Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:13

Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:

13. The Sinaitic Legislation

13. mount Sinai ] It will be observed that Sinai, not Horeb, is referred to. The reference is taken from Exo 19:18, ‘And mount Sinai the Lord descended upon it. 19. Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.’ Deu 4:36, ‘Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice.’ For other references to Sinai cf. Deu 33:2; Jdg 5:5.

judgments ] R.V. judgements. For ‘judgements,’ ‘laws,’ ‘statutes,’commandments,’ cf. Deu 4:44-45; Deu 11:1; Deu 12:1, and Psalms 119. passim. ‘Right judgements’ or ‘equitable decisions’ ( , ‘judicia recta’) opposed to the perversions of justice by partiality or bribery; ‘true laws’ or ‘teachings of truth’ (Plur. not as Vulg. ‘legem veritatis’), to erroneous teachings. ‘Good statutes and commandments’ relate, the one to positive enactments upon religious matters, the other to legislation generally.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

True laws; not such laws as some of the heathen laws were, which taught them falsehood, superstition, idolatry, and other errors; but such as discover the truth, and the true mind and will of God, and the true and only way to life.

Good statutes; both in themselves, and to us also, being useful to teach, and comfort, and save us.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Thou camest down also upon Mount Sinai,…. By some visible tokens of his presence, as a cloud, fire, smoke, c. which must be understood consistent with his omniscience, see Ex 19:18,

and spakest with them from heaven the decalogue or ten commandments,

Ex 20:1,

and gavest them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments; both judicial and ceremonial, which were of excellent use to them in their civil and ecclesiastical polity; these were not spoken to Israel, but given to Moses on the mount, to be delivered to them.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(13) Right judgements.Five of the names given to the law of God in Psalms 119 are singled out and applied to the Sinaitic legislation first, and then to the subsequent ordinances of Moses generally. But the emphasis here is on the adjectives right, true, good, as belonging rather to the eternal principles of the Decalogue.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Neh 9:13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:

Ver. 13. Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai ] A place of many bushes and briers. The law there delivered, pricketh and pierceth the consciences of evildoers. Thither God came with ten thousands of his saints, as Moses (who climbed up that hill, and alone saw it) saith, Deu 33:2 .

And spakest with them from heaven ] He came down upon Sinai, and yet spake from heaven. See a like text, Joh 3:13 . There he spake also with us, Hos 12:4 . See that ye refuse not him that speaketh from heaven, see that ye shift him not off, much less turn away from him, Heb 12:25 .

And gavest them right judyments, &c. ] All these high praises are far below the worth and excellency of God’s holy laws. They were given in the wilderness, because (saith Philo) they are to be learnt in a wilderness; seeing there we cannot be hindered by the multitude. But this is no way solid, as one hath well observed.

Good statutes and commandments ] Good they are in respect, 1. Of the author; 2. Of the matter; 3. Of the effect: for they make those good that observe them. This is true of the moral law; as for the judicial, it was fitted to the Jews, and best for them: but Carolostadius did ill to seek to force it, as needful for all Christian commonwealths. Solon being asked whether he had given the best laws to the Athenians? answered, the best for them, the best that they could suffer. So here.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Thou earnest down. Compare Exo 19:20; Exo 20:1.

true laws. Hebrew laws of truth. See note on Joh 1:17.

good statutes. See note on Gen 26:5. Deu 4:7.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

camest: Exo 19:11, Exo 19:16-20, Deu 33:2, Isa 64:1, Isa 64:3, Hab 3:3

spakest: Exo 20:1, Exo 20:22, Deu 4:10-13, Deu 4:33, Deu 5:4, Deu 5:22-26, Heb 12:18-26

gavest: Deu 4:8, Deu 10:12, Deu 10:13, Psa 19:7-11, Psa 119:127, Psa 119:128, Eze 20:11-13, Rom 7:12-14, Rom 7:16

true laws: Heb. laws of truth, Psa 119:160

Reciprocal: Exo 18:20 – teach Exo 19:20 – the Lord came Exo 21:1 – the judgments Exo 24:12 – tables Lev 10:11 – General Lev 15:2 – unto the Deu 4:36 – General 2Ki 17:37 – wrote for you Psa 19:8 – right Psa 119:66 – I Have Eze 18:9 – walked Eze 20:19 – walk Dan 9:10 – which Hos 8:12 – written Mic 6:8 – what is Mar 2:27 – General Mar 12:1 – and set Act 7:38 – who Rom 2:18 – knowest Rom 3:2 – because Rom 9:4 – the giving 2Co 3:7 – was Eph 6:1 – for 1Ti 1:8 – the law

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Neh 9:13. And gavest them good statutes The moral and judicial precepts were all founded on natural equity. And even the ceremonial were tokens of Gods goodness, being types of gospel grace.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments