The Expositor's Bible: Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther

222

Not translating it into the Aramaic dialect. That would have been a superfluous task, for the Jews certainly knew Hebrew at this time. Ezra and Nehemiah and the prophets down to Malachi wrote in Hebrew.

223

Neh. x. 30.

224

Exod. xxxiv. 16.

225

Neh. x. 31.

226

Lev. xxv. 2-7.

227

Neh. x. 35-39.

228

Lev. xxvii. 30; Num. xv. 20 ff., xviii. 11-32.

229

Strictly speaking, the Hexateuch, as "Joshua" was undoubtedly included in the volume. But the familiar term Pentateuch may serve here, as it is to the legal requirements contained in the earlier books that reference is made.

230

Neh. viii. 9.

231

Neh. viii. 14, 15

232

Neh. viii. 12.

233

LXX. Ezra ix. 6-15.

234

Neh. ix. 8.

235

Neh. ix. 31.

236

Neh. ix. 32.

237

Herodotus, vii. 89.

238

Neh. xiii. 13.

239

Neh. xii. 1-7.

240

E.g., Ezra viii. 33; where the high-priest is passed over in silence.

241

Neh. x. 29.

242

Ibid.

243

2 Macc. i. 19-22.

244

Lev. vi. 13.

245

Mal. iii. 8-12.

246

Pages 271-273.

247

קִדּש, Piel of קדשׁ

248

חָנַךְ

249

Deut. xx. 5-7.

250

Neh, iii. 1.

251

Ezra vi. 16.

252

Still in the earlier scene, the dedication of the temple, the sacred use of the building makes the act of initiation to be equivalent to consecration. There the connection gives the special association.

253

Neh. xii. 43.

254

Neh. xiii. 4.

255

Neh. xiii. 6.

256

Neh. x. 31.

257

Neh. xiii. 14.

258

Neh. xiii. 22.

259

Neh. xiii. 31.

260

Esther iv. 14.

261

Ibid.

262

Psalm cxxxvii. 9.

263

On the supposition that the writer is not here recording historical facts in the life of Amestris, the real queen of Xerxes, who we know was not murdered.

264

Esther v. 13.

265

Esther iii. 15.

266

Esther ii. 5, 6.

267

Page 358.

268

John v. 1.