A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 11
Nehemiah CHAP. XI.
THIS Chapter is a Sacred Narrative, which ſeemeth to divide it ſelf into two formal Parts; the Firſt is, An Account of thoſe Perſons that dwelt in the City. And the Second is, Of thoſe alſo that dwelt in the Countrey.
Remarks upon the firſt Part, are
Firſt, The City is ſaid to be large and great, but the People were few that dwelt therein, Chap. 7.4. therefore was it Nehemiah's double Diligence, when he had once repaired it in all its Parts, then his Care was to Repeople it alſo. In Order hereunto, he Orders the Rulers [eſpecially thoſe that made up the great Council or Sanhedrim) to dwell in Jeruſalem: This they could not well but willingly embrace (ſaith Sanctius) becauſe, 1. This was the Royal Seat, and the moſt beautiful City, and therefore the moſt ſuitable Place for the Nobles (as is uſual in all Nations) to take up their Reſidences there: And 2. Theſe were Voluntiers likewiſe, in obeying this Order, that this Capital City might be better defended by their Preſence and Influence, whereby (ſaith Wolphius) they declared themſelves brave Patriots, and grateful Citizens for the Publick Good.
Remark the Second, This Holy City (as 'tis call'd here, ver. 2. and many other Places of Scripture, becauſe the Temple ſtood in it with all its Holy Ordinances, &c.) was the principal But or Mark, that all the Jews Enemies chiefly ſhot at, therefore ſo few of either the Princes or People, durſt make it their free Choice to dwell there, both becauſe of the Danger they were moſtly expos'd to in that Place, and becauſe at preſent it was rather Chargeable than Beneficial to its Inhabitants in Repairing and Watching, whereas in the Countrey, they could live at more Eaſe, Plenty, and Safety; therefore were there ſo few that offered themſelves willingly to ſecure this ſo much envied City, ſave only ſuch as were truly publick-ſpirited, and thoſe were they whom the People bleſſed God for, ver. 2. that they had ſuch Zeal for the common Cauſe given them, and pray'd God to bleſs them with Safety and Succeſs.
Remark the Third, Becauſe they that offer'd themſelves voluntarily to dwell at Jeruſalem, were too few to repleniſh and defend that large and fair City, then it was ordered (ſay Grotius and Menochius) that every Tenth Man out of the reſt of the People ſhould dwell there, ver. 1. and that none might rationally repine at this Order, and to prevent all Murmuring, the matter was manag'd by caſting Lots, the Diſpoſe whereof is wholly from the Lord, Prov. 16.33. that ſo it might appear, God himſelf would have ſuch and ſuch to dwell at Jeruſalem, as the Apoſtles knew the Mind of God by the ſame Means. Acts 1.24, 26. This Oracle of God, anſwer'd all their Doubts: As 1. Of their Deſires of enjoying the Profit and Pleaſure of the Countrey: And 2. Of their Fears to live in the City, leſt it ſhould be Beſieged, &c. then Conquered, and ſo they Captivated again, this made many loath to Adventure there to inhabite, ſave only thoſe few whoſe Faith was above their Fear, and whom God enabled to Roll themſelves upon his precious Promiſe [I will be a Wall of Fire round about Jeruſalem, Zech. 2.5.] N. B. This one of Ten, or Hebr. Teſhang Haiadoth, nine Hands (ſaith Montanus) or Parts, that were left by Lot to live in the Countrey, when only one part was choſen by God to dwell in this Earthly Jeruſalem, is an excellent ſhadow and figure of the Paucity or fewneſs of thoſe whom the Lord chuſeth to inhabit the Heavenly Jeruſalem, according to Iſa. 6.13. Jer. 3.14, &c. Many are called, but few choſen, Matth. 7.13. and 20.16. and 22.14
Remark the Fourth, The Deſcription of thoſe that were choſen to reſide in the City, 1. Thoſe of Judah's Tribe, from ver. 4, to ver. 7. yea and of the Children of Ephraim, and of Manaſſeh too, 1 Chron. 9.3. where the ſame is ſet down, as here, but the number is greater, becauſe here only thoſe are reckoned who inhabited Jeruſalem by Lot, but there the Voluntiers alſo, as Maſius well obſerves out of Junius; and therefore the Name Iſrael is uſed, ver. 3. to intimate (ſaith Menochius out of Lyra) that ſuch of the Ten Tribes as for Religion's ſake were moved to leave their own Tribes, and to join themſelves with the Men of Judah, as many did, 2 Chron. 11.16. and 30.11, &c. And 2. Of the Tribe of Benjamin, ver. 7, 8, 9. this little Benjamin (ſo called, Pſalm 68.27.) the ſmalleſt of the Tribes of Iſrael, 1 Sam. 9.21. yeilds more by half than Judah (as Wolphius well obſerveth) for that Tribe affords only four hundred and ſixty eight, whereas this Tribe hath nine hundred and twenty eight. And 3. Of Levites, from ver. 10, to 25. as Jeruſalem ſtood within both theſe Tribes of Judah and Benjamin, therefore are they reckon'd firſt, the Total Summ of both Tribes, amounting to one thouſand three hundred and ninety ſix, ſo the Levites are reckon'd next, whoſe number amounted to one thouſand four hundred and ſeventy ſix, beſide the one hundred and ſeventy two Porters, who were all Levites alſo, ſo that the Total Summ of the Levites exceeded that of the Lay-People (ſo called) N. B. Theſe were the Salt of the City, Matth. 5.13. to keep the Citizens from Putrifying by their Holy Inſtructions.
The Second Part is a Deſcription of thoſe that were left by Lot, &c. to live in the leſſer Cities and Villages of the Countrey, and this alſo is threefold, both in reſpect of their Perſons, and of their Places and Offices.
Remark the Firſt, Thoſe of the Tribe of Judah, from ver. 25, to ver. 31. the Perſons of this Tribe are ſaid to be aſſigned to their ſeveral Cities [Beiad Hammelek, Hebr.] by the Hand of the King, ver. 24. for Nehemiah (ſaith Maſius) was the King of Perſia's Viceroy, and acted all theſe things as his Deputy, and Chief Commiſſioner in Judea, which is here call'd a Province, ver. 3. belonging to the Kingdom of Perſia; therefore theſe Orders of Nehemiah are ſaid to be by the King's Commandment, ver. 23. aſſigning ſundry Seats to the Men of Judah.
Remark the Second, The Tribe of Benjamin comes next, from ver. 31, to ver. 36. and they have Cities alſo, and their Daughters appointed for them, the Hebrew calleth Villages Daughters, becauſe as Daughters are under a Mother, ſo are Villages under a City adjoining to them, ſaith Mariana: Among other Cities, Bethel was aſſigned to thoſe of Benjamin, it was in the out-Coaſts of that Tribe, and thereupon ſurprized by the ten Tribes in their Revolt, who ſet up one of their Golden Calves there, 1 Kings 12.29.
Remark the Third, Concerning the Levites, ver. 36. who had their Diviſions both in Judah and in Benjamin, having Cities and Suburbs given them, as being of great uſefulneſs thoughout the Countrey to inſtruct the People, beſides thoſe that were ſettl'd in Jeruſalem.
N. B. 1. Many of thoſe Cities and Villages had been deſtroyed by the Chaldean, when they over-ran the Countrey in Nebuchadnezzar's Day, but now (upon their return from Captivity) they had repaired them again, &c.
N. B. 2. The King of Perſia impower'd Nehemiah to do what he ſaw fit to be done, giving him the ſame Commiſſion, which he had formerly given to Ezra, Ezra 7.18, 20, 23. and therefore Nehemiah moſt piouſly and prudently judg'd it meet, to diſperſe thoſe Levites among theſe two Tribes, knowing that Candles in a Pound give no Light, but when lighted up one in one Room, and another in another, all the Houſe is lighted thereby, &c.