John Wesley

These are the words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,

“The words - Or rather, the acts, as the word often signifies. Chisleu - Which is the ninth month, containing part of November, and part of December. Shushan - The royal city of Persia.”

so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This could only be sadness of the heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear

“Sad - His fasting joined with inward grief had made a sensible change in his countenance. Afraid - It was an unusual and ungrateful thing to come into the king of Persia's presence with any token of sorrow.”

“What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven

“Let, &c. - My sadness comes not from any disaffection to the king, for whom my hearty prayers are that he may live forever; but from another cause. Sepulchres - Which by all nations are esteemed sacred and inviolable.”

Then the king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?”

“The queen - Which is here noted, as an unusual thing; for commonly the kings of Persia dined alone, and perhaps because the queen expressed some kindness to him, and promoted his request.”

And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to…

“King's forest - Of the forest of Lebanon, famous for choice trees. Palace - Of the king's palace, which was adjoining to the house of God. Enter - That I shall build to dwell in while I am there.”

I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me.

“Rise up - Let us do it with vigour, and diligence, and resolution, as those that are determined to go through with it. Their hands - Their own and one anothers.”

So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success.

“No portion - You have no authority over us, nor interest in our church and state, but are aliens from the common-wealth of Israel.”

Next to him, the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.

“Of their Lord - Of God, whom they owned for their Lord, whose work this was, because it had proceeded thus far by his singular providence: and because it was done for the defense of the city, and people, and temple of God.”

who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.

“A Weapon - This is to be taken figuratively; being a proverbial speech, as when they say of a man pretending kindness, he carries bread in one hand, and a stone in another.”

We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery.

“Our flesh - We are of the same nature, and religion with them, though they treat us as if we were beasts or Heathens. Bondage - We are compelled to sell them for our subsistence.”

and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them

“Ezra was a man of a mild tender spirit, and when told of the sin of the rulers, rent his clothes and wept: Nehemiah forced them to reform, being of a warm and eager spirit.”

I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury.

“Brethren - In office; these who are employed with me in the government of this people. Servants - In my name, and for my use.”

Please restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them.”

“Also - Also require not: which is to be supplied out of the next verse, where it is expressed in their grant of this desire.”

I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise.

“My lap - The extreme parts of my garment, which I first folded together, and then shook it and scattered it asunder. This was a form of swearing then in use.”

The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver.

“Beside, &c. - Which they required of the people every day to defray their other expenses. Their servants - Ruled them with rigor and cruelty; which fault of the servants is charged upon their masters, because they did not restrain them.”

There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations.

“Rulers - Not only Jews of the inferior sort, for whom meaner provisions might suffice, but also their rulers, for whom better provision was fit; who resorted to him upon all occasions, to give him notice of the enemies designs; or to receive his orders.”

accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. This is the count of the men of Israel:

“So it is no wonder that the number of the monies, and other things here contributed, differ from that Ezra ii, 68, 69, because this is another collection.”

On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.

“First day - This was the feast of trumpets, which is called a sabbath, and on which they were to have an holy convocation, Lev. xxiii, 24.”

The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law as they stood in their places.

“Understand - As well the words, which being Hebrew, now needed to be translated into the Chaldee or Syriack language, now, the common language of that people, who together with their religion, had also in a great part lost their language; as also the meaning…”

So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read.

“They - Ezra and his companions successively. Sense - The meaning of the Hebrew words, which they expounded in the common language.”

So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon…

“Mercy - He adds mercy, because the covenant in itself was not a sufficient ground of hope, because they had so basely broken it. God was discharged from keeping it, and therefore they fly to God's free and rich mercy for relief.”

You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.

“Thou art just. &c. - It becomes us, when we are under the rebukes of providence, be they ever so sharp, or ever so long continued, still to justify God, and to own we are punished less than our iniquities deserve.”

Now these were the ones who sealed the document: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, and also Zedekiah,

“It may seem strange that Ezra doth not appear among them. But that might be because he was prevented, by some sickness, or other extraordinary impediment. It is true, we meet with Ezra after this, at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, chap.”

And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

“Blessed - Because they denied themselves, and their own safety and profit for the publick good; for this city was the butt of all the malicious plots of their enemies; and for the present it was rather chargeable than beneficial to its inhabitants.”

Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son…

“To begin - In the publick and solemn prayers and praises, which were constantly joined with the morning and evening sacrifice, at which the singers were present, and praised God with a psalm or hymn which, this man began.”