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Matthew Henry

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 9:4

Then stood up upon the stairs of the Levites ,.... On an ascent; an elevated place where the Levites used to stand when they sang at the time of sacrifice, and where they might be seen and heard by the people: Jeshua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani ; who seem to be all Levites, see Nehemiah 8:7 , and cried with a loud voice unto the Lord their God ; praying with great fervency, and making bitter lamentation for the sins of the people and their own. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 9:5

Then the Levites, Jeshua ,.... Or, then the Levites, even Jeshua: and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah ; the same as before, with a little variation of their names, and perhaps some of them might have two names: and said ; to the men that stood and confessed their sins, Nehemiah 9:2 stand up ; for though they are before said to stand, yet, through shame and confusion of face, and awe of the Divine Majesty, might be fallen on their faces to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 9:6

Thou, even thou art Lord alone ,.... Whose name alone is Jehovah, the one only true and living God: thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host ; the airy and starry heavens, and the sun, moon, and stars in them, and the third heaven, the seat of God, angels, and saints: the earth, and all things that are therein ; men, beasts, trees, metals, minerals, &c.; the seas, and all that is therein ; fishes, sea plants, &c.; see Acts 4:24 , and thou... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 9:7

Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram ,.... From among the Chaldeans, and out of his father's family: and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees ; by calling him from thence, of which see Genesis 11:28 , to which may be added what Amama F24 Anti-barbar. Biblic. l. 3. p. 652. on that place observes; that some think that the sacred fire, which the Chaldeans worshipped, was kept in this city, from whence it was called Ur, that being worshipped by them and by the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 9:8

And foundest his heart faithful before thee ,.... A true believer in his word and promises, Genesis 15:6 and closely attached to the fear of him, and observance of his commands, as abundantly appeared in the trial of him, in offering up his son, Genesis 22:1 , and madest a covenant with him, to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say , to his seed ; not to him personally, but to his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 9:9

And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt ,.... The hard bondage in which their lives were made bitter; and was not a mere spectator of it, but looked upon them in it with pity and compassion, and sent them a deliverer, Exodus 2:23 and heardest their cry by the Red sea ; which was before them, and the rocks on both sides of them, and the host of Pharaoh behind, pressing upon them, when he heard them, and wrought salvation for them, Exodus 14:10 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 9:10

And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land ,.... By inflicting the ten plagues upon them: for thou knowest that they dealt proudly against them ; behaved haughtily to them, and despised them, see Exodus 18:11 so didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day ; displayed his power on Pharaoh, and his goodness to Israel, the fame of which reached all over the world, and continued to that day, see Exodus 9:16 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 9:11

And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land ,.... That is, the Israelites, see Exodus 14:21 , and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps ; with great ease, and with indignation, meaning the Egyptians, that pursued hotly after them, and were thrown into the sea: as a stone into the mighty waters ; where they sunk and perished, see Exodus 15:4 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 9:12

Moreover, thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar ,.... The Israelites, to shelter them from the heat of the sun in a dry and barren wilderness: and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go ; through a trackless desert, see Exodus 13:21 . read more

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