Nehemiah 10:29

“They clave to their brethren, their nobles, etc.] Who had signed and sealed the covenant, they declared their approbation of it, attended to it, and ratified what they had done in their name: and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God; they bound themselves with an oath that they would keep the law of God, and added a curse or imprecation on themselves to it should they break it; or, according to Piscator, they went into the space between the two pieces of the calf, which they cut asunder for the confirmation of the covenant, and so they cursed themselves if they should break it, (see <243418>Jeremiah 34:18) and to observe…”

“POINTS OF THE COVENANT. (Neh 10:29-39) to observe and do all the commandments, &c.--This national covenant, besides containing a solemn pledge of obedience to the divine law generally, specified their engagement to some particular duties, which the character and exigency of the times stamped with great urgency and importance, and which may be summed up under the following heads: that they abstain from contracting matrimonial alliances with the heathen; that they would rigidly observe the sabbath; that they would let the land enjoy rest and remit debts every seventh year; that they would contribute to the maintenance of the temple service, the necessary expenses of which had formerly been…”

“Their nobles - The commonality agreed with the nobles in this good work, great men never look so great, as when they encourage religion and are examples of it: and they would by that, as much as any thing, make an interest in the most valuable of their inferiors, who would cleave to them closer than they can imagine. Observe their nobles are called their brethren; for in the things of God, rich and poor, high and low meet together. They cleave - They ratified what the others had done in their names, declaring their assent to it. Nehemiah 10:31”

“10:29 swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law: Cp. Lev 26:14-35; Deut 28:15-62.”

“clave: Isa 14:1; Act 11:23, Act 17:34; Rom 12:9 entered: Neh 5:12, Neh 5:13, Neh 13:25; Deu 27:15-26, Deu 29:12-14; Ch2 15:13, Ch2 15:14; Psa 119:106; Act 23:12-15, Act 23:21 to walk: Kg2 10:31, Kg2 23:3; Ch2 6:16, Ch2 34:31; Jer 26:4 given: Deu 33:4; Mal 4:4; Joh 1:17, Joh 7:19 by: Heb. by the hand of to observe: Deu 5:1, Deu 5:32; Psa 105:45; Eze 36:27; Joh 15:14; Tit 2:11-14 the Lord: Psa 8:1, Psa 8:9 Nehemiah 10:30”

“(10:30-33) All the members of the community acceded to the agreement thus signed by the princes of the people, and the heads of the priests and Levites, and bound themselves by an oath to walk in the law of the Lord, and to separate themselves from the heathen. Neh 10:29 And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the door-keepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, all who had knowledge and understanding, held with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into an oath and curse, etc. מצזיקים is the predicate of the subjects in Neh 10:29 : they were holding…”