Nehemiah 10

Nehemiah 10

Nehemiah 10:1 Those whose seals were on the document were the governor Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

Nehemiah 10:2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

Nehemiah 10:3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

Nehemiah 10:4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

Nehemiah 10:5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

Nehemiah 10:6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

Nehemiah 10:7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

Nehemiah 10:8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

Nehemiah 10:9 The Levites were Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

Nehemiah 10:10 and their brothers Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

Nehemiah 10:11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

Nehemiah 10:12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

Nehemiah 10:13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

Nehemiah 10:14 The heads of the people were Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

Nehemiah 10:15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

Nehemiah 10:16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

Nehemiah 10:17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

Nehemiah 10:18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

Nehemiah 10:19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

Nehemiah 10:20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

Nehemiah 10:21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

Nehemiah 10:22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

Nehemiah 10:23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

Nehemiah 10:24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

Nehemiah 10:25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

Nehemiah 10:26 Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,

Nehemiah 10:27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

Nehemiah 10:28 The rest of the people — the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with their wives, sons, and daughters, everyone who is able to understand and who has separated themselves from the people of the landto obey the instruction of God —

Nehemiah 10:29 joins with their noble brothers and makes themselves strong with a sworn oath[1] to follow the instruction of God given through God’s servant Moses and to obey carefully all the commands, ordinances, and statutes of Yahweh, our Lord.

Nehemiah 10:30 We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land and will not take their daughters as wives for our sons.

Nehemiah 10:31 When the people of the land bring merchandise or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or a sacred day. We will also leave the land uncultivated in the seventh year and cancel every debt.

Nehemiah 10:32 We will impose the following commands on ourselves: To give an eighth of an ounce of silver yearly for the service of the house of our God:

Nehemiah 10:33 the bread displayed before Yahveh, the continual[2] tribute offering,[3] the continual ascending offering,[4] the Sabbath and New Moon offerings, the appointed[5] festivals, the sacred things, the sin offerings to atone[6] for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

Nehemiah 10:34 We have cast lots among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our ancestral families at the appointed times each year. They are to bring the wood to our God’s house to burn[7] on the altar of Yahveh our God, as it is written in the instruction.

Nehemiah 10:35 We will bring the firstfruits of our land and every fruit tree to Yahveh’s house year by year.

Nehemiah 10:36 We will also bring the firstborn of our sons and our animals, as prescribed by the instruction, and will get the firstborn of our herds and flocks to the house of our God, to the priests who minister[8] in our God’s house.

Nehemiah 10:37 We will bring a loaf from our first[9] We will also bring a batch of dough to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God. We will also bring the first of our grain offerings, every fruit tree, new wine, and fresh oil. A tenth of our land’s produce belongs to the Levites, for the Levites are to collect the one-tenth offering in all our agricultural towns.

Nehemiah 10:38 A priest from Aaron’s descendants is to accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth, and the Levites are to take a tenth of this offering to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God.

Nehemiah 10:39 For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and fresh oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept and where the priests who minister are, along with the gatekeepers and singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.

[1] אָלָה = oath. Nehemiah 10:29.

[2] תָּמִיד = continual(ly). Nehemiah 10:33.

[3] מִנְחָה = tribute (offering). Nehemiah 10:33; 13:5, 9.

[4] עֹלָה = ascending (offering). Nehemiah 10:33.

[5] מוֹעֵד = conference, appointed. Nehemiah 10:33.

[6] כָּפַר = atone, absolve. Nehemiah 10:33.

[7] בָּעַר = burn, consume. Nehemiah 10:34.

[8] שָׁרָת = minister. Nehemiah 10:36, 39.

[9]רֵאשִׁית = first Nehemiah 10:37; firstfruits 12:44.

links:

one percent
tithing the tithe

The NEHEMIAH shelf in Jeff’s library

WHEN BABYLON FALLS

WHEN BABYLON FALLS

Revelation 17:15-18 NET

¹⁵ Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. ¹⁶ The ten horns that you saw, and the beast — these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire. ¹⁷ For God has put into their minds to carry out his purpose by deciding to give their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. ¹⁸ As for the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.”

One of the great purposes of the Book of Revelation is to record the visions God gave to John about the future—visions that begin in John’s own time and stretch all the way to the end of history. John is told in Revelation 1:19 to write what he saw (the visions), what is (the present condition of the churches in chapters 2–3), and what will take place after these things (the unfolding of God’s plan). Last week we saw how John was lifted into heaven and given a glimpse of the new universe in Revelation 4—a universe centered around the throne of God, where elders fall, and living creatures sing “Holy, holy, holy” without ceasing.

Today’s text, Revelation 17:15–18, comes from one of the visions that describes the future—how we get from where we are now to God’s ultimate plan for the universe. These verses show us the fall of a religious-political system that once dominated the world. They show us how God brings down a power that had corrupted nations, persecuted believers, and exalted itself above Christ. And they remind us that our allegiance must never be given to any earthly institution, no matter how impressive or ancient, but to Christ alone.

The passage is brief but devastating. In just four verses, the angel explains the meaning of the great prostitute’s influence, reveals the shocking reversal of her political allies, and exposes the sovereign hand of God orchestrating the entire collapse. What looks like political upheaval on the surface is divine judgment underneath. What looks like the beast and his allies acting on their own initiative is actually God fulfilling His word. The fall of Babylon is not chaos—it is covenant justice.

Let us walk through this passage under three headings: A Church That Dominated, A Church That Persecuted, and A Church That Loses Its Power.

I. A Church That Dominated (Revelation 17:15, 18)

John is shown a woman seated on many waters. The angel explains that these waters represent “peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.” In other words, this woman—symbolizing a religious system—has global influence. She sits on the beast, meaning she is supported by political power. And in verse 18, the angel identifies her as “the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” The phrase “great city” is not a compliment. It is an identification. This is the city that rules, the city that commands, the city that sits above kings as though it were God.

For over a thousand years of Western history, the most powerful institution on earth was a church centered in Rome—the city famously known as “the city on seven hills,” just as Revelation 17:9 describes. From that vantage point, this institution crowned kings, shaped empires, and exercised authority over nations. It was not merely a spiritual body; it was a political force. It dominated the world scene in a way no other religious institution ever has. Emperors sought its blessing. Monarchs feared its decrees. Whole populations were shaped by its teachings, its sacraments, and its threats. It claimed to hold the keys to heaven, and it used those keys to lock earthly doors.

Now, Revelation is not simply a history book. It uses symbols. But the parallels are striking. John’s vision shows us what happens when a religious institution becomes intertwined with political power. When the church stops being the bride of Christ and becomes a partner of the state, it becomes Babylon. It becomes a system that uses spiritual language to justify worldly control. The woman holds a cup in her hand, and the cup looks golden—but inside it is filled with abominations (Revelation 17:4). That is the nature of religious corruption: it looks beautiful on the outside, but the substance is poisoned.

And this is not just a medieval problem. Whenever the church seeks worldly power instead of spiritual faithfulness, it becomes Babylon. Whenever the church tries to rule through coercion instead of witness, it becomes Babylon. Whenever the church trades the gospel for influence, it becomes Babylon. The warning is not limited to one institution in one era. It is a permanent caution to every church in every age. The moment the church begins to measure its success by political access rather than gospel fidelity, it has started to sit on the beast.

Revelation warns us that religious power can be just as corrupt as political power. The church is at its strongest when it is faithful, not when it is dominant. The church is at its purest when it is persecuted, not when it is privileged. The church is at its most Christlike when it is serving, not when it is ruling. Jesus Himself refused political power when Satan offered it (Matthew 4:8–10). He told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Any church that forgets this has already begun its drift toward Babylon.

The woman in Revelation 17 dominated the nations. But her dominance was not a sign of God’s blessing—it was a sign of her corruption.

II. A Church That Persecuted (Revelation 17:6)

John says he saw the woman “drunk with the blood of the saints.” That is a horrifying image. It means that this religious system did not merely influence the world—it persecuted the faithful. It used its power to silence dissent. It used its authority to crush those who resisted its corruption. It became an enemy of the very people it was supposed to shepherd. The word “drunk” suggests not just violence but indulgence—a system that had grown accustomed to bloodshed, that had acquired a taste for power, that no longer recognized what it had become.

History bears witness to this. For centuries, believers who sought to follow Scripture rather than tradition were imprisoned, tortured, or killed. Reformers, translators, and ordinary Christians suffered at the hands of a religious empire that had lost its way. Men like John Hus were burned at the stake for preaching the gospel in the common language. William Tyndale was strangled and burned for translating the Bible into English. The Inquisition turned the instruments of justice into instruments of terror. The church that should have protected the saints became the instrument of their suffering.

Revelation shows us that persecution does not always come from atheistic governments or pagan cultures. Sometimes it comes from religious institutions that have lost sight of Christ. When religion loses Christ, it loses compassion. And when it loses compassion, it becomes capable of violence. The name of God can be invoked to bless the very acts God condemns. The cross can be carried as a weapon rather than a symbol of surrender. This is the deepest horror of Babylon: it does evil in the name of the One who is good.

This is why Revelation is so important. It unmasks the spiritual dangers of religious power. It shows us that the greatest threat to the church is not always outside; it can be inside. It can be a system that uses the name of Christ but does not reflect His heart. Jesus warned of this Himself: “A time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God” (John 16:2). Religious persecution is the most deceptive form of opposition because it wears the clothing of devotion.

The woman in Revelation 17 persecuted the saints. And God saw it. God remembered it. And God judged it. Every prayer whispered in a prison cell was heard. Every cry of a martyr at the stake was recorded. Christ Himself witnessed every abuse committed in Christ’s name. The book of Revelation is, among other things, a book of divine accounting. Nothing is forgotten. Nothing is overlooked. The blood of the saints cries out, and God answers.

III. A Church That Loses Its Power (Revelation 17:16–17)

In verses 16 and 17, something shocking happens. The political powers that once supported this religious system suddenly turn against her. The ten horns—symbolizing kings or political alliances—”will hate the prostitute.” They will strip her of her power, expose her corruption, and destroy her influence. They will “make her desolate and naked.” They will “consume her flesh and burn her up with fire.” The language is brutal and complete. The same institutions that once carried the woman now consume her. The same hands that once elevated her now tear her down.

The same nations that once upheld her authority now dismantle her. The same kings who once bowed to her now burn her with fire. And John tells us why: “God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose.” The verse is one of the most striking statements of divine sovereignty in the New Testament. The political leaders who destroy Babylon are not righteous men. They are not agents of justice. They are, in fact, allied with the beast. They act out of hatred, not holiness. They turn on the woman because their ambitions no longer align with hers. But behind their hatred, God is working. Behind their political calculation, God is fulfilling prophecy. Behind their selfish decisions, God is accomplishing His purpose.

In other words, God uses political forces to bring judgment on a corrupt religious system. God is sovereign even over the rise and fall of institutions. He does not need righteous instruments to accomplish righteous ends. He can use the ambition of kings to judge the corruption of priests. He can use the jealousy of empires to topple the pride of religion. He can use the very powers that once supported Babylon to bring Babylon down.

This is a sobering truth. No religious institution—no matter how ancient, wealthy, or influential—can stand when God withdraws His hand. When a church becomes corrupt, God will not protect it. When a church persecutes the faithful, God will not defend it. When a church becomes Babylon, God will judge it. The institution may have stood for a thousand years, but if it has abandoned Christ, its days are numbered. The walls may look strong, but if the foundation has crumbled, the fall is certain.

And Babylon is still with us. It appears wherever religion is used for power. It appears wherever the church becomes a political tool. It appears wherever spiritual authority is used to manipulate or control. It appears wherever the gospel is replaced with tradition, nationalism, or self-interest. Babylon is not a relic of the past. It is a temptation of the present. Any church in any age can become the woman on the beast.

But Revelation assures us: Babylon will fall. Every false religious system will collapse. Every corrupt institution will be exposed. Every misuse of Christ’s name will be judged. The fall may not come today. It may not come in our lifetime. But it will come—because God’s word will be fulfilled. Verse 17 says so explicitly: the political powers act “until the words of God are fulfilled.” God’s word is the clock. His promises are the schedule. Babylon’s days are measured, and the measure is already set.

Conclusion: Allegiance to the Lamb

What does this passage call us to do? It calls us to examine our allegiance.

Revelation 17 is not a call to attack institutions. It is a call to guard our hearts. It is a call to remember that our loyalty belongs not to church structures, not to traditions, not to political alliances, not to denominations, not to leaders—but to Christ alone. The passage does not ask us to become crusaders against corruption. It asks us to become faithful witnesses in the midst of it. It asks us to look at the woman on the beast and say, “That is not my Lord. That is not my home. My Lord is the Lamb.”

The fall of Babylon warns us not to place ultimate trust in any earthly power. Churches rise and fall. Nations rise and fall. Institutions rise and fall. But the Lamb remains. His kingdom remains. His truth remains. Hebrews 13:8 declares, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Institutions change. Christ does not. Movements rise and collapse. Christ does not. The Lamb is the only constant, the only certainty, the only certainty that cannot be shaken.

When Babylon falls, only the Lamb’s kingdom stands.

So let us pledge our allegiance not to church or state, but to Christ alone. Let us follow the One who is faithful and true. Let us trust the One who will never misuse His power. Let us cling to the One who shed His own blood instead of shedding the blood of others. The contrast could not be sharper. The woman was drunk with the blood of the saints. The Lamb was slain for the sins of the saints. The woman shed blood to maintain control. The Lamb shed blood to give life. The woman ruled by fear. The Lamb rules by love. Choose carefully whom you follow.

Revelation 17 ends with the collapse of a corrupt religious system. But Revelation does not end there. It ends with a wedding—the marriage supper of the Lamb. It ends with a new heaven and a new earth. It ends with a Bride who is pure, faithful, and beautiful. The false bride falls. The true Bride rises. The counterfeit church is exposed. The true Church is revealed. And the difference is Christ. The true Church is not built on political power or institutional authority. It is built on the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God—and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).

That is the church Christ is building. That is the church we belong to. That is the church that will never fall.

Closing Prayer

LORD, keep our hearts faithful to You. Guard us from trusting in earthly powers. Cleanse Your church from corruption. Make us loyal to Christ alone. And prepare us for the day when Babylon falls, and the Lamb reigns forever. Amen.

Nehemiah 9

Nehemiah 9:1 On the twenty-fourth day of this month, the Israelites gathered; they were fasting, wearing sackcloth, and putting dust on their heads.

Nehemiah 9:2 Those of Israelite seed separated[1] themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and their fathers’ violations.

Nehemiah 9:3 While they stood in their places, they cried out from the book of the instruction of Yahveh their God for a fourth of the day and spent another fourth of the day in confession and worship of Yahveh their God.

Nehemiah 9:4 Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the raised platform built for the Levites and cried out loudly to Yahveh their God.

Nehemiah 9:5 Then the Levites —Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up. Praised be Yahveh your God from age to age.” Praised be your impressive[2] name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

Nehemiah 9:6 You, Yahveh, are the only God. You created the sky, the highest sky with all its army,[3] the land and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You made all of them alive, and all the sky’s army worships you.

Nehemiah 9:7 You, Yahveh, are the God who chose Abram, brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, and put his name to Abraham.

Nehemiah 9:8 You found his heart faithful in your sight and cut[4] a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites– to give it to his seed. You have fulfilled your promise, for you are righteous.

Nehemiah 9:9 You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea.

Nehemiah 9:10 You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors. You made a name for yourself that endures to this day.

Nehemiah 9:11 You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their chasers[5] into the depths like a stone into the raging water.

Nehemiah 9:12 You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to illuminate the way they should go.

Nehemiah 9:13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke to them from the sky. You gave them impartial ordinances, reliable instructions, and good statutes and commands.

Nehemiah 9:14 You revealed your sacred Sabbath to them and gave them commands, statutes, and instruction through your servant Moses.

Nehemiah 9:15 You provided bread from the sky for their hunger; you brought them water from the rock for their thirst. You told them to go in and take possession of[6] the land you had sworn to give them.

Nehemiah 9:16 But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did not listen to your commands.

Nehemiah 9:17 They refused to listen and did not remember the overwhelming[7] things you did among them. They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, and you did not abandon them.

Nehemiah 9:18 Even after they had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said, “This is your god who brought you out of Egypt,” and they had committed terrible blasphemies,

Nehemiah 9:19 you did not abandon them in the open country[8] because of your great compassion. During the day the pillar of cloud never turned away from them, guiding them on their journey. And during the night the pillar of fire illuminated the way they should go.

Nehemiah 9:20 You sent your good Breath[9] to instruct them. You did not withhold your man[10] from their mouths and gave them water for their thirst.

Nehemiah 9:21 You provided for them in the open country forty years, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.

Nehemiah 9:22 You gave them kingdoms and peoples and established boundaries for them. They took possession of the land of King Sihon of Heshbon and of the land of King Og of Bashan.

Nehemiah 9:23 You multiplied their descendants like the stars of the sky and brought them to the land you told their ancestors to go in and take possession.

Nehemiah 9:24 So their descendants went in and took possession of the land: You subdued the Canaanites who inhabited the land before them and handed their kings and the surrounding peoples over to them, to do as they pleased with them.

Nehemiah 9:25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took possession of well-supplied houses, cisterns cut out of rock, vineyards, olive groves, and abundant fruit trees. They consumed, were filled, became prosperous, and delighted in your great goodness.

Nehemiah 9:26 But they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They flung your instruction behind their backs and killed your prophets who warned them in order to turn them back to you. They committed terrible blasphemies.

Nehemiah 9:27 So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. In their time of distress, they cried out to you, and you heard from the sky. In your abundant compassion, you gave them deliverers, who rescued[11] them from the power of their enemies.

Nehemiah 9:28 But as soon as they had rest,[12] they again did what was evil in your sight. So you abandoned them to the power of their enemies, who dominated them. When they cried out to you again, you heard from the sky and stripped[13] them many times in your compassion.

Nehemiah 9:29 You warned them to turn back to your instruction, but they acted arrogantly and would not obey your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, which a person will stay alive by if he does them. They stubbornly resisted, stiffened their necks, and would not obey.

Nehemiah 9:30 You were patient with them for many years, and your Breath warned them through your prophets, but they would not listen. Therefore, you handed them over to the surrounding people.

Nehemiah 9:31 However, you did not destroy or abandon them in your abundant compassion, for you are a gracious and compassionate God.

Nehemiah 9:32 So now, our God– the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant– do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us, our kings and captains, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the Assyrian kings until today.

Nehemiah 9:33 You are righteous concerning all that has happened to us because you have acted reliably, while we have acted wickedly.

Nehemiah 9:34 Our kings, captains, priests, and ancestors did not obey your instruction or listen to your commands and reminders[14] you gave them.

Nehemiah 9:35 When they were in their kingdom, with the abundant goodness you gave them, and in the spacious and fertile land you set before them, they would not work for[15] you or turn from their wicked ways.

Nehemiah 9:36 Notice us today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so that they could consume its fruit and its goodness. Notice us– slaves in it!

Nehemiah 9:37 Its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have set over us, because of our sins. They rule[16] our bodies and our animals as they please. We are in great distress.

Nehemiah 9:38 In view of all this, we are cutting a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our captains, Levites, and priests.

[1] בָּדָל = separate. Nehemiah 9:2; 10:28; 13:3.

[2] כָּבוֹד = impressive, reward, honor. Nehemiah 9:5.

[3] צָבָא =army. Nehemiah 9:6.

[4] כָּרָת = cut, establish, cut down. Nehemiah 9:8, 38.

[5] רָדָף = chase, follow. Nehemiah 9:11.

[6] יָרָשׁ = take possession of, dispossess. Nehemiah 9:15, 22, 23, 24, 25.

[7] פָּלָא = complicated, overwhelming. Nehemiah 9:17.

[8] מִדְבָּר = open country. Nehemiah 9:19, 21.

[9]רוּחַ = breath, wind. Nehemiah 9:20, 30.

[10] מָן = man (a type of bread). Nehemiah 9:20.

[11] יָשַׁע = save, help, rescue. Nehemiah 9:27.

[12] נוּחַ = place, allow, rest. Nehemiah 9:28.

[13] נָצַל = strip. Nehemiah 9:28.

[14] עֵדוּת = reminder. Nehemiah 9:34.

[15] עָבַד = slave for, make work, work for. Nehemiah 9:35.

[16] מָשַׁל = influence, rule. Nehemiah 9:37.

links:

confessing truth
God’s mercy and the death-state
true confessions

The NEHEMIAH shelf in Jeff’s library

Nehemiah 8

Nehemiah 8

Nehemiah 8:1 all the people gathered[1] at the square before the Water Gate. They asked the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the Instruction[2] of Moses that Yahveh had given Israel.

Nehemiah 8:2 On the first day of the seventh month, the priest Ezra brought the instruction before the congregation of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding.

Nehemiah 8:3 While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he cried out from it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the book of the instruction.

Nehemiah 8:4 The scribe Ezra stood on a high wooden platform made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

Nehemiah 8:5 Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up.

Nehemiah 8:6 Ezra praised[3] Yahveh, the great God, and all the people raised their hands, answering,[4] “Amen, Amen!” Then they knelt low and worshiped Yahveh with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8:7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, who were Levites, explained the instruction to the people as they stood in their places.

Nehemiah 8:8 They cried out from the book of the instruction of God, translating and putting[5] the meaning so that the people could understand what was read.

Nehemiah 8:9 Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to Yahveh your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the instruction.

Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go and consume rich food, drink sweet drink, and send helpings to those who have nothing prepared since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve because the joy of Yahveh is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:11 And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Don’t grieve.”

Nehemiah 8:12 All the people began to consume and drink, send helpings, and have a grand celebration because they had understood the words explained to them.

Nehemiah 8:13 On the second day, the family heads of all the people, along with the priests and Levites, gathered before the scribe Ezra to study the words of the instruction.

Nehemiah 8:14 They found written in the instruction how Yahveh had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in huts[6] during the festival of the seventh month.

Nehemiah 8:15 So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make huts, just as it is written.”

Nehemiah 8:16 The people went out, brought back branches, and made huts for themselves on each of their rooftops and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate, and the square by the Ephraim Gate.

Nehemiah 8:17 The whole congregation that had returned from exile made huts and lived in them. The Israelites had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua, son of Nun, until that day. And there was tremendous joy.

Nehemiah 8:18 Ezra cried out from the book of the instruction of God every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, according to the ordinance, there was an assembly.

[1] אָסַף = gather. Nehemiah 8:1, 13; 9:1; 12:28.

[2] תּוֹרָה = instruction. Nehemiah 8:1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 18; 9:3, 13, 14, 26, 29, 34; 10:28, 29, 34, 36; 12:44; 13:3.

[3] בָּרָךְ = empower, endorse, praise. Nehemiah 8:6; 9:5; 11:2.

[4] עָנָה = answer. Nehemiah 8:6.

[5] שׂוּם = place, put. Nehemiah 8:8; 9:7.

[6] סֻכָּה = hut. Nehemiah 8:14, 15, 16, 17.

links:

joy of restoration
joy through understanding

The NEHEMIAH shelf in Jeff’s library

Nehemiah 7

Nehemiah 7

Nehemiah 7:1 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.

Nehemiah 7:2 Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah, captain of the fortress, because he was a reliable[1] man who feared God more than most.

Nehemiah 7:3 I said to them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and let the doors be shut and securely fastened while the guards are on duty. Station the citizens of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their homes.”

Nehemiah 7:4 The city was large and spacious, but few people lived there, and no houses had been built yet.

Nehemiah 7:5 Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the genealogical record of those who came back first, and I found the following written in it:

Nehemiah 7:6 These are the people of the province who went up among the captive exiles deported by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Each of them returned to Jerusalem and Judah, to his town.

Nehemiah 7:7 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of the Israelite men included

Nehemiah 7:8 Parosh’s descendants 2,172

Nehemiah 7:9 Shephatiah’s descendants 372

Nehemiah 7:10 Arah’s descendants 652

Nehemiah 7:11 Pahath-moab’s descendants: Jeshua’s and Joab’s descendants 2,818

Nehemiah 7:12 Elam’s descendants 1,254

Nehemiah 7:13 Zattu’s descendants 845

Nehemiah 7:14 Zaccai’s descendants 760

Nehemiah 7:15 Binnui’s descendants 648

Nehemiah 7:16 Bebai’s descendants 628

Nehemiah 7:17 Azgad’s descendants 2,322

Nehemiah 7:18 Adonikam’s descendants 667

Nehemiah 7:19 Bigvai’s descendants 2,067

Nehemiah 7:20 Adin’s descendants 655

Nehemiah 7:21 Ater’s descendants: of Hezekiah 98

Nehemiah 7:22 Hashum’s descendants 328

Nehemiah 7:23 Bezai’s descendants 324

Nehemiah 7:24 Hariph’s descendants 112

Nehemiah 7:25 Gibeon’s descendants 95

Nehemiah 7:26 Bethlehem’s and Netophah’s men 188

Nehemiah 7:27 Anathoth’s men 128

Nehemiah 7:28 Beth-azmaveth’s men 42

Nehemiah 7:29 Kiriath-jearim’s, Chephirah’s, and Beeroth’s men 743

Nehemiah 7:30 Ramah’s and Geba’s men 621

Nehemiah 7:31 Michmas’s men 122

Nehemiah 7:32 Bethel’s and Ai’s men 123

Nehemiah 7:33 the other Nebo’s men 52

Nehemiah 7:34 the other Elam’s people 1,254

Nehemiah 7:35 Harim’s people 320

Nehemiah 7:36 Jericho’s people 345

Nehemiah 7:37 Lod’s, Hadid’s, and Ono’s people 721

Nehemiah 7:38 Senaah’s people 3,930.

Nehemiah 7:39 The priests included Jedaiah’s descendants of the house of Jeshua 973

Nehemiah 7:40 Immer’s descendants 1,052

Nehemiah 7:41 Pashhur’s descendants 1,247

Nehemiah 7:42 Harim’s descendants 1,017.

Nehemiah 7:43 The Levites included Jeshua’s descendants: of Kadmiel, Hodevah’s descendants 74.

Nehemiah 7:44 The singers included Asaph’s descendants 148.

Nehemiah 7:45 The gatekeepers included Shallum’s descendants, Ater’s descendants, Talmon’s descendants, Akkub’s descendants, Hatita’s descendants, Shobai’s descendants 138.

Nehemiah 7:46 The temple servants included Ziha’s descendants, Hasupha’s descendants, Tabbaoth’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:47 Keros’s descendants, Sia’s descendants, Padon’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:48 Lebanah’s descendants, Hagabah’s descendants, Shalmai’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:49 Hanan’s descendants, Giddel’s descendants, Gahar’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:50 Reaiah’s descendants, Rezin’s descendants, Nekoda’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:51 Gazzam’s descendants, Uzza’s descendants, Paseah’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:52 Besai’s descendants, Meunim’s descendants, Nephishesim’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:53 Bakbuk’s descendants, Hakupha’s descendants, Harhur’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:54 Bazlith’s descendants, Mehida’s descendants, Harsha’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:55 Barkos’s descendants, Sisera’s descendants, Temah’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:56 Neziah’s descendants, Hatipha’s descendants.

Nehemiah 7:57 The descendants of Solomon’s servants included Sotai’s descendants, Sophereth’s descendants, Perida’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:58 Jaala’s descendants, Darkon’s descendants, Giddel’s descendants,

Nehemiah 7:59 Shephatiah’s descendants, Hattil’s descendants, Pochereth-hazzebaim’s descendants, Amon’s descendants.

Nehemiah 7:60 All the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants 392.

Nehemiah 7:61 The following are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their ancestral families and their seed[2] were Israelite:

Nehemiah 7:62 Delaiah’s descendants, Tobiah’s descendants, and Nekoda’s descendants 642

Nehemiah 7:63 and from the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai — who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and who bore their name.

Nehemiah 7:64 These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood.

Nehemiah 7:65 The governor ordered them not to consume the most sacred[3] things until there was a priest who could consult the Lights[4] and Darks.[5]

Nehemiah 7:66 The whole combined congregation numbered 42,360

Nehemiah 7:67 not including their 7,337 male and female[6] slaves, as well as their 245 male and female singers.

Nehemiah 7:68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

Nehemiah 7:69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

Nehemiah 7:70 Some of the family heads contributed to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury.

Nehemiah 7:71 Some of the family heads gave 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 silver minas to the treasury for the project.

Nehemiah 7:72 The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.

Nehemiah 7:73 The priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns. When the seventh month came, and the Israelites had settled in their cities,

[1] אֱמֶת = reliable, reliability. Nehemiah 7:2; 9:13, 33.

[2] זֶרָע = seed. Nehemiah 7:61; 9:2, 8.

[3] קֹדֶשׁ = sacred. Nehemiah 7:65; 9:14; 10:31, 33; 11:1, 18.

[4]אוּרִים = lights. Nehemiah 7:65.

[5] תֻּמִּים. = darks. Nehemiah 7:65.

[6] אָמָה = female slave. Nehemiah 7:67.

links:

it is the people
transition time

The NEHEMIAH shelf in Jeff’s library