And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.
The governor told them that they could not eat the most sacred food until a priest could consult the Urim and Thummim to determine God's will.
The writer is showing how the returned exiles were careful to follow proper religious procedures, even when it meant waiting for divine guidance through the priest's sacred objects.
📚 Historical Context
This verse occurs during the time when Jewish exiles were returning from Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem around 445 BC. The Urim and Thummim were sacred objects used by priests to discern God's will, but they had been lost during the exile. The 'Tirshatha' (meaning 'governor') was likely Nehemiah himself, ensuring that religious purity was maintained even when some people couldn't prove their priestly lineage.
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