MPV Commentary

Nehemiah Reforms the Officers in the House of God.

The portions allocated to the Levites had not been given to them (10-13). The people were dissatisfied with Eliashib's maladministration and the irregular performance of temple services. As a result, they withheld their tithes, forcing the Levites to leave Jerusalem and return to their family estates in the countryside. Temple services had ceased, and all religious duties had fallen into disuse.

The money collected for the temple treasury had been squandered on an Ammonite heathen, a blatant enemy of God and His people. Nehemiah's return put an end to these scandalous proceedings. He rebuked the priests responsible for managing the temple services, accusing them of neglecting their duties and violating their promises made to him before his departure.

Nehemiah upbraided them with having withheld not only from men what was due to them but also from God by failing to care for His house and service. This rebuke stirred them to a sense of duty and prompted them to express their godly sorrow through renewed devotion to their sacred work. Nehemiah restored the temple services, recalled the dispersed Levites to their duties, and re-established order in the temple.

The people, seeing that their contributions would no longer be misused, willingly brought in their tithes as before. Men of integrity were appointed to oversee the temple treasures, and regularity was re-established in the temple's activities.