Nehemiah 13:4

Nehemiah 13:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:
• New International Version (NIV)Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah,
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah.

Context of Nehemiah 13:4

2This was because they had not given the Israelites food and water. Instead, they had paid Balaam to curse the Israelites. But God did not agree to curse them. He blessed them instead. 3When the Israelite people heard this law, they sent away all the people who had foreign ancestors. Before this happened, I had given Eliashib the priest authority over the temple rooms where they stored special things. Eliashib was a friend of Tobiah. 5Eliashib let Tobiah use one of these rooms in the temple. It was a large room where they had stored the grain offerings, the incense and the special plates and tools that they used in the temple. They also stored the tithes of grain, wine and olive oil in that room. These gifts were for the Levites, the temple singers and guards, and also for the priests. 6But when this happened, I was not in Jerusalem. In the 32nd year that King Artaxerxes ruled in Babylon, I had returned to visit him. After I had been there for some time, I asked the king to let me return to Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 13:4 word by word

וְלִפְנֵ֣י מִזֶּ֔ה אֶלְיָשִׁיב֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן נָת֖וּן בְּלִשְׁכַּ֣ת בֵּית־אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ קָר֖וֹב לְטוֹבִיָּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• this, Eliashibאֶלְיָשִׁיב'elyâshîyb · EliashibH475
• the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• having the oversightנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• of the chamberלִשְׁכָּהlishkâh · chamberH3957
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• of our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• alliedקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
• unto Tobiahטוֹבִיָּ֫הוּţôbîyâh ţôbîyâhû · TobiahH2900

Cross-references for Nehemiah 13:4

• Nehemiah 13:7When I arrived back in Jerusalem, I heard about the evil thing that Eliashib had done. He had given Tobiah a large room in the yards of God's temple.
• Nehemiah 12:10Jeshua was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada,
• Nehemiah 12:44On the same day, we chose men to take care of the rooms where they stored the people's gifts. Those gifts to God were the first fruits from the harvest and the tithes. They had to bring these gifts from the fields near each city. They read this in the law. They were gifts for the Levites and the priests, as God's Law commanded. The people of Judah were happy to help the priests and Levites who served God.
• Nehemiah 13:28Joiada was the son of Eliashib, the leader of the priests. One of Joiada's sons had married a daughter of Sanballat, who came from Horon. I sent Joiada's son away from Jerusalem.
• Nehemiah 6:17During this time, the leaders in Judah were sending letters to Tobiah. Tobiah was also sending his replies to them.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 13:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Eliashib the priest - Perhaps this was a different person from Eliashib the high priest; but there is no indubitable evidence that he was not the same. If he was high priest, he was very unfaithful to the high charge which he had received; and a reproach to the priesthood. He had married his grandson to Sanballat's daughter: this produced a connection with Tobiah, the fast friend of Sanballat; in whose favor he polluted the house of God, giving him one of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The relations of Eliashib, the high priest Nehemiah 3:1, with Tobiah and Sanballat will account for the absence of any reference to him either in 1 Kings 6:5-10. Allied - i. e, “connected by marriage.” Tobiah was married to a Jewess Nehemiah 6:18, who may have been a relation of Eliashib; and his son Johanan was married to another Nehemiah 6:18, of whom the same may be said.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5Eliashib’s family married into the families of Sanballat (Nehemiah 13:28) and Tobiah. These men were enemies of the Jewish community (Nehemiah 2:10, 19; 4:1). Tobiah's use of the storeroom reduced space for storing tithes and gifts for temple workers (compare Nehemiah 10:39; 13:10–12; 2 Chronicles 31:11) and limited space for supplies needed for regular worship at the temple (Leviticus 2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-54-5. before this--The practice of these mixed marriages, in open neglect or violation of the law, had become so common, that even the pontifical house, which ought to have set a better example, was polluted by such an impure mixture. Eliashib the priest ... was allied unto Tobiah--This person was the high priest (Ne 13:28; also Ne 3:1), who, by virtue of his dignified office, had the superintendence and control of the apartments attached to the temple…Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 13:4

• Eliashib
• Minister, Christian
• Priest
• Tobiah

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Contend
• Outlandish
• Testify
• Understand
• Allied
• Eliashib
• Priest, High
• Temple

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