Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 2 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Verſe 1. Now thoſe that ſealed, were Nehemiah the Tirſhata.]
HE is firſt mentioned, not as a Prieſt, but as Provoſt; and one that held it an honour to be firſt in ſo good a matter As Caeſar never ſaid to his ſouldiers, Ite, but Venite, Go ye, but Come along, I will lead you: And as Abimelech ſaid, What ye have ſeene me do, made haſte and do accordingly. So ſhould all Superiours ſay to their inferiours.Plin. Vita Principis cenſura eſt, imò cynoſura, the life of the Prince is the load-ſtar of the people, upon which moſt men fix their eyes, and ſhape their courſes. Magnates ſunt Magnetes, Great men draw many by their examples, they are as looking-glaſſes by which others dreſſe themſelves. And hence Nehemiah's forwardneſſe here to ſeale firſt. There follow in their order Prieſts, Levites, Princes and people ſolemnly ſealing a ſure Covenant. God had cauſed them to paſſe under the rod, and now he is bringing them into the bond of the Covenant, that he may purge out the rebels from amongſt them, Ezek. 20.37, 38.
Verſe 28. That had ſeparated themſelves] In Saint Pauls ſenſe, 2 Cor. 6.17. Come out from among them, and be ye ſeparate, &c. from ſuch ſtand off; Stand up from the dead, ſave your ſelves from this untoward generation, ſhun their ſinnes, leſt ye ſhare in their plagues. Theſe holy Separates (or Proſelytes) ſealed the Covenant, and became free deniſons of the Common-wealth of Iſrael; having right to all Gods Ordinances, Exod. 12.48. Such were Araunah the Jebuſite, 2 Sam. 24. Jether the Iſmaelite, 1 Chron. 7.17. with 2 Sam. 17.25. thoſe Acts 2.10. the Jewes called them Advenas Juſtitiae. Deodate interpreteth this text of ſuch Jewes as were come again out of Babylon, to ſerve the Lord, according to his Law. Others, of ſuch as had ſeparated themſelves from their Heathen-wives and children.
Their wives, their ſonnes, and their daughters] Theſe alſo were then, and ſtill may be Covenanters, as partakers of the benefit, 1 Tim. 6.2. and heirs together of the grace of life, 1 Pet. 3.7.
Every one having knowledge] Of their own miſery by ſinne, and of the great myſtery of godlineſſe.
Verſe 29. They clave to their brethren] Heb. They laid faſt hold on them, viz. by taking holy of the Covenant, to keep the Sabbath from polluting it, and chuſing the things that pleaſe God, as Eſay 56.4, 6.
And entred into a curſe] The more to confirme the oath, and to keep their deceitful hearts cloſe to God. See Deut. 29.12, 21. This is called the oath of God, Eccleſ. 8.2. Confer Iſa. 19.18. and 44.5. 2 Chron. 15.12, 14. and 34.31.
To walk in Gods Law] Ex gnomone & Canone decalogi, to walk accurately and exactly by line and by rule, In all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameleſſe, Aug. in Exod. Quaeſti. 55.Luke 1.6. ſo far as by his grace He ſhould vouchſafe to aſſiſt them. For lex jubet, gratia juvat. The bowles of the Candleſtick have no oile, but what droppeth from the olivebranches. David can wiſh well to the keeping of Gods Commandments diligently, Pſal. 119.4, 5. but promiſe no further then God ſhall pleaſe to enlarge his heart, verſe 32. Vows and Covenants indefinitely and abſolutely made (as that of Jephta, Judg. 11.31.) prove a ſnare. Condition with the Lord for his ſtrength and grace; rely not on thine own ſufficiency, leſt it repent thee of thy raſhneſſe and ſelf-confidence, as it befell Peter. Conſider that thou art but a poor gariſon-ſouldier: and without ſupplies of the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt, Phil. 1.19. thou canſt do nothing. David knew this, and therefore called earneſtly for help from heaven, Pſal. 51.13, 14, 15. & 119.106, 107.
Verſe 30. And that we would not give our daughters] This is the firſt particular branch of the Covenant, that they would make no inter-marriages with the Heathen; as knowing the ſnare that herein Satan laid for their ſouls. In the firſt ſentence againſt man, this cauſe is expreſſed, Becauſe thou obeyedſt the voice of thy wife, &c. By the rib (as by a ladder) Satan oft climbs to the heart, and corrupts it, as Gregory hath it. O wives! (ſaith another) the moſt ſweet poyſon, the moſt deſired evil in the world, &c. Make a wiſe choice therefore. The Heathen well ſaith, that every man when he marrieth, brings either a good or an evil ſpirit into his houſe, and ſo makes it either a heaven or a hell.
Verſe 31. And if the people of the land bring any ware] As they might without the Jewes leave: and did, chap. 13.16. and ſome of theſe Jewes, forgetting their Covenant, bought of them too: even the children of Juda in Jeruſalem, ib. as if they had been of her religion in the tragedy, who ſaid, foreign. that is, I ſwore with my tongue, but not with my heart. But ſhall they thus eſcape by iniquity? Be not deceived, God is not mocked: A God of truth, and without iniquity; juſt and right is he, Deut. 32.4.
That we would not buy it of them] Leſt we ſhould trouble and diſquiet that holy Reſt; and God ſhould ſue us upon an Action of waſt: For the ſeventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, Exod. 20.11. Jer. 17.21.
Or on the holy day] Now abrogated Col. 2.16.
And that we would leave the ſeventh yeare] That Sabbaticall yeare, prefiguring the year of Grace, the Kingdome of Chriſt, Qui noxas & nexus omnes ſolveret, who giveth his people a generall releaſe, Deut. 15.2. and comes not over them againe with an after-reckoning. Peccata non redeunt. The Land alſo was to reſt from tillage this year, Exod. 23.11
And the exaction of every debt] For that year at leaſt, and the next too, if the debter were not able to pay; the lender was to expect a recompenſe from God, Deut. 15.6.
Verſe 32. To charge our ſelves yearly with the third part of a ſhekel] Beſide the Poll-mony the half-ſhekel required, Exod. 38.26. the third part of a ſhekel was no great ſum, yet ſomewhat more then what Saul and his ſervant preſented the Seer with, whom they could not but know to be the Judge of Iſrael, 1 Sam. 9.8. Theſe had learned, that thankfulneſs was meaſured both by God and good men not by the weight, but by the will of the Retributor. God doth highly accept the ſmall offerings of his weak ſervants, when he ſeeth them to proceed from great love.
Verſe 33. For the ſhewbread] Here are recited the ſeverall uſes whereunto that tribute or Impoſt was put: the half-ſhekel enjoyned by the Law being not enough, by reaſon the people were as yet ſo few. This though Junius denieth, yet the Hebrews all conſent about it.
To make an atonement] That is, an agreement, Heb. To cover or expiate; to purge away, or take away uncleanneſſe; to ſatisfie for ſin, and to pacifie wrath. By the Prieſts making atonement legally was typified Chriſts making reconciliation betwixt God and man; for he alone is the propitiation for our ſinnes, 1 John 2.2. But how much miſtaken were our Anceſtours in times of Popery,Act. and Mon. 1077. who built religious houſes, and gave large maintenance to them to buy off their ſinnes, to deliver their ſoules from hell, to fetch their friends out of Purgatory, &c.
Verſe 34. And we caſt lots — for the Wood-offering] Heb. Kurban or Korban as the Goſpel calleth it, becauſe by offerings they came near to God. This Wood offering we read not of till now: the Prophet Iſay telleth us, that if we ſhould ſacrifice unto God according to his excellent greatneſſe, Lebanon would not be ſufficient to burn, nor the beaſts thereof ſufficient for a burnt-offering, Chap. 40.16. There was much uſe of fuell about the Temple; and it was formerly provided out of the publike treaſury. But that now failing, they take another order as here; that God might not be unſerved, and the daily ſacrifice neglected, which they held and called The abomination of deſolation
Verſe 35. And to bring the firſt-fruits of our Ground] Heb. The firſt-borne. Theſe firſt-fruits were the fiftieth part; and, if any would be more liberall in paying, the fourtieth; or, being poorer, the ſixtieth part.
And the firſt-fruits of all fruits of all trees] God required to be honoured with the firſtlings of all; to ſhew how he ſets by our young-ſervices. We prize nettle-buds when they firſt put forth: ſo doth God remember and regard the kindneſſe of our youth.Jer. 2.1.
Verſe 36. Alſo the firſt-born of our Sonnes] Theſe God claimed as his due, Exod. 12.2. and 22.29. Num. 3.13. and called for, as beſt beloved of the parents; that, together with them he might draw mens beſt affections to himſelfe. They were to be redeemed, as were alſo the firſtlings of all beaſts not fit for ſacrifice, Exod. 13.13. and the redemption-money brought to the Prieſts (who were Gods Receivers) that they might be the better encouraged in the Law of the Lord, as Hezekiah phraſeth it, 2 Chron. 31.4.
To bring to the houſe of our God, unto the Prieſts] No man might offer his own ſacrifice, though it were never ſo good, but preſent it to the Prieſt, Levit. 17.5. who was to offer as well the poor mans Lamb, as the rich mans Oxe: it is by Chriſt alone that we muſt draw nigh to God, &c.
Verſe 37. And that we ſhould bring the firſt-fruits of our dough] As oft as they baked, they gave a Cake unto the Prieſts; where they dwelled, throughout the Tribes: for they were diſperſed all abroad the land for inſtruction of the people, and exhortation to obedience to the Law of God. See Num. 15.20, 21.
And the tythes of our ground unto the Levites] And the tythes were paid to the Levites, not to the Prieſts: and out of them, the Levites paid a tenth to the Prieſts.
In all the Cities of our tillage] No places were tyth-free.
Verſe 38. And the Prieſt the Son of Aaron] That Son of Aaron by an eminency, the High-Prieſt.
Shall be with the Levites] To ſee that right be done, and to make an equal diſtribution.
When the Levites take tythes] As their Due, and not as a benevolence from the people. Melchizedech tythed Abraham, Heb. 7.6. It is your reward or wages which you dearly earne, and may juſtly call for, Num. 19.31. The chief of the Levites demanded their due, when they were not thought of: but, by great over-ſight, were paſſed over in the diviſion, Joſh. 21.1.
And the Levites ſhall bring up] See the Note on verſe 37.
Verſe 39. And we will not forſake the houſe of God] But frequent it our ſelves, and ſee that the Prieſts that miniſter, the porters and ſingers forſake it not, for want of neceſſary maintenance: as they were ſhortly after this, forced to do, And to flie every one to his field, Neh. 13.10. For a ſubſiſtence.