Verse 8

Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these [were] a the priests.

(a) Who subscribed to keep the promise.

Verse 28

And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the b Nethinims, and all they that had c separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;

(b) Read (Ezra 2:43).

(c) Who being idolaters forsook their wickedness and gave themselves to serve God.

Verse 29

They d clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a e curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;

(d) They made the oath in the name of the whole multitude.

(e) To which they gave themselves if they broke the law, (Deuteronomy 28:15).

Verse 31

And [if] the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, f [that] we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and [that] we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.

(f) Which nonetheless they broke soon after, (Nehemiah 13:15).

Verse 33

For the g shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy [things], and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and [for] all the work of the house of our God.

(g) This states why they gave this third part of the shekel which was beyond the half shekel that they were required to pay, (Exodus 30:13).

Verse 36

Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as [it is] h written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God:

(h) This rehearsal shows that there was no part or ceremony in the Law, to which they did not bind themselves by covenant.

Verse 37

And [that] we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our i tillage.

(i) Wherever we laboured or worked, there the tithes were due to the Lord both by the law, and according to the oath and covenant that we made.

Verse 39

For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where [are] the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and k we will not forsake the house of our God.

(k) We will not leave it destitute of that which is needed for it.