A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 12
Nehemiah CHAP. XII.
THE principal Scope and main Deſign of this Chapter is, to declare the ſolemn Dedication of the new repaired Walls of Jeruſalem: In which Narrative are; Firſt, The Antecedents. Secondly, The Concomitants. And Thirdly, The Conſequents.
Remarks firſt upon the Antecedents; are,
Firſt, The Genealogy of the Prieſts and Levites begins this Chapter, becauſe they had a principal Part in Repairing the Walls, but more eſpecially in their Dedication; and their Genealogy is firſt Recorded, that it might be the more manifeſt, they were the true Prieſts and Levites, who were thus employed in this Holy Work.
Remark the Second, Their Pedigree is reckoned under three High Prieſts. 1. Under Jehoſhua, ver. 1, to 12. 2. Under Joiakim, from ver. 12, to ver. 21. and 3. Under Eliaſhib, from ver. 22, to 26.
Mark 1. The Anceſtors of thoſe that Dedicated the Wall (namely thoſe that came up with zerubbabel, &c. together with thoſe that came up with Ezra, Ezra 8.2, 3, 18, 19.) are ſo diſtinctly deſcribed, not only for Reverence-ſake to themſelves, but alſo to demonſtrate that thoſe now employed in this Conſecrating Work were no Interlopers, but their Succeſſors by a Right Deſcent, and entring into that Office by a right Door. N. B. Such as intrude themſelves into the Miniſtry, and enter not in by Chriſt the Door, into the Office of an under-Shepherd, are but Thieves and Robbers, John 10.2, 8. Wanting his Call, Miſſion and Commiſſion.
Mark 2. In theſe Catalogues of right-deſcended Prieſts, there be fewer courſes Recorded, than were appointed by David, who nameth twenty four, 1 Chron. 24.7, &c. by Divine Direction: Now the Reaſon rendred, why here are fewer than twenty four, here is, that ſome of David's Courſes were either extinct in the Captivity, or died without Poſterity, and 'tis ſaid, that Ezra found but few of them, when he gather'd them all together at his return, Ezra 8.15.
Mark 3. Eliaſhib is reckoned one in this Catalogue, ver. 10. who proved a very wicked Prieſt, Chap. 13.4, 5. and his Son Joiada was little better, by his being allied to Sanballat, Chap. 13.28. a baſe Apoſtate (ſaith Joſephus) but more of that in its proper Place.
Mark 4. Jaddua is mention'd alſo, ver. 11. who is generally ſuppoſed to be the ſame High-Prieſt, that met Alexander the Great in his Pontiſicalibus or Sacerdotal Formalities, and prevailed with him to ſpare the City Jeruſalem, and not only ſo, but alſo to confirm the Privileges thereof, as Joſephus relateth at large, &c.
Objection, How could Nehemiah mention this Man here, who was not High-Prieſt, until many Years after Nehemiah's Death?
Anſwer the Firſt, Though ſome ſay this will make Nehemiah to live, till he was two hundred Years Old, which is improbable, for ſo long did the Perſian Monarchy continue after Cyrus, before Alexander came to Conquer it: Yet Scaliger on the other hand affirms, that this King of Perſia (with whom Nehemiah was ſuch a Favourite) was that Artaxerxes who Reigned a little while before Alexander, which at moſt could be (ſaith Piſcator) no more than ſixty Years.
Anſwer the Second, Grotius ſaith, that Nehemiah lived after this, to the times of Darius the laſt King of Perſia (of whom he ſpeaketh, ver. 22.) and who was Conquer'd by Alexander, and he mentions Jadduah alſo (as above, ſaith Dr. Lightfoot) that High-Prieſt, whom Alexander had in ſo great Veneration, &c. ſo Nehemiah might live to ſee Jaddua a Boy, though not yet an High-Prieſt (which might be many Years after) therefore is Jaddua barely named here, as born of Jonathan, but not called High-Prieſt here.
Anſwer the Third, Some ſuppoſe God might give this good Man Nehemiah the Bleſſing of a very long Life, for the good of his Church in ſuch a Time as this, wherein ſhe much needed Nehemiah's help both for Counſel, and for Conduct. N.B. Lyra obſerves the ſame Objection againſt Ezra named here, ver. 1, 13, and 33. ſaying, if this be Ezra the Scribe, he muſt now be an hundred and thirty Years Old if not more, this Wolphius well anſwereth, that theſe Holy Men that lived ſober Lives, and were more converſant in their ſerious Studies, than in riotous Feaſts (which ſhorten many Men's Lives, Plures pereunt gulâ quam Gladio, More die by Gluttony than by the Sword) and both of them moſt eminent Inſtruments for preſerving the Church, God might probably grant them a longer Leaſe of their Lives promiſed in the fifth Command, and performed unto Aaron who was an hundred and thirty Years Old, though he died before his Time by a Divine Hand of God: Therefore 'tis no wonder, if theſe two did live ſo long.
Anſwer the Fourth, Others ſay theſe Paſſages might be put into this Book, by ſome other ſacred and inſpired Pen-man; there being ſome (though but few) ſuch Paſſages in the forgoing Books of Scripture (as the laſt of Deuteronomy, &c.) which were added by ſucceeding Men of God in after Times; and A Lapide addeth, that this Addition was made by the Synagogue of the Jews, who then were guided by the Holy Spirit, to ſhew principally (ſaith he) the Succeſſion of the High Prieſthood.
Remark the Third, Ezra the Prieſt and Scribe (ſo called, ver. 26.) and is here an Holy Aſſiſtant to this good Governour Nehemiah, for though Ezra was no High Prieſt, Ezra 7.1. yet becauſe of his great Wiſdom, Zeal, and Courage, and becauſe of that favour he found with the King of Perſia, ſo as to grant him a very large Commiſſion, Ezra 7.22, &c. He had a Government over the Jews, as well as Nehemiah, and therefore the Years are reckoned here by the Time of Nehemiah, and of Ezra's Government.
The Second Part is, the Concomitant Circumſtances of the Dedication of the Walls and Gates of the City newly repaired.
Remark the Firſt, Not only the Walls, ver. 27. but alſo the Gates, ver. 30. yea the whole City (ſaith Tirinus) are now ſolemnly Dedicated to God in thankfulneſs to him, who had ſo wonderfully bleſs'd them in the Rebuilding of all, and with earneſt Prayers for God's Preſence to preſerve for the Future, not only their Lives, Families and Eſtates; but alſo his own Temple and Worſhip therein, from the furious Aſſaults of the Enemy. This Dedication was done with Prayers, Praiſes, Sacrifices, and all forts of Muſick, &c. and all (ſaith A Lapide) a little after fifty Days they had reſted, when all was perfected.
Remark the Second, They gather'd together all the Levites, that were gone into the Countrey (which they might do, till their turn came to Officiate in the Temple) that this legal Conſecration might be carried on with more Solemnity: In Order whereunto, the Levites purified themſelves (with legal Waſhings, Numb. 10.9, 10.) and then the People, ver. 30. whence Lyra learnedly obſerveth, N.B. That Miniſters, who would reform others, muſt firſt begin to reform themſelves: Yet this legal Dedication under the Law, will not warrant (as Wolphius ſaith well) thoſe Superſtitious Conſecrations uſed by the Romaniſts under the Goſpel.
Remark the Third, The Manner of managing this Dedication, from ver. 31, to 43. all the Princes, Prieſts, and People divided themſelves into two Companies, and walk'd in ſolemn Proceſſion two differing Ways upon the broad Walls, Ezra (the great Scribe) led the firſt Company, ver. 36. and Nehemiah as Captain General, follow'd the ſecond, ver. 38. as the first Company went round from the West Southward, until they came to the East: So the ſecond went round from the West Northward, until they came to the East alſo; where they both met together in the Temple, ver. 40. as in their Center, after theſe Circumferences, wherein they both as one praiſed God with all ſorts of Muſick, both Vocal and Instrumental, as the Law of Moſes preſcribed, upon all ſuch ſolemn occaſions of Joy. N.B. Saith Wolphius, both thoſe two Companies, though they went differing Ways, the one Northward and the other Southward round about, yet could they come and convene together in the Temple as in the proper center, and publick Shop of Piety: Even ſo the Brethren of differing perſuaſions have lately (by a gracious influence of God upon them) made an amicable Coalition and Concord in God's Temple alſo. The good Lord grant that the envious one Satan may never be permitted to ſow his Tares of Diſcord where God hath ſown the good Seed of Concord, &c.
The Third Part is the Conſequents of this Solemn Dedication, namely, A General Joy and Reformation, ver. 43, to 47.
Remark the Firſt: This was a Solemn and Sacred Proceſſion, far different from thoſe Antick Proceſſions practis'd by Papiſts, &c. who have their Jeſter in the midſt of them to make them Merry, Epit. Hiſt. Gallic. pag. 191. there was Mad Devotion in the mean time. But theſe Godly Levites had the Muſical Inſtruments of God (ſo call'd 1 Chron. 16.42. becauſe they were of God's appointing under the Law.) And tho' much mention is made of their going from Gate to Gate, &c. yet this they did to excite them the more in Singing aloud to be heard a far off (as Vaiaſhmignu, Hebr. ver. 42. ſignifies) at the ſight of them, and in praiſing God for his marvelous helping them ſo ſoon to build ſuch Fortifications: And 'tis expreſly ſaid, that [God made them Rejoice with great Joy] ſo that they offer'd up the greateſt of Sacrifices (which, Sanctius ſaith, were Oxen, the biggeſt Beaſts) ver. 43. yea, their Wives and Children were wrought upon ſo as to Rejoice with them. This look'd not like that Joy which Jeſters but Jehovah put into them, Pſal. 4.7.
Remark the Second: The People here generally Rejoiced to behold thoſe eminent Gifts and Graces ſhining forth in thoſe Godly Prieſts and Levites (ſaith Wolphius) while they ſo chearfully and devoutly executed their Offices in this Religious Work, ver. 44. And hereupon this Spiritual Joy did ſo inlarge the Peoples hearts, that they moſt promptly provide all the preſcribed Maintenance for thoſe pious Miniſters, and to pay them all their Dues that God had appointed, and themſelves had lately commanded to do; that ſo none of the Sacred Function might be forced out of the City into the Country to ſeek a Livelihood there for them and theirs. N. B. This was a Right and a Religious Reciprocation; the People had received much benefit by their Miniſtry, and therefore they moſt voluntarily return a competent Maintenance to them, according to that Rule, Gal. 6.6. 1 Cor. 9.4, 7, 9, 11, to 14. So warm were this Peoples hearts now by the Word, that they will by no means part with their Miniſters, but they ſhall have a Competency in wholly waiting on their Work for the Peoples Edification.
Remark the Third; The Reformation, in appointing Porters that no unclean Perſon might enter into the Houſe of God, this care belonged unto them, 2 Chron. 23.19. the Law of Purification was committed to thoſe Levite-Porters, ver. 30.45. (ſaith Maſius) to keep the Temple free from pollution; they took care that themſelves and the People might be kept in all purity for the Worſhip of God, according to the command of David and Solomon: And thus they Revived the old and good Reformation, ver. 46, 47. N. B. Aſſuredly it concerns Goſpel-Miniſters (who are God's Porters) to keep the Goſpel-Temple (the Church) as clean from pollution both by any Perſons and things that they may not pollute it, &c.