This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further further information or permissions.
Vers. 2. SAnballat, and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet toge∣ther in some one of the villages, in the plain of Ono, &c.] Which was in the tribe of Benjamin, chap. 11.30, 35. 1. Chron. 8.12. It is likely therefore that Sanballat appointed this place for their meeting, so near to Jerusalem, that Ne∣hemiah might be the more easily induced to come thither; but, saith Nehemiah,
they thought to do me mischief; that is, to slay me, or at least, to make me their prisoner.
Vers. 5. Then sent Sanballat his servants unto me, in like manner, the fifth time, with an open letter.] He sent the letter open, either to imply that what was written in that letter was no secret thing, but what was common in every mans mouth; or else that the messenger might shew it to others of the Jews before he came to Nehe∣miah, and so with the contents thereof might discourage them.
Vers. 6. It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebell.] That is, that you may not think I pretend a rumour, when there is no such thing; I will name you one in particular who will confidently a∣verre it, and that is Gashmu, or Geshem, vers. 2. the king of Persia his deputy Lieutenant in Arabia; and that because hereby also you may see how farre the rumour is spread, and that their be some no mean men that will maintain it.
Thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.] According to this report which is abroad of you.
Vers. 7. And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah.] That is. we have now a king again of our own nation, and shall not be in bondage any longer to forrein princes. I find some Ex∣positours of opinion, that such a rumour was indeed spread abroad concerning Ne∣hemiah, and that it was raised by occasion of the prophesies of Haggai and Zacha∣riah, concerning the near approach of Christs kingdome; which were by some per∣verted, as if they had been spoken of Nehemiah. But I think it may as well be supposed that there were no such rumours; but that they were merely forged by San∣ballat to scare Nehemiah, and in hope he would thereupon come to them to clear himself: for so Nehemiah answers, vers. 8. There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou faignest them out of thy own heart.
Come now therefore, and let us take counsell together.] That is, let us meet and advise in a friendly manner, that we may see whether this report be true, and if it be false, what course is to be taken to discover your innocency, and to prevent the king of Persiaes displeasure against us.
Vers. 10. Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the sonne of Delai∣ah, &c. who was shut up.] It seems this Shemaiah was a priest of the course of De∣laiah, 1. Chron. 24.18. and therefore called here the sonne of Delaiah, and that accordingly he had his house in the Temple: but withall it is evident, that he was accounted a prophet, though he was indeed a false prophet, and was hired at this time by Tobiah and Sanballat, to prophecy of the danger that was coming upon Nehemiah, purposely that he might be terrified and be wonne to hide himselfe, and so the hearts of all the people might be discouraged likewise, and some advantage by this means might be taken against them: why it is here said he was at this time shut up, the judgement of Expositours is divers: the most probable reasons that I find given for it, are, that he shut up himself, either first, to make a shew of a de∣sire to retire himself that he might pray with the greater liberty, and receive some revelation from God: or secondly, out of a pretence of fearing some sudden at∣tempt that would be made upon the city, which caused him to shut up himself, that he might keep out the enemy: or thirdly, that he did it as a propheticall signe that
such dangers were coming upon the city that men should be glad to shut up them∣selves, assaying thereby to hide themselves from the enemy: whereof when Nehe∣miah heard, for this very cause it was that he came to him.
And he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the Temple, and let us shut the doores, &c.] And thus under a pretence of perswading Nehemiah to shut up himself in the Temple that his enemies might not come at him, he sought by Nehemiahs cowardise to discourage all the people, as is before noted, and withall might have a purpose to deliver him up into their hands, having him thus fast shut up, that he could not escape to hide himself.
Vers. 11. And I said, Should such a man as I flee? &c.] Being called of God to do what I do, and being at present the chief magistrate and governour of this city, who am therefore to take care for the defence of the people, and to give them all possible encouragement both by word and deed, Should I flee, and that into the Temple, like a malefactour that sought to take sanctuary there? Surely this were the ready way utterly to discourage the people, and to bring a reproch both upon my self and upon them, as if I did distrust the providence and protection of God; and therefore were it to save my life, I would not do it. This I conceive was the full meaning of these words of Nehemiah; yet some think also that he refused to go in∣to the Temple, because it was not lawfull for any but the priests to go in thither, Numb. 3.38.
Vers. 12. And lo, I perceived that God had not sent him, &c.] To wit, both by the advice he gave, because it tended to the hurt of Gods people, and to beat him off by terrifying him from the work, which God had given him in charge; and like∣wise afterwards by the event, because the enemies came not that night to seize upon him, as Shemaiah had prophecyed they would.
Vers. 15. So the wall was finished, in the twenty and fifth day of the moneth Elul, &c.] The very doores of the gates being then also set up; which was not done before vers. 1. The whole work was finished on the twenty fifth day of the moneth Elul (which was their sixth moneth, agreeing most what with our August, and shewes that they undertook the work in the heighth of summer, when the dayes were at the longest, and the season every way most seasonable for building) and so all was dispatched in fifty and two dayes, to wit, from the time that they first be∣gan the repairing of the wall. Indeed, because it seems impossible that so great a work should be finished in so short a compasse, to wit, fifty two dayes, which was not full two moneths, therefore some Expositours understand these fifty two dayes to be meant of the time after the stone wall was finished, and that message was sent from Sanballat and Tobiah, whereof mention is made vers. 2. but because no such thing is here expressed, I rather understand it of the time wherein the whole work was fi∣nished. And indeed if we consider, first, that the walls and towers were not wholly razed to the ground, but onely battered and broken, and had many breaches in them: secondly, that there was a multitude of people who round about the city in severall places at one time were employed in the work, and did with much earnest∣nesse follow it: and thirdly, that it was indeed finished to the astonishment of the enemies, vers. 16. before they dreamed it could have been done▪ And it came to passe, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that was about
us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived this work was wrought of our God: I say, considering all these things, it needs not seem so incredible that the work was begun and perfected in fifty two dayes.