bath-day; besides those borne on asses, others were
carried on men's shoulders; this was contrary to the
law of the sabbath, which required that both men and
beasts should have rest: and I testified against them in
the day wherein they sold victuals; that is, the sabbath-
day; and if it was not lawful to sell food, then not any
thing else; so far from it, that according to the Jewish
canons f, such that were in partnership might not dis-
course together of what they should sell or buy on the
morrow, the day after the sabbath; and so far from
gathering and carrying grapes and figs, that a man
might not go into his gardens and fields to see what
were wanting, or how the fruits were: now Nehemiah
admonished the Jews of these evils they committed,
and testified against them as breakers of the law, and
called heaven and earth to testify against them, should
they go on to violate it.
Ver. 16. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which
brought fish, &c.] From Tyre and Zidon, and the
parts adjacent: these they brought from Joppa, and
from thence to Jerusalem, and had houses or lodgings
near the fish-gate or fish-market, where they sold
them: and all manner of ware; or merchandise, which,
being a trading city, they had from all nations: and
sold on the sabbath-day unto the children of 3udah, and
in Jerusalem; or even in Jerusalem, the holy city,
where stood the temple, and where the worship of
God was kept, and where the magistrates lived, who
should have been terrors to evil-doers: indeed, the
law of the sabbath was not binding on these Tyrians,
but then they tempted the Jews to break it, by bring-
ing their ware to sell.
Ver. 17. Then I contended with the nobles, &c.] The
rulers of the city, the civil magistrates, sharply re-
proved them for their neglect of duty: and said unto
them, what evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the
sabbath-day ? by suffering servile works to be done in
it, and things sold on it.
Ver. 1S. Did not your fathers thus, &c.] Profane
the sabbath in like manner: and did not our God bring
all this evil upon us, and upon our city ? suffered them
to be carried captive into a strange land, and their
city destroyed for their sins, and for this of sabbath-
breaking among the rest, see Jer. xvii. 21--27. Ezek.
xx. 16, 21, 24. yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by
profaning the sabbath; additional judgments to those
that had been already upon them for the same evil
with others.
Ver. 19. And it came to pass, that when the gates
Jerusalem began to be darlc before the sabbath, &c.]
were shaded g; that is, as Jarchi interprets it, when the
shadows of the eve of the sabbath were stretched out
upon the gates; the sabbath did not begin till sun-
setting, and the stars appeared; but before that, as the
sun was declining, the shadows through the houses in
Jerusalem, and mountains about it, spread themselves
over the gates: and when it was duskish, and as soon
as it was so, I commanded that the gates should be shut,
and charged that they should not be opened till after the
sabbath; until sun-setting the next day: and some
my sereants set I at the gates, that there should be
burden brought in on the sabbath-day; the porters being
not to be trusted, being liable to be bribed and cor-
rupted, which he knew his servants were not; and
therefore, since it might be necessary on a few occa-
sions to open the gates to let some persons in and out,
and especially such who dwelt near, and came to wor-
ship, he placed his servants there, to take care that
none were admitted that had any burdens upon them.
Ver. e0. For the merchants and sellers of all kind of
ware, &c.] The Tyrians particularly, ver. 16. lodged
without Jerusalem once or twice; one sabbath-day or
two, not being able to get into the city, such strict
watch and care being taken to keep the gates shut;
this they did, hoping the Jews would come out to
them and buy their goods, though they were not ad-
mitted to bring them within the city.
Vet. el. Then I testified against them, &c.] Against
their continuance there, and threatened them, and
called heaven and earth to witness what he would do
to them, if they did not depart: wh!! lodge .ye about
the wall? of the city, waiting an opportunity to get
in, and tempting the Jews to come out and buy their
ware: if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you; beat
them, or slay them, at least itnprison them:
that time forth came they no more on the sabbath; find-
ing there was no likelihood of getting into the city,
and that they were liable to be taken up and punished.
Vet..o9. And I commanded the Leviten that theft
should cleanse themselves, &c.] From all ceremonial
uncleanness, that they might be tit in a ceremonial
sense to perform the duties of the office on the sab-
bath-day: and that they should come and keep the gates,
to sanctify the sabbath-day; not the gates of the city,
his servants were placed there, nor was this the work
of the Levites, and much less did this require a parti-
cular purification to fit for it; but the gates of the
temple, that no impure person might enter there; and
on that day it required the greater diligence, because
of the number of people that came to worship: re-
member me, 0 my God, concerning this also; with
respect to his care to have the sabbath kept holy, as
well as his concern for the honour of the house of
God, and7 the maintenance of his ministers, ver. 14.
and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy;
he desired to be dealt with, not according to a. ny me-
fits of his own, but according to the abundant mercy
of God; that he would kindly and graciously vouch-
safe to accept any good that he had done tbr his mercy-
sake, and forgive whatever was amiss in him.
Vet. 23./n those days also I saw ,lews that married
wives of Ashdod, of Aremort, and of Moab.3 Ashdod,
or Azotus, as it is called in Acts viii. 40, was one of
the five cities of the Philistines; which, though none
of the seven nations with whom marriage was tbrbid,
yet it was very unfit and improper to marry with
them, Judy. xiv. 3. This place was a mart of the Ara-
bians h, where they sold their goods, to which the Jews
might resort, and thereby be insnared into such mar-
riages; and which with the Ammonites and Moabites
were unlawful, vet. 1.
Ver. 24. And their children spoke half .in the speech


{f} Maimon. Hilchot Sabbat, c. 24. sect. 1, 2.
{g} \^wllu\^ obumbratae, Pagninus, Montanus; obumbrarentur, Junius.
& Tremellius, Piscator, Rambachius; incidentibus umbris, Tigurine
version.
{h} Mela de Situ Orbis, l. 1. c. 10.