Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 13:1-31

The blessing of God on an active life founded upon his word. I. THE TRUE RELIGIOUS REFORMATION , both negative and positive. 1. Abuses must be vigorously attacked and cleansed away. The house of God has to be purified of strangers. The neglect of discipline a terrible evil. Unfaithful ministers the curse of the Church. The "mixed multitude" is no strength to Jerusalem, but weakness. The observance of the sabbath. To the Jew a typical commandment, which represented... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 13:4-9

An intruder ejected. In these verses we have an account of a gross abuse, of authority by the high priest, and how it was corrected by Nehemiah. I. THE OFFENCE . Turning rooms in the courts of the temple, intended and used as store-rooms for tithes and offerings, etc; into a residence for Tobiah on his visits to Jerusalem. In verse 5 we read of "a great chamber;" in verse 9 of "chambers." Perhaps several rooms were thrown into one; or the word in verse 5 may be, as in verse 4,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 13:5

He had prepared for him a great chamber . He (Eliashib) had prepared (or made) for him (Tobiah) a great chamber—probably by throwing into one several of the old store-chambers. The meat offerings . The minchah consisted of fine flour seasoned with salt, and mixed with oil and frankincense. It was made into a sort of cake, but without leaven, and formed part of the daily morning and evening sacrifice, the Sabbath offerings, and most others. The frankincense . Frankincense was a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 13:6

In all this time . Literally, "during all this"—while all this was being done. The reference seems to be solely to the affair of Eliashib and Tobiah. Artaxerxes, king of Babylon . The title "king of Babylon," which was certainly borne by Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius Hystaspis, may have continued in use down to the time of Nehemiah, or even later. If he visited Artaxerxes at Babylon, the court happening to be there at the time, he would naturally think and speak of him as "king of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 13:7

A chamber in the courts of the house of God . It would seem by this expression that the chamber made over to Tobiah was not part of the main building of the temple, but a portion of some detached building belonging to the "courts." This, no doubt, made the desecration less flagrant, but was far from justifying it. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 13:8

Therefore cast I forth all the household stuff . Tobiah had furnished his "chamber" as a dwelling-house, filling it with "household stuff" of various kinds. Nehemiah, of his own authority, had the whole of it turned out of doors. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 13:9

I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers . Regarding the sacred place as polluted by its conversion to secular uses, Nehemiah had it purified, and so reconsecrated. He then ordered the restoration to their former place of the various stores which had been removed to make room for Tobiah's furniture. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Nehemiah 13:5

The offerings of the priests - i e “the portion of the offerings assigned for their sustenance to the priests.” read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Nehemiah 13:6

Artaxerxes king of Babylon - See Nehemiah 1:1. Compare Ezra 6:22, where Darius Hystaspis is called “king of Assyria.”After certain days - Or, “at the end of a year,” which is a meaning that the phrase often has Exodus 13:10; Leviticus 25:29-30; Numbers 9:22. Nehemiah probably went to the court at Babylon in 433 B.C., and returned to Jerusalem 432 B.C. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Nehemiah 13:9

The chambers - The “great chamber” assigned to Tobiah Nehemiah 13:5 contained, it would seem, more than one apartment. read more

Group of Brands