-- The chief of the people Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani,
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
This verse is three names inside a long list of men who sealed the covenant made at the end of chapter 9. Two questions follow: what did sealing commit a man to, and why does Scripture keep such names at all?
The men named here were not spectators.
The last chapter closes with the making of a covenant. At the start of this one come the names of those who sealed it — that is, of those who bound themselves to keep it by their signatures. They signed, it seems, not only for themselves but also on behalf of the people. Nehemiah, as the governor, was the first to put his name to this solemn document. He was followed by twenty-two priests (vv. 1-8), then seventeen Levites (vv. 9-13), and after them forty-four chiefs of the people, probably heads of families.
Bunni, Azgad and Bebai belong to that last group of forty-four. Later Jewish tradition attached great weight to this body of signers.
In this chapter we find the names of the heads of the different houses who sealed the covenant, which means they put their signature to it. According to talmudic tradition these signers made up "the Great Synagogue."
The order of the names carries its own message about the state of the nation.
Here the chief men took the lead, as was fitting for them; yet it was no small sign of their low condition that the governor signed first among those who sealed. Then came faithful priests, followed by fewer Levites, and a fair number of leading laymen.
A dictionary entry shows that the name Bebai belonged to more than one man.
Two or three whose descendants returned from exile. Ezra 2:11; Ezra 8:11; Ezra 10:28; Neh. 7:16. And one who sealed the covenant. Neh. 10:15.
The rest of the chapter sets out what each signature stood for. One writer gathers the terms under four headings.
1st. As to their personal walk, that it should be in obedience to the law of God given by Moses (29). 2nd. As to the nations around, they would maintain a holy separation (30). 3rd. As to Jehovah, they would devotedly render to Him His due by keeping the Sabbath, the holy days, and the law of the seventh year (31). 4th. As to the house of God, they charge themselves to maintain the service and not forsake the house (32-39).
The pledge reached beyond the leaders named in verses 1-27.
We may observe from what follows that "the rest of the people" were not slack — not only the Jews proper but converts from other nations, "all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands."… Separation to God is as humble and as morally powerful as human or Pharisaic separateness is proud, narrow, and powerless. It is obedience, and nothing else better suits the faithful.
Commentators agree the signers meant what they wrote. They also agree the method was mistaken.
They knew the past (Neh. 9:13-14), and they had confessed the former sins of their people. Yet they now make another covenant. The excitement of the moment blinded them to this: as their fathers were, so were they… The flesh is naturally legal, and making a covenant seems an easy way to guard against failure. God's people have often tried this, only to discover their own complete weakness. In many cases it has taught them to look to Another for the power they needed instead of to themselves.
The covenant was called sure. One writer asks on whose side that certainty held.
They spoke of the covenant that they wrote and signed as being sure. And so it was on God's side; but not so sure on their side… They had separated themselves to obey the law, and as it says, they "entered into a curse." Everyone who stands before God on the basis of law enters into a curse.
The covenant proved weak, yet the list of names stayed in Scripture. Names that mean nothing to a modern reader mean something to God.
Here the Lord takes pleasure in recording even the names of His servants… He honours those that honour Him. He records their names in His word now, and He will glorify their persons in the great day that hastens.
- Signed. Sealing meant putting your name to a written document. Bunni, Azgad and Bebai were three of the forty-four chiefs who signed, for themselves and for the people.
- Shared. Leaders signed first, but the rest of the people joined the same pledge — including those who had separated themselves from the surrounding nations.
- Specific. The promise had four parts: personal obedience, separation from the nations, honouring God's days, and upkeep of His house.
- Sincere but weak. The signers meant it. Commentators judge the method mistaken, because human nature leans on rule-keeping. A covenant only shows a man his own weakness.
- Still remembered. God records the names of His servants even when their covenant fails. He will honour those who honoured Him in the coming day.
Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
Nehemiah 10:16 sits inside a long list of names: Adonijah, Bigvai and Adin, three chiefs of the people who signed the covenant made at the end of chapter 9. The question the verse raises is whether a signed promise to obey God can ever hold.
The list runs in blocks, and the order tells you who was there. One writer sets out the arrangement and notes that these men did not sign only for themselves:
At the close of the last chapter a covenant is made. At the start of this one we are given the names of those who sealed it — those who bound themselves by their signatures to keep it, signing, it seems, not only for themselves but also for the people. Nehemiah, as the governor, put his name to this solemn document first. After him came twenty-two priests (vv. 1-8), then seventeen Levites (vv. 9-13), then forty-four chiefs of the people, probably heads of families.
Verse 16 names three of those forty-four.
Nehemiah's name standing first is not wholly a happy sign. One writer reads the order of the signatures as a measure of how far the nation had fallen:
Here the chief men took the lead, as was fitting for them; yet it was no small sign of their low condition that the governor signed first among those who sealed. Then came faithful priests, followed by fewer Levites, and a fair number of leading laymen.
The signers did not stand in place of the people. What follows in the chapter shows a shared movement:
There can be no doubt that there was a general movement in the hearts of the people, and that this covenant-making was no mere formal act. The "nobles" had signed it on behalf of all. That the people agreed was clear, because every class came forward of their own accord to confirm what was done. Even the wives and children, at least those who had knowledge and understanding, shared in the act.
The signatures bound them to specific duties. Another writer sorts these into four areas of life:
1st. As to their personal walk, that it should be in obedience to the law of God given by Moses (29). 2nd. As to the nations around, they would maintain a holy separation (30). 3rd. As to Jehovah, they would devotedly give Him His due by keeping the Sabbath, the holy days, and the law of the seventh year (31). 4th. As to the house of God, they charge themselves to maintain the service and not to forsake the house (32-39).
The same writer is struck by what the terms leave out. Nehemiah's own work had been the wall, and the wall never appears:
Why this omission, seeing that Nehemiah's special service was concerned with the walls and gates? And why, we may ask, is so much made of the house of God? Is it not to insist on one great fact? As another has written, the great test of faithfulness was the upkeep of the house, the support of those who served in it, and obedience to — and consistency with — the principles of divine order. The house was always the reminder and symbol of those principles.
Signing the law carries a consequence built into it:
So the covenant was signed, and it clearly reaffirmed their loyalty to the old covenant given at Sinai. They spoke of the covenant they wrote and signed as being sure, and so it was on God's side. It was not so sure on their side. They had separated themselves to obey the law, and, as it says, they "entered into a curse". Everyone who stands before God on the basis of law enters into a curse. It is striking that the last word in the Old Testament is the word "curse".
One writer will not simply condemn the signers, because the attempt itself teaches something:
And yet they were doubtless sincere, fully intending to be faithful to the obligations they were undertaking... for the flesh is naturally legal, and making a covenant seems an easy way of guarding against failure. God's people have often used this method, only to discover their own complete helplessness; and so, in many cases, they have been taught to look to Another for the power they needed instead of to themselves. It is easy to pass condemnation, whether on Nehemiah or on others, but it is better to learn from their example, for it is a necessary stage in the history of souls. Blessed are those who have come to the end of themselves, and have learned that in their flesh there is nothing good.
- Named — Adonijah, Bigvai and Adin are three of the forty-four heads of families. They signed after the governor, the priests and the Levites.
- Representative — They signed for others. The rest of the people, down to the children old enough to understand, came and confirmed it themselves.
- Specific — The pledge covered four areas: personal obedience, separation from the nations, Sabbath and holy days, and support of God's house.
- Revealing — The terms press the house of God and never mention the city wall. Upkeep of the house was the real test of faithfulness.
- Not enough — To sign the law was to enter a curse. The failure that followed taught God's people to look to Another for power they did not have in themselves.
Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,
Nehemiah 10:18 gives three names from a sealed document. Eighty-four men in all signed it: a written pledge the returned exiles made with God after a great day of confession. The list raises one question. What is a promise like that worth?
The list is not a genealogy but a set of signatures. One writer sets out who signed, and in what order:
At the close of the last chapter a covenant is made. At the start of this one we are given the names of those who sealed it. They bound themselves to keep it by their signatures. And it seems they signed not only for themselves, but also on behalf of the people. Nehemiah, as the governor, was the first to put his name to this solemn document. After him came twenty-two priests (vv. 1-8), then seventeen Levites (vv. 9-13). After them came forty-four chiefs of the people, probably heads of families.
The men in this verse belong to that last group. Bezai's name also stands in the registers of those who came home from exile:
One whose descendants returned from exile, and one who sealed the covenant. Ezra 2:17; Neh. 7:23; Neh. 10:18.
The signatures were not a private act by officials. Everyone able to understand came forward and owned what the leaders had signed:
There can be no doubt that a general movement stirred the hearts of the people. This covenant-making was no mere formal act. The "nobles" had signed it on behalf of all. But every class of the people came forward of their own accord to confirm what was done, which showed they clearly agreed with it. Even the wives and children shared in it — at least those who had knowledge and understanding.
One writer reads the order of the names as a sign of how low the nation had sunk:
Here the chief men took the lead, as was fitting. Yet it was no small sign of their low estate that the Tirshatha signed first among those who sealed.
The Tirshatha was the governor — Nehemiah himself.
Each signature carried four commitments, set out in the verses that follow the list:
1st. As to their personal walk, that it should be in obedience to the law of God given by Moses (29). 2nd. As to the nations around, they would maintain a holy separation (30). 3rd. As to Jehovah, they would devotedly render to Him His due by keeping the Sabbath, the holy days, and the law of the seventh year (31). 4th. As to the house of God, they charge themselves to maintain the service and not forsake the house (32-39).
The pledge to stay separate from the surrounding nations was not a claim to be better than others. One writer draws a sharp line between two kinds of separateness:
Separation to God is lowly and morally powerful. Human or Pharisaic separateness is proud, narrow, and powerless. It is obedience, and nothing suits the faithful better. We see it in its perfection in Christ. Nothing gives it more scope than Christianity. And it is all the more necessary in a day of departure and corruption.
These men knew their nation's record — they had just confessed it. Yet they still reached for a written promise, and commentators treat that instinct as the lesson of the chapter:
They were not ignorant of the past (Neh. 9:13-14), and they had confessed the former sins of their people. Yet they now make another covenant. The excitement of the moment blinded them. They were just like their fathers, and they were no more likely to keep these solemn promises than their ancestors had been. And yet they were surely sincere. They fully intended to be faithful to the obligations they were taking on. Few people can fail to understand this. The flesh is naturally legal, and making a covenant seems an easy way to guard against failure. God's people have often turned to this same method, only to discover how completely powerless they are. In many cases this has taught them to look to Another for the power they needed, instead of to themselves.
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The book itself supplies the outcome, and it comes quickly:
And what was the next thing? FAILURE — failure in everything they had promised to do. They had bound themselves to it by a solemn covenant, under the penalty of a curse. (See Neh. 10.) So the lesson of Nehemiah's mission is the lesson of every age: whatever God entrusts to man under responsibility ends in failure.
- Signed — Three chiefs of the people appear here, among eighty-four names on a written agreement with God.
- Shared — The leaders signed for others. Then the people came forward — even wives and children who could understand — and made the pledge their own.
- Sworn — They promised four things: personal obedience, separation from the nations, God's dues in Sabbaths and holy years, and the upkeep of His house.
- Sincere — Their intention was real. But the flesh is naturally legal, and a covenant looks like an easy guard against failing again.
- Spent — The promises collapsed. That is the lesson: look to Another for strength, not to your own signature.
Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
This verse sits in the middle of a long list of signatures attached to a covenant made at the close of the previous chapter. Forty-four heads of families sealed that agreement with God, which raises the question this chapter turns on: was a signed pledge the right answer to their history of failure?
The names in this verse belong to the third and largest group of signers. One commentator gives the order of signing and explains what sealing involved:
The last chapter closes with a covenant, and this one opens with the names of those who sealed it. They bound themselves to keep it by their signatures, signing, it seems, not only for themselves but also for the people. Nehemiah, as the governor, put his name to this solemn document first. Twenty-two priests followed (vv. 1-8), then seventeen Levites (vv. 9-13), then forty-four chiefs of the people, probably heads of families.
These men signed for others. Did the rest of the nation agree? The verses right after the list answer that:
There can be no doubt that a general movement was going on in the hearts of the people. This covenant-making was no mere formal act. The "nobles" had signed it on behalf of all. But every class came forward of their own accord to ratify what was done. That shows clear agreement with what the nobles did. Even the wives and children — at least those who had knowledge and understanding — took part in the act and deed.
One writer sets out the covenant they signed in four parts:
1st. As to their personal walk, that it should be in obedience to the law of God given by Moses (29). 2nd. As to the nations around, they would maintain a holy separation (30). 3rd. As to the Lord, they would give Him His due with devotion, keeping the Sabbath, the holy days, and the law of the seventh year (31). 4th. As to the house of God, they take it on themselves to keep up its service and never abandon it (32-39).
Nehemiah's own great work had been the city wall. The covenant never mentions it:
One commentator asks how confident the signers really were, and points to what the New Testament says about the law:
We may wonder whether some of them doubted their own ability to keep the covenant, or how likely it was that they would. No doubt they wanted at least to express their desire to obey the Lord. The Lord did not say at this time what He thought of it. But the New Testament makes His thoughts very clear, as for instance Romans 3:19: "Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God."
Another writer draws out what this teaches us about our own hearts:
Even a flawed act of devotion gets recorded, name by name. The habit runs right through this book, and one commentator ties it to the New Testament:
All those who labored in this good work are listed by name, just as in Romans 16 the Lord takes pleasure in recording the faith and labor of many individuals, such as Priscilla and Aquila who risked their necks for Paul's life (vv. 3-4), "Mary, who has worked hard" (v. 6), "Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord" (v. 12). So some stood out especially, others were only recorded, but all were recognized.
- Named. Magpiash, Meshullam and Hezir are three of the forty-four heads of families who sealed the covenant. They signed after Nehemiah, twenty-two priests and seventeen Levites.
- Representative. They signed for themselves and for the people. The people agreed too: every class came forward to ratify it, even wives and children who had knowledge and understanding.
- Specific. Their pledge covered four things. They promised obedience in daily life, separation from the nations around them, God's due in Sabbaths and holy years, and the upkeep of His house.
- Revealing. The wall Nehemiah built is never mentioned, but the house is. The test of faithfulness lay in supporting the house and the divine order it stood for.
- Instructive. Their sincerity is not in doubt, but their method is a warning, not a model. Human nature leans toward rule-keeping, and such pledges end by teaching us to look to Another for strength.
Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua,
This verse sits inside a long list of signatures. After the nation's confession in chapter 9, eighty-four men sealed a written covenant, and Meshezabel, Zadok and Jaddua are named among the heads of families. Two questions follow: what were these men binding themselves to, and could such a pledge hold?
The list works like a legal document. One writer explains who signed, and on whose behalf:
The last chapter closes with a covenant. This one opens with the names of those who sealed it. That is, the names of those who bound themselves to keep it by their signatures. And they seem to have signed not only for themselves, but also on behalf of the people. Nehemiah, as the governor, put his name to this solemn document first. Twenty-two priests followed (vv. 1-8), then seventeen Levites (vv. 9-13), and after them forty-four chiefs of the people, likely heads of families.
Verse 21 falls in that last group: leading men, not priests.
These are not new names. One writer tracks a Zadok from the wall repairs of chapter 3 into the list of sealers:
Zadok the son of Immer (Neh. 3:29) is a different Zadok from the one mentioned in Neh. 3:4. One or the other of these two men later signs the covenant (Neh. 10:21) and is put in charge of the storehouses (Neh. 13:13).
The writer cannot say which of the two men is meant. Either way, a man who had rebuilt stonework also sealed the pledge and later took charge of the storehouses.
Meshezabel's name also stands in that earlier building list. One writer weighs what such names mean:
We do not want to press the meaning of these names too far. But there are important touches in them, above all in the thought of serving with dignity. Meremoth — elevation; Urijah — the light of Jehovah; Meshullam — devoted; Berechiah — blessed of Jehovah; Meshezabeel — freed by Jehovah... We have been brought into a place of light, freedom and blessing, and our service should be marked by devotion of heart and mind to the Lord.
A sealed name binds a man to terms. Here the terms came not from God's promises to Abraham but from Sinai, the mountain where Israel accepted the law:
Notice that they do not rise to the ground of promise. They recount the covenant made with Abraham, yet they take their stand on the legal conditions of Sinai, as their fathers did before them.
Dennett traces the same instinct back to Sinai. There a redeemed people "expressed themselves ready to abandon the ground of grace, and to accept that of responsibility."
The eighty-four did not act over the heads of the nation. The people came forward to join them:
The leaders of the people, the governor, the priests, the Levites, and the chief fathers set their seal to the covenant: 84 persons in all, who represent over 40,000... There is no disagreement, but one mind. All, young and old, sons and daughters, women and children, priests, singers, Levites and the Nethinim (temple servants) "joined with their brothers", accepting what their leaders, these 84 men, had done... We do not see a special circle making its own decision and shutting out the rest.
The signatures were honest. They were also, in the end, broken — and the reason is not hypocrisy but human weakness:
Nor can we doubt the sincerity of their intentions... But it is one thing, as all know, to vow, and another to perform. Sometimes a mighty influence takes hold of us. It cuts us off from everything but the one thing then set before our souls. At such a time it is easy to bind ourselves to pursue that one object for ever. Then the influence passes away. The object we had before us still seems as desirable as ever, but we no longer feel the drive to reach it.
Dennett adds what follows: the flesh "reasserts itself", and the covenant that once seemed easy to keep "becomes impossible, and adds another burden to an already bad conscience."
The failure does not cancel the lesson. One writer applies it to Christian life:
We know that, as a people in the flesh, under the law, they were unable to keep it. Still, we may learn a serious lesson for ourselves from this renewal of the covenant. After confessing our sin, our walk must start again on a new basis. That basis is separation from the world, and a far more real and effective separation than before. The world has drawn us into evil, and from now on we must walk through it as strangers who seek another country.
- Named — the three men here stand among forty-four heads of families who signed, not for themselves only but for the whole people.
- Proven — these were tested men. A Zadok of this list had repaired the wall, and later took charge of the storehouses.
- Sealed — eighty-four men represented over forty thousand. Every class came forward to agree, wives and children included, and no rival group acted alone.
- Misplaced — they were sincere, but they stood on the conditions of Sinai instead of God's promise. So they bound themselves to terms that a people in the flesh cannot keep.
- Redirected — it is one thing to vow and another to perform. When the influence fades, the drive fades with it. After confession, the walk starts again on a new basis: separation from the world.
Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
Three names stand here with no story attached. They come in a long column of signatures at the head of Nehemiah 10. So why does Scripture keep such a list, and what was the signing worth?
The chapter opens where chapter nine ended: a written agreement, and the names of the men who signed it. One writer sets out the order of the list, and who the signers acted for.
The last chapter closes with a covenant. This one starts with the names of those who sealed it — that is, of those who bound themselves to keep it by their signatures. It seems they signed not only for themselves, but also on behalf of the people. Nehemiah, as the governor, was the first to put his name to this solemn document. Then came twenty-two priests (vv. 1-8), then seventeen Levites (vv. 9-13), and after them forty-four chiefs of the people, probably heads of families.
The three men of this verse belong to that last group. Another writer notes a sad detail in the order of the names. Tirshatha was the title of the governor, Nehemiah:
Here the chief men took the lead, as was fitting for them. Yet it was no small sign of their low condition that the Tirshatha signed first among those who sealed. Then came faithful priests, followed by fewer Levites, and a fair number of leading laymen.
The Bible tells us little about these three. One dictionary entry records a single other appearance for Anaiah:
One who stood beside Ezra when he read the law to the people. Neh. 8:4.
That is all. Yet such lists carry weight. One writer says of similar name-lists:
There is something deeply sobering about going over such a record of names. People forgot them long ago, but God has remembered every one, with every detail of their path through this world. Some day the world will lose our names too, but God will not forget us or our ways.
The rest of the nation then came forward to stand behind what their leaders had signed.
There can be no doubt that a general movement had taken place in the hearts of the people. This covenant-making was no mere formal act. The nobles had signed it on behalf of all. But everyone plainly agreed with what they did, since all classes came forward of their own accord to confirm it. Even the wives and children took part — at least those who had knowledge and understanding.
A signature here meant taking on specific obligations, listed later in the chapter.
There were three main articles in the covenant to which they bound themselves by a curse and an oath. First, they promised to keep the whole law as given to their fathers at Sinai, along with all the Lord's commandments, judgments, and statutes. Second, they declared that they would make no more marriages with the surrounding nations. Last, they promised to keep the sabbath, the holy days, and the seventh year, with all its conditions. They also made binding arrangements to provide for the service of the house of God, for the sacrifices, and for everything belonging to their religious observances.
One writer contrasts two kinds of separation:
Separation to God is humble and morally powerful. Human or Pharisaic separateness is proud, narrow, and powerless. Separation to God is obedience, and nothing suits the faithful better.
The writer who lists the signers is blunt about what such promises are worth, and about why people keep making them.
They knew the past, and they had confessed the former sins of their people. Yet now they make another covenant. The excitement of the moment blinded them: they were just as their fathers were, and they were no more likely to keep these solemn promises than their ancestors had been. And yet they were surely sincere, and fully meant to be faithful to the obligations they were taking on. Almost anyone can understand this. The flesh is naturally legal, and making a covenant seems an easy way to guard against failure. God's people have often tried this, only to discover their own complete helplessness. In many cases it has taught them to look to Another for the power they needed, instead of to themselves.
- Signed. Pelatiah, Hanan and Anaiah stand among the forty-four chiefs of the people. They signed a written covenant for themselves and for the nation.
- Shared. The leaders' names were not the whole story. All classes came forward to confirm the same oath, even wives and children with understanding.
- Specific. They sealed concrete duties. Keep the law, refuse marriage with the surrounding nations, honour the sabbath and seventh year, and fund the house of God.
- Remembered. These men are almost unknown to us. God keeps a record of names people have long forgotten, with every detail of their path.
- Sincere, yet weak. The vows were genuine but unkeepable. That is how God's people learn to look for power to Another, not to their own promises.
Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub,
Nehemiah 10:23 adds three names — Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub — to a long roll of men who sealed a written agreement with God. The list looks unpromising, yet each name marks a man who took public responsibility, and commentators ask what his signature was worth.
The men of verse 23 come in the last and largest group of signers. One writer sets out the order and explains what sealing meant:
The last chapter closes with the making of a covenant. At the start of this one we get the names of those who sealed it — that is, of those who bound themselves to keep it by their signatures. They seem to have signed not only for themselves but also on behalf of the people. Nehemiah, as the governor, was the first to put his name to this solemn document. Twenty-two priests followed him, then seventeen Levites, and after them forty-four chiefs of the people, most likely heads of families.
Several of these names appear elsewhere in the book. One writer follows the men who protected their own houses into later service:
Benjamin later took part in the dedication of the wall. Hasshub signed the covenant. Azariah, like Benjamin and Hasshub, worked to safeguard his own house. He stands out later: he explains the law to the people, seals the covenant, and takes part in the dedication of the wall.
The signers were a small group, but they did not act alone:
The leaders of the people, the governor, the priests, the Levites, and the heads of families set their seal to the covenant: 84 persons in all who represent over 40,000... Here we see what true humbling, true separation and true confession produce. There is no disagreement, but one mind. All, young and old, sons and daughters, women and children, priests, singers, Levites and temple servants "joined with their brothers", accepting what their leaders, these 84 men, had done. No one stood against it.
One writer sees something sad in that order:
Here the chief men took the lead, as was fitting for them. Yet it was no small sign of their low condition that the governor signed first among those who sealed.
The terms these men accepted covered four areas of life:
First, their personal walk was to be in obedience to the law of God given by Moses. Second, toward the nations around them, they would keep a holy separation. Third, toward Jehovah, they would give Him His due with devotion, by keeping the Sabbath, the holy days, and the law of the seventh year. Fourth, as to the house of God, they bind themselves to maintain its service and not forsake it.
One thing is missing from that list:
Look at the terms of the covenant. It is striking that they give a very prominent place to the house of God, yet say nothing about the city walls and gates. Why leave them out, when Nehemiah's special service had to do with the walls and gates? ... The people inside the city and the people outside it — the whole people — through those who signed for them, showed that they meant to do the will of God, and pledged their support to the house rather than to the wall.
The writers ask whether signing was the right remedy at all:
But the method they chose for carrying out their obligations should act as a warning rather than an example to those who live in a day of grace. The remnant of Nehemiah's day took on the upkeep of the house by way of covenant. That fits the age of law they lived under. Yet the history of their nation warns us how useless it is for man to enter into a covenant with God.
These men meant what they signed, and one writer says what such attempts end up teaching:
And yet they were doubtless sincere, fully meaning to be faithful to the obligations they were taking on. Few people cannot understand what they did, for the flesh is legal by nature, and making a covenant seems an easy way to guard against failure. God's people have often turned to this remedy, only to discover their own utter helplessness. In many cases that has taught them to look to Another for the power they needed instead of to themselves.
- Named — Hoshea, Hananiah and Hasshub sign among the forty-four chiefs, after Nehemiah, the priests and the Levites. Sealing meant binding yourself by your signature.
- Proven — Hasshub worked to safeguard his own house. The same names come back later in teaching, sealing and dedicating the wall.
- Representative — eighty-four signatures stood for more than forty thousand people. The whole company, wives and children included, joined in.
- Focused — the four promises covered personal obedience, separation from the nations, Jehovah's days, and the house of God. The house came before the wall.
- Instructive — the men were sincere, yet writers read the covenant as a warning. The flesh finds promising easy; failure teaches us to look to Another for strength.
Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
Nehemiah 10:24 gives three names from a long signature list: Hallohesh, Pilha and Shobek. They were heads of families who signed a written agreement with God after the wall of Jerusalem was rebuilt. Why does God keep names like these? And what were these men promising?
The list runs in ranks, and these three fall in the last and largest group. One commentator sets out the order of signing, and who the names stood for:
The last chapter ends with a covenant. This chapter opens with the names of those who sealed it — that is, of those who bound themselves to keep it by their signatures. It seems they signed not only for themselves, but also on behalf of the people. Nehemiah, as the governor, was the first to put his name to this solemn document. Twenty-two priests followed him (vv. 1-8), then seventeen Levites (vv. 9-13), and after them forty-four chiefs of the people, probably heads of families.
The order of names says something too. Another writer sees in it a sign of how far the nation had fallen: the Tirshatha, the civil governor, signs first on a document about the law of God:
Here the chief men took the lead, as was right. Yet it was no small sign of how low they had sunk that the Tirshatha signed first among those who sealed the covenant. Then came faithful priests, then fewer Levites, and a fair number of leading laymen.
So what did these men put their names to? One commentator lists the terms:
The covenant had three main parts, and they bound themselves to it by a curse and an oath. First, they promised to keep the whole law given to their fathers at Sinai, along with all the Lord's commandments, judgments and statutes. Second, they promised to make no more marriages with the surrounding nations. Third, they promised to keep the sabbath, the holy days and the seventh year, with its conditions, faithfully. They also made binding rules to provide for the service of the house of God, for the sacrifices, and for all that belonged to their religious observances.
Not every commentator admires what these men did. One sees the signing as a familiar human instinct, and finds the lesson in where it leads:
They knew their past, and they had confessed the former sins of their people. Yet now they make another covenant. The excitement of the moment blinded them to one thing: they were just like their fathers... And they were no doubt sincere. They fully meant to keep the obligations they were taking on. Almost anyone can understand this. The flesh is naturally legal, and making a covenant seems an easy way to guard against failure. God's people have often tried this, only to find out how powerless they are. In many cases it has taught them to look to Another for the power they needed, instead of to themselves.
The book itself tells us what happened next. The same writer sees a wider pattern in it:
And what came next? FAILURE — failure in everything they had promised to do, and had bound themselves to, under the penalty of a curse, by a solemn covenant. So the lesson of Nehemiah's mission is the lesson of every age: whatever God entrusts to man under responsibility ends in failure. There is more than this. Man brings in failure at the very moment of God's grace in blessing. Each age not only ends with failure; it begins with failure too. Adam, for example, disobeyed as soon as God set him in the place of headship and blessing. Noah sinned in the same way, as soon as he could gather fruit from his first vineyard on the new earth.
Hallohesh, Pilha and Shobek are little more than names to us now. One writer finds comfort in lists like this:
There is something deeply sobering to the soul in going over a record of names that people forgot long ago. God has remembered every one of them, with every detail of their path through this world. Some day our names will also be lost to mankind. But God will not forget us or our ways.
- Named — Hallohesh, Pilha and Shobek are three of forty-four heads of families. They signed after the governor, the priests and the Levites.
- Representative — They signed for themselves, and for the wider people too.
- Binding — The covenant bound them to the whole law. It also bound them to marry no one from the surrounding nations, to keep the sabbath and the seventh year, and to provide for God's house.
- Broken — Failure followed, in everything they had sworn. One commentator sees here the pattern of all that God entrusts to man.
- Remembered — People forget names like these. God remembers every one, and every detail of the life behind it.
Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
and Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,
Nehemiah 10:26 is three bare names — and that is the point of it. It sits inside a signature list. Why did God keep such a list? What were these men binding themselves to? And was their pledge wise?
One commentator sets out the order of signing. It places this verse among the last group:
At the close of the last chapter a covenant is made. At the start of this one come the names of those who sealed it. They bound themselves to keep it by their signatures. And they signed, it seems, not only for themselves but also on behalf of the people. Nehemiah, as the governor, was the first to put his name to this solemn document. Then came twenty-two priests (vv. 1-8), then seventeen Levites (vv. 9-13), and after them forty-four chiefs of the people, probably heads of families.
Another writer finds meaning in who signed first. The Tirshatha was the governor, Nehemiah:
Here the chief men took the lead as was fitting for them; yet it was no small sign of their low condition that the Tirshatha signed first among those sealed. Then came faithful priests, followed by fewer Levites, and a fair number of leading laymen.
A name here can also repeat. Hanan appears earlier in the list too, and a reference work treats the two as separate men:
Two chiefs of the people who sealed the covenant. Neh. 10:22, 26.
The covenant they sealed set out four pledges:
1st. As to their personal walk, that it should be in obedience to the law of God given by Moses (29). 2nd. As to the nations around, they would maintain a holy separation (30). 3rd. As to Jehovah, they would devotedly render to Him His due by keeping the Sabbath, the holy days, and the law of the seventh year (31). 4th. As to the house of God, they charge themselves to maintain the service and not forsake the house (32-39).
One thing is missing from those pledges — the very work Nehemiah came to do:
Looking at the terms of the covenant, one thing stands out. The covenant gives a very prominent place to the house of God, yet it makes no mention of the city walls and gates. Why leave them out, when Nehemiah's special service concerned the walls and gates? And why is so much made of the house of God? Is it not to insist on the great fact, as another has written, "that the great test of faithfulness was the upkeep of the house, the support of those who ministered in it, and the necessary obedience to, and consistency with, the principles of divine order of which the house was always the reminder and symbol."
One commentator honours their sincerity and still counts their covenant a mistake:
They were not ignorant of the past (Neh. 9:13-14), and they had confessed the former sins of their people. And yet they now make another covenant. The enthusiasm of the moment blinded them: as their fathers were, so were they. They were no more likely to keep these solemn engagements than their ancestors had been. And yet they were doubtless sincere, fully intending to be faithful to the obligations they were undertaking. Almost anyone can understand what they did, for the flesh is naturally legal, and making a covenant seems an easy way to guard against failure. God's people have often used this method, only to discover their own utter helplessness. And so, in many cases, they have been taught to look to Another for the power they needed instead of to themselves.
A Christian, one writer argues, has less excuse than they had:
Whether they did or did not make a covenant, they were under obligation to obey the law. This obligation they accepted by way of a covenant. The light they had would hardly warrant them in taking any other course... For the Christian there can be no excuse. We have the warning of the Old Testament covenants. We also have the light of the truth that shows the believer's place before God: "not under law but under grace." So how can we rightly go back to a covenant that binds by legal obligation?
Why would God keep three names like these? Commenting on another list of names in this book, one writer answers:
Here we have little to remark except that the Lord takes pleasure in recording even the names of His servants... He honours those that honour Him and records their names in His word now, as He will glorify their persons in the great day that is hastening on.
- Named. Ahiah, Hanan and Anan stand among forty-four chiefs of the people. They signed for themselves and for the whole people.
- Ordered. The governor signs first, then priests, then Levites, then laymen. Leaders led — yet the governor at the head of the list shows how low the nation had sunk.
- Bound. Four pledges: obedience to the law, separation from the nations around, Sabbaths and holy days, and the upkeep of God's house.
- Weighted. The walls Nehemiah built get no mention. The house does. The test of faithfulness was supporting the house and those who served in it.
- Warned. Sincere signatures gave no strength. The flesh is naturally legal. Failure teaches God's people to look to Another for power.
Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.