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Texts -- Nehemiah 9:38--10:39 (NET)

Context
The People Pledge to be Faithful
9:38 “Because of all of this we are entering into a binding covenant in written form; our leaders , our Levites , and our priests have affixed their names on the sealed document.” 10:1 On the sealed documents were the following names: Nehemiah the governor , son of Hacaliah , along with Zedekiah , 10:2 Seraiah , Azariah , Jeremiah , 10:3 Pashhur , Amariah , Malkijah , 10:4 Hattush , Shebaniah , Malluch , 10:5 Harim , Meremoth , Obadiah , 10:6 Daniel , Ginnethon , Baruch , 10:7 Meshullam , Abijah , Mijamin , 10:8 Maaziah , Bilgai , and Shemaiah . These were the priests . 10:9 The Levites were as follows: Jeshua son of Azaniah , Binnui of the sons of Henadad , Kadmiel . 10:10 Their colleagues were as follows: Shebaniah , Hodiah , Kelita , Pelaiah , Hanan , 10:11 Mica , Rehob , Hashabiah , 10:12 Zaccur , Sherebiah , Shebaniah , 10:13 Hodiah , Bani , and Beninu . 10:14 The leaders of the people were as follows: Parosh , Pahath-Moab , Elam , Zattu , Bani , 10:15 Bunni , Azgad , Bebai , 10:16 Adonijah , Bigvai , Adin , 10:17 Ater , Hezekiah , Azzur , 10:18 Hodiah , Hashum , Bezai , 10:19 Hariph , Anathoth , Nebai , 10:20 Magpiash , Meshullam , Hezir , 10:21 Meshezabel , Zadok , Jaddua , 10:22 Pelatiah , Hanan , Anaiah , 10:23 Hoshea , Hananiah , Hasshub , 10:24 Hallohesh , Pilha , Shobek , 10:25 Rehum , Hashabnah , Maaseiah , 10:26 Ahiah , Hanan , Anan , 10:27 Malluch , Harim , and Baanah . 10:28 “Now the rest of the people – the priests , the Levites , the gatekeepers , the singers , the temple attendants , and all those who have separated themselves from the neighboring peoples because of the law of God , along with their wives , their sons , and their daughters , all of whom are able to understand – 10:29 hereby participate with their colleagues the town leaders and enter into a curse and an oath to adhere to the law of God which was given through Moses the servant of God , and to obey carefully all the commandments of the LORD our Lord , along with his ordinances and his statutes . 10:30 “We will not give our daughters in marriage to the neighboring peoples , and we will not take their daughters in marriage for our sons . 10:31 We will not buy on the Sabbath or on a holy day from the neighboring peoples who bring their wares and all kinds of grain to sell on the Sabbath day . We will let the fields lie fallow every seventh year , and we will cancel every loan . 10:32 We accept responsibility for fulfilling the commands to give one third of a shekel each year for the work of the temple of our God , 10:33 for the loaves of presentation and for the regular grain offerings and regular burnt offerings , for the Sabbaths , for the new moons , for the appointed meetings , for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel , and for all the work of the temple of our God . 10:34 “We– the priests , the Levites , and the people – have cast lots concerning the wood offerings , to bring them to the temple of our God according to our families at the designated times year by year to burn on the altar of the LORD our God , as is written in the law . 10:35 We also accept responsibility for bringing the first fruits of our land and the first fruits of every fruit tree year by year to the temple of the LORD . 10:36 We also accept responsibility, as is written in the law , for bringing the firstborn of our sons and our cattle and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks to the temple of our God , to the priests who are ministering in the temple of our God . 10:37 We will also bring the first of our coarse meal , of our contributions , of the fruit of every tree , of new wine , and of olive oil to the priests at the storerooms of the temple of our God , along with a tenth of the produce of our land to the Levites , for the Levites are the ones who collect the tithes in all the cities where we work . 10:38 A priest of Aaron’s line will be with the Levites when the Levites collect the tithes , and the Levites will bring up a tenth of the tithes to the temple of our God , to the storerooms of the treasury . 10:39 The Israelites and the Levites will bring the contribution of the grain , the new wine , and the olive oil to the storerooms where the utensils of the sanctuary are kept, and where the priests who minister stay, along with the gatekeepers and the singers . We will not neglect the temple of our God .”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Nehemiah

    [isbe] NEHEMIAH - ne-he-mi'-a, ne-hem-i'-a (nechemyah, "comforted of Yah"): 1. Family 2. Youth 3. King's Cupbearer 4. Governor of Judea 5. Death LITERATURE Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah, is the Jewish patriot whose life is recorded...
    [nave] NEHEMIAH 1. Son of Hachaliah, Neh. 1:1. Cupbearer of Artaxerxes, Neh. 1:11; 2:1. Is grieved over the desolation of his country, Neh. 1. Is sent by the king to rebuild Jerusalem, Neh. 2:1-8. Register of the people whom he...

  • Covenant

    [ebd] a contract or agreement between two parties. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word berith is always thus translated. Berith is derived from a root which means "to cut," and hence a covenant is a "cutting," with reference to t...
    [nave] COVENANT Sacred, Josh. 9:18-21; Gal. 3:15. Binding, Josh. 9:18-20; Jer. 34:8-21; Ezek. 17:14-18; Gal. 3:15. Binding, not only on those who make them, but on those who are represented, Deut. 29:14, 15. Blood of, Ex. 24:8. ...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Decision

    [nave] DECISION. Deut. 30:19; Josh. 23:8. Josh. 24:15; 1 Sam. 12:20; 1 Kin. 18:21; Psa. 37:34; Psa. 69:13; Prov. 4:25-27; Isa. 50:7; Matt. 24:13 Mark 13:13; Matt. 10:22. Matt. 25:23; Luke 7:23 Matt. 11:6. John 8:31; John 15:4, 5, ...

  • GENEALOGY, 8 part 2

    [isbe] GENEALOGY, 8 part 2 - I. Primeval Genealogies (1 Chronicals 1:1-54). To show Israel's place among the nations; follows Genesis closely, omitting only the Cainites; boldly, skillfully compressed, as if the omitted facts were ...

  • Levites

    [smith] (descendants of Levi). Sometimes the name extends to the whole tribe, the priests included, (Exodus 6:25; Leviticus 25:32; Numbers 35:2; Joshua 21:3,41) etc; sometimes only to those members of the tribe who were not priests, ...
    [nave] LEVITES The descendants of Levi. Set apart as ministers of religion, Num. 1:47-54; 3:6-16; 16:9; 26:57-62; Deut. 10:8; 1 Chr. 15:2. Substituted in the place of the firstborn, Num. 3:12, 41-45; 8:14, 16-18; 18:6. Religious ...

  • ADIN

    [ebd] effeminate. (1.) Ezra 8:6. (2.) Neh. 10:16.
    [isbe] ADIN - a'-din (`adhin, "adorned"): The name of a family, "the sons of Adin" (Ezr 2:15; 8:6; Neh 7:20; 10:16; 1 Esdras 5:14; 8:32), mentioned among the returning exiles. The list in Ezr 2 is placed in the midst of the narrati...
    [smith] (dainty, delicate), ancestor of a family who returned form Babylon with Zerubbabel, to the number of 454, (Ezra 2:15) or 655 according to the parallel list in (Nehemiah 7:20) (B.C. 536.) They joined with Nehemiah in a covenan...

  • Priest

    [nave] PRIEST. Before Moses Melchizedek, Gen. 14:18; Heb. 5:6, 10, 11; 6:20; 7:1-21. Jethro, Ex. 2:16. Priests in Israel before the giving of the law, Ex. 19:22, 24. Called angel, Eccl. 5:6. Mosaic Ex. 28:1-4; 29:9, 44; Num....

  • Shebaniah

    [ebd] whom Jehovah hides, or has made grow up. (1.) A Levite appointed to blow the trumpet before the ark of God (1 Chr. 15:24). (2.) Another Levite (Neh. 9:4, 5). (3.) A priest (Neh. 10:12). (4.) A Levite (Neh. 10:4).
    [isbe] SHEBANIAH - sheb-a-ni'-a, she-ban'-ya (shebhanyah, in 1 Ch 15:24, shebhanyahu): (1) Name of a Levite or a Levitical family that participated in the religious rites that followed the reading of the Law (Neh 9:4). The name is ...
    [smith] (increased by Jehovah). A Levite in the time of Ezra. (Nehemiah 9:4,5) He sealed the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:10) (B.C. 459.) A priest or priestly family who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:4; 12:...
    [nave] SHEBANIAH 1. A priest in the time of David, 1 Chr. 15:24. 2. A Levite who joined Nehemiah in covenant, Neh. 9:4, 5; 10:10. 3. A priest who joined Nehemiah in covenant, Neh. 10:4; 12:14. 4. A Levite who joined Nehemiah in ...

  • Hanan

    [ebd] merciful. (1.) A Benjamite (1 Chr. 8:23). (2.) One of David's heroes (1 Chr. 11:43). (3.) Jer. 35:4. (4.) A descendant of Saul (1 Chr. 8:38). (5.) One of the Nethinim (Ezra 2:46). (6.) One of the Levites who assisted Ezra (N...
    [isbe] HANAN - ha'-nan (chanan, "gracious"): (1) A chief of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Ch 8:23). (2) The youngest son of Azel, a descendant of Saul (1 Ch 8:38; 9:44). (3) One of David's mighty men of valor (1 Ch 11:43). (4) The head ...
    [smith] (merciful). One of the chief people of the tribe of Benjamin. (1 Chronicles 8:23) The last of the six sons of Azel, a descendant of Saul. (1 Chronicles 8:38; 9:44) (B.C. 588.) "Son of Maachah," i.e. possibly a Syrian o...
    [nave] HANAN 1. Son of Shashak, 1 Chr. 8:23. 2. Son of Azel, 1 Chr. 8:38; 9:44. 3. One of David's mighty men, 1 Chr. 11:43. 4. One of the Nethinim, Ezra 2:46; Neh. 7:49. 5. A Levite, Neh. 8:7; 10:10. Probably identical with th...

  • Seal

    [ebd] commonly a ring engraved with some device (Gen. 38:18, 25). Jezebel "wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal" (1 Kings 21:8). Seals are frequently mentioned in Jewish history (Deut. 32:34; Neh. 9:38; 10:1...
    [isbe] SEAL - sel (substantive chotham, "seal," "signet," Tabba`ath, "signet-ring"; Aramaic `izqa'; sphragis; verb chatham, (Aramaic chatham); (sphragizo), (katasphragizomai, "to seal"): I. Literal Sense. A seal is an instrument of...
    [smith] The importance attached to seals in the East is so great that without one no document is regarded as authentic. Among the methods of sealing used in Egypt at a very early period were engraved stones, graved stones, pierced th...
    [nave] SEAL 1. A stamp used for signifying documents. Given as a pledge, Gen. 38:18. Engraved, Ex. 28:11, 21, 36; 39:6, 14, 30; 2 Tim. 2:19. Decrees signified by, 1 Kin. 21:8; Esth. 8:8. Documents sealed with: Ahab's letter, 1 K...

  • Liberality

    [nave] LIBERALITY. Ex. 22:29, 30 Ex. 13:2, 12. Ex. 23:15 Ex. 34:20. Ex. 25:1-8; Ex. 35:4-29; Ex. 36:3-6; Ex. 38:8; Lev. 19:5 Lev. 22:29; Num. 35:8. Deut. 12:11, 12, 17-19; Deut. 14:27-29; Deut. 15:7-18; Deut. 16:10, 17; Deut. 18:1...

  • JEREMIAH

    [smith] Seven other persons bearing the same name as the prophet are mentioned in the Old Testament:-- Jeremiah of Libnah, father of Hamutal wife of Josiah. (2 Kings 23:31) (B.C. before 632.) 2,3,4. Three warriors --two of the tr...

  • Kadmiel

    [ebd] before God; i.e., his servant, one of the Levites who returned with Zerubbabel from the Captivity (Neh. 9:4; 10:9; 12:8).
    [isbe] KADMIEL - kad'-mi-el (qadhmi'el, "before God," "priest"(?); "Cadmiel" in parallel lists in 1 Esdras 5:26,58 the King James Version; omitted in Septuagint Codex Vaticanus; Codex Alexandrinus reads kai Kadmielon): A Levite (Ez...
    [smith] (before God), one of the Levites who with his family returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:40; Nehemiah 7:43) He and his house are mentioned in history on three occasions - (Ezra 3:9; Nehemiah 9:4,5; 10:9) (B.C. 535-...
    [nave] KADMIEL 1. A Levite, Ezra 2:40; 3:9; Neh. 7:43; 12:8, 24. 2. A Levite who assisted in leading the devotions of the people, Neh. 9:4, 5; 10:9.

  • Meshullam

    [isbe] MESHULLAM - me-shul'-am (meshullam, "resigned" or "devoted"; compare Arabic Muslim; Mesollam): An Old Testament name very common in post-exilic times. (1) The grandfather of Shaphan (2 Ki 22:3). (2) A son of Zerubbabel (1 Ch...
    [smith] (friend). Ancestor of Shaphan the scribe. (2 Kings 22:3) The son of Zerubbabel. (1 Chronicles 3:19) A Gadite in the reign of Jotham king of Judah. (1 Chronicles 5:13) A Benjamite, of the sons of Elpaal. (1 Chroni...
    [nave] MESHULLAM 1. Grandfather of Shaphan, 2 Kin. 22:3. 2. A son of Zerubbabel, 1 Chr. 3:19. 3. A Gadite of Bashan, 1 Chr. 5:13. 4. Three Benjamites, 1 Chr. 8:17; 9:7, 8. 5. An Aaronite, 1 Chr. 9:11; Neh. 11:11. 6. A priest, ...

  • Harim

    [ebd] flat-nosed. (1.) The head of the second course of priests (1 Chr. 24:8). (2.) Ezra 2:32, 39; Neh. 7:35, 42. (3.) Neh. 3:11. (4.) 12:3. (5.) 10:5
    [isbe] HARIM - ha'-rim (charim): A family name. (1) A non-priestly family that returned from captivity with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:32; Neh 7:35); mentioned among those who married foreign wives (Ezr 10:31); also mentioned among those wh...
    [smith] (flat-nosed). A priest who had charge of the third division in the house of God. (1 Chronicles 24:8) (B.C. 1014.) Bene-Harim, probably descendants of the above, to the number of 1017, came from Babylon with Zerubbabel. (E...
    [nave] HARIM 1. A priest, 1 Chr. 24:8. 2. An Israelite whose descendants returned from Babylon, Ezra 2:32, 39; 10:31; Neh. 7:35, 42. 3. The men who sealed the covenant, Neh. 10:5, 27; 12:15.

  • Malluch

    [isbe] MALLUCH - mal'-uk (mallukh, "counsellor"): (1) A Levite of the sons of Merari, ancestor of Ethan the singer (1 Ch 6:44; compare 6:29). (2) Son of Bani, among those who had foreign wives (Ezr 10:29). He is a descendant of Jud...
    [smith] (counsellor). A Levite of the family of Merari, and ancestor of Ethan the singer (1 Chronicles 6:44) One of the sons of Bani. (Ezra 10:29) and One of the descendants of Harim, (Ezra 10:32) who had married foreign wives. A...
    [nave] MALLUCH 1. A Merarite Levite, 1 Chr. 6:44. 2. Son of Bani, who divorced his Gentile wife after the captivity, Ezra 10:29. 3. One of the family of Harim, who divorced his Gentile wife after the captivity, Ezra 10:32. 4. A ...

  • Bani

    [isbe] BANI - ba'-ni (bani, "posterity"): (1) A Gadite, one of David's mighty men (2 Sam 23:36). (2) A Levite whose son was appointed for service in the tabernacle at David's time (1 Ch 6:46). (3) A Judahite whose son lived in Jeru...
    [smith] (built). A Gadite, one of David?s mighty men. (2 Samuel 23:36) (B.C. 1046.) A Levite of the line of Merari, and forefather to Ethan. (1 Chronicles 6:46) A man of Judah of the line of Pharez. (1 Chronicles 9:4) "Chil...
    [nave] BANI 1. A Gadite, 2 Sam. 23:36. 2. A Levite, 1 Chr. 6:46. 3. A descendant of Pharez, 1 Chr. 9:4. 4. Father of returned exiles, Ezra 2:10; 10:29. Called Biui, Neh. 7:15. 5. A Levite of the returned exiles, Neh. 3:17; 8:7...

  • Firstfruits

    [smith] The law ordered in general that the first of all ripe fruits and of liquors, or, as it is twice expressed, the first of first-fruits, should be offered in God?s house. (Exodus 22:29; 23:19; 34:27) It was an act of allegiance...
    [nave] FIRSTFRUITS First ripe of fruits, grain, oil, wine, and first of fleece, required as an offering, Ex. 22:29; Lev. 2:12-16; Num. 18:12; Deut. 18:4; 2 Chr. 31:5; Neh. 10:35, 37, 39; Prov. 3:9; Jer. 2:3; Rom. 11:16. Offerings ...

  • SACRIFICE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 2

    [isbe] SACRIFICE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 2 - V. The Mosaic Sacrificial System. 1. The Covenant Sacrifice: The fundamental function of Moses' work was to establish the covenant between Israel and God. This important transaction took ...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • A complete and comprehensive explanation of the official duties and revenues of the priests and Levites appropriately follows the confirmation of Aaron's priesthood. This was God's reply to the frightened cries of the people ...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • The priests presented the evening offering (v. 5) between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. in Jesus' day.130Ezra's prayer contains four primary characteristics: solidarity, confession, readiness to change, and faith in God's mercy.131In hi...
  • The people were able to complete the divorce proceedings in three months (vv. 9, 17). A total of 113 Israelites had married and now divorced their foreign wives, only a fraction of the total number of Jews then living in Juda...
  • The years of history the book covers are 445-431 B.C. or perhaps a few years after that.In 445 B.C. (the twentieth year of Artaxerxes' reign, 1:1) Nehemiah learned of the conditions in Jerusalem that led him to request permis...
  • For many years, believers regarded Ezra and Nehemiah as twin books. They called them 1 and 2 Ezra (or Esdras, the Greek transliteration of Ezra). Jerome, who lived in the fourth century A.D., gave 2 Ezra the name Nehemiah. Th...
  • I. The fortification of Jerusalem chs. 1-7A. The return under Nehemiah chs. 1-21. The news concerning Jerusalem 1:1-32. The response of Nehemiah 1:4-113. The request of Nehemiah 2:1-84. The return to Jerusalem 2:9-20B. The re...
  • One writer viewed chapters 8-13 (really 7:73-13:37) as the third part of the tripartite structure of Ezra-Nehemiah. Ezra 1:1-4 deals with "potentiality,"the decree to the community to build God's house. Ezra 1:5--Nehemiah 7:7...
  • "The reading of Scripture (Neh 8) and the act of prayer (Neh 9) followed by community commitment (Neh 10) is a model for worshiping communities."62This was another instance in Israel's history of a covenant renewal accompanyi...
  • A second group of seven Levites (v. 5) led the people in the prayer of praise that Nehemiah included in this book perhaps on a different day than the prayer he wrote about in verses 1-4."The prayer is intended to instruct the...
  • Nehemiah explained the agreement he previously referred to in 9:38 in this chapter. Conviction of sin (ch. 8) led to confession of sin (ch. 9) and resulted in a covenant with God (ch. 10)."Nehemiah 10, despite its forbidding ...
  • The names in verses 2-8 are those of the heads of 21 priestly families (cf. 12:12-21). Verses 9-13 record the names of 17 Levites. Then the writer gave the names of 44 heads of other leading families (vv. 14-27)....
  • The rest of the restoration community joined those who signed their names pledging to obey the Mosaic Law (vv. 28-29). The "curse"they took on themselves was submission to the curse that God promised would come on those who d...
  • This portion of the book resumes the historical narrative in chronological order from 11:2 where it stopped. Probably the dedication took place soon after the covenant renewal ceremonies (chs. 8-10)....
  • To understand when the events described in this chapter took place it is necessary to read verses 1-7, not just verse 1. Nehemiah returned to Artaxerxes in 432 B.C. (v. 6). It was customary in the ancient Near East for kings ...
  • Nehemiah discovered that foreign merchants were selling goods in Jerusalem on the Sabbath and that the Jews were also preparing and transporting goods on that holy day. He rebuked both the merchants and the Jewish nobles (cf....
  • The Book of Nehemiah records the fortification of Jerusalem and the restoration of the Jews, two essential steps that were necessary to reestablish God's people in His will and in their land.Nehemiah continued the good work t...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah. London: SCM Press, 1973.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed., New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William F. The...
  • 11:14-15 The Lord then replied that many of the Jews in Jerusalem were saying that the Judahites who had gone into captivity were the ones that God was judging. They believed that the Jews left in Jerusalem were the remnant t...
  • 6:10 The new decree did not deter Daniel from continuing to pray for the welfare of the city where God had sent them into exile and for the Jews' return from exile. That this was the subject of his praying, among other things...
  • This final section of the book is also in the form of a lament (cf. vv. 1-7). While Micah spoke as an individual, he spoke for the faithful remnant of Israelites in his day. His sentiments would have been theirs. Thus the lam...
  • The Lord had said that Israel's earlier history was a time when the priests and the people of Israel pleased Him (v. 4). Now He said that those early days were short-lived (cf. Exod. 32:7-9). In contrast to His faithfulness (...
  • 1:15 In view of Peter's leadership gifts, so obvious in the Gospels, it is no surprise that he is the one who took the initiative on this occasion."Undoubtedly, the key disciple in Luke's writings is Peter. He was the represe...
  • Paul proceeded to expound on the thought that he introduced at the end of verse 17. This passage gives a very wide perspective of God's great plan of redemption, which is the heart of Paul's theology.2648:18 In the light of e...
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