Christian Standard Bible
Nehemiah 13:6
6While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. It was only later that I asked the king for a leave of absence
Nehemiah 13:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
- New International Version (NIV)But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission
- English Standard Version (ESV)While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king
- New King James Version (NKJV)But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king,
Context of Nehemiah 13:6
4Now before this, the priest Eliashib had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was a relative of Tobiah 5and had prepared a large room for him where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, and the tenths of grain, new wine, and fresh oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests. While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. It was only later that I asked the king for a leave of absence 7so I could return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of God’s house. 8I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the room.
Read all of Nehemiah 13Nehemiah 13:6 word by word
וּבְכָל־זֶ֕ה לֹ֥א הָיִ֖יתִי בִּֽירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם כִּ֡י בִּשְׁנַת֩ שְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים וּשְׁתַּ֜יִם לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֤סְתְּא מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ בָּ֣אתִי אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּלְקֵ֥ץ יָמִ֖ים נִשְׁאַ֥לְתִּי מִן־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- was not I at Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- for in the twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- and thirtiethשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
- yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- of Artaxerxesאַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתָּא'artachshashtâ' 'artachshasht' · ArtaxerxesH783
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- and afterקֵץqêts · endH7093
- certain daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- obtained I leaveשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
Cross-references for Nehemiah 13:6
- Exodus 32:1When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make gods for us who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt — we don’t know what has happened to him!”
- 2 Chronicles 24:17However, after Jehoiada died, the rulers of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them,
- Matthew 13:25But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left.
- Nehemiah 2:1During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,
- Nehemiah 5:14Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah — from the twentieth year until his thirty-second year, twelve years — I and my associates never ate from the food allotted to the governor.
- Nehemiah 2:5and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”
Commentaries on Nehemiah 13:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Was not I at Jerusalem - Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, and remained there till the thirty-second year, twelve years: then returned to Babylon, and staid one year; got leave to revisit his brethren; and found matters as stated in this chapter.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Artaxerxes king of Babylon - See Nehemiah 1:1. Compare Ezra 6:22, where Darius Hystaspis is called “king of Assyria.” After certain days - Or, “at the end of a year,” which is a meaning that the phrase often has Exodus 13:10; Leviticus 25:29-30; Numbers 9:22. Nehemiah probably went to the court at Babylon in 433 B.C., and returned to Jerusalem 432 B.C.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Nehemiah went back to Persia after serving in Jerusalem for twelve years, from 445 to 433 BC. The text does not specify how long he stayed in Persia, but it was likely no more than a year or two. When he returned to Jerusalem, he discovered Tobiah living in the temple storeroom (Nehemiah 13:1–5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-96-9. But in all this was not I at Jerusalem--Eliashib (concluding that, as Nehemiah had departed from Jerusalem, and, on the expiry of his allotted term of absence, had resigned his government, he had gone not to return) began to use great liberties, and, there being none left whose authority or frown he dreaded, allowed himself to do things most unworthy of his sacred office, and which, though in unison with his own irreligious character, he would not…Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 13:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Nehemiah 13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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