Nehemiah 13

Nehemiah 13:1

ON that day] namely, after Nehemiah was returned from the King ofPersia, verse 6.

Nehemiah 13:5

Prepared] he had made ready and furnished one of the chambers of the porticoes of the Temple, to lodge Tobiah therein when he came to Jerusalem: [Chamber] a partition of Chambers, that is to say, severall roomes: [the offerings]the Tithes of the Tithes, Nehemiah 12:47. or the offerings which belonged to the Priests,Numbers 18:8.

Nehemiah 13:6

Of Babylon] that is to say of Persia, having conquered the Empire of Babylon,and reduced it into a Province, and may be he used that title to the Iewes, as Ezr. 5. 13. and 6. 22 [after certaine dayes] the Italian, after a year, or after some time.

Nehemiah 13:9

Cleansed] using the water of separation, Numbers 19:9. as having been polluted by the prophanenesse of them that had lodged in them, and by being put to uses contrary to Gods order, who had appointed them onely for his ministers.

Nehemiah 13:10

Been given them] by those that shared them, 2 Chron. 31. 4 15. 19.

Nehemiah 13:11

Why] that is to say, why for want of providing maintenance for the Levites; have the ordinarie services of the Temple been intermitted? see Nehemiah 10:39.

Nehemiah 13:13

I made] according to Davids first order, 1 Chronicles 26:20. observed byHezekiah, 2 Chronicles 31:12. [the Scribe] Doctor of the Law, or Secretarie, or Clerk, who kept the accompts and writings.

Nehemiah 13:15

Wherein they sold] upon a publick Marketday, when there was great store of people present.

Nehemiah 13:22

The gates] of the Temple, to keep the Sabbath religiously, doing their office without any distraction; Or to hinder unclean persons from comming into the Temple on the Sabbath, which was a day of solemn meeting and extraordinarie concourse of people, 2 Chronicles 23:19. [spare mee] the Italian, pardon mee, my faults in other things, and my defects also in this.

Nehemiah 13:25

Cursed them] that is to say, denounced Gods curse unto them.

Nehemiah 13:28

Of the Sonnes] of his posterity, for he was his grand-child, Neh. 12. 10. 11. and his name was Manasseh, and his womans name Nicoso; Now this Manasseh upon this occasion retired to Samaria to his father in Law, who by the permission ofDarius, and afterwards of Alexander the great, undertooke the building of the Temple of Garizim, Iob. 4. 20. and to him there joyned themselves many Iewes and Priests, who had also entangled themselves in such unlawfull marriages, whence began theSamaritans superstition and false worship in that Temple.