65 And the Tirshatha H8660 said H559 unto them, that they should not eat H398 of the most H6944 holy things, H6944 till there stood H5975 up a priest H3548 with Urim H224 and Thummim. H8550
And Nehemiah, H5166 which is the Tirshatha, H8660 and Ezra H5830 the priest H3548 the scribe, H5608 and the Levites H3881 that taught H995 the people, H5971 said H559 unto all the people, H5971 This day H3117 is holy H6918 unto the LORD H3068 your God; H430 mourn H56 not, nor weep. H1058 For all the people H5971 wept, H1058 when they heard H8085 the words H1697 of the law. H8451
And thou shalt put H5414 in the breastplate H2833 of judgment H4941 the Urim H224 and the Thummim; H8550 and they shall be upon Aaron's H175 heart, H3820 when he goeth H935 in before H6440 the LORD: H3068 and Aaron H175 shall bear H5375 the judgment H4941 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 upon his heart H3820 before H6440 the LORD H3068 continually. H8548
And of Levi H3878 he said, H559 Let thy Thummim H8550 and thy Urim H224 be with thy holy H2623 one, H376 whom thou didst prove H5254 at Massah, H4532 and with whom thou didst strive H7378 at the waters H4325 of Meribah; H4809
And that which is left H3498 of the meat offering H4503 shall be Aaron's H175 and his sons': H1121 it is a thing most H6944 holy H6944 of the offerings H801 of the LORD H3068 made by fire. H801
It shall not be baken H644 with leaven. H2557 I have given H5414 it unto them for their portion H2506 of my offerings made by fire; H801 it is most H6944 holy, H6944 as is the sin offering, H2403 and as the trespass offering. H817
And the flesh H1320 that toucheth H5060 any unclean H2931 thing shall not be eaten; H398 it shall be burnt H8313 with fire: H784 and as for the flesh, H1320 all that be clean H2889 shall eat H398 thereof. But the soul H5315 that eateth H398 of the flesh H1320 of the sacrifice H2077 of peace offerings, H8002 that pertain unto the LORD, H3068 having his uncleanness H2932 upon him, even that soul H5315 shall be cut off H3772 from his people. H5971
Wherefore have ye not eaten H398 the sin offering H2403 in the holy H6944 place, H4725 seeing it is most H6944 holy, H6944 and God hath given H5414 it you to bear H5375 the iniquity H5771 of the congregation, H5712 to make atonement H3722 for them before H6440 the LORD? H3068 Behold, H2005 the blood H1818 of it was not brought H935 in within H6441 the holy H6944 place: ye should indeed H398 have eaten H398 it in the holy H6944 place, as I commanded. H6680
No man H376 that hath a blemish H3971 of the seed H2233 of Aaron H175 the priest H3548 shall come nigh H5066 to offer H7126 the offerings H801 of the LORD H3068 made by fire: H801 he hath a blemish; H3971 he shall not come nigh H5066 to offer H7126 the bread H3899 of his God. H430 He shall eat H398 the bread H3899 of his God, H430 both of the most H6944 holy, H6944 and of the holy. H6944 Only he shall not go in H935 unto the vail, H6532 nor come nigh H5066 unto the altar, H4196 because he hath a blemish; H3971 that he profane H2490 not my sanctuaries: H4720 for I the LORD H3068 do sanctify H6942 them.
And he shall stand H5975 before H6440 Eleazar H499 the priest, H3548 who shall ask H7592 counsel for him after the judgment H4941 of Urim H224 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 at his word H6310 shall they go out, H3318 and at his word H6310 they shall come in, H935 both he, and all the children H1121 of Israel H3478 with him, even all the congregation. H5712
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Nehemiah 7
Commentary on Nehemiah 7 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 7
The success of one good design for God and our generation should encourage us to proceed and form some other; Nehemiah did so, having fortified Jerusalem with gates and walls, his next care is,
Neh 7:1-4
God saith concerning his church (Isa. 62:6), I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem! This is Nehemiah's care here; for dead walls, without living watchmen, are but a poor defence to a city.
Neh 7:5-73
We have here another good project of Nehemiah's; for wise and zealous men will be always contriving something or other for the glory of God and the edification of his church. He knew very well that the safety of a city, under God, depends more upon the number and valour of the inhabitants than upon the height or strength of its walls; and therefore, observing that the people were few that dwelt in it, he thought fit to take an account of the people, that he might find what families had formerly had their settlement in Jerusalem, but were now removed into the country, that he might bring them back, and what families could in any other way be influenced by their religion, or by their business, to come and rebuild the houses in Jerusalem and dwell in them. So little reason have we to wish that we may be placed alone in the earth, or in Jerusalem itself, that much of our safety and comfort depends upon our neighbours and friends; the more the stronger, the more the merrier. It is the wisdom of the governors of a nation to keep the balance even between the city and country, that the metropolis be not so extravagantly large as to drain and impoverish the country, nor yet so weak as not to be able to protect it. Now observe,