Nehemiah 9:2

2. the seed of Israel] A more formal and poetical expression than ‘the children of Israel.’ It does not occur again in these books; but we find it in 2Ki_17:20; 1Ch_16:13; Psa_22:23, and in Is. Jer. The phrase to be compared with it is ‘the holy seed’ in Ezr_9:2 (Est_10:3).

separated themselves] See on Neh_10:28; Ezr_9:2-3. No stranger was to take part in this national act of humiliation and confession. The ‘strangers,’ i.e. the heathen who had not joined themselves to the ‘holy seed,’ and yet resided in Jerusalem, were not permitted to take part in the ceremony about to be described. Some commentators regard the words as describing in anticipation the result of the action taken by the Israelites on this day, as if by their penitence and confession they finally severed themselves from ‘the strangers.’ But from the position of the verse it is more natural to understand it of a solemn act of separation preliminary to the ratification of the Covenant.

from all strangers] ‘b’ ney nêkar,’ i.e. ‘children of the foreigner,’ LXX. ἀπὸ παντὸς υἱοῦ ἀλλοτρίου. Vulg. ‘ab omni filio alienigena,’ as in Psa_18:45; Psa_144:7; Psa_144:11; Isa_60:10; Isa_61:5; Isa_62:8; Eze_44:7.

confessed their sins] So in chap. Neh_1:6; and compare a possibly parallel instance of national ‘confession,’ 2Ch_30:22, where however there is some doubt whether ‘confession’ or ‘thanksgiving’ is intended: cf. Ezr_10:11.

sins, and the iniquities] ‘Sin’ (ḥattâth) denoting ‘failure’ generally from the right way; ‘iniquity’ (‘âvôn), carrying also the sense of ‘guilt,’ but denoting especially ‘crookedness’ and ‘perverseness’ (2Sa_7:14). Both words occur with the verb ‘confess;’ ‘sins,’ Lev_5:5; Num_5:7; Dan_9:20; ‘iniquities,’ Lev_16:21; Lev_26:40.

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.

Neh 9:2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

Ver. 2. And the seed of Israel] Called Israelites (not Abrahamites) from their wrestling with God by prayer and tears, and prevailing. Called also Jews from Judah, which signifieth the confessor. Here it is said of them that,

They stood and confessed their sins] All their sins, either actually committed, or habitually comprised in their body of sin. This whoso doth in due manner shall have mercy, Pro 28:13. Yea, he shall have heaven. Israel had power with God as a prince. Judah, the confessor, got the kingdom from Reuben. Confession is the way to the kingdom; walk in it; only it must be joined with confusion of sin, as here. They separated themselves from all strangers, they abandoned their peccatum in deliciis, their darling sin, they kept themselves from their iniquity. Psa 18:23. Hoc non sit verbis, Marce: ut ameris, ama Let this not be by words so that you may be loved and love. (Martial).

And the iniquities of their fathers] i.e. Of their progenitors; which are owned, if not bewailed, disclaimed.

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.

Neh 9:2. The seed of Israel separated themselves — From all unnecessary society with the heathen, and particularly from those strange women whom some of them had married. For although Ezra had effected this separation formerly, as far as he had knowledge of the faulty persons, and power to reform them; yet it seems there were some criminals who either had escaped his knowledge, or were beyond the reach of his power; or there were some new delinquents that since that time had fallen into the same error, and now showed the truth of their repentance by forsaking their beloved sins and dearest relations. And the iniquities of their fathers — Which they confess, partly as one cause of their present sufferings; and partly because they, by their practices, had justified their father’s sins, and made them their own.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9:2 Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins: This sentence might allude to the problem of intermarriage with foreigners, as narrated in Ezra 9–10.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Hebrew, strange children.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers--Not only did they read in their recent sufferings a punishment of the national apostasy and guilt, but they had made themselves partakers of their fathers' sins by following the same evil ways.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. The seed of Israel separated themselves] A reformation of this kind was begun by Ezra, Ezr 10:3; but it appears that either more were found out who had taken strange wives, or else those who had separated from them had taken them again.

And stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.] They acknowledged that they had been sinners against God throughout all their generations; that their fathers had sinned and were punished; and that they, with this example before their eyes, had copied their fathers' offences.

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

(2) The seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers.—The change to “seed” has here a deep propriety. They carefully avoided the many aliens among them throughout this fast.

And stood and confessed.—It must be remembered that these verses give the programme of what is afterwards filled up: the very praise for which they “stood” was filled with confession.

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

And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers,.... Such as were genuine Israelites, of the seed of Abraham, who had married wives of the Gentiles, strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, either before the reformation by Ezra, not being then discovered, or had fallen into this evil since; but now, on the reading of the law, were convinced of it, and so separated themselves from such wives, which was a proof of the truth of their repentance:

and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers: particularly their taking of strange wives, which their fathers had also done, and set them a bad example, which they had followed; of standing and confessing, see Luk 18:13.

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

Stranger; idolatrous women. (Haydock) --- True repentance requires the works of mortification, and particularly the removal of all occasions of sin and disorderly pleasures. (Worthington) --- The reformation had been commenced under Esdras, but some had relapsed, 1 Esdras x. 3. (Calmet) --- The true born Israelites would have no society with the sons of infidels. (Tirinus) --- Fathers, that they might not be punished for them, Exodus xx. 5. (Calmet)

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).

From all strangers; from all familiar and unnecessary society with the heathens, and particularly from those strange women whom some of them had married. For though Ezra had done this formerly, Ezr 10, as far as he had knowledge of the persons faulty, and power to redress their faults, yet, it seems, there were some criminals, who were either without his knowledge, or out of his power; or these were some new delinquents, that since that time had fallen into the same error, and showed the truth of their repentance by the forsaking of their beloved sins and dearest relations. See again Neh 13:3.

The iniquities of their fathers; which they confess partly as one cause of their present sufferings; and partly because they by their practices had justified their fathers’ sins, and made them their own.

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

2. Seed of Israel — The pure descendants of Israel, as distinguished from the offspring of unlawful mixed marriages.

Separated themselves from all strangers — Renounced all fellowship with the heathen, and dissolved all their marriages with strange women. Marriages of this character had been one of the great sins of the people which Ezra had corrected some time before, (Ezra 9, 10,) but even up to this time they were not all pure, and at a still later day Nehemiah had to contend again with the same evil.

Neh_13:23-30.

Stood and confessed — As is more fully shown in the penitential prayer that follows after Neh_9:5.

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

The seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers. Compare Neh_10:28, by which it appears that the "strangers" are "the people of the lands," or neighbouring heathen, of whom there were at all times considerable numbers in Jerusalem. (comp. Neh_13:16) It was not fitting that these aliens should take part in a ceremony of which the main object was that the special people of God should renew their covenant with him. Stood and confessed. Attitude is perhaps scarcely intended here, since the Jews confessed their sins kneeling, (Ezr_9:5) or prostrate. (Ezr_10:1) Hence we hear in the next verse that they "stood up," or "rose up" (consurrexerunt, Vulg.).

HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON Vers. 2, 31-33, 36-38. Appeal

It has been remarked that there is no prayer in this lengthy address to God. And the absence of direct supplication is certainly very noticeable. But it must be remembered that we may make our appeal to God in more ways than by directly asking him for the blessings we desire at his hand. The comparative and almost complete absence of formal petition from this address suggests to us that we may go far towards winning our cause by

I PRESENTING THE SOUL BEFORE GOD IN A RECEPTIVE SPIRITUAL STATE. It is only in some spiritual conditions that we can expect to be recipients of his bounty. Not to be in the right state is to lock the door at which we stand. By such an address as this the Jews either showed themselves to be in, or brought themselves into, an acceptable recipient condition. There were

1. The solemn recognition of God"s excellency; of his greatness God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God" (ver. 32); of his goodness great mercies" sake;"... "thou art a gracious and merciful God"(ver. 31); of his faithfulness keepest covenant and mercy" (ver. 32); of his justice art just in all that is brought upon us" (ver. 33).

2. Sense of their own ill-desert. "Thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly.

3. Readiness to separate from sin. "The seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers" (ver. 2). "If we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us". (Psa_66:18 Isa_1:15)

4. Preparedness to pledge themselves to his service. The Jews were prepared to "make a sure covenant, and write it and seal it" (ver. 38). Thus, on this occasion, the children of Israel presented themselves before God, and not only showed, as they began to speak reverently and humbly to him, but gained more as they proceeded, a fitting spiritual condition for receiving his Divine communications. It is not by" loud speaking," nor by "much speaking", (Mat_6:7) but rather by asking in a right temper and mode, that we make a forcible and prevailing appeal to the Divine Helper; presenting ourselves before him as suppliants in the spirit of

a. profound reverence,

b. deep humility,

c. genuine consecration.

II REQUEST IN WORDS (vers. 32, 36, 37). "Now therefore, our God,... let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, and on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day" (ver. 32). "Behold," continues this appeal, "we are servants, and the land thou gavest unto our fathers,... we are servants in it: and it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us:... they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress" (vers. 36, 37). This is

(1) a direct appeal to the pitifulness of Jehovah that he would have compassion on them who were slaves in their own land their persons and their property being at the mercy of a foreign prince; it was also

(2) an indirect appeal to his faithfulness and justice. For had not God chastened them very long and very sore? he who had promised to forgive them their iniquities when they returned unto him; he who would not make his punishment to be out of proportion to their offence. They desired to "see the beauty of the Lord" (his righteousness, his equity), that they might be "made glad according to the days wherein he had afflicted them, and the years wherein they had seen evil". (Psa_90:15, Psa_90:17) In making our appeal to God there are two things which will ever be the substance and burden of our plea:

(3) the soreness of our necessity: our weakness, our want, our trouble, our humiliation, our darkness and ignorance, our repeated failure, our distance from the goal and the prize;

(4) the greatness of his goodness: his pitifulness, his patience, his considerateness, his promised mercy, his faithfulness. We may come hopefully to his throne because he is "a gracious and merciful God," pleading his "great mercies" sake" (ver. 31). But more than that, we may come "boldly" to the throne of his grace, because he is One that "keeps covenant" (ver. 32) as well as "mercy," because he has pledged his word to us in Christ Jesus, and he will be "faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. C.

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

Separated - From all unnecessary society with the Heathens, and particularly from those strange women whom some of them had married. For though Ezra had done this formerly, yet, it seems, there were some criminals, without his knowledge, or, these were some new delinquents, that since that time had fallen into the same error, and shewed the truth of their repentance by forsaking their beloved sins, and dearest relations.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

from all the foreigners and from their wives of the heathen nations, as is stated above (Ezra 10).

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.