Synopsis of the Chapter
Those who signed the covenant of the people made with God are enumerated; they promise to observe all the commandments of God, and in particular the Sabbath and the seventh year: likewise to pay the tithes and first-fruits established by the law, inasmuch as in these matters they had hitherto been negligent and transgressors.
Verse 1: The Signatories ¶
1. The signatories (of the covenant of the people made with God) WERE NEHEMIAH (as leader), THE ATHERSATHA, THE SON OF HACALIAH. — This is a different person from the Nehemiah who was also called Athersatha.
Verse 28: Separated from the Peoples of the Lands ¶
28. And all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands TO THE LAW OF GOD — namely, those who had converted from paganism to Judaism and become proselytes.
Verse 29: All Who Were Able to Understand ¶
29. ALL WHO WERE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND. — Refer this to "children"; that is, all the children of the proselytes who were not infants but adults and capable of reason also signed this covenant. THE NOBLES PLEDGING FOR THEIR BRETHREN — that is, in such a great number not all could sign this covenant: therefore the nobles alone swore and sealed it on behalf of the rest of their fellow tribesmen.
And those who (being like the nobles, were chief among the people) came to promise and to swear. — In Hebrew it is added: with a curse, saying: May God punish us if we do not keep His commandments.
Verse 31: The Seventh Year ¶
31. WE WILL REMIT THE SEVENTH YEAR — or the Sabbatical year, that is, we will let the land rest in the seventh year, so that we do not cultivate the fields, but leave what grows spontaneously in them for the poor, according to the law of Exodus XXIII, 11. AND THE EXACTION OF EVERY DEBT — that is, we will likewise remit to debtors what is owed to us by the written bond of their hand, so that in the seventh year we do not exact it. For the law likewise commanded that, since the land was not cultivated in the seventh year, debts to be paid from the fruits of the land should also not be collected in that same year.
Verse 33: The Holy Offerings ¶
33. And for the holy offerings — that is, for the peace offerings which are offered to God; for he distinguishes these from the sin offerings, about which he speaks immediately after.
Verse 34: From Year to Year ¶
34. FROM YEAR TO YEAR — that is, annually, or each year.
Verse 37: The Tenth Part of the Land ¶
37. THE TENTH PART OF THE LAND — that is, the tithes of the fruits of the land. For the Levites could not possess land, but only receive the tithes of its fruits. OF OUR LABORS. — Hence it is clear that the Jews paid tithes not only of their fields, but also of their labors and works, so that from the profit accruing to them therefrom they gave a tenth part to the Levites.
Verse 38: The Priest With the Levites ¶
38. AND THE PRIEST, THE SON OF AARON, SHALL BE WITH THE LEVITES IN THE TITHES OF THE LEVITES (that is, the priests, sons of Aaron, will have a share of the tithes with the Levites, namely a tenth of the tithe. For as follows:) The Levites shall offer the tenth part of their tithe IN THE HOUSE OF GOD. — Therefore the Levites gave a tenth of their tithes to the priests, and the priests in turn gave a tenth of their tithe to the High Priest, who was consequently very wealthy and rich, as I said at Numbers XVIII.
Verse 39: We Will Not Forsake the House of God ¶
39. AND THERE SHALL BE THE CONSECRATED VESSELS, AND THE PRIESTS, AND THE SINGERS, AND THE GATEKEEPERS, AND THE MINISTERS — while they minister in the temple during the time of their rotation. For these dwelt in chambers annexed to the temple, which were called halls and treasuries, and there they were fed; for at the expense of the settlers and the Levites, the firstfruits which belonged to the priests had to be brought to these treasuries. Therefore the Hebrews pledge that they will diligently attend to all these things, which they had previously neglected. AND WE WILL NOT FORSAKE THE HOUSE OF GOD — that is, we will attend to all things pertaining to the uses of the temple and to the sustenance of the priests and Levites. They swear therefore that they will do these things, because in these matters they had hitherto been more negligent.