Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Those who signed the covenant of the people made with God are enumerated; they promise to observe all the commandments of God, and in particular the Sabbath and the seventh year: likewise to pay the tithes and first-fruits established by the law, inasmuch as in these matters they had hitherto been negligent and transgressors.
Vulgate Text: 2 Esdrae (Nehemiah) 10:1-39
1. Now the signatories were Nehemiah the Athersatha, son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, 2. Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3. Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4. Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5. Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6. Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7. Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8. Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the priests. 9. And the Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Cadmiel, 10. and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11. Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12. Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13. Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. 14. The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15. Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16. Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17. Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18. Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 19. Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20. Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21. Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22. Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23. Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub. 24. Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25. Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26. Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, 27. Malluch, Harim, Baanah: 28. and the rest of the people — priests, Levites, gatekeepers and singers, Nethinim, and all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters — 29. all who were able to understand, pledging for their brethren, their nobles, and who came to promise and to swear that they would walk in the law of God, which had been given through the hand of Moses the servant of God, and that they would observe and keep all the commandments of the Lord our God, and His judgments, and His ceremonies, 30. and that we would not give our daughters to the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons. 31. And the peoples of the land who bring merchandise and all things for use to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will remit the seventh year and the exaction of every debt. 32. And we will establish upon ourselves the precept to give a third part of a shekel per year for the service of the house of our God. 33. For the showbread, and for the perpetual sacrifice, and for the perpetual burnt offering on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, on the solemn feasts, and on the holy days, and for the sin offering: that atonement might be made for Israel, and for every use of the house of our God. 34. We therefore cast lots concerning the offering of wood among the priests, the Levites, and the people, that it should be brought into the house of our God by the houses of our fathers, at appointed times, from year to year: that it might burn upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law of Moses: 35. and that we would bring the firstfruits of our land, and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, from year to year, into the house of the Lord. 36. And the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstborn of our oxen and of our sheep, to be offered in the house of our God to the priests who minister in the house of our God: 37. and the firstfruits of our foods, and of our libations, and the fruit of every tree, of the vintage also and of oil, we will bring to the priests to the treasury of our God, and the tithe of our land to the Levites. The Levites themselves shall receive the tithes from all the cities of our labors. 38. And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites in the tithes of the Levites, and the Levites shall offer the tenth part of their tithe in the house of our God, to the treasury in the storehouse. 39. For to the treasury shall the children of Israel and the children of Levi bring the firstfruits of grain, wine, and oil: and there shall be the consecrated vessels, and the priests, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the ministers, and we will not forsake the house of our God.
Verse 1: The Signatories
1. The signatories (of the covenant of the people made with God) WERE NEHEMIAH (as leader), THE ATHERSATHA, THE SON OF HACALIAH. — This is a different person from the Nehemiah who was also called Athersatha.
Verse 28: Separated from the Peoples of the Lands
28. And all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands TO THE LAW OF GOD — namely, those who had converted from paganism to Judaism and become proselytes.
Verse 29: All Who Were Able to Understand
29. ALL WHO WERE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND. — Refer this to "children"; that is, all the children of the proselytes who were not infants but adults and capable of reason also signed this covenant. THE NOBLES PLEDGING FOR THEIR BRETHREN — that is, in such a great number not all could sign this covenant: therefore the nobles alone swore and sealed it on behalf of the rest of their fellow tribesmen.
And those who (being like the nobles, were chief among the people) came to promise and to swear. — In Hebrew it is added: with a curse, saying: May God punish us if we do not keep His commandments.
Verse 31: The Seventh Year
31. WE WILL REMIT THE SEVENTH YEAR — or the Sabbatical year, that is, we will let the land rest in the seventh year, so that we do not cultivate the fields, but leave what grows spontaneously in them for the poor, according to the law of Exodus XXIII, 11. AND THE EXACTION OF EVERY DEBT — that is, we will likewise remit to debtors what is owed to us by the written bond of their hand, so that in the seventh year we do not exact it. For the law likewise commanded that, since the land was not cultivated in the seventh year, debts to be paid from the fruits of the land should also not be collected in that same year.
Verse 33: The Holy Offerings
33. And for the holy offerings — that is, for the peace offerings which are offered to God; for he distinguishes these from the sin offerings, about which he speaks immediately after.
Verse 34: From Year to Year
34. FROM YEAR TO YEAR — that is, annually, or each year.
Verse 37: The Tenth Part of the Land
37. THE TENTH PART OF THE LAND — that is, the tithes of the fruits of the land. For the Levites could not possess land, but only receive the tithes of its fruits. OF OUR LABORS. — Hence it is clear that the Jews paid tithes not only of their fields, but also of their labors and works, so that from the profit accruing to them therefrom they gave a tenth part to the Levites.
Verse 38: The Priest With the Levites
38. AND THE PRIEST, THE SON OF AARON, SHALL BE WITH THE LEVITES IN THE TITHES OF THE LEVITES (that is, the priests, sons of Aaron, will have a share of the tithes with the Levites, namely a tenth of the tithe. For as follows:) The Levites shall offer the tenth part of their tithe IN THE HOUSE OF GOD. — Therefore the Levites gave a tenth of their tithes to the priests, and the priests in turn gave a tenth of their tithe to the High Priest, who was consequently very wealthy and rich, as I said at Numbers XVIII.
Verse 39: We Will Not Forsake the House of God
39. AND THERE SHALL BE THE CONSECRATED VESSELS, AND THE PRIESTS, AND THE SINGERS, AND THE GATEKEEPERS, AND THE MINISTERS — while they minister in the temple during the time of their rotation. For these dwelt in chambers annexed to the temple, which were called halls and treasuries, and there they were fed; for at the expense of the settlers and the Levites, the firstfruits which belonged to the priests had to be brought to these treasuries. Therefore the Hebrews pledge that they will diligently attend to all these things, which they had previously neglected. AND WE WILL NOT FORSAKE THE HOUSE OF GOD — that is, we will attend to all things pertaining to the uses of the temple and to the sustenance of the priests and Levites. They swear therefore that they will do these things, because in these matters they had hitherto been more negligent.