Nehemiah 10:34

34 And we cast lots for the office of wood-bearing, the priests, and the Levites, and the people, to bring into the house of our God, according to the house of our families, at certain set times, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law:

Nehemiah 10:34 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 10:34

And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the
people
The priests and Levites were in one lot, and the people in another, as Aben Ezra:

for the wood offering;
for providing wood to burn upon the altar continually, concerning which Maimonides ^F3 thus writes:

``what is the wood offering? there was a time fixed for families to go out unto the forests, and bring in wood of disposition (to be laid in order on the altar); and the day when it came to the turn of a family to bring the wood, they offered up freewill burnt offerings, which were called a wood offering; and it was to them as a good day (or festival), and they were forbid to mourn, fast, or do any work on it;''

and he observes, that if a single person brought wood of his own free will, he was obliged to the same; and Josephus ^F4 speaks of a feast called (culoforia) , when it was customary for all to bring wood to the altar, to keep alive the sacred fire, that it might not go out, which, according to him, was on the fourteenth of the month Lois, or August; but this was not the business of all the people, lots were cast, as here said, who should do it, and when:

to bring it into the house of our God;
the temple, where there was a place called the "wood room", into which the wood was brought after it had been wormed by the priests ^F5

after the houses of our fathers;
or families on whom the lot fell to do it: some render it,

into the house of our fathers,
meaning the same as before; the temple so called, because they built it, and worshipped God in it; so Jarchi and Aben Ezra:

at times appointed, year by year;
as the lot directed; these, according to the Jewish doctors ^F6, were nine times in the year; on the first of Nisan (or March), the sons of Arach, of the tribe of Judah, brought the wood; on the twentieth of Tammuz (or June), the posterity of David, of the tribe of Judah; on the fifth of Ab (or July), the children of Parosh, of the tribe of Judah; on the seventh of the same month, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab; on the tenth of the same month, the posterity of Senaah, of the tribe of Benjamin; on the fifteenth of the same month, the children of Zattu, and with them the priests and Levites, and all who were of an uncertain tribe on the twentieth of the same month, the posterity of Pahathmoab, of the tribe of Judah; on the twentieth of Elul (or August), the children of Adin, of the tribe of Judah; on the first of Tebeth (or December), the posterity of Parosh again brought the wood:

to burn upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the
law;
the wood should be burnt upon it, and fire kept on it continually, ( Leviticus 6:12 Leviticus 6:13 ) , for this refers only to that, the wood offering is nowhere spoken of in the law.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, c. 6. sect. 9, 10. Vid. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Taanith, c. 4. sect. 5.
F4 De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 17. sect. 6.
F5 See Lightfoot's Prospect of the Temple, ch. 25.
F6 Misn. Taanith, c. 4. sect. 5.

Nehemiah 10:34 In-Context

32 And we will impose ordinances upon ourselves, to levy on ourselves the third part of a didrachm yearly for the service of the house of our God;

33 the shewbread, and the continual meat-offering, and for the continual whole-burnt-offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moon, for the feast, and for the holy things, and the sin-offerings, to make atonement for Israel, and for the works of the house of our God.

34 And we cast lots for the office of wood-bearing, the priests, and the Levites, and the people, to bring into the house of our God, according to the house of our families, at certain set times, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law:

35 and to bring the first-fruits of our land, and the first-fruits of the fruit of every tree, year by year, into the house of the Lord:

36 the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the first-born of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, for the priests that minister in the house of our God.