Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/3_100_t.lzh/3_157.TXT

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day the dedication was; whilst the people were in a
good disposition, and a suitable frame for such service,
certain persons from among the priests were appointed
to be overseers of the chambers fixed upon tbr trea-
suries, to lay up safe in them the following things, and
take care of them, that they were put to the use for
which they were designed:for the offerings, Jbr the
first-fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into thenz out of
the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the
priests and Levites; what by the law of God were as-
signed them tbr their maintenance, and which the
people had lately bound themselves to bring in, ch. x.
35--39..for Judah rejoiced for' the priests, and .for the
Leviten that waited; at the temple, and performed their
services there; they were so pleased with their mini-
strations that day, that they were determined to take
care of them, and provide well for them, and that
nothing should be wanting to them, enjoined by the
law of God, and that they might not be obliged to
dwell in fields and villages for the sake of their living,
ver. 2.8, 29. and ch. xiii. 10.
Vet. 45. Asd both the singers and the porters kept the
wartl of their God, and the ward of their purification,
&c.] The singers kept their turns in course in the
temple, and were not wanting to officiate on all oc-
casions, besides morning and evening services; and
the porters they diligently kept the gates of the tem-

pie, that no impure person or thing in a ceremonial
sense entered: according to the commandment of David,
and Solomon his son; who made very good rules and
orders relative to the better and more regular per-
formance of service by them; see 1 Chron. xxv. 1, 4'c.
and xxvi. 1, &c. 2 Chron. viii. 14.
Ver. 46. For in the days of David and Asaph of old
there were chief of the sinners, &c.] Persons appointed
over the rest to instruct them, and see that they did
their work aright, as besides Asaph, Haman, and Je-
duthun, and their sons, I Chron. xxv. 2--S. and songs
of praise and thanksgiving unto God; such were made
by them, some under divine inspiration, which bear
the names of David and Asaph, as may be observed
in the 'book of Psalms.
Vet. 47. And all Israel in the da!ts of Zerubbabel,
and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the
singers and the porters ever!! day his portion, &c.]
Whilst these two men governed they did their duty,
and punctually paid the Leviten their dues at the pro-
per season: and they sanctified holy things unto the
1,evites; set them apart tbr t. heir use, and brought
them to them, their offerings, firstd'ruits, and tithes:
and the Leviten sanctified them unto the children of
Aaron; the Leviten set apart the tenth part of the
tithes, and delivered them to the priests, and so each
had what belonged to them.

THIs chapter relates the reformation of various
abuses crept in among the Jews by Nehemiah, who
removed the Moabites and Ammonites, mixed with
them, ver. 1, 2, 3. threw the household goods of
Tobiah out of a chamber of the temple, and restored
it to its former use, vet. 4--9. took care that the Leviten
had their portion given them which had been kept
from them, ver. 10--14. prevented the prohnation of.
the sabbath by selling goods on that day, yet. 15--c2c2..
and put a stop to the marrying of strange wives, which
had prevailed again among them, vet. 23--31.
Vet. 1. On that day, &c.] Not when the wall of
the city was dedicated, nor quickly after; for it cannot
be thought that people should be so corrupted so soon
as this chapter shews; but when Nehemiah had go-
verned them twelve ycars, and had been at Babylon,
and was returned again, as appears from vet. 6. com-
pared with ch. ii. 1, 6. and vii. o_. they read in the book
of Moses in the audience of the people; for from the
time of the reading of the law by Ezra, oh. viii. it be-
came a custom to read the law publicly: and therein
was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite
should not come into the congregation of the Lord; that
is, be admitted to marry with any of the people of
Israel; see the note on Deut. xxiii. 3.
Ver. 0,, Because they met not the children of lsrael
with bread, &c.] The same reason is given, and what
follows in this verse is observed in Deut. xxiii. 4, 5.
see the notes there.
Vet. 3. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the

law, &c.] Or the law concerning the Ammonite and
the Moabite, and which included other nations also,
and forbad marriage with them: that they separated
.from .Israel all the mixed multitude; all of these, and
other nations, they had contracted affinity with.
Ver. 4. And before this, &c.] Before the above law
was read, and observed and acted upon: Eliashib the
priest; whom some take to be a common priest; so.
Bishop Usher {a}; but he seems rather to be the high-
priest, by comparing it with ver. °,8. having the over-
sight of the chamber of the house of our God; which
has led some to the notion of his being a common
priest; but chamber may be put for chambers, and
those for the whole house or temple, which the high-
priest had the greatest concern in, and oversight of:
was allied to Tobiah; the servant and Ammonite, an
inveterate enemy of the Jews, ch. ii. 10, 20. having
married a daughter of Shecaniah, and his son a daugh-
ter of Meshullam, who were both priests, and so as it
seems related to Eliashib, oh. vi. 18.
Ver. 3. And he hadprepared for him a great chamber,
&c.] In the temple, by throwing together several
chambers, as Piscator observes: where afore-time they
laid the meat-offerings, the .frankincense, and the vessels,
and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which
was comnzanded to be given to the Leviten, and to the
singers, and the porters, and the offerings of the priests;
see ch. x. 37, 38, 39. and xii. 44.
Ver. 6. But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem,
&c.] Nehetniah, who was absent all the while these

{a} Annal. Vet. Test. p. 200.