Nehemiah 6:18

Neh 6:18 For [there were] many in Judah sworn unto him, because he [was] the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

Ver. 18. For there were many in Judah sworn unto him] Besides that intercourse of letters aforementioned, Tobiah had his pensioners among the Jews, who were his sworn servants, and had taken oath, or (as the Hebrew hath it) they were lords of an oath to him. In the year 1583, Girald, earl of Desmond’s, men had barbarously vowed to forswear God, before they would forsake him. I know not what these Jews had sworn to Tobiah (to be true to him likely, and to prosecute his designs), but those of them at this day living are great swearers (they were so in St James’s time, Jas 5:12), but they keep no oath unless they swear upon their own Torah or book of the law, brought out of their synagogues (Weemse).

Because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah] One of those corrupt nobles, Neh 6:17, and Meshullam was another, who also helped to build the wall, Neh 3:4, and seemed forward, but now shows himself in his colours. Thou mayest be the lead horse in the team (saith one), a ring leader of good exercises, as Joash, 2Ch 24:4-6. Thou mayest flock after zealous preachers, as those did after John Baptist, Mat 3:5. Yea, stand out in persecution, and not shrink in the wetting, as the thorny ground did not; and yet be no better than a very painted hypocrite.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 18. He was the son-in-law of Shechaniah] Previously to the coming of Nehemiah, the Jews seemed to be fast intermixing with the heathen, by intermarriages with Ashdodites, Ammonites, and Moabites; see Ne 13:23. Ezra had many evils of this kind to redress, (Ezr 9:3, c.,) chiefly among the common people, though there were both chiefs and priests in that trespass. But here we find the heathen and Jewish nobles interlinked and the latter were so far imbued with the spirit of idolatry, that they forgot God, his service, their brethren, and their own souls.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(18) Sworn unto him.—Shechaniah was of the family of Arah, which had come over with Zerubbabel (Ezr_2:5). Tobiah had married his daughter, and Tobiah’s son had married a daughter of Meshullam, one of the builders of the wall (Neh_3:4; Neh_3:30). This family connection led to a conspiracy by oath to thwart the governor. The names of Tobiah and his son are Hebrew; and it is probable that, though naturalised Ammonites, they were of Hebrew extraction. This renders it easier to understand the facility with which the affinity was contracted.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of, &c.] ‘Sworn unto him.’ LXX. ἔνορκοι … αὐτῷ. It is implied that Tobiah’s connexion by marriage ensured him the support of many leading Jews; the conjunction ‘because’ suggests that the members of a family on welcoming a stranger within their circle, pledged themselves to him by an oath.

It is possible however to give a more general interpretation: many of the nobles conspired with Tobiah, and they had opportunities to meet him on account of his connexion by marriage. In Neh_13:4 we find Eliashib the High-priest described as ‘allied unto Tobiah.’ ‘Son-in-law,’ or at any rate a relation by marriage.

Shechaniah the son of Arah] R.V. Shecaniah, &c. The house of Arah is mentioned in Ezr_2:5. Shecaniah was clearly a man of eminence.

Johanan] R.V. Jehohanan. The name of Tobiah’s son is a compound of which the first two syllables are derived from the sacred Hebrew Name for God. Cf. note on Neh_2:10.

had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah] R.V. had taken … to wife. This Meshullam is mentioned in Neh_3:4; Neh_3:30, from which passages we conclude that he was of priestly descent.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For there were many in Judah sworn unto him,.... To Tobiah, who not only in a private manner corresponded with him by letters, but bound themselves by an oath to him to be true to his interest, and do as he should advise them:

because he was the son in law of Shechaniah, the son of Arah; of a family that came up with Zerubbabel from the captivity, Ezr 2:5 and very probably of considerable note:

and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah; a very eminent person, concerned in building the wall, Neh 3:4.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Though Tobiah is called “the servant” or “slave” Neh 2:10, Neh 2:19, and was perhaps a bought slave of Sanballat’s, yet he was in such a position that Jewish nobles readily contracted affinity with him. This is quite in harmony with the practice of the East, where slaves often fill high positions and make great marriages.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Mosollam, one of the builders, chap. iii. 4. (Menochius) --- These two powerful men had consequently acted contrary to the laws of God, and the covenant of Esdras, with respect to marriages. They might fear the resentment of the zealous governor. Dangers from false brethren, (2 Corinthians xi. 26.) wars without, and fears within, generally assail the servants of God. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Sworn unto him, to be true to him in the prosecution of his wicked designs.

His son had taken the daughter of Meshullam: this is noted to show the mischief of such unequal and forbidden marriages, and how reasonable and necessary Ezra’s action was in the dissolution of them.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. Many in Judah sworn unto him — Pledged for relationship’s sake to advance Tobiah’s interests.

He was the son-in-law of Shechaniah — This was, perhaps, one of those cases of marriage with the heathen which it had been the last recorded work of Ezra to annul. Ezra 10. A son of Elam who bore the name of Shechaniah (Ezr_10:2) had been the first to confess the people’s great trespass, and to propose reform, but it is altogether probable that some of the more noble Jews on the one hand, and families like that of Tobiah among the heathen, refused to co-operate in Ezra’s measures of reform. This would explain their treachery and hostility to Nehemiah and the mass of the Jews.

Arah — Whose sons were among the first that came up from Babylon with Zerubbabel. Neh_7:10; Ezr_2:5.

His son Johanan — That is, Tobiah’s son.

Meshullam — Who was one of the builders on the wall. Neh_3:4. The treachery among the nobles was owing altogether to these intermarriages. Tobiah (Neh_13:4) was also allied unto Eliashib the priest.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He was the son-in-law of Shechaniah. Rather, "related by marriage to Shechaniah perhaps, but not certainly, by having married his daughter. Son of Arah. Member, i.e. , of the family, called the Beni-Arah, which had returned with Zerubbabel. (Ezr_2:5 Neh_7:10) Meshullam the son of Berechiah is mentioned in Ne 3 as repairing two portions of the wall (vers. 4, 30).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For many in Judea Heb. רַבִּים, who were great rulers in Judea, were partners in a covenant and an oath with him.

for he was the son-in-law Tobiah [was the son-in-law] of Shechaniah.

and Jehohanan his son [the son] of Tobiah.

the daughter of Meshullam Meshullam was a great man and a ruler.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.