Howbeit, thou art just in all that is brought upon us ,.... They own the justice of God, could not complain of any wrong done them; and had he shown them no mercy at all, it was but what they deserved: for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly ; he had done according to the truth of his word of promise, he had faithfully kept it, but they had transgressed his righteous law. read more
Confession. The feast of tabernacles, held in such wise as Israel had not known since the days of Joshua ( Joshua 8:17 ), concluded, "according unto the manner" of that festival, with a " solemn assembly" on the eighth day ( Joshua 8:18 )—"the last day, that great day of the feast" ( John 7:37 ). After one day's interval, when nothing unusual was done, "on the twenty-fourth day of the month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting" (verse l), and a very great day was... read more
The solemn fast of assembled Israel. Notice three features in the people's religious life. 1 . Their confession of sin. 2 . Their external reformation. 3 . Their solemn adoption of the written word of God as the law of their life. Take these as representative, universal. I. HUMILIATION AND CONFESSION . 1 . Public and united as well as private and solitary. Great impressiveness in numbers. The heart needs the stimulus of contact with great waves of feeling. There... read more
Appeal It has been remarked that there is no prayer in this lengthy address to God. And the absence of direct supplication is certainly very noticeable. But it must be remembered that we may make our appeal to God in more ways than by directly asking him for the blessings we desire at his hand. The comparative and almost complete absence of formal petition from this address suggests to us that we may go far towards winning our cause by— I. PRESENTING THE SOUL BEFORE GOD IN ... read more
A sorrowful appeal to the Divine compassion. The conclusion of the public united confession. It contains— I. AN APPROPRIATE INVOCATION . Similar to that of Nehemiah ( Nehemiah 1:5 ), and which would be felt as suitable after the preceding recital of the Divine proceedings. II. AN APPEAL TO THE DIVINE PITY . In view of— 1 . The greatness of their past troubles (verse 32). "Let not all the trouble seem little." "Do not regard it as too little to require notice... read more
The justice of God in punishing sinners. "Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly." The words express a just and salutary conviction, and make an acknowledgment suitable to accompany an appeal to the Divine compassion. I. THE CONVICTION EXPRESSED . Of very great importance that we should not only verbally utter it, but sincerely feel it. How may we arrive at this conviction? 1 . By faith in God's essential... read more
Nehemiah 9:32-33. Who keepest covenant and mercy He adds mercy, because the covenant in itself was not a sufficient ground of hope, because they having so basely broken it, God was discharged from keeping it, and therefore they flee to his free and rich mercy for relief. Howbeit, thou art just in all that is brought upon us We cannot complain of any of thy dispensations toward us, for the whole series of our history shows that thou art just in all thy ways toward the children of... read more
Israel’s confession and oath (9:1-10:39)Two days after the end of the Feast of Tabernacles (which lasted from the fifteenth day to the twenty-second day of the month; see 8:18; Leviticus 23:34), the people reassembled for another reading of the law. After this came a time of confession and worship led by the Levites (9:1-5).The prayer began by exalting God as the great Creator, and by praising him for choosing Abraham and making his covenant with him (6-8). God was faithful to his people... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Nehemiah 9:4-38
We have here an account how the work of this fast-day was carried on. 1. The names of the ministers that were employed. They are twice named (Neh. 9:4, 5), only with some variation of the names. Either they prayed successively, according to that rule which the apostle gives (1 Cor. 14:31; You may all prophesy one by one), or, as some think, there were eight several congregations at some distance from each other, and each had a Levite to preside in it. 2. The work itself in which they employed... read more