Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. I.

THe words of Nehemiah the sonne of Hachaliah.] That is, Nehemiahs relation of those things which he did, to wit, for the citie Jerusalem and for the people of God: for as in the former book we have the relation of the building of the Temple; so in this we have the relation of the building of the citie: And that Nehemiah penned this book is evi∣dent, as by this title, so also by this, that throughout the book he speaks usually of himself in the first person, (I Nehemiah &c.) and not in the third.

In the moneth of Chisleu, in the twentieth yeare, as I was in Shushan the palace, &c.] Chisleu was their ninth moneth, containing part of our November and De∣cember; which is therefore observable, because hereby it appears that Hanani and his brethren, that were come now into Persia to Nehemiah, undertook their journey upon some businesse, as is most likely, for the good of the Church and people of God, even in the depth of winter: By the twentieth yeare here mentioned, is meant the twentieth yeare of the reigne of Artaxerxes, for so much is expressed, chap. 2.1. And it came to passe in the moneth Nisan, in the twentieth yeare of Ar∣taxerxes the king &c. and that it was Artaxerxes Mnemon, or rather that Artaxerxes who is called Longimanus or Longhand, because one of his hands was longer then the other, the same in whose seventh yeare Ezra went down to Jerusalem, as is noted. Ezra 7.1. and not Xerxes as some would have it; we may the rather think, because there is mention made of the two and thirtieth yeare of this Artaxerxes, chap. 13.6. whereas no historians reckon above one and twenty years of the reigne of Xerxes. As for the palace of Shushan, where Nehemiah was when Hanani and his brethren came to him, thereby is meant the palace of the citie Shushan, for Shushan was one of the chief cities in Persia, Esther 3.15. The city Shushan was perplexed, and Hanani being one of the kings officers lived with him in the palace; yet it may be the palace was peculiarly called Shushan, as the citie also was.

Vers. 3. The remnant that are left of the captivitie there in the province, are in great affliction and reproach, &c.] That is, their neighbours round about them do exceedingly despise them and wrong them; to which these Jews adde as the reason of this, the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire, that is, as Nebuchadnezzar left them long ago, so they still continue; and this makes the enemies proudly to insult over them, and disables them to defend themselves against them: Some conceive thas Ezra had built the walls, and that the neighbouring nations had since done this mischief; but then it is likely they would have burnt the whole citie, if not the Temple too.

Vers. 4. I sate down and wept, and mourned certain dayes, and fasted, and prayed

before the God of heaven. That is, as prostrating himself in Gods presence and hap∣pely with his face toward the Temple the place of Gods presence, according to that 1 Kings 8.44. If thy people go out to battel against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the Lord toward the citie which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name, and Dan. 6.10. He went into his house, and his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed.

Vers. 7. And have not kept the commandments nor the statutes nor the judge∣ments, &c.] That is, neither the morall, ceremoniall, nor judiciall lawes.

Vers. 9. Though there were of you cast out into the uttermost part of the hea∣ven, yet will I gather them from thence.] The meaning of these words is, that though they were scattercd to the remotest parts of the earth, yet God would bring them back from thence; but because at the utmost extent of so much of the earth as mans eye can at any time see, the heavens seem to touch the earth, and to cover it round about, as with a half globe, hence is this expression of being cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven.

Vers. 11. Prosper I pray thee thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.] That is, Artaxerxes, who was but a man though a king, and therefore his heart was in Gods hand, as other mens are.

For I was the kings cup-bearer.] This he addes, to shew what interest he had in the king, to encourage him to move the king in this businesse.