Bible Commentaries
Go deeper in Scripture
Browse trusted public-domain commentary alongside DiscipleDeck Bible study. References inside each commentary open Bible previews in place.
3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Rebuilding of the Wall. (b. c. 445.)
THE REBUILDING OF THE WALL. (B. C. 445.) The best way to know how to divide this chapter is to observe how the work was divided among the undertakers, that every one might know what he had to do, and mind it accordingly…
The Opposition of Sanballat, &c.. (b. c. 445.)
THE OPPOSITION OF SANBALLAT, &C.. (B. C. 445.) Here is, I. The spiteful scornful reflection which Sanballat and Tobiah cast upon the Jews for their attempt to build the wall about Jerusalem. The country rang of it prese…
Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 4:7-15
We have here, I. The conspiracy which the Jews' enemies formed against them, to stay the building by slaying the builders. The conspirators were not only Sanballat and Tobiah, but other neighbouring people whom they had…
The Precautions of Nehemiah. (b. c. 445.)
THE PRECAUTIONS OF NEHEMIAH. (B. C. 445.) When the builders had so far reason to think the design of the enemies broken as to return to their work, yet they were not so secure as to lay down their arms, knowing how rest…
The Complaints of the Poor. (b. c. 445.)
THE COMPLAINTS OF THE POOR. (B. C. 445.) We have here the tears of the oppressed, which Solomon considered, Ecclesiastes 4:1. Let us consider them as here they are dropped before Nehemiah, whose office it was, as govern…
Grievances of the Poor Redressed. (b. c. 445.)
GRIEVANCES OF THE POOR REDRESSED. (B. C. 445.) It should seem the foregoing complaint was made to Nehemiah at the time when he had his head and hands as full as possible of the public business about building the wall; y…
The Generosity of Nehemiah. (b. c. 445.)
THE GENEROSITY OF NEHEMIAH. (B. C. 445.) Nehemiah had mentioned his own practice, as an inducement to the nobles not to burden the poor, no, not with just demands; here he relates more particularly what his practice was…
The Plot of Sanballat, &c. (b. c. 445.)
THE PLOT OF SANBALLAT, &C. (B. C. 445.) Two plots upon Nehemiah we have here an account of, how cunningly they were laid by his enemies and how happily frustrated by God's good providence and his prudence. I. A plot to…
Shemaiah's Plot Defeated. (b. c. 445.)
SHEMAIAH'S PLOT DEFEATED. (B. C. 445.) The Jews' enemies leave no stone unturned, no way untried, to take Nehemiah off from building the wall about Jerusalem. In order to this they had tried to fetch him into the countr…
The Completion of the Wall. (b. c. 445.)
THE COMPLETION OF THE WALL. (B. C. 445.) Nehemiah is here finishing the wall of Jerusalem, and yet still has trouble created him by his enemies. I. Tobiah, and the other adversaries of the Jews, had the mortification to…
The Completion of the Wall. (b. c. 445.)
THE COMPLETION OF THE WALL. (B. C. 445.) God saith concerning his church (Isaiah 62:6), I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem! This is Nehemiah's care here; for dead walls, without living watchmen, are but a p…
The Register of the Captives. (b. c. 445.)
THE REGISTER OF THE CAPTIVES. (B. C. 445.) We have here another good project of Nehemiah's; for wise and zealous men will be always contriving something or other for the glory of God and the edification of his church. H…
The Explanation of the Law. (b. c. 444.)
THE EXPLANATION OF THE LAW. (B. C. 444.) We have here an account of a solemn religious assembly, and the good work that was done in that assembly, to the honour of God and the edification of the church. I. The time of i…
Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 8:9-12
We may here observe, I. How the people were wounded with the words of the law that were read to them. The law works death, and speaks terror, shows men their sins, and their misery and danger because of sin, and thunder…
The Joy of the People. (b. c. 444.)
THE JOY OF THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 444.) We have here, I. The people's renewed attendance upon the word. They had spent the greatest part of one day in praying and hearing, and yet were so far from being weary of that new mo…
The Repentance of the People. (b. c. 444.)
THE REPENTANCE OF THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 444.) We have here a general account of a public fast which the children of Israel kept, probably by order from Nehemiah, by and with the advice and consent of the chief of the fathe…
The Prayer of the Levites. (b. c. 444.)
THE PRAYER OF THE LEVITES. (B. C. 444.) We have here an account how the work of this fast-day was carried on. 1. The names of the ministers that were employed. They are twice named (Nehemiah 9:4-5), only with some varia…
The Sealing of the Covenant. (b. c. 444.)
THE SEALING OF THE COVENANT. (B. C. 444.) When Israel was first brought into covenant with God it was done by sacrifice and the sprinkling of blood, Exodus 24:1-8 But here it was done by the more natural and common way…
The Renewal of Sacred Rites. (b. c. 444.)
THE RENEWAL OF SACRED RITES. (B. C. 444.) Having covenanted against the sins they had been guilty of, they proceed in obliging themselves to revive and observe the duties they had neglected. We must not only cease to do…
The Re-peopling of Jerusalem. (b. c. 444.)
THE RE-PEOPLING OF JERUSALEM. (B. C. 444.) Jerusalem is called here the holy city (Nehemiah 11:1), because there the temple was, and that was the place God had chosen to put his name there; upon this account, one would…
The Distribution of the People. (b. c. 444.)
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 444.) Having given an account of the principal persons that dwelt in Jerusalem (a larger account of whom he had before, 1 Chronicles 9:2-34, &c.), Nehemiah, in these verses, gives…
The Priests and Levites That Returned. (b. c. 444.)
THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES THAT RETURNED. (B. C. 444.) We have here the names, and little more than the names, of a great many priests and Levites, that were eminent in their day among the returned Jews. Why this register…
The Dedication of the Wall. (b. c. 444.)
THE DEDICATION OF THE WALL. (B. C. 444.) We have read of the building of the wall of Jerusalem with a great deal of fear and trembling; we have here an account of the dedicating of it with a great deal of joy and triump…
The People's Attention to Their Duty. (b. c. 444.)
THE PEOPLE'S ATTENTION TO THEIR DUTY. (B. C. 444.) We have here an account of the remaining good effects of the universal joy that was at the dedication of the wall. When the solemnities of a thanksgiving day leave such…