A commentary upon the whole Old Testament, added to that of the same author upon the whole New Testament published many years before, to make a compleat work upon the whole Bible. Vols. 2-4. Wherein the divers translations and expositions, literall and mysticall, of all the most famous commentators both ancient and modern are propounded, examined, and judged of, for the more full satisfaction of the studious reader in all things, and many most genuine notions inserted for edification in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. A work, the like unto which hath never yet been published by any man, yet very necessary, nor only for students in divinity; but also for every Christian that loveth the knowledge of divine things, or humane, whereof this comment is also full. Consisting of IV parts. I Upon the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses. II Upon the historical part, from Joshua to Esther. III Upon Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomons Song. IV Upon all the prophets both great and small. By John Mayer, doctor of divinity.

CHAP. XIII.

THe history of the acts of Nehemiah being hitherto set forth before his re∣turn to Artaxerxes, in the 12 yeare of his Principality granted him over Is∣rael: now it is shewed, how he found things in Jerusalem at another time of his comming thither, by a second leave obtained of the King, ver. 6. So that the first words here, In that time it was read in the Book of Moses, in the audience * 1.1 of the people, &c. are to be understood of the time, when Nehemiah came again from the King to Jerusalem. The scope of this Chapter then is to shew, what * 1.2 abuses crept in amongst the Jews whilst he was gone. which put him to a new trouble at his comming again to reforme them, thus Junius, but Lyra saith, that * 1.3 by the time in which the Law was read, is meant, that Nehem. 9. when as accor∣ding to that which they found written, they separated themselves from tht Hea∣thens. And then it is to be taken as a declaration more particularly made of that which was read at the same time against the Ammonites and Moabites in gene∣rall amongst other Heathens with whom marriages were forbidden to be made. For there it is said, that they separated from all that were of another off-spring, but here, that it was read in the Law in particular, that an Ammonite or Moa∣bite should not come into the congregation, because they were not the children * 1.4 of Israel, &c. And this is thus commemorated for an introduction to the fault committed by Eliasib, by reason of a marriage made before by him with the fami∣ly of Tobiah the Ammonite, as he is called Chap. 2. 10. and this was according to Pellican, by joyning his sonne in marriage with the daughter of Tobiah, for hereby such friendship came to be between them two, that Eliasib being over the chambers of the house of the Lord, let him have a great chamber there, which was onely to lay provision in for the Temple, for which he was greatly too blame. And this was the first abuse which crept in whilst Nehemiah was absent, where∣at he was much moved when he came and saw it, as at a very grievous sin, and therefore he immediately cast out the utensils of Tobiah, purged the chamber, and brought in such things as were for the use of the Temple. Now the time when Nehemiah is said to have come again and done this, is said to be, at the end of * 1.5 dayes, certain years being past, Junius, at the end of his dayes or life, sayth Lyra,

when he now waxed old, he had a desire to goe and reforme things amisse at Je∣rusalem, and to die and lay his bones there, so likewise Funccius, the eight yeare after his return to Artaxerxes, which was also the last yeare of his reigne. But * 1.6 Vatablus and Genebrad say, that by the end of dayes is meant, the end of a yeare, which seemeth not to have bin so, because Nehemiah at his departure from Jerusa∣lem to the King, left all things in good order, & now they were greatly out of order, yea, even so much, as one cannot think they could have been in so short a time, as will appear by that which here followeth. For it was no small, but a great chamber that Eliasib made in this time for him, for so the word signifieth, which is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and not onely he prepared, but now the stuffe of Tobiah by Nehemi∣ahs command being cast out, and the room purged, the vessels of the house of the * 1.7 Lord were laid in there.

Now besides this, there was another great sin committed, to the pejudice of Gods worship, and to the breaking of the Covenant, to which whilst Nehemiah * 1.8 was amongst them, they had subscribed and sealed, Chap. 10. 39. For whereas they there bound themselves to give portions to the Levites, and never to suffer the service of the Lords house to goe down, they since gave none of those porti∣ons unto them, by reason whereof they were gone, each man to his place in the Countrey, and so Gods service was neglected at the Temple. He therefore, secondly, gathered the Levites again together, and dealing sharply with the Princes of the people, caused the tithes to be brought into their storehouse, and set some to over∣see * 1.9 and distribute them, praying that God would have in remembrance the good * 1.10 which he thus did, as he had prayed also before, Chap. 5. 19. Thirdly, finding that some were grown very prophane, for he saw some treading wine-presses, and some * 1.11 carrying burthens of wares upon the Sabbath day, he contested against them, that is, challenged them as impious for thus doing, and provokers of Gods wrath a∣gainst that place, as appeareth, ver. 17, 18. He addeth also that they did not onely bring, but sold, and so kept markets upon the Sabbaths, and there were certain Tyrians dwelling there, who kept these markets, and sold at those times unto the Jews those wares. Whereby it appears that it was taken for a worke forbidden by the fourth Commandement, upon the Sabbath to buy and sell, for which [Note.] Markets and Fairs upon our Christian Sabbath, have been well put down in our Land. And to prevent the like doings for time to come, he caused the gates of Jerusalem to be kept shut all the Sabbath day, that none might come in upon that day any more with their wares, threatning such with the stocks as came to * 1.12 the City notwithstanding. And he charged the Levites to clense themselves, and to look to the gates upon the Sabbath dayes. * 1.13

Fourthly, Seeing Jews who had marryed Ammonitish and Moabitish * 1.14 women, by whom they had children, that spake Ashdodean and other Hea∣then Languages, he cursed and smote some of them, plucking off their haire, and adjuring them against such marriages, and shewing the mischiefe that had formerly come hereby. All which abuses, and specially the last, argueth strongly that Nehemiah was absent much more then a yeare before he retur∣ned to Ierusalem, seeing strange wives were in that time marryed, and chil∣dren were borne of such marriages, and grown up to bee able to speake divers tongues.

Thus Nehemiah having told what hee did to the people sinning by mixt marriages, vers. 28. hee telleth, that there was a sonne of Iojadah the * 1.15 sonne of Eliasib the High-priest, who by such a marriage became sonne in law to Sanballat, the Horonite, him hee therefore chaced away, as com∣mitting a more foule sin then the rest, seeing he was more streightly bound to keepe the Law, being a teacher thereof, and of a most holy function, and by such an example others were corrupted. And not content to abdicate such a monster onely, he prayed to God against such polluters of the Priestly office. * 1.16 Corruptio optimi est pessima, and therefore no marvell, though Ministers of the [Note.] Gospel being of scandalous lives, are now adayes most detested of all others. Ver. 30. Therefore I purged them from all strange women, that is, by causing them to be put away, and set the Priests and Levites in order, every one in his Ministry, refor∣ming * 1.17 the abuse spoken of Vers. 10.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vers. 1.
• * 1.2

  Iunius.
• * 1.3

  Lyra.
• * 1.4

  Deut. 23. 3.
• * 1.5

  Vers. 6. Iunius. Lyra.
• * 1.6

  Funccius.
• * 1.7

  Vers. 9.
• * 1.8

  Vers. 10.
• * 1.9

  Vers. 11, 12.
• * 1.10

  Vers. 14.
• * 1.11

  Vers. 15.
• * 1.12

  Vers. 19.
• * 1.13

  Vers. 22.
• * 1.14

  Vers. 23.
• * 1.15

  Vers. 28.
• * 1.16

  Chap. 29.
• * 1.17

  Vers. 30.