419 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn,.... For our maintenance, in consideration of the services done by us, which would appear but reasonable, but this we decline for the sake of easing our poor brethren: I pray you let us leave off this usury; and not exact it, as has been too much and too long used.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Restore, I pray you, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses,.... Which they had made over to them for corn they had had, or money they borrowed of them; it is entreated that an immediate restitution be made, and the rather, if what Aben Ezra observes is true, that this was the year of release, when debts...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said they, we will restore them,.... The lands, vineyards, oliveyards, and houses: and will require nothing of them; not the hundredth part of the fruits of the earth by way of salary: so will we do as thou sayest; they approved of his proposal, and readily agreed to it: then I called the priests, and took an oath of them that they should do...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Also I shook my lap,.... The fore skirts of his garment, shaking the dust out of them, as a symbol of what follows; a like rite was used in the case of peace and war, the choice of either, by the Romans, as proposed by their ambassadors to the Carthaginians, as having either in their bosom to shake out (l): and said, so God shake out every man...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah,.... That is, by the king of Persia, which was not done when he was first sent into Judea; but very probably when he had finished the wall in fifty two days, he returned to Persia, and gave the king an account of his success, and how things stood in those parts,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But the former governors, that had been before me, were chargeable to the people,.... Between him and Zerubbabel, for Ezra was no governor; according to the Jewish chronology (m), when Ezra came to Jerusalem, Zerubbabel returned to Babylon, and there died, and his son Methullam was in his stead, and after him succeeded Hananiah his son: and had...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall,.... Of building the wall of Jerusalem; here he gave his constant attendance to direct and encourage the workmen, and see that they kept to their work, and did it well: neither bought we any land; neither he nor the principal men with him, though they could have bought it cheap, but they chose not to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Moreover, there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers,.... Every day at his own cost, which must be considerable to provide for such a number, and of such rank: besides those that came unto us from among the Heathen that are about us; who were proselytes, and came thither to worship, or on a civil account, to give...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep,.... Or fat ones; of beef and mutton a considerable quantity, abundantly sufficient for his guests and servants, and shows what a good table he kept: also fowls were prepared for me; what number is not said: and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine; the country...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people. He expected not any recompence from the people, but from the Lord; and from him not in a way of merit, but of grace and good will, who forgets not what is done for his name's sake, Hebrews 6:10.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Nehemiah 6 Sanballat and his brethren, hearing the wall was finished, sent to Nehemiah, to have a meeting with him at a place named, which he refused, Ne 6:1, then they sent him a terrifying letter, suggesting that he, and the Jews with him, would be treated as rebels, since their intention, as reported, was to make him king, which...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now it came to pass, when Sanballat and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall,.... Quite finished it: and that there was no breach left therein; but all was made up firm and strong: though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates; not upon all of them, though some might by the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me,.... Messengers: saying, come, let us meet together in some one of the villages; in Cephirim, which Jarchi takes to be the name of a place, perhaps the same with Cephirah, a city in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:26 in the plain of Ono; which was in the same tribe, see 1 Chronicles 8:12, they might pretend...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I sent messengers unto them,.... He did not show any open contempt of them, nor did he even return answer by the messenger that came from them, but sent some of his own people to them: saying, I am doing a great work; was about an affair of great importance, very busy, and not at leisure to give them a meeting: so that I cannot come down;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort,.... Being very desirous of getting him into their hands, and therefore were very pressing and importunate: and I answered them after the same manner; every time as before, he being as much bent on finishing the work as they were to divert him from it.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time,.... In his own name, neither Tobiah nor Geshem joining with him, he being more solicitous and anxious to get him into his hands than any of them; and it may be, as some think, pretending more friendship for him than the rest, and therefore writes alone, as if they knew nothing...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Wherein was written, it is reported among, the Heathen,.... Among the several neighbouring nations; it was an affair that was not whispered about among a few only; it was common talk, it was in every body's mouth in divers nations: and Gashmu saith it; the same with Geshem the Arabian; he affirms it, and will abide by his assertion, and engages to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem,.... This he said to cover what he and Tobiah had been doing, tampering with, corrupting, and hiring the prophets to discourage him, and put him upon methods, whereby the work would cease: saying, there is a king in Judah; besides Artaxerxes, whose yoke they were casting off,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then I sent unto him,.... Whether a letter, or a messenger, is not said: saying there are no such things done as thou sayest; that there was any scheme formed to rebel, and make him king, or that prophets were appointed to declare him such: but thou feignest them out of thine own heart; in short, that they were no other than lies of his own...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For they all made us afraid,.... Or you all, as Aben Ezra interprets it; or all the Heathen nations, as Jarchi; this was the design of all those scandalous reports, to intimidate them, and with this they pleased themselves, as follows: their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done; this they hoped would be the effect of those...