Nehemiah 12:44

And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(44-47) Economical arrangements.

(44) For Judah rejoiced.—Not only was the Temple service restored to something like the completeness of the Davidical period, the people also everywhere took pleasure in the ministrations of the Temple, and provided amply for them. Hence the need of men to take charge of the treasuries of the firstfruits and tithes.

Benson Commentary

Nehemiah 12:44. For the offerings — Such as they had lately engaged themselves to give, or other voluntary or prescribed offerings. To gather out of the fields the portions of the law — That is, the aforesaid first-fruits and tithes, and other things, which God, by his law, appointed for them. For Judah rejoiced for the priests, &c. — For the eminent gifts and graces which they observed in many of them; for the great benefit which they had now received by their ministry; and for the competent provision which hereby was made for them, that so they might wholly wait upon their office. The sure way for ministers to gain an interest in the affections of their people is, to wait on their ministry, to spend their whole time, and thought, and strength therein.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

12:44-47 When the solemnities of a thanksgiving day leave such impressions on ministers and people, that both are more careful and cheerful in doing their duty, they are indeed acceptable to the Lord, and turn to good account. And whatever we do, must be purified by the blood of sprinkling, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, or it cannot be acceptable to God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Judah rejoiced - Judah's satisfaction with the priests and Levites took the shape of increased offerings, more ample tithes, and the like, from where the appointment of treasuries and treasurers became necessary.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

44. portions of the law—that is, "prescribed by the law."

for Judah rejoiced for the priests and … Levites that waited—The cause of this general satisfaction was either the full restoration of the temple service and the reorganized provision for the permanent support of the ministry, or it was the pious character and eminent gifts of the guardians of religion.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

For the offerings; such as they had lately engaged themselves to give, or other voluntary or prescribed offerings.

The portions of the law, i.e. the foresaid first-fruits, and tithes, and other things which God by his law appointed for them.

Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited; partly for the eminent gifts and graces which they observed in many of them; and partly for the great benefit which they had now received by their ministry; and therefore for the competent provision which hereby was made for them, that so they might wholly wait upon their office to the people’s edification and comfort.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And at that time were some appointed over the chamber for the treasuries,.... On the selfsame day the dedication was; while the people were in a good disposition, and a suitable frame for such service, certain persons from among the priests were appointed to be overseers of the chambers fixed upon for treasuries, to lay up safe in them the following things, and take care of them, that they were put to the use for which they were designed:

for the offerings, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites; what by the law of God were assigned them for their maintenance, and which the people had lately bound themselves to bring in, Nehemiah 10:35,

for Judah rejoiced for the priests, and for the Levites that waited; at the temple, and performed their services there; they were so pleased with their ministrations that day, that they were determined to take care of them, and provide well for them, and that nothing should be wanting to them, enjoined by the law of God, and that they might not be obliged to dwell in fields and villages for the sake of their living, Nehemiah 12:28.

Geneva Study Bible

And at that time were some appointed {m} over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.

(m) Which were chambers appointed by Hezekiah to put in the tither, and such things, 2Ch 31:11 and now were repaired again for the same use.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

44. at that time] R.V. on that day. This is not an allusion to the day of rejoicing in the previous verse (‘that day’ Nehemiah 12:43), but a general definition of time which the Compiler uses again in Nehemiah 8:1. It is only a little less indefinite than ‘in those days,’ Nehemiah 13:15; Nehemiah 13:23.

some] R.V. men.

the chambers] The Hebrew word here used occurs elsewhere only in Nehemiah 3:30, and Nehemiah 13:7.

for the treasures] As in Nehemiah 13:13, Nehemiah records his special appointment of ‘treasurers over the treasuries’ whose business it was ‘to distribute unto their brethren.’ The appointments mentioned in this verse are probably of a somewhat different nature. The men ‘appointed over the chambers’ were the regular receivers and custodians of the treasure, i.e. the firstfruits and tithes, &c.; the four appointed by Nehemiah were commissioners for the purpose of securing an honest distribution.

for the treasures] Either a general term denoting ‘stores’ and ‘provisions,’ of which ‘the heave-offerings’ are items, or a specific term, standing at the head of the list, and denoting special dedications and wealthy gifts. The former is the more probable alternative.

the offerings] R.V. the heave offerings.

the firstfruits] The use of this word seems here to include ‘the firstfruits’ and ‘firstlings’ mentioned in Nehemiah 10:35-37.

the tithes] See on Nehemiah 10:37-38.

It will be observed that there is no reference here to any tithe of cattle. The chambers are only intended for receiving the produce of the field (Nehemiah 13:12). As this passage is clearly based upon Nehemiah’s own Memoirs, it has afforded support to the theory that the cattle tithe was introduced into the text of Leviticus 27:30; Leviticus 27:32, after the time of Nehemiah. See note at the end of chap. 10.

out of the fields of the cities] R.V. according to the fields of the cities.

The point of this clause is rather obscure. It probably refers to the method of storing, rather than to the size of the fields or to the succession in which the offerings were received and the tithe exacted.

An account was taken of the contributions from the fields of each city.

the portions of the law] R.V. the portions appointed toy the law. Marg. ‘Heb. of the law’. A unique phrase in the O.T. denoting the special requirements of the Levitical law.

Judah rejoiced &c.] The readiness of the people generally (‘Judah’) to support the priests and Levites according to ‘the law’ was due to their appreciation of their religious services. In proportion to their zeal for the priests and Levites it was necessary to provide officers to receive and regulate the contribution.

that wailed] R.V. Marg. ‘Heb. stood’.

In Deuteronomy the phrase ‘to stand before the Lord’ is the technical term for the ministrations of the priests. Here we find it used of the offices of ‘priests and Levites.’ In 1 Chronicles 6:32-33 ‘And they waited on their office according to their order. And these are they that waited,’ it is applied to the Levites.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 44. - At that time. Literally, "On that day;" but a certain latitude must be allowed to the expression. The chambers for the treasures. On these adjuncts of the temple, see the comment on Nehemiah 10:37. The "treasures" themselves consisted chiefly of tithes (including corn, wine, and oil), firstfruits, and free-will offerings. They also included frankincense (Nehemiah 13:5), and probably other spices. The portions of the law. i.e. the proportion of the produce required by the law to be set apart for sacred uses. These were to be gathered by the officers out of the fields of the cities, that is, out of the portions of cultivable soil attached to each provincial town (Nehemiah 11:25). For Judah rejoiced. The general satisfaction of the people with their spiritual guides led them to increase their contributions beyond the requirements of the law; whence there was at this time special need of treasurers and treasuries - abundant occupation for the one, and abundant material requiring to be stored in the other. Nehemiah 12:44

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The joint efforts of Nehemiah and Ezra succeeded both in restoring the enactments of the law for the performance and maintenance of the public worship, and in carrying out the separation of the community from strangers, especially by the dissolution of unlawful marriages (Nehemiah 12:44-13:3). When Nehemiah, however, returned to the king at Babylon, in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, and remained there some time, the abuses which had been abolished were again allowed by the people. During Nehemiah's absence, Eliashib the priest prepared a chamber in the fore-court of the temple, as a dwelling for his son-in-law Tobiah the Ammonite. The delivery of their dues to the Levites (the first-fruits and tenths) was omitted, and the Sabbath desecrated by field-work and by buying and selling in Jerusalem; Jews married Ashdodite, Ammonitish, and Moabitish wives; even a son of the high priest Joiada allying himself by marriage with Sanballat the Horonite. All these illegal acts were energetically opposed by Nehemiah at his return to Jerusalem, when he strove both to purify the congregation from foreigners, and to restore the appointments of the law with respect to divine worship (13:4-31).

The narration of these events and of the proceedings of Nehemiah in the last section of this book, is introduced by a brief summary (in Nehemiah 12:44-13:3) of what was done for the ordering of divine worship, and for the separation of Israel from strangers; and this introduction is so annexed to what precedes, not only by the formula ההוּא בּיּום (Nehemiah 12:33 and Nehemiah 13:1), but also by its contents, that it might be regarded as a summary of what Nehemiah had effected during his first stay at Jerusalem. It is not till the connective מזּה ולפני, "and before this" (Nehemiah 13:4), with which the recital of what occurred during Nehemiah's absence from Jerusalem, in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, beings, that we perceive that this description of the restored legal appointments relates not only to the time before the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, but applies also to that of Nehemiah's second stay at Jerusalem, and bears only the appearance of an introduction, being in fact a brief summary of all that Nehemiah effected both before and after the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes. This is a form of statement which, is to be explained by the circumstance that Nehemiah did not compile this narrative of his operations till the evening of his days.

Nehemiah 12:44

The reformations in worship and in social life effected by Nehemiah. - Nehemiah 12:44-47. Appointments concerning divine worship. Nehemiah 12:44. And at that time were certain appointed over the chambers of store-places for the heave-offerings, the first-fruits, and the tenths, to gather into them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites. Though the definition of time ההוּא בּיּום corresponds with the ההוּא בּיּום of Nehemiah 12:43, it is nevertheless used in a more general sense, and does not refer, as in Nehemiah 12:43, to the day of the dedication of the wall, but only declares that what follows belongs chiefly to the time hitherto spoken of. יום means, not merely a day of twelve or twenty-four hours, but very frequently stands for the time generally speaking at which anything occurs, or certum quoddam temporis spatium; and it is only from the context that we can perceive whether יום is used in its narrower or more extended meaning. Hence ההוּא בּיּום is often used in the historical and prophetical books, de die, or de tempore modo memorato, in contradistinction to הזּה היּום, the time present to the narrator; comp. 1 Samuel 27:6; 1 Samuel 30:25, and the discussion in Gesen. Thes. p. 369. That the expression refers in the present verse not to any particular day, but to the time in question generally, is obvious from the whole statement, Nehemiah 12:44-47. לאוצרות נשׁכות are not chambers for the treasures, i.e., treasure-chambers; but both here and Nehemiah 13:12, אוצרות signify places where stores are kept, magazines; hence: these are chambers for store-places for the heave-offerings, etc.; comp. Nehemiah 10:38-39. With respect to נשׁכות, see rem. on Nehemiah 3:30. הערים לשׂדי, according to the fields of the cities, according to the delivery of the tenth of the crop from the fields of the different cities. These contributions necessitated the appointment of individuals to have the care of the store-chambers; "for Judah rejoiced in the priests and the Levites who were ministering," and therefore contributed willingly and abundantly "the portions of the law," i.e., the portions prescribed in the law. The form מנאות is exchanged for מניות, Nehemiah 12:47 and Nehemiah 13:10. האמדים is a shorter expression for יהוה לפני האמדים, Deuteronomy 10:8 : standing before the Lord, i.e., ministering.