in fifty two Days in Elul, or ſixth Month our August, &c.
Mark 1. Lyra and other Learned Men render Reaſons of this ſpeed. As 1. For Accompliſhing Daniel's Prophecy, Dan. 9.25. 2. The Date is from Sanballat's Letter to Nehemiah. 3. Only, breaches here and there in the Walls were repaired, having most of the materials still remaining in the Rubbiſh. 4. The Multitude of Men employed to carry on each their Part, and Princes preſent to prick them on. 5. The Gates are not ſaid (ſaith Sanctius) to be built a new, but only the Doors. 6. But above all, God help'd them, as their Enemies confeſs'd, therefore Joſephus is mistaken in ſaying, it was two Years and three Months in doing: Sanctius ſaith, Nehemiah made this haſte for his returning the ſooner to the King and Queen to both whom he was exceeding Dear, ſo would not be longer abſent from them. N.B. Beda adds, it was done i… all Parts in the ſixth Month, both to Anſwer the ſix Days of God's working to make the World, after which a Rest followed: And alſo the ſix Ages of the World ſpent in Tail and Travel, then cometh the Sabbath of Rest in a better Age. N.B. This ſixth Month was call'd Elul, Hebr. the Radix or Root whereof ſignifies Nothing, becauſe (as is ſuppoſed) their Corn being all at that Time Reaped, there remained then [Nothing] upon the Ground.
Remark the Fifth and Laſt upon the ſixth Chapter is, The Conſpiracy of the Nobles or White-ones, Hebr. with Tobiah, &c. ver. 17, 18, 19.
Mark 1. Thoſe Nobles cloath'd with White Garments, had black and ſooty Souls under them, in Confederating with the Churche's Enemies, even in a Time when the Walls were built, and Nehemiah was ſtill preſent, ſaith Maſius.
Mark 2. Theſe Nobles are named and branded as Penſioners to Tobiah, not only correſponding with him by Letters, but alſo had ſworn to be true to him againſt Nehemiah, and againſt their own City and Nation, and the Church of God.
Mark 3. Some of thoſe Nobles had ſeemed forward for the Work, and had help'd to build the Wall, Chap. 3.4. yet now ſhew themſelves in their Colours, diſcovering, that they were but painted Hypocrites.
Mark 4. 'Tis ſaid of them [Tobathau Omerim] Hebr. they ſpake good of Tobiah, alluding to his Name, though he had little enough of goodneſs, and they (Hypocrites) had as little skill to judge aright of it, but this Corruption came in as a curſe upon them for their mixt Marriages with the Pagans, which is noted here, to ſhew how neceſſary it had been in Godly Ezra to diſanull all ſuch unlawful and miſchievous Matches.