1 A solemn fast, and repentance of the people
4 The Levites make a religious confession of God's goodness, and their wickedness

Now (On the first of this month was the feast of trumpets; on the tenth, the day of atonement; on the fourteenth began the feast of tabernacles, which lasted seven days, ending on the twenty- second; on the twenty-third, they separated themselves from their illegitimate wives; and on the twenty-fourth, they held a solemn day of fasting and confession of sin, and reading the law; the whole of which they closed by renewing their covenants.)

twenty Le 23:34,39 2Ch 7:10

of this month 8:2

children Jud 20:26 2Ch 20:3 Ezr 8:23 Es 4:3,16 Isa 22:12 Joe 1:13,14, Joe 2:15-17 Jon 3:5-8 Ac 13:2,3

earth Jos 7:6 1Sa 4:12 2Sa 1:2 Job 2:12

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

the seed 13:3,30 Ezr 9:2 10:11

strangers. Heb. strange children Ps 144:7,11 Isa 2:6 Ho 5:7

confessed 1:6 Le 26:39,40 Ezr 9:6,7,15 Ps 106:6,7 Da 9:3-10,20 1Jo 1:7-9

3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.

they stood 8:4,7,8

one fourth 8:3

4 Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God.

stairs. or, scaffold. Jeshua 5

See on 8:7 10:9-13 12:8

cried 2Ch 20:19 Ps 3:4 77:1 130:1 La 3:8 Joh 11:43 Ac 7:60

5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

Stand up 1Ki 8:14,22 2Ch 20:13,19 Ps 134:1-3 135:1-3

bless 1Ch 29:20 Ezr 3:11 Ps 103:1,2 117:1,2 145:2 146:2 Jer 33:10,11 Mt 11:25 Eph 3:20,21 1Pe 1:3

thy glorious Ex 15:6,11 De 28:58 1Ch 29:13 Ps 72:18,19 145:5,11,12 2Co 4:6

exalted 1Ki 8:27 1Ch 29:11 Ps 16:2 106:2

6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

even thou De 6:4 2Ki 19:15,19 Ps 86:10 Isa 37:16,20 43:10 44:6,8 Mr 12:29 Mr 12:30 Joh 10:30

thou hast Ge 1:1 2:1 Eze 20:11 Ps 33:6 136:5-9 146:6 Jer 10:11,12 Col 1:15 Col 1:16 Re 4:11 14:7

the heaven De 10:14 1Ki 8:27

preservest Ps 36:6 Col 1:17 Heb 1:3

the host Ge 2:1 32:2 1Ki 22:19 Ps 103:21 148:2-4 Isa 6:2,3 Heb 1:6 Re 5:11-13

7 Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;

choose Ge 12:1,2 De 10:15 Jos 24:2,3 Isa 41:8,9 51:2

Ur Ge 11:31 15:7 Ac 7:2-4

gavest Ge 17:5

8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:

foundest Ge 12:1-3 15:6,18 22:12 Ac 13:22 1Ti 1:12,13 Heb 11:17 Jas 2:21-23

madest Ge 12:7 15:18 17:7,8 22:16-18 De 7:8,9 9:5 Ps 105:8,9 Lu 1:72,73

the Canaanites Ge 15:18-21 Ex 3:8,17 De 7:1 Jos 9:1 11:3

hast performed De 26:3 Jos 11:23 21:43-45 23:14 Ps 105:43,44

righteous Nu 23:19 Ps 92:14,15 Tit 1:2 Heb 6:18 1Jo 1:9

9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

didst see Ex 2:25 3:7-9,16 Ac 7:34

heardest Ex 14:10-12

10 And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.

shewedst Ex 7:1-25 14:1-31 De 4:34 11:3,4 Ps 78:12,13,43-53 105:27-37 Ps 106:7-11 135:8,9 136:10-15 Ac 7:36

they Ex 5:2,7,8 9:17 10:3 18:11 Job 40:11,12 Da 4:37 5:23 1Pe 5:5

didst Ex 9:16 Jos 2:10,11 Ps 83:18 Isa 63:12,14 Jer 32:20 Eze 20:9 Da 9:15 Ro 9:17

11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

divide Ex 14:21,22,27,28 Ps 66:6 78:13 114:3-5 136:13-15 Isa 63:11-13

their persecutors Ex 15:1-21 Ps 106:9-11 Heb 11:29

as a stone Ex 15:5,10 Re 18:21

12 Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

thou leddest 19 Ex 13:21,22 14:19,20 Ps 78:14 105:39

in the way Ps 107:7 143:8

13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:

camest Ex 19:11,16-20 De 33:2 Isa 64:1,3 Hab 3:3

spakest Ex 20:1,22 De 4:10-13,33 5:4,22-26 Heb 12:18-26

gavest De 4:8 10:12,13 Ps 19:7-11 119:127,128 Eze 20:11-13 Ro 7:12-14 Ro 7:16

true laws. Heb. laws of truth Ps 119:160

14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:

madest Ge 2:3 Ex 16:29 20:8-11 Eze 20:12,20

commandedst Ex 21:1-23:33 Le 27:34 De 4:5,45 5:31

Moses 1:8 Joh 1:17

15 And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

gavest Ex 16:4,14,15 De 8:3,16 Ps 78:24,25 105:40 Joh 6:31-35 1Co 10:3

broughtest 20 Ex 17:6 Nu 20:7-11 De 8:15 Ps 77:15-20 105:41 114:8 1Co 10:4

go De 1:8 Jos 1:2-4

sworn. Heb. lift up thine hand Ge 14:22 Nu 14:30 Eze 20:15

16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,

dealt. See on 10,29 Ex 32:9 De 9:6,13,23,24,27 32:15 Ps 78:8 106:6 Isa 63:10 Jer 2:31 Ac 7:51

hardened De 31:27 2Ki 17:14 2Ch 30:8 36:13 Ps 95:8-10 Pr 29:1 Isa 48:4 Jer 19:15 Ro 2:5 Heb 3:13,15

hearkened Ex 15:26 De 5:29 Ps 81:8,11-14 Isa 48:18 (There were two things to which the Israelites did not duly give heed, else they had not done as they did. The word of God they heard, but they gave no heed to God's commandments: and the works of God they saw, but were not mindful of his wonders. Had they really considered them as miracles, they would have obeyed from a principle of faith and holy fear: had they duly considered them as mercies, they would have obeyed from a principle of gratitude and holy love.)

17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

refused Nu 14:3,4,11,41 16:14 Ps 106:24,25 Pr 1:24 Heb 12:25

mindful Ps 78:11,42,43 86:5,15 106:7,13 Mt 16:9-11 2Pe 1:12-15

in their rebellion (Instead of bemiryam, 'in their rebellion,' seven MSS., one edition, and the LXX., have bemitzrayim, 'in Egypt:' 'appointed a captain to return to their bondage in Egypt.')

appointed Nu 14:4 Ac 7:39

a God Nu 14:18,19 Ps 86:5,15 130:4 Mic 7:18,19

ready to pardon. Heb. of pardons. gracious Ex 34:6,7 Ps 78:38 103:8-18 145:8,9 Isa 55:7-9 Joe 2:13 Ro 9:15 Eph 1:6,7

forsookest 1Ki 6:13 8:57 Ps 106:43-46

18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

Ex 32:4-8,31,32 De 9:12-16 Ps 106:19-23 Eze 20:7

etc.

19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

in thy 27 1Sa 12:22 Ps 106:7,8,45 Isa 44:21 La 3:22 Eze 20:14,22 Da 9:9,18 Mal 3:6

the pillar. See on 12 Ex 13:21,22 40:38 Nu 9:15-22 14:14 Isa 4:5,6 1Co 10:1,2

20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

gavest 30 Nu 11:17,25-29 Isa 63:11-14

good Ps 143:10 Ro 15:30 Ga 5:22,23 Eph 5:9 2Pe 1:21

withheldest Ex 16:15,35 Jos 5:12

gavest Ex 17:6 Ps 105:41 Isa 41:17,18 48:21 49:10 Joh 4:10,14 7:37-39

21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

forty Ex 16:35 Nu 14:33,34 De 2:7 8:2 Am 5:25 Ac 13:18

their De 8:4 29:5 Ps 34:10

22 Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

thou Jos 10:11 Ps 78:65 105:44

divide De 32:26 Jos 11:23

Sihon Nu 21:21-35 De 2:26-36 3:1-17 Ps 135:10-12 136:17-22

23 Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.

multipliedst Ge 15:5 22:17 1Ch 27:23

broughtest Jos 1:1-3:17

which thou Ge 12:7 13:15-17 15:18 17:8 26:3

24 So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

So the Nu 14:31 Jos 21:43,45

thou subduedst Jos 18:1 1Ch 22:18 Ps 44:2,3

as they would. Heb. according to their will 2Ti 2:26

25 And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

strong Nu 13:27,28 De 3:5 6:10-12 9:1-3

a fat land 35 De 8:7-10 32:13 Eze 20:6

wells. or, cisterns. fruit trees. Heb. trees of food. did eat De 32:15 Ps 65:11 Isa 6:10 Jer 5:27,28 Ho 13:6

and became fat (They became effeminate, fell under the power of luxury, got totally corrupted in their manners, sinned against all the mercies of God, and then were destroyed by His judgments.)

delighted 1Ki 8:66 Jer 31:14 Ho 3:5 Ro 2:4

26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

they were Jud 2:11,12 3:6,7 10:6,13,14 Ps 78:56,57 106:34-40 Eze 16:15 Eze 20:21 23:4

cast thy law 1Ki 14:9 Ps 50:17 Eze 33:3-5

slew 1Ki 18:4,13 19:10 2Ch 24:20,21 36:16 Jer 26:20-23 Mt 21:35 23:34-37 Ac 7:52

wrought 18 2Ki 21:11 Eze 22:25-31

27 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

thou deliveredst De 31:16-18 Jud 2:14,15 3:8 2Ch 36:17 Ps 106:41,42 Da 9:10-14

in the time De 4:29-31 Jud 3:15 6:6-10 10:15,16 Ps 106:43-45

saviours Jud 2:18 3:9-15 1Sa 12:10,11 2Ki 13:5 14:27 Ob 1:21

28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the land of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;

did evil again. Heb. returned to do evil Jud 3:11,12,30 4:1 5:31 6:1

heardest 1Ki 8:33,34,39 Isa 63:15

many times Ps 106:43-45

29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

testifiedst 26 De 4:26 31:21 2Ki 17:13 2Ch 24:19 36:15 Jer 25:3-7 Ho 6:5

yet they 10,16 Ex 10:3 Jer 13:15-17 43:2 44:10,16,17 Da 5:20 Jas 4:6-10

which Le 18:5 Eze 20:11 Lu 10:28 Ro 10:5 Ga 3:12

withdrew the shoulder. Heb. gave a withdrawing shoulder Zec 7:11,12

and hardened. See on Jer 7:26 17:23 19:15

30 Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.

many years Ps 86:15 Ro 2:4 2Pe 3:9

forbear them. Heb. protract over them. testifiedst 2Ki 17:13 2Ch 36:15 Jer 7:25 25:4

by thy spirit 20 Isa 63:10 Ac 7:51 28:25 1Pe 1:11 2Pe 1:21

thy prophets. Heb. the hand of thy prophets. therefore Isa 5:5,6 42:24 Jer 40:2,3 44:22 La 2:17 Zec 7:13

31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

for thy great. Jer 4:27 5:10,18 La 3:22 Eze 14:22,23 Da 9:9

gracious. See on 17 Ex 34:6,7 2Ki 13:23 2Ch 30:9 Ps 103:8,9 145:8,9

32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, 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.

our God. 1:5 De 7:21 Ps 47:2 66:3,5

keepest. De 7:9 1Ki 8:23 Da 9:4 Mic 7:18-20

trouble. Heb. weariness. little before thee. Le 26:18,21,24,28 Ezr 9:13

come upon us. Heb. found us. on our kings. 2Ki 23:29,33,34 25:7,18-21,25,26 2Ch 36:1-23 Jer 8:1-3 22:18,19 Jer 34:19-22 39:1-18 52:1-34 Da 9:6,8

since the time. 2Ki 15:19,29 17:3 Isa 7:17,18 8:7,8 10:5-7 36:1-37:38

33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:

Howbeit. Ge 18:25 Job 34:23 Ps 119:137 145:17 Jer 12:1 La 1:18 Da 9:5-14

but we. Le 26:40,41 Job 33:27 Ps 106:6 Da 9:5-10

34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

nor hearkened. Jer 29:19

thy testimonies. 30 2Ki 17:15

thou didst. De 31:21 2Ki 17:13

35 For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.

For they. De 28:47 Jer 5:19 Ro 3:4,5

in their kingdom. Instead of {bemalkuthom,} 'in their kingdom,' {bemalkuthecha,} 'in thy kingdom,' is the reading of two of Dr. Kennicott's MSS., LXX., Syriac, and Arabic.

thy great. 25

fat land. De 8:7-10 31:21 32:12-15

36 Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:

De 28:48 2Ch 12:8 Ezr 9:9

37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

it yieldeth. De 28:33,39,51 Ezr 4:13 6:8 7:24

dominion. 5:8 Le 26:17 De 28:48 Joh 8:33

38 And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

we make. 10:29 2Ki 23:3 2Ch 15:12,13 23:16 29:10 34:31 Ezr 10:3

seal unto it. Heb. are at the sealing, or sealed. 10:1