Nehemiah 10, Sealing of a New Commitment

The people have agreed to follow the Law and to publicly indicate this by affixing the seals of their leaders to this agreement.

Nehemiah 10: 1-13, Names of signers

Those who sealed it were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah. Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, and their associates: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.

We have a long list of leaders, Levites and priests who affixed their seals to this document committing themselves to obedience to the Law. Like our culture today, there may be a number of people with the same name, so we should not identify some of these names, Jeremiah, Obadiah, Daniel, here, and Abijah, Hoshea, Adonijah, Hananiah, below, with individuals we have read about elsewhere.

Nehemiah 10: 14-27, Names of signers

The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, Malluch, Harim and Baanah.

There is considerable overlap between the names of these leaders and the names listed in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7. 

Nehemiah 10: 28- 31, Priests, Levites, gatekeepers...

The rest of the people--priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand-- all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord.

"We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.

"When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.

The commitments include not marrying foreigners and a commitment to obeying the Sabbath and holy days. One hundred and fifty years before, outside these gates, the prophet Jeremiah had scolded the people for working on the Sabbath (Jeremiah 17: 19-27.) In addition to observing the Sabbath, the people promise to also remember the sabbatical years, setting aside the land and debts every seventh year.

At some point the text is in first person and appears to be a commitment by the people spoken publicly together. 

Nehemiah 10: 32-35, Commitment to support the temple

 "We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God: for the bread set out on the table; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moon festivals and appointed feasts; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.

"We--the priests, the Levites and the people--have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law.

"We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the LORD each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree.

 

The commitments include regular giving to support the temple. A half-shekel gift to the temple is a requirement from Exodus 30: 11-16. This one-third-shekel gift seems to be different, given annually.

The bread mentioned in verse 33 is presumably the shewbread (Leviticus 24: 5-8.)

Nehemiah 10: 36-39, "We will not neglect the house of our God" 

"As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there.

"Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our [grain] offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.

A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury.

The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. 

"We will not neglect the house of our God."

The commitment includes an elaboration on the depth of tithing and giving. The temple will be supported, not just financially but with gifts in kind, the "first fruits" of crops, meal, fruits, wine, oil. Furthermore, the temple will follow the old statutes, with descendants of Aaron involved in the worship.