Nehemiah 10 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Nehemiah 10

The People Who Sealed the Covenant

10:1 “On the seals are the names of¹ Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these are the priests. 9 And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; 10 and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. 14 The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

The Obligations of the Covenant

28 “The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, 29 join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and his statutes. 30 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. 31 And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.

32 “We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel² for the service of the house of our God: 33 for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. 34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. 35 We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD; 36 also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks; 37 and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. 38 And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. 39 For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.”

Footnotes

[1] 10:1 Hebrew lacks the names of
[2] 10:32 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

Commentary

v1-27: The list of names of those who sealed the covenant.

Of the priests (v2-8), Pashhur (v3) and Harim (v5) are listed in 7.41-42. Of the Levites (v9-13), Jeshua and Kadmiel (v9) are listed in 7.43.

Similarly, many of the leaders of the people are also listed in chapter 7. These provide a link back to those who had returned from Babylon:

Parosh (v14; 7.8); Pahath-Moab (v14; 7.11); Elam (v14; 7.12); Zattu (v14; 7.13); Bani (v14; 7.15); Azgad (v15; 7.17); Bebai (v15; 7.16); Bigavi (v16; 7.19); Adin (v16; 7.20); Ater (v17; 7.21); Hezekiah (v17; 7.21); Hashum (v18; 7.22); Bezai (v18; 7.23); Hariph (v19; 7.24); Anathoth (v19; 7.27); Harim (v27; 7.35).

v28: The covenant was not something imposed by a few on the many, but a common willingness among all the people to obey the Lord.

v29: A curse and an oath; they really meant what they were saying. A curse if they disobeyed, and a promise (oath) to obey. "The Lord our Lord"; the decision to recognise the Lord as our Lord, to honour Him, and to obey what He commands.

v30: The specific promise to avoid mixed marriages, Deut 7.3.

v31: The specific promise to honour the Sabbath day and year, Deut 5.12.

These first two issues were vital characteristics of the nation of Israel, signs that God had chosen this nation as His people. It is both striking and sad that, in chapter 13, both these issues had to be addressed again.

v32-33: The specific promise to provide for the temple, so that the house of God was not neglected. See 1 Cor 16.2; provision has to be made for the worship of God. Such provision was never wasted, as it was for God.

v34: Lots were cast so that the provision for the temple was made throughout the year.

v35-36: First fruits to be brought to the temple.

v37-39: Tithes and offerings were to be made regularly, and given into the hands of the Levites.

The final summary; we will not neglect the house of our God.