Nehemiah 10:6

Of all this distress, and that it might be removed, and be clear of it; or "in all this distress and evil", as Jarchi and Aben Ezra, in the midst of it all: we make a sure covenant; or faithfully promise to observe the law of God, and particularly put away strange wives, and not intermarry with the people of the land: and write it; that it may remain and be a testimony against them should they break it, being their own handwriting: and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it; as witnesses of it, and thereby binding themselves to observe the same things; their names that sealed are given in the next chapter. John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. Nehemiah 10:1 INTRODUCTION TO NEHEMIAH 10 In this chapter we have the names of the persons that signed and sealed the covenant mentioned in the last chapter, Nehemiah 10:1, and the things they agreed unto and promised to perform; in general to observe the law of God, in particular not to marry with the people of the land, to keep the sabbaths weekly and yearly, to pay annually the third part of the shekel for the service of the temple, to bring into it the wood offerings, first fruits, firstborn, and tithes, Nehemiah 10:28.

Now those that sealed were,.... That sealed the covenant, made Nehemiah 9:38 . Nehemiah the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah; the governor of the Jews: and Zidkijah; who seems also to have been a prince, since, without, it could not be said it was sealed by their princes, Nehemiah 9:38 though some think both these were priests, and then the princes must be supposed to be among the chief of the people, Nehemiah 10:14, from hence to the end of the twenty seventh their names follow; the names of the priests, Nehemiah 10:2, who were in all twenty one; no mention is made either of Eliashib the high priest, nor of Ezra the priest and scribe; some think the former had not behaved well in his office, and that the latter was either sick, or returned to Babylon, or however hindered by some providence or another, since we hear of him both a little before and after, Nehemiah 8:2 then the names of the Levites, Nehemiah 10:9, in all seventeen, most of which we have met with in this book before; next follow the names of the chief of the people, Nehemiah 10:14, their number in all forty four; and their names may be observed in the list of those that came out of Babylon with Zerubbabel; the whole number of those that sealed, princes, priests, Levites, and chief of the people, were eighty four.

CHAPTER 10 Ne 10:1-27. The Names of Those Who Sealed the Covenant. 1. Nehemiah, the Tirshatha—His name was placed first in the roll on account of his high official rank, as deputy of the Persian monarch. All classes were included in the subscription; but the people were represented by their elders (Ne 10:14), as it would have been impossible for every one in the country to have been admitted to the sealing.

( Nehemiah 10:3-10 ) At the head of the signatures stood Nehemiah the Tirshatha, as governor of the country, and Zidkijah, a high official, of whom nothing further is known, perhaps (after the analogy of Ezra 4:9, Ezra 4:17) secretary to the governor. Then follow (in vv. 3-9) twenty-one names, with the addition: these, the priests. Of these twenty-one names, fifteen occur in Nehemiah 12:2-7 as chiefs of the priests who came up with Joshua and Zerubbabel from Babylon, and in Nehemiah 12:11-20 as heads of priestly houses. Hence it is obvious that all the twenty-one names are those of heads of priestly classes, who signed the agreement in the names of the houses and families of their respective classes. Seraiah is probably the prince of the house of God dwelling at Jerusalem, mentioned Nehemiah 11:11, who signed in place of the high priest. For further remarks on the orders of priests and their heads, see Nehemiah 12:1.

[Bible] 10:2. Saraias, Azarias, Jeremias, 10:3. Pheshur, Amarias, Melchias, 10:4. Hattus, Sebenia, Melluch, 10:5. Harem, Merimuth, Obdias, 10:6. Daniel, Genthon, Baruch, 10:7. Mosollam, Abia, Miamin, 10:8. Maazia, Belgia, Semeia: these were priests. 10:9. And the Levites, Josue the son of Azanias, Bennui of the sons of Henadad, Cedmihel, 10:10. And their brethren, Sebenia, Oduia, Celita, Phalaia, Hanan, 10:11. Micha, Rohob, Hasebia, 10:12. Zachur, Serebia, Sabania, 10:13. Odaia, Bani, Baninu. 10:14. The heads of the people, Pharos, Phahath Moab, Elam, Zethu, Bani, 10:15. Bonni, Azgad, Bebai, 10:16. Adonia, Begoai, Adin, 10:17. Ater, Hezecia, Azur, 10:18. Odaia, Hasum, Besai, 10:19. Hareph, Anathoth, Nebai, 10:20. Megphias, Mosollam, Hazir, 10:21. Mesizabel, Sadoc, Jeddua, 10:22. Pheltia, Hanan, Anaia, 10:23. Osee, Hanania, Hasub, 10:24. Alohes, Phalea, Sobec, 10:25. Rehum, Hasebna, Maasia, 10:26. Echaia, Hanan, Anan, 10:27. Melluch, Haran, Baana: 10:28. And the rest of the people, priests, Levites, porters, and singing men, Nathinites, and all that had separated themselves from the people of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. 10:29. All that could understand, promising for their brethren, with their chief men, and they came to promise, and swear that they would walk in the law of God, which he gave in the hand of Moses the servant of God, that they would do and keep all the commandments of the Lord our God, and his judgments and his ceremonies. 10:30. And that we would not give our daughters to the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons. 10:31. And if the people of the land bring in things to sell, or any things for use, to sell them on the sabbath day, that we would not buy them on the sabbath, or on the holy day. And that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every hand. 10:32. And we made ordinances for ourselves, to give the third part of a sicle every year for the work of the house of our God,

[Bible] 9:30. And thou didst forbear with them for many years, and didst testify against them by thy spirit by the hand of thy prophets: and they heard not, and thou didst deliver them into the hand of the people of the lands. 9:31. Yet in thy very many mercies thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them: because thou art a merciful and gracious God. 9:32. Now therefore our God, great, strong, and terrible, who keepest covenant and mercy, turn not away from thy face all the labour which hath come upon us, upon our kings, and our princes, and our priests, and our prophets, and our fathers, and all the people from the days of the king of Assur, until this day. 9:33. And thou art just in all things that have come upon us: because thou hast done truth, but we have done wickedly. 9:34. Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept thy law, and have not minded thy commandments, and thy testimonies which thou hast testified among them. 9:35. And they have not served thee in their kingdoms, and in thy manifold goodness, which thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land, which thou deliveredst before them, nor did they return from their most wicked devices. 9:36. Behold we ourselves this day are bondmen: and the land, which thou gavest our fathers, to eat the bread thereof, and the good things thereof, and we ourselves are servants in it. 9:37. And the fruits thereof grow up for the kings, whom thou hast set over us for our sins, and they have dominion over our bodies, and over our beasts, according to their will, and we are in great tribulation. 9:38. And because of all this we ourselves make a covenant, and write it, and our princes, our Levites, and our priests sign it. The names of the subscribers to the covenant, and the contents of it. 10:1. And the subscribers were Nehemias, Athersatha the son of Hachelai, and Sedecias, 10:2. Saraias, Azarias, Jeremias, 10:3. Pheshur, Amarias, Melchias, 10:4. Hattus, Sebenia, Melluch, 10:5. Harem, Merimuth, Obdias,