Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 10:33
For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy [things], and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and [for] all the work of the house of our God.
33. This verse gives in detail ‘the service of the house of God.’ (Neh 10:31).
the shewbread ] See Exo 25:23-30; Exo 37:10-16; Lev 24:5-9. The shewbread consisted of 12 unleavened cakes of fine meal, which were laid fresh every Sabbath in two rows of six upon the table in the Holy Place. Their preparation fell to the duty of the Kohathite Levites (1Ch 9:32). The antiquity of this rite is shown by the story of David. 1Sa 21:2-7. The name by which ‘the shewbread’ is here designated is ‘bread of arrangement,’ ‘lekhem hammaa-reketh’ (Vulg. ‘panes propositionis). The LXX. renders , ‘bread of the face,’ which is the translation of the other Hebrew name by which it was known, ‘lekhem happnm:’ we should have expected .
for the continual meat (R.V. meal) offering, and for the continual burnt offering ] We have mention of ‘the continual meal offering’ or ‘ minkhah,’ which was offered every evening, in 1Ki 18:29; 1Ki 18:36 ; 2Ki 16:15; Ezr 9:4; Dan 9:21. In 2Ki 16:15 we find ‘the morning burnt offering ( olah),’ as well as ‘the evening meal offering,’ spoken of. Now in the Priestly Laws (Exo 29:38-42; Num 28:3-8) we find the regulations for a burnt offering, with a meal offering, morning and evening. This is what is probably intended in the present passage, in Ezr 3:3; Ezr 3:5, and in the Books of Chronicles, e.g. 2Ch 31:3. We need not expect to find so full a ritual in practice before, as there was after, the influence of Ezra’s work made itself felt: nor can we hope to find in the historical narrative full illustration of all the details of worship required by the ideal of the Priestly Law.
Sacrifices were ‘continual’ ( tamidh) in the sense of being regular and at stated times, as distinct from occasional, voluntary, and irregular offerings. Thus the ‘shew-bread’ is ‘continual bread,’ ‘ lekhem hattamidh ’ (Num 4:7).
of the sabbaths, of the new moons ] i.e. for the ‘continual offering’ of the sabbath and of the new moon, and for the special offerings required for those days, as recorded in Num 28:9-10 (Sabbath), 11 15 (new moon), from which the rule in Eze 46:4; Eze 46:6 differs considerably.
for the set feasts ] A description of these ‘days of holy convocation’ is found in Num 28:16 to Num 29:38.
for the holy things ] Such, for instance, as ‘the thankofferings’ of the community. Cf. 2Ch 29:33, ‘And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep,’ 2Ch 35:13, ‘the holy offerings.’
the sin offerings ] i.e. Those offered for the community, ( a) regularly, along with the burnt offerings, Numbers 28, 29, ( b) on exceptional occasions of national transgression, Lev 4:13.
for all the work, &c.] The preposition ‘for’ is carried on from the beginning of the verse. This general expression ‘all the work’ completes the list of objects upon which the shekel tax was expended. LXX. . Vulg. ‘in omnem usum.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Formerly
the shew-bread, and the continual meat-offering, and
the continual burnt-offering, were provided out of the treasuries of the temple, 1Ch 26:20; and when those failed, out of the kings treasure, 2Ch 31:3. But now, both these failing, provision is here made for them another way.
For the holy things, i.e. for the sacrifices, all which were holy.
The sin-offerings; which are particularly mentioned, as most necessary and suitable to their present state, which was exceeding sinful, and therefore miserable, and calling aloud for atoning sacrifices.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
29-37. to observe and do all thecommandments, c.This national covenant, besides containing asolemn pledge of obedience to the divine law generally, specifiedtheir engagement to some particular duties, which the character andexigency of the times stamped with great urgency and importance, andwhich may be summed up under the following heads: that they abstainfrom contracting matrimonial alliances with the heathen that theywould rigidly observe the sabbath; that they would let the land enjoyrest and remit debts every seventh year; that they would contributeto the maintenance of the temple service, the necessary expenses ofwhich had formerly been defrayed out of the treasury of the temple(1Ch 26:20), and when it wasdrained, given out from the king’s privy purse (2Ch31:3); and that they would make an orderly payment of thepriests’ dues. A minute and particular enumeration of thefirst-fruits was made, that all might be made fully aware of theirobligations, and that none might excuse themselves on pretext ofignorance from withholding taxes which the poverty of many, and theirreligion of others, had made them exceedingly prone to evade.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For the shewbread,…. To defray the expenses of the twelve loaves, which every week were set on the table of shewbread,
Le 24:5,
and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering; for the daily sacrifice, morning and evening, which always had a meat offering along with it, Ex 29:38,
of the sabbaths, and of the new moons; on which were additional sacrifices, Nu 28:9,
and for the set feasts; of passover, pentecost, and tabernacles; in which also were offered other sacrifices, besides the daily one,
Nu 28:16,
and for the holy things: which were both by way of thanksgiving to God, and that they might feast and rejoice together:
and for the sin offerings, to make an atonement for Israel; for the whole body of the people, and so were made at the public expense:
and for all the work of the house of our God; whatever else was necessary that is not mentioned.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(10:34-40)
Agreement to provide for the expenses of the temple and its ministers. – If the community seriously intended to walk by the rule of God’s law, they must take care that the temple service, as the public worship of the community, should be provided for according to the law and a firm footing and due solemnity thus given to religion. For this purpose, it was indispensable to guarantee the contributions prescribed for the necessary expenses of the temple worship, and the support of its ministers. Hence this entering into a solemn agreement to observe the law was regarded as a suitable occasion for regulating the services prescribed by the law with respect to the temple and its ministers, and mutually binding themselves to their observance.
Neh 10:33-34 We ordained for ourselves ( , upon us, inasmuch as such things are spoken of as are taken upon one). , to lay upon ourselves the third part of a shekel yearly for the service of the house of our God. It is not said who were to be bound to furnish this contribution, but it is assumed that it was a well-known custom. This appointed payment is evidently only a revival of the Mosaic precept, Exo 30:13, that every man of twenty years of age and upwards should give half a shekel as a to the Lord, – a tribute which was still paid in Christ’s days, Mat 17:24. In consideration, however, of the poverty of the greater portion of the community, it was now lowered to a third of a shekel. The view of Aben Ezra, that a third of a shekel was to be paid in addition to the half shekel levied in conformity with the law, is unsupported by the text. , the service of the house of God, is not the building and repairs of the temple, but the regular worship. For, according to Neh 10:34, the tax was to be applied to defraying the expenses of worship, to supplying the shew-bread, the continual meat and burnt offerings (Num 28:3-8), the sacrifices for the Sabbaths, new moons ( Num 28:9-15), and festivals (Num 28:16-29, 38), – for the , holy gifts, by which, from their position between the burnt-offering and the sin-offering, we may understand the thank-offerings, which were offered in the name of the congregation, as e.g., the two lambs at Pentecost, Lev 23:19, and the offerings brought at feasts of dedication, comp. Exo 24:5; Ezr 6:17, – for the sin-offerings which were sacrificed at every great festival; and finally for all the work of the house of our God, i.e., whatever else was needful for worship ( must be supplied from the context before ). The establishment of such a tax for the expenses of worship, does not justify the view that the contributions promised by Artaxerxes in his edict, Ezr 7:20., of things necessary to worship had ceased, and that the congregation had now to defray the expenses from their own resources. For it may readily be supposed, that besides the assistance afforded by the king, the congregation might also esteem it needful to furnish a contribution, to meet the increased requirements of worship, and thus to augment the revenues of the temple, – the royal alms being limited to a certain amount (see Ezr 7:22).
Neh 10:35 “And we cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people for the wood-offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after our houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law.” In the law we merely find it prescribed that wood should be constantly burning on the altar, and that the priest should burn wood on it every morning, and burn thereon the burnt-offering (Lev 6:12.). The law gave no directions concerning the procuring of the wood; yet the rulers of the people must, at all events, have always provided for the regular delivery of the necessary quantity. Nehemiah now gives orders, as he himself tells us, Neh 13:31, which make this matter the business of the congregation, and the several houses have successively to furnish a contribution, in the order decided by casting lots. The words, “at times appointed, year by year,” justify the conclusion that the order was settled for several years, and not that all the different houses contributed in each year.
(Note: Josephus ( bello Jud. ii. 17. 6) speaks of a , which he places on the fourteenth day of the month , i.e., Ab, the fifth month of the Jewish year. From this Bertheau infers that the plural , here and Neh 13:31, denotes the one season or day of delivery in each year. But though the name of this festival is derived from the present verse, the lxx translating , , it appears even from what Josephus says of this feast, , that the feast of wood-carrying does not designate that one day of the year on which the wood was delivered for the service of the altar. According to Mishna Taanit, ch. 4 (in Lightfoot’s horae hebraicae in Matth. i. 1), nine days in the year were appointed for the delivery of wood, viz., 1st Nisan, 20th Tammuz, 5th, 7th, and 10th Ab, etc. Further particulars are given in Lundius, jd. Heiligtmer, p. 1067f. The feast of wood-carrying may be compared with our harvest festival; and Bertheau’s inference is not more conclusive than would be the inference that our harvest festival denotes the one day in the year on which the harvest is gathered in.)
Neh 10:36-38 It was also arranged to contribute the first-fruits prescribed in the law. The infinitive depends on , and is co-ordinate with , Neh 10:33. The first-fruits of the ground, comp. Exo 23:19; Exo 34:26; Deu 26:2; the first-fruits of all fruit trees, comp. Num 18:13; Lev 19:23; the first-born of our sons who were redeemed according to the estimation of the priest, Num 18:16, and of our cattle (i.e., in the case of the unclean, the required redemption, Exo 13:12., Num 18:15), and the firstlings of the herds and of the flocks, the fat of which was consumed on the altar, the flesh becoming the share of the priests, Num 18:17. In Neh 10:38 the construction is altered, the first person of the imperfect taking the place of the infinitive: and we will bring the first-fruits. , probably groats or ground flour; see rem. on Num 15:20, etc. , heave-offerings, the offering in this connection, is probably that of wheat and barley, Eze 45:13, or of the fruits of the field, which are suitably followed by the “fruit of all manner of trees.” On “the first of the wine and oil,” comp. Num 18:12. These offerings of first-fruits were to be brought into the chambers of the house of God, where they were to be kept in store, and distributed to the priests for their support. “And the tithes of our ground (will we bring) to the Levites; and they, the Levites, receive the tithes in all our country towns. (Neh 10:39) And a priest, a son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites take tithes; and the Levites shall bring the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, into the chambers of the treasury.” The parenthetical sentences in these verses, and , have been variously understood. in the Piel and Hiphil meaning elsewhere to pay tithe, comp. Deu 14:22; Deu 26:12; Gen 28:22, many expositors adhere to this meaning in these passages also, and translate Neh 10:38: for they, the Levites, must give again the tenth (to the priests); and Neh 10:39: when the Levites give the tenth; while the lxx, Vulgate, Syriac, Rashi, Aben Ezra, Clericus, Bertheau, and others, take and in these sentences as signifying to collect tithe. We prefer the latter view, as giving a more suitable sense. For the remark that the Levites must give back the tenth (Neh 10:38) does not present so appropriate a motive for the demand that the tithes should be paid, as that the tithes are due to the Levites. Still less does the addition, in our agricultural towns, suit the sentence: the Levites must give back the tithe to the priests. Again, the fact that it is not said till Neh 10:39 that the Levites have to give the tenth of the tenth to the priests, speaks still more against this view. A priest is to be present when the Levites take the tenth, so that the share of the priests may not be lessened. On “the tenth of the tenth,” comp. Num 18:26. Hezekiah had provided store-chambers in the temple, in which to deposit the tithes, 2Ch 31:11.
Neh 10:39 Neh 10:39 is confirmatory of the preceding clause: the Levites were to bring the tithe of the tithes for the priests into the chambers of the temple; for thither are both the children of Israel and the Levites, to bring all heave-offerings of corn, new wine, and oil: for there are the holy vessels for the service of the altar (comp. Num 4:15), and the priests that minister, and the doorkeepers and the singers, for whose maintenance these gifts provide. “And we will not forsake the house of our God,” i.e., we will take care that the service of God’s house shall be provided for; comp. Neh 13:11-14.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
33. The showbread Which was to be prepared of fine flour, and set in two rows in the holy place of the house of God. See Lev 24:5-9.
The continual meat offering, and burnt offering Two lambs a day, one in the morning, and the other at evening. Num 28:3-8.
Of the sabbaths The burnt offering prescribed for every sabbath. See Num 28:9-10.
Of the new moons See Num 28:11-14.
The set feasts The passover, the feasts of trumpets, and the feast of tabernacles. Numbers 28:16-29, 28:39.
For the holy things The holy or consecrated gifts, such as oxen and sheep, which were to be used in sacrifice, (compare 2Ch 29:33,) and also other offerings that might be used in the holy services.
For the sin offerings Especially on the great day of atonement. Lev 16:29-34; Lev 23:27-32.
All the work All the divine service. They provided for all that was necessary to insure the regular performance of the temple service according to the law. When Ezra first went up from Babylon to Jerusalem, Artaxerxes decreed that provision for the house of God should be made from the royal treasure-house, (Ezr 7:20-23😉 but it is probable that this arrangement had ceased, and the service of the temple had become much neglected. Hence Nehemiah’s reforms.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Neh 10:33 For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy [things], and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and [for] all the work of the house of our God.
Ver. 33. For the shewbread ] Here are recited the several uses whereunto that tribute or impost was put; the half shekel enjoined by the law being not enough, by reason the people were as yet so few. This, though Junius denieth, yet the Hebrews all consent about it.
To make an atonement
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
meat offering = gift, or meal offering. Hebrew. min-chah.
burnt offering. App-43.
holy. See note on Exo 3:5.
Israel. See note on 1Ki 12:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
shewbread (See Scofield “Exo 25:30”).
atonement (See Scofield “Exo 29:33”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
the showbread: Lev 24:5, 2Ch 2:4
the continual burnt: Num 28:1 – Num 29:40, Heb 10:11
all the work: 2Ch 24:5-14
Reciprocal: Exo 30:16 – appoint Lev 24:8 – General Num 15:9 – a meat Num 28:11 – in the beginnings Num 29:39 – in your set feasts 1Ch 23:29 – for the showbread Mal 3:10 – all Col 2:16 – the new
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
10:33 For the {g} shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy [things], and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and [for] all the work of the house of our God.
(g) This states why they gave this third part of the shekel which was beyond the half shekel that they were required to pay, Exo 30:13.