Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 10:28
And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
28. And the rest of the people ] This may be understood in two different ways: ( a) according to some it denotes the mass of the laity, as distinguished from their princes and elders, like ‘the people’ (Neh 10:35), ‘the residue of Israel’ (Neh 11:20), and ‘Israel’ (1Ch 9:2); ( b) according to others under this head are included the various classes of the community mentioned in the present verse, but distinct from the representative names which have occupied the previous lists. It is not another group, but stands at the head of the verse in apposition to the groups to be mentioned. ‘The priests’ are the individual members of the great houses whose representatives had taken part ‘in the sealing.’ So also the subordinate religious orders, who are here divided into their classes of ( a) Levites proper, ( b) porters, ( c) singers, ( d) Nethinim. With the last name we should also probably associate ‘the servants of Solomon,’ Neh 7:57; Ezr 2:43-54.
Nethinims ] R.V. Nethinim.
all they that had separated themselves ] See note on Ezr 6:21. By this class are probably intended Jews who had not gone into exile, but, having either in foreign lands or in Palestine been faithless to their religion, had since separated themselves from idolatry. Another explanation, which has some support from the words ‘from the peoples of the lands,’ understands by this expression ‘proselytes who had attached themselves to the Jewish faith.’
from the people (R.V. peoples) of the lands unto the law of God ] The antithesis is striking. Not ‘from the peoples of the lands to the people of Israel,’ but ‘from the peoples of the land,’ who were identified with abomination and filthiness (Ezr 6:21), to ‘the law of God,’ which was the one standard of the claim to be a true Israelite.
having knowledge, and having understanding ] R.V. that had knowledge and understanding. See note on Neh 8:2-3; i.e. all of age and intelligence to know and understand the law. Vulg. ‘omnes qui poterant sapere.’
their brethren, their nobles ] i.e. the representatives of the great families who subscribed to the sealing of the Covenant. The people warmly supported them.
a curse an oath ] The ‘curse’ is the penalty which they invoked if they were faithless to the Covenant; the ‘oath’ is the solemn obligation of a duty which they vowed to perform.
For the phrase ‘enter into an oath,’ cf. Deu 29:12 ‘that thou shouldest enter into the Covenant of the Lord thy God and into his oath.’
to walk in God’s law, &c.] Compare the similar terms of the Covenant in Josiah’s reign, 2Ki 23:3.
the Lord our Lord ] i.e. Jahveh (= Jehovah) our Lord.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Neh 10:28-30
And all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God.
A genuine revival
1. The crucial test of any revival is the extent to which it actually purifies and reforms the lives of those who come under its influence.
2. This is the kind of revival which ever and again we all need. For we are constantly liable to fall below the level of our Christian privileges. We are also apt to grow blind to out own defects, and to under-estimate the extent of our own shortcomings. We have need to bring our lives into the light of Gods holy law, and into the light of the life of Christ, that our consciences may be awakened to a truer and deeper penitence.
3. A repentance which is the fruit of A true revival of the religious life naturally goes into the details of conduct. (T. Campbell Finlayson.)
And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land.
Marriage and purity
Wherever I find a purely savage life, which means life eaten up by impure sin, there I also find no capacity in the life to advance and grow. You have an instance in the case of Africa, the life of which has not moved for a couple of thousand years, simply because it is soaked with impurity. Turning to the earliest efforts of civilisation, as recorded in the Bible, I find men making effort after effort, getting a little way, and then each effort vanishing in a sink of impure sin. Life ought to grow if natural, but if impurity is natural, it is natural to stagnate, never to grow, to fall to pieces, and for civilisations to be swept out by weakness and impotence. The history of our European civilisation is the history of the gradual rise in the idea of marriage and purity. (Canon Scott-Holland.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 28. And the rest of the people] All had, in one or other of the classes which sealed, their representatives; and by their sealing they considered themselves bound.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The rest of the people; those who did not write and seal with their own hands, but only by their deputies above-mentioned.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the rest of the people,…. That did not sign and seal:
the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims; the porters and singers were Levites; but those so called were such as waited upon the priests, as the Nethinims were persons that waited on them:
and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God; proselytes, who had renounced Heathenism, and embraced the true religion, had received the law of God, and professed to walk according to it;
their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone having knowledge, and having understanding; of the nature of the covenant, and the things contained in it, of what was required of them, and of what they promised, of the nature of an oath they entered into, and of the sin of perjury.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Promises, Verses 28-39
The covenanters also included all those people, priests, Levites, porters (or gatekeepers), singers Nethinim (temple servants) who separated themselves thereby to the Lord to seek His will. All these separated themselves from the foreigners who lived in Judah, and swore not to give their daughters in marriage to them, nor to take their daughters for their sons. The oath included even the young adolescents old enough to understand what was being done. By their oath they took to themselves a curse should they fail to abide by their agreement to keel. the law of God as it was given to Moses.
A number of other promises were made relative to the law by the covenant. They swore not to buy the goods of the foreigners who brought them to be sold on the sabbath or on a holy day. They agreed to allow the land to lie fallow in the sabbath (or seventh) year and to forgive debtors during that year. They agreed to institute payment of one-third shekel annually for the service of the house of God. This was to be used for the shewbread, grain offering, burnt offering which were offered every day and on special occasions as the sabbath, new moon, etc., when the offerings were increased to make atonement for Israel.
The wood offering to be used with burnt offerings seems to have become a problem for them since their return to the land. A likely reason for this is the denuding of the nearby forests in the siege of Jerusalem. Also the number of temple servants who once had the task of supplying the wood were too few now to furnish it all. Therefore the people, priests, and Levites cast lots for specific assignments to supply the wood at certain times of the year. They also agreed to bring the firstfruits of their farms, including the fruits of the vines and trees. Those who raised cattle agreed to bring the firstborn of their herds and flocks as the law required to supply the need of the priests who ministered in the temple.
Among the things specifically promised by the covenant to the Lord were the first ground meal of the new crop, the first ripe fruit, first new wine and olive oil, along with the tithes of all their increase. In the outlying towns it was the responsibility of the resident Levites to receive this tithe. The high priests were to oversee the Levites’ collection of these things, for the Levites were required to give their own tithe of the things given to them as tithed. These were to be kept in specially prepared chambers at the temple. Verse 39 admonishes them to bring the contributions to the sanctuary as the law required. The agreement closed with the words, “Thus we will not neglect (or forsake) the house of our God.” All these things were in keeping with the Lord’s expectations of His people (cf. 1Co 14:40).
Some practical lessons from Nehemiah, chapter 10: 1) when people get out of God’s service they need to renew their vows to Him; 2) real dedication begins with separation from the world; 3) whatever is necessary for the orderly progress of the Lord’s worship should be gladly furnished by His servants; 4) to the Lord belongs the very first.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
2. The content of the document is a vow of purity from the heathen.
TEXT, Neh. 10:28-31
28
Now the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, all those who had knowledge and understanding.
29
are joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in Gods law, which was given through Moses, Gods servant, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of GOD our LORD, and His ordinances and His statutes:
30
and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.
31
As for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the sabbath or a holy day; and we will forego the crops the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.
COMMENT
Neh. 10:28 takes note of the categories of persons who did not sign, but (see Neh. 10:29) were represented by those who did. The all those who had separated themselves we would understand to be a comprehensive term for the individual groups previously mentioned. Note that men and women, young and old (reasonably young: having knowledge and understanding; it takes a little longer to acquire understanding than it does knowledge), were included. This was exceptional; note its parallel in Neh. 8:2.
Neh. 10:29 shows their solidarity with the kinsmen and nobles whose signatures presumably are above. The curse and oath express the solemnity of the occasion, and their awareness of its possible consequences. Next we have the vows contents. Point number one is their obligation to Gods Word: that must always be kept foremost. We have noticed before (Neh. 8:1) their certainty that this was Gods law which came through Moses.
There are actually three kinds of material in the full agreement. (1) Reference was made to particular laws handed down from Moses, called to their attention because these were the ones they were neglecting. They were not innovators; they were seeking to live by the ancient traditions. (2) Detail was added to spell out the methods by which these laws would be put into operation: a priest was to be present when the Levites received tithes for example. (3) They were accepting new obligations (gathering firewood for example) in order to share with one another more equitably, probably because the proportion of their population who were priests or Levites was higher than ever before, and they did not want to neglect the support of these people. This was a personal agreement, with personal names attached, and this was their personal pledge. If it were not for this, they could simply have vowed to keep the Law in general.
Neh. 10:30 deals again with the nagging problem of intermarriage which always threatened to wipe out the distinctive character of their religion and even their national identity. It will be mentioned yet again.
Neh. 10:31 enforces the strictness of their observance of the Sabbath day and holy days; they would not buy or sell with foreigners; of course it goes without saying that there would be no commercial dealings with each other on those days. The Sabbatical year would be observed with equal strictness; two of its features were that crops were not to be planted (the land was to be given a rest; there are certain ecological considerations which a man owes to the soil, as well as concerns for the poor: Lev. 25:3 f; Exo. 23:10 f), and no one was to be pressured for payment on his debts.
WORD STUDIES
DOCUMENT: see AMEN, in the Word Studies for chapter 8. SABBATH (Neh. 10:31): the basic idea is to cease, interrupt, stop; thus the manna ceased (the verb form of this word): Jos. 5:12. If work stops, there is rest (Exo. 23:12).
The word applied to the seventh day (Exo. 20:11); to the seventh years, when no crops were to be sown (Lev. 25:2); to the first and last day of the festivals that lasted for a week, regardless of the day of the week (Lev. 23:39); to the Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:32) or Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:24); or in the plural as a synonym for weeks (Lev. 23:15) or for seven-year periods (Lev. 25:8).
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(28) All they that had separated themselves.If these meant proselytes from heathenism, this verse would be a perfect description of the constituents of the people. But we have no record as yet of a recognised body of such proselytes; and the word separated is the same as we find, with another meaning, in Neh. 9:2. Moreover, the following verses show that the covenant bears specially in mind the danger to Gods law arising out of commerce with the heathen.
Having understanding.Children who could intelligently take the oath were included.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(28-39) The points of the covenant.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
OATH OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP THE LAW, Neh 10:28-31.
28. The rest of the people Those represented by the heads of the nation who had sealed the covenant. While their chiefs sealed the covenant the people bound themselves, by a most solemn oath, to observe all that the covenant contemplated to observe all the law.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Remainder Of The People, Both Male And Female, The Priests, The Levites, The Temple Servants, New Converts To Yahwism, And The Children At An Age Of Understanding, All Enter Into The Solemn Agreement ( Neh 10:28-29 a).
So serious was the intent that the whole of the people solemnly subscribed to the agreement under oath.
Neh 10:28-29
‘And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one who had knowledge, and understanding, they clove to their brothers, their nobles,’
The list of those who subscribed is comprehensive. It included the remainder of the adult males, of the priest, of the Levites, of the gate-keepers, of the singers, of the Nethinim (the Temple servants), and of all who since they had returned to the land had united with them in the pure worship of YHWH in accordance with His Law from among the peoples of the lands (compare Ezr 6:21), together with their wives, sons and daughters, including all of an age to understand. No one was omitted. They stood firm with their leaders in the agreement.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Provisions of the Covenant
v. 28. And the rest of the people, v. 29. they gave to their brethren, v. 30. and that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons, v. 31. and if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the Sabbath-day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath or on the holy-day, v. 32. Also we made ordinances for us to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel v. 33. for the showbread, v. 34. And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people for the wood-offering, v. 35. v. 36. also the first-born of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, v. 37. and that we should bring the first-fruits of our dough, v. 38. And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites take tithes, v. 39. For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Neh 10:28 And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
Ver. 28. That had separated themselves ] In St Paul’s sense, 2Co 6:17 , “Come out from among them, and be ye separate,” &c., from such stand off; stand up from the dead; save yourselves from this untoward generation, shun their sins, lest ye share in their plagues. These holy separates, or proselytes, sealed the covenant, and became free denizens of the commonwealth of Israel; having right to all God’s ordinances, Exo 12:48 . Such were Araunah, the Jebusite, 2Sa 24:18-25 ; Jether, the Ishmaelite, 1Ch 7:17 , with 2Sa 17:25 ; those, Act 2:10 ; the Jews called them Advenas Iustitiae. Newcomers of justice. Diodati interpreteth this text of such Jews as were come again out of Babylon, to serve the Lord, according to his law. Others of such as had separated themselves from their heathen wives and children.
Their wives, their sons, and their daughters
Every one having knowledge
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Neh 10:28-31
28 Now the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, all those who had knowledge and understanding, 29are joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law, which was given through Moses, God’s servant, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of God our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes; 30and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. 31As for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the sabbath or a holy day; and we will forego the crops the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.
Neh 10:28 This mentions the other groups of Israeli society.
all who had knowledge and understanding See note at Neh 8:2. This seems to refer to the children.
Neh 10:29 a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law This is a covenant renewal service much like Jos 8:30-35; Jos 24:1 ff. These renewal ceremonies were based on the covenant blessings and cursings summarized in Deuteronomy 27-29. Obedience and disobedience had consequences in this life and the next!
The term walk is a biblical metaphor for lifestyle faith. God’s word/teachings are a path for His people to follow (e.g., Psa 119:105; Pro 6:23).
the commandments. . .ordinances. . .statutes The revelation of God to God is characterized by several terms. Notice the list and parallelism of Psa 19:7-9. See Special Topic: Terms for God’s Revelation .
NASBGod our Lord
NKJV, NRSV,
TEVthe Lord our Lord
NJBYahweh our Lord
The first term is YHWH, the covenant name for God (cf. Gen 2:4). The second is Adon, which meant husband, owner, master, or lord. See Special Topic: Names for Deity .
Neh 10:30 and we will not give our daughters to the people of the land or take their daughters for our sons This does not refer to racial exclusion, but religious exclusion (cf. Exo 34:12-16 Ezr 9:10; Neh 13:23-28). This was a major issue in restored Judah.
Neh 10:31 as for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell The indigenous habitants of the Persian province who were supposedly YHWHistic were violating the Sabbath requirements. This is one example of the problems of trying to work with or associate with the inhabitants who were in the land when the returnees arrived.
and we will forgo the crops the seventh year This is a second feature of Mosaic law which was a means of acknowledging YHWH’s ownership of the land and His care and concern for the needy (cf. Exo 23:10-11; Lev 25:4-7; Lev 25:20-22).
and the exaction of every debt This is a third element related to Moses’ law. All debts were cancelled on the seventh year (cf. Deu 15:1-2; Deu 31:10), which was called the Sabbath year. They were serious about reinstating the Mosaic law in its fullness.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Nethinims. See note on Ezr 2:43.
people = peoples.
the law of God. See Exo 17:14 and App-47.
God. Hebrew. Elohim.(with Art.) = the [true] God. App-4. I
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Neh 10:28-31
Neh 10:28-31
GENERAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE COVENANT AND TERMS THEREOF
“And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinim, and all they that had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one that had knowledge and understanding; they clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of Jehovah our Lord, and his ordinances and his statutes; and that we would not give our daughters unto the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons; and if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy of them on the sabbath, or a holy day; and that we would forego the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.”
In this paragraph, four provisions of the covenant are given: (1) A strict promise to abide by all the divine commandments as revealed in the Law of Moses (Neh 10:29); (2) the prohibition against mixed marriages with the pagans (Neh 10:30); (3) strict observance of the sabbath day (Neh 10:31); and (4) the honoring of the seventh year and its requirement of forgiving all debts (Neh 10:31).
“Restriction against marriage with pagans.” Ezra had dealt with this problem (Ezra 9-10); but the problem persisted, and there was constant need to address it.
“Keeping the sabbaths.” ” Jer 17:21-22, and Amo 8:5 indicate clearly that trading on the sabbath day was prohibited.”
“The sabbatical year a time of release of debts.”; Deuteronomy 15 required that all debts (among Israelites) be canceled, although that release did not apply to foreigners. Also, the fields were to lie fallow and remain uncultivated on the seventh year (Lev 25:2-7). “Such provisions would have greatly alleviated the distress in Jerusalem and all Judea (described in Neh 5:1-4), but these regulations had apparently not been observed in Israel until this point.”
E.M. Zerr:
Neh 10:28. We should not conclude that all of the priests and general Levites were named in the first two lists. They were evidently some outstanding men who could be considered responsible persons. Others of the assembly then manifested their approval of the act. The reason they were favorable to it can be seen in the fact that already they had made great reforms in their lives. They had put from them their foreign wives and the children that were born of them. Such conduct was the main idea in the covenant proposed, so that would account for their willingness to cooperate with the endorsers of that great document.
Neh 10:29. Curse and oath are named as separate acts although there is not much difference. When used in one sentence the first means an offer to receive some severe penalty if a certain agreement is not carried out. The second means that the curse was supported by the oath; it was agreed to under oath. God’s law . . . given by Moses are the terms that catch our eye again. They show that no difference can be made between what Moses wrote and what God spoke with his mouth.
Neh 10:30. One of the most, if not the most important of the restrictions of the law pertained to the marriage institutions. That was not especially from the legal standpoint, but because of a desire to keep a blood line pure from Abraham to the promised seed. For that reason the marriage with foreigners was forbidden.
Neh 10:31. It was agreed to observe the sabbath day according to the law of Moses, which included the stoppage of all commercial transactions. Sabbath or . . . holy day. There was no difference between the primary meaning of the two words, only that the first usually referred to the 7th day of the week. The phrase might well be worded, “sabbath or other holy days.” Leave the seventh year means to let the land rest in that year. It was the violation of that law which brought upon the nation the 70 years of captivity. Execution of every debt. In Ch. 5 is an account of the oppressive treatment of the poor. The more fortunate were taking advantage of the others in the matter of lending money. They did so on condition of heavy usury, and to secure the loans they had taken from them their land. All such dealings were to be discontinued under the terms of the covenant.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
a Pledge of Better Service
Neh 10:28-39
The chapter opens with a list of the signers of the covenant, which was signed on behalf of the people. The consecration covenant involved-first, obedience; then, the purity of the holy seed from intermarriage with heathen peoples; next, the observance of the Sabbath, and of the Sabbatic year. In addition there was the yearly charge for the maintenance of divine worship. The great lack among Christian people is system in the apportioning of their incomes. They leave their giving to impulse, and thus often give the merest fraction of their possessions to the cause of God. We should at least give a tenth, and as much more as we can afford. If only all who read these words would resolve to imitate these impoverished exiles, and to set aside the tithe of all they earn or receive, they would discover the luxury of giving, and a new zest in receiving. The first-fruits of increased wages and revenue should also be given to God, as a tribute of thanksgiving. Let the first produce of hen-roost, orchard, and field be His. Do not neglect or forsake Gods house, Neh 10:39.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
the rest: Neh 7:72, Neh 7:73, Ezr 2:36-43, Ezr 2:70
all they: Neh 9:2, Neh 13:3, Lev 20:24, Ezr 9:1, Ezr 9:2, Ezr 10:11-19, 2Co 6:14-17
unto the law: Rom 1:1
every one: Neh 8:2, Psa 47:7, Ecc 5:2, Jer 4:2
Reciprocal: Deu 29:10 – General Deu 29:12 – into his oath Jos 24:25 – made 2Ki 11:17 – made a covenant 2Ki 23:3 – made a covenant Ezr 2:43 – Nethinims Ezr 7:7 – Nethinims Neh 3:26 – Nethinims
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Neh 10:28. And the rest of the people, &c. Those that did not subscribe and seal, because there were too many, yet gave their consent to what the fore-named persons did. And not only the men, but their wives and their children, who were arrived at years of discretion, engaged themselves to abide by what their brethren the nobles had done. And all that had separated themselves All those of the heathen who had abjured idolatry and joined themselves to the worship of the Jews.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
10:28 And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the {b} Nethinims, and all they that had {c} separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
(b) Read Ezr 2:43.
(c) Who being idolaters forsook their wickedness and gave themselves to serve God.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The pledge to keep the Law 10:28-39
The rest of the restoration community joined those who signed their names pledging to obey the Mosaic Law (Neh 10:28-29). The "curse" they took on themselves was submission to the curse that God promised would come on those who did not keep His Word (Neh 10:29; Deu 28:15-68). "Law" (Heb. torah) refers to all God’s instructions, "commandments" are His rules, "ordinances" are His judicial pronouncements, and "statutes" are His permanent decrees (Neh 10:29; cf. Deu 4:45).
These Jews promised, specifically, not to intermarry with pagans (Neh 10:30) and to keep the Sabbath day and the sabbatical year (Neh 10:31). They further committed to support the temple service financially (Neh 10:32-34), to give their firstfruits to God (Neh 10:35-37 a), and to pay their basic tithe tax (Neh 10:37-39). The last sentence in Neh 10:39 shows that the primary concern of the people was the worship that was the heart of their national life. Their priorities were proper.
The Law required Israelites 20 years old and older to pay one-half a shekel as a temple tax (Exo 30:11-16). This particular congregation only promised one-third of a shekel (Neh 10:32). Perhaps Nehemiah reduced the amount since the returned exiles were now poor (cf. Neh 5:1-5). [Note: Laney, p. 109; Whitcomb, p. 442.] Another explanation is that the people may have pledged this one-third shekel in addition to the other one-half. [Note: Judah J. Slotki, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, p. 246.] A third possibility is that a different system of evaluating the shekel had replaced the older one. [Note: McConville, p. 133.] The text is not specific on this point. In any case the people responded sacrificially.