In these important public proceedings, which ap pear all to have happened in the first year of his government, Nehemiah enjoyed the assistance of Ezra, who is named on several occasions as taking a prominent part in conducting affairs (ch. viii. 9, 13 ; xii. 36). Ezra had gone up to Jerusalem thirteen years before according to some, or thirty three years according to others ; but on either reckoning, without supposing unusual longevity, he might well have lived to be Nehemiah's fellow labourer [EntA]. These contemporaries are alike eminent among the benefactors of the Jewish people—alike patriotic and zealous, though not uniform in character, or the same in operation. In the character of Ezra we find no indication of the self-complacency which forms a marked feature in that of Nehemiah. The former, in accordance with his priestly calling, laboured chiefly in pro moting the interests of religion, but the latter had most to do with the general affairs of government ; the one was in charge of the temple, the other of the state.
Nehemiah, at the close of his successful admini stration, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king' (ch. v. 14), returned to Babylon in the year B.C. 432, and resumed, as some think, his duties as royal cup bearer.
He returned, however, after a while, to Jeru salem, where his services became again requisite, in consequence of abuses that had crept in during his absence. His stay at the court of Artaxerxes was not very long (certainly not above nine years) ; for after certain days he obtained leave of the king and came to Jerusalem' (ch. xiii. 6, 7). The phrase after certain days' (n+n+ at the end of days) is indeed quite vague, and hence many take it, as in our common biblical chronology, for the space of one year, while others, on the con trary, reckon it a period of about twenty years, and so consider the return to have happened about B.C. 410 (Prideaux, i. 52o; Jahn, Einleitung ins A. Test., ii. 288 ; Winer, Real-worterbuch). But the former reckoning appears too short, for it is exceedingly improbable that affairs could fall into such confusion had Nehemiah been absent only one year ; and the latter, though it has much in its favour, is too long, for it makes Nehemiah return after the death of the very king from whom he obtained leave to go back. Artaxerxes Longi manus died in B.C. 423, having reigned forty-one years ; and hence Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem cannot be dated later than B.C. 423, which allows only nine years for his stay at Babylon. If, then, we date his return about B.C. 424, we at once bring it within the reign of Artaxerxes, and allow time enough for abuses to creep in during his absence, or at least for the particular abuse which is ex pregsly named (ch. xiii. 4-9) as having actually arisen (Havernick, Einleituns- ins A. Test., ii. 324).
After his return to the government of Judsea, Nehemiah enforced the separation of all the mixed multitude from Israel (ch. xiii. 1.3) ; and accord
ingly expelled Tobiah the Ammonite from the chamber which the high-priest, Eliashib, had prepared for him in the temple (ch. xiii. 4-9).
Better arrangements were also made for the sup port of the temple-service (ch. xiii. to-14), and for the rigid observance of the Sabbath (ch. xiii. 15-22). One of the last acts of his government was an effort to put an end to mixed marriages, which led him to chase' away a son of Joiada the high-priest, because he was son-in-law to Sanballat the Heronite (ch. xiii. 23-29). The duration of this second administration cannot be determined : only it is evident that Joiada was high-priest during that period. Now Joiada, according to some chronologists, succeeded his father Eliashib in the year B.C. 413 ; and hence we may gather that Nehemiah's second rule lasted at least ten years, namely, from B.C. 424 to 413. It is not unlikely that he remained at his post till about the year B.C. 405, towards the close of the reign of Darius Nothus, who is generally supposed to be Darius the Persian,' mentioned in ch. xii. 22 [DARIus]. At this time Nehemiah would be between sixty and seventy years old, if we suppose him (as most do) to have been only between twenty and thirty when he first went to Jerusalem. That he lived to be an old man is thus quite probable from the sacred history ; and this is expressly declared by Josephus, who (A/dig. xi. 5. 6) states that he died at an advanced age (cis 'yi3pas etOcK6e.cevos), Of the place and year of his death nothing is known.
Besides the account in Josephus, there are some notices of Nehemiah in the Apocrypha. The Son of Sirach (ch. xlix. 13) mentions him with great honour as the rebuilder AI the city walls ; and in 2 Maccab. i. 19-36, he is said to have discovered the holy fire that had been concealed by Jeremiah the prophet, at the destruction of the temple, which is clearly a mere legend. In 2 Maccab. ii. 13, he is said to have formed a library, and collected the books of the kings and prophets, and of David ; and hence some think it probable that he was con cerned in forming the canon of Hebrew Scriptures —which is quite credible [CANON].
Two titles are given to Nehemiah, expressive of his office. One is run, pethan (ch. xii. 26), which is translated 'governor.' It is considered a Persian word, meaning friend or assistant of a king, and of the same origin as pasha, still used for the governor of a Turkish province. The other is Nrivin, hrshatha, in ch. viii. 9, which might also be trans lated governor,' as it comes probably from a Persian word, meaning severe or stern, and hence applicable to a ruler ; or perhaps from a Zend root meaning to command. But in Neh. vii. 65, 7o, this title denotes not Nehemiah, but Zerub babel, as is evident from Ezra ii. 63-70.—B. D.