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. V.

Vers. 2. THere were that said, We, our sonnes and our daughters are many: therefore we take up corn for them, &c.] That is, having a great charge of children, that which we earn will not maintain us; and therefore we are constrained, whilest we work for the publick, to take up corn upon use of the nobles, and rulers, and rich men amongst us, to keep us from starving, and that by pawning or selline our children to them for servants, till we can redeem them; which we are never like to do, as is expressed, vers. 5. We bring into bondage our sonnes and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage al∣ready, neither is it in our power to redeem them; so that we are in as bad or worse

a condition, then when we were bondslaves in Babylon; and the having of many children, which is of it self a great blessing of God, is turned to us as a bit∣ter curse.

Vers. 3. We have morgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.] Even those that had not so great a charge of chil∣dren were forced to morgage their estates, because of the dearth that was amongst them.

Vers. 4. There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the kings tri∣bute, &c.] That is, though we had sufficient to sustain the charge of our selves and families, yet not also to defray the tribute that was laid upon us; but even to pay that, we have been constrained to morgage our lands and vineyards: for though the Jews had liberty given them to return from Babylon into their own countrey, yet they were to pay tribute there, as is evident, Ezra 4.13. If this city be buil∣ded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custome, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the king: and chap. 7.24. Also we certifie you, that touching any of the Priests, and Levites, singers, porters, Nethi∣nims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawfull to impose toll, tribute, or custome upon them.

Vers. 5. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children.] That is, we are reasonable creatures, as well as they, not beasts; yea Is∣raelites of the seed and linage of Abraham as well as they, not heathens; though they use us as if we were not such.

Vers. 7. And I set a great assembly against them.] To wit, both of those that were oppressed, and those of the better sort in the congregation, that were not tain∣ted with this sinne: yea perhaps he called a generall assembly of all the elders of Israel, that the sight of the multitude of those that cryed out against them, and the hearing of so many of their brethren protesting against this which they had done, and Nehemiahs reproof in this publick assembly, all this together might humble them the more, and make them even ashamed of the evil they had done; which was according to that the Apostle adviseth concerning publick offences, 1. Tim. 5.20. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

Vers. 8. We, after our ability, have redeemed our brethren, &c.] That is, we have done what in us lay to free our brethren from their bondage in Babylon, and will you make them bondslaves again, onely to pay your useries and unjust exacti∣ons? even the bringing of the Jews out of Babylon, may be this redeeming of the Jews, whereof Nehemiah here speaks: yet happely the liberty granted by the Persi∣an kings to the Jews, that who would might return to their own countrey, did not extend to those that had been bought and sold; and therefore perhaps both Nehe∣miah and others had with their money redeemed many of those that were so sold, and so brought them also out of Babylon.

Vers. 10. I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn.] To wit, for money we have lent them: or as a recompence of our publick imployments.

Vers. 11. Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, &c.] To wit, remitting the debt for which they were morgaged; for that he did require them to

remit the debt, as well as to restore the morgage, is evident by their answer, vers. 12. We will restore them, and will require nothing of them.

Also the hundred part of the money and of the corn, &c.] To wit, which they paid every moneth by way of use for the money, corn, &c. which they had bor∣rowed; as for instance, if they borrowed an hundred pounds, for a moneths loan they paid one pound, and for a twelve-moneth twelve pound; all which since they had unjustly exacted of their brethren, Nehemiah calls upon them to restore it again.

Vers. 12. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.] Some Expositours conceive, that some of the priests being guilty of this sinne of oppressing the people by taking usury of them, out of respect to their office, Nehemiah called them to him by themselves in private, and took an oath of them, that they should also do according to that which the people had promised; but I rather think, that it was the people of whom he took the oath, of whom it is said in the foregoing words, that they promised to do all that Nehe∣miah had required of them, and that the priests were called, either because it was the custome that the priests did give the oath to those that were sworn, or at least, because being sworn in the presence of the priests, who were the messengers of the Lord of hosts, the adjuration might be the more solemn and sacred, and those that were sworn, might be the more religiously affected with it.

Vers. 13. Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, &c.] That is, may God so cast him out of his house, lands, and estates, (which is here called his labour, because he means that which he had gotten by his labour) that performes not this promise, as by shaking of my lap, any thing that were therein would be now cast out of it; so that this ceremony of shaking his lap, was much like that of Pauls shaking his raiment, Acts 18.6. though that was to signifie another thing, namely, that he was clear of the bloud of the Jews, that would not embrace the truth he had taught them; he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your bloud be upon your own heads, I am clean: and that also when Christ appointed his disciples, Matth. 10.14. to shake off the dust from their feet, as a witnesse against those that would not receive them.

Vers. 14. Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governour, &c.] To shew, how unreasonable a thing it was in the richer sort to take usury of their poore brethren, he puts them in mind, that merely because he would not over∣burden the people, all the twelve years that he had been their governour, he had li∣ved wholly upon his own personall estate, and neither he nor his brethren had eaten the bread of the governour, that is, the allowance of bread and other necessaries, which had been alwayes given by the people, for the daily provision of their Go∣vernour and his family: As concerning the twelve years here mentioned, wherein Nehemiah had been their governour, see chap. 2.6.

Vers. 15. But the former governours that had been before me, were chargeable unto the people, &c.] To make it the more apparent, how loath he was to be chargeable to the people in regard of their poverty, and so by consequence to imply what an un∣mercifull act it was in the richer sort to oppresse them with usurie, he shewes here, that though he might have challenged a yearely allowance for his maintainance,

because all the governours had it that were before him, yet he required no such thing of them; The former governours had taken of them bread and wine, that is, a certain quality of bread and wine, and such other necessaries, besides fourty shekels of silver, to wit, for every day, or of the head of every family; but he durst do so. But now by the former governours, I do not conceive that Zerubbabel and Ez∣ra are meant; but rather those governours, which after Zerubbabels death till Ne∣hemiahs coming had the chief sway of government amongst the Jews, for Ezra was not sent as a governour, but as a scribe to teach them what they ought to do.

Yea, even their servants bear rule over the people.] That is, they also exacted what they pleased of the people.

Vers. 16, Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall.] Though in the third chapter, where it is fully expressed by whom the severall parts of the wall were re∣paired, there is no mention of any particular part thereof undertaken by Nehemiah; yet he might well say, that he continued in the work of the wall, because he was con∣tinually imployed in the oversight of the work, and was still with them, to direct and incourage the builders; yea, and because his servants were imployed too where most need was, to help in the work, as it followes in this verse, and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work: though he lived wholly upon his own pri∣vate means, yet both he and his were still imployed in the publick service.

Neither bought we any land.] Though the people being many of them much in∣debted, he might have had great bargains of them: and this is alledged as a proof, that neither he nor his sought to advance themselves; but onely sought the good of the people.

Vers. 17. Moreover, there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, &c.] The charge he was at in entertaining so many of the rulers, peo∣ple, and strangers daily at his table, is here alledged, (to wit, during the time of his being in Jerusalem: for it is likely that he was often away in Persia, and this charge constantly for twelve years together, would otherwise have spent a kings estate,) first, because hereby the people were much eased; for a heavie burden it would have been to them, if all this had been done at the common charge: and secondly, be∣cause this circumstance did much commend his not taking from the people that which the former governours had taken of them for their maintenance, to wit, that he was put to so great charge, and yet he defrayed it all of his own private means.

Vers. 18. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once in ten dayes store of all sorts of wine.] That is, besides the ordinary provision prepared for every day, e∣very tenth day I feasted them more liberally, and gave them store of all sorts of wine.