Nehemiah 9:1-6

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Nehemiah 9:1-3

We have here a general account of a public fast which the children of Israel kept, probably by order from Nehemiah, by and with the advice and consent of the chief of the fathers. It was a fast that men appointed, but such a fast as God had chosen; for, 1. It was a day to afflict the soul, Isa. 58:5. Probably they assembled in the courts of the temple, and they there appeared in sackcloth and in the posture of mourners, with earth on their heads, Neh. 9:1. By these outward expressions of... read more

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 9:1

Now in the twenty fourth day of this month ,.... The seventh month, the month Tisri or September, two days after the feast of tabernacles was ended: the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them ; which were all outward tokens of mourning and humiliation, see Joel 1:8 which they could not show during the festival; but that being over, they return to it, see Nehemiah 8:9 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 9:2

And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers ,.... Such as were genuine Israelites, of the seed of Abraham, who had married wives of the Gentiles, strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, either before the reformation by Ezra, not being then discovered, or had fallen into this evil since; but now, on the reading of the law, were convinced of it, and so separated themselves from such wives, which was a proof of the truth of their repentance: and stood and confessed their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 9:3

And they stood up in their place ,.... In the outward court of the temple, where men used to stand when they prayed and confessed their sins: and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God; that they might the better know the mind and will of God, and do their duty: this they did one fourth part of the day ; the space of three hours, from sun rising, or six o'clock in the morning, to the time of the morning sacrifice, which was about nine o'clock: and another fourth part they... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 9:1

Now in the twenty and fourth day - The feast of trumpets was on the first day of this month; on the fourteenth began the feast of tabernacles, which, lasting seven days, finished on the twenty-second; on the twenty-third they separated themselves from their illegitimate wives and children; and, on the twenty-fourth, they held a solemn day of fasting and confession of sin, and reading the law, which they closed by renewing their covenants. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 9:2

The seed of Israel separated themselves - A reformation of this kind was begun by Ezra, Ezra 10:3 ; but it appears that either more were found out who had taken strange wives, or else those who had separated from them had taken them again. And stood and confessed their sins , and the iniquities of their fathers . - They acknowledged that they had been sinners against God throughout all their generations; that their fathers had sinned and were punished;... read more

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