adams-john10 Neal Millikan
636
18. V.15 Wednesday.
- [symbols] 10. Esdras— At the exhortation of Shechaniah Ezra
undertakes to prevail upon the People to put away their strange
wives and children— He assembles the People, and they promise the
separation— List of the Trespassers— Abrupt termination of the
Book
- [symbols] 1. Nehemias— Butler or Cupbearer of Arthasastha— Appeals
to the promise of God to restore the Jews when dispersed—if they
repent and projects to rebuild the Walls of Jerusalem.
- 2. In the 20
th. year of Arthasastha he
obtains the king’s permission goes to Jerusalem and undertakes the
work— Is opposed by Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite and
Geshem the Arabian— Derided. And at first assailed with
ridicule—
- 3. List of the names of those who united in the undertaking to
rebuild the walls of the City— Begun by Eliashib the High Priest.
Each parcel of the work minutely described—and executed by
individuals, families, professions, and by inhabitants of sundry
other cities and places of Judea.
- 4. Sanballat, Tobias, the Arabs and the Ammonites, after vain
scoffing, assemble to frustrate the work by force— Nehemiah and the
Jews, pray to God, set watches, prepare for self-defence and
continue the work, without interruption.
- 5. Sharp complaints of debts, mortgages and bondage. Nehemiah
prevails upon the Nobles and Priests to relinquish the debts due to
them and to restore the mortgaged property— From the 20
th. to the 32d year of Arthasastha, Nehemiah was Governor of the Land
of Judah—he never received the allowance usual to the Governor, and
constantly fed at his table 150 of his workmen.
- 6. Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem and the Arabs continue their evil
practices, to defeat the building of the Walls. They sent repeated
messages to Nehemiah, proposing consultations which he declines—
Shemaiah’s spurious prophesy to intimidate him—and the prophetess
Noadiah— The work is finished— Treacherous practices of some of the
Nobles of Judah, with Tobiah— His threatening Letters.
- 7. Nehemiah commits the charge of the walls to Ananias. Gates shut
at Night—Watches— A register is found of the Genealogy of those who
had first returned from the Babylonian captivity with
Zorobabeel—Priests, Levites, Musicians, Porters and Nethinims—and
People.