as both Tobiah and his son had married Jewish wives, one or
both of these may have been closely related to the high priest, chap.
vi. 17, 18. So the friendship with the Samaritans had grown; Eliashib
had probably visited Samaria, and had been made much of and royally
entertained by Sanballat and his secretary; and in proportion as his
friendship with the heathen had grown warm, his love and earnestness in
the Lord's service had grown cold.

In the latter part of the Book of Nehemiah we never find Eliashib coming
forward as a helper in any good work. Ezra stands in the huge pulpit to
read the law of God, thirteen of the chief men in Jerusalem stand by
him to help him, but Eliashib the high priest, who surely should have
been well to the front in that pulpit, is conspicuous by his absence.
How could he stand up and read the law to the people, when he knew, and
they knew, that he was not keeping it himself?

Nehemiah draws up a covenant between the people and their God, in which
they promise to obey God and keep His commandments. No less than
eighty-four seals are fastened to that document, but not one of those
seals bears the name of Eliashib.

How could he engage to keep that covenant, one article of which was a
promise to have nothing to do with the heathen, when at the very time he
was living on the most friendly terms with both Sanballat and Tobiah?

Then comes the grand service of dedication, when the city and all it
contained was devoted to God. Not a single mention is made of Eliashib
in the account of the services of the day. Many priests are mentioned by
name, but the high priest, who, we should have expected, would have
taken a prominent part in the proceedings, is never heard of throughout.

Eliashib's connection with the heathen had made him cold and remiss in
the service of God. It is no wonder then that so soon as Nehemiah went
away, and the restraint of his presence was removed, Eliashib did worse
than ever, and at length actually entertained Tobiah in the temple
itself.

But poor Nehemiah had not come to the end of his painful discoveries. He
inquired next what had become of all the stores of corn and wine
belonging to the Levites, all the tithes which the people were
accustomed to bring to the temple for their support, and which, in that
solemn covenant, they had so faithfully promised to supply. Since these
stores have been removed from the place which was built on purpose to
receive them, Nehemiah