John Gill's Exposition on Nehemiah 5:13

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

Also I shook my lap, etc.] The fore skirts of his garment, shaking the dust out of them, as a symbol of what follows; a like rite was used in the case of peace and war, the choice of either, by the Romans, as proposed by their ambassadors to the Carthaginians, as having either in their bosom to shake out f34: and said, so God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour; what he has got by his labour: that performeth not his promise; confirmed by an oath: even thus be he shaken out, and emptied; of all that he has in the world, and out of the world too, as Jarchi adds: and all the congregation said, Amen; so let it be, even those that had taken pledges and usury, as well as others: and praised the Lord; that had given them such a governor to direct, advise, and exhort them to their duty, and had inclined their hearts to attend thereunto: and the people did according to this promise; they punctually kept it, and the oath they had sworn.

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