OF THE BOOK OF
N E H E M I A H.
This book continues the history of the children of the
captivity, the poor Jews, that had lately returned out of Babylon
to their own land. At this time not only the Persian monarchy
flourished in great pomp and power, but Greece and Rome began to be
very great and to make a figure. Of the affairs of those high and
mighty states we have authentic accounts extant; but the sacred and
inspired history takes cognizance only of the state of the Jews, and
makes no mention of other nations but as the Israel of God had dealings
with them: for the Lord's portion is his people; they are his peculiar
treasure, and, in comparison with them, the rest of the world is but as
lumber. In my esteem, Ezra the scribe and Nehemiah the tirshatha,
though neither of them ever wore a crown, commanded an army, conquered
any country, or was famed for philosophy or oratory, yet both of them,
being pious praying men, and very serviceable in their day to the
church of God and the interests of religion, were really greater men
and more honourable, not only than any of the Roman consuls or
dictators, but than Xenophon, or Demosthenes, or Plato himself, who
lived at the same time, the bright ornaments of Greece. Nehemiah's
agency for the advancing of the settlement of Israel we have a full
account of in this book of his own commentaries or memoirs, wherein he
records not only the works of his hands, but the workings of his heart,
in the management of public affairs, inserting in the story many devout
reflections and ejaculations, which discover in his mind a very deep
tincture of serious piety and are peculiar to his writing. Twelve
years, from his twentieth year
(Nehemiah 1:1)
to his thirty-second year
(Nehemiah 13:6),
he was governor of Judea, under Artaxerxes king of Persia, whom Dr.
Lightfoot supposes to be the same Artaxerxes as Ezra has his commission
from. This book relates,
I. Nehemiah's concern for Jerusalem and the commission he obtained from
the king to go thither,
Nehemiah 1:1-2:20
II. His building the wall of Jerusalem notwithstanding the opposition
he met with,
Nehemiah 3:1-4:23
III. His redressing the grievances of the people,
Nehemiah 5:1-19
IV. His finishing the wall,
Nehemiah 6:1-19
V. The account he took of the people,
Nehemiah 7:1-73
VI. The religions solemnities of reading the law, fasting, and praying,
and renewing their covenants, to which he called the people
(Nehemiah 8:1-10:39).
VII. The care he took for the replenishing of the holy city and the
settling of the holy tribe,
Nehemiah 11:1-12:47
VIII. His zeal in reforming various abuses,
Nehemiah 13:1-31
Some call this the second book of Ezra, not because he was the
penman of it, but because it is a continuation of the history of the
foregoing book, with which it is connected,
Nehemiah 1:1).
This was the last historical book that was written, as Malachi
was the last prophetical book, of the Old Testament.
<
Matthew Henry "Verse by Verse Commentary for 'Nehemiah' Matthew Henry Bible Commentary".
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