God’s Word Translation
Nehemiah 10:31
31If the inhabitants of the land bring merchandise or grain to sell on the day of rest—a holy day, we won’t buy anything from them on the day of rest or any other holy day. During the seventh year, we won’t plant the fields or collect any debts.
Nehemiah 10:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
- New International Version (NIV)“When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.
- New King James Version (NKJV)if the peoples of the land brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year’s produce and the exacting of every debt.
Context of Nehemiah 10:31
29They joined their relatives, the nobles, in binding themselves with a curse and an oath to follow God’s teachings given by Moses, God’s servant. They also bound themselves to follow all the commandments, rules, and regulations of the Lord our Lord. 30We will not allow our daughters to marry the inhabitants of the land or allow their daughters to marry our sons. If the inhabitants of the land bring merchandise or grain to sell on the day of rest—a holy day, we won’t buy anything from them on the day of rest or any other holy day. During the seventh year, we won’t plant the fields or collect any debts. 32Also, we take upon ourselves the obligation to give an eighth of an ounce of silver every year for worship in our God’s temple: 33for rows of the bread of the presence, and for the daily grain offerings and daily burnt offerings, on the weekly days of rest—holy days, and on the New Moon Festivals, and at the appointed annual festivals, for the holy gifts and offerings for sin that make peace with God for Israel, and for all the other work in the temple of our God.
Read all of Nehemiah 10Nehemiah 10:31 word by word
וְעַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֡רֶץ הַֽמְבִיאִים֩ אֶת־הַמַּקָּח֨וֹת וְכָל־שֶׁ֜בֶר בְּי֤וֹם הַשַּׁבָּת֙ לִמְכּ֔וֹר לֹא־נִקַּ֥ח מֵהֶ֛ם בַּשַּׁבָּ֖ת וּבְי֣וֹם קֹ֑דֶשׁ וְנִטֹּ֛שׁ אֶת־הַשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖ית וּמַשָּׁ֥א כָל־יָֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- wareמַקָּחָהmaqqâchâh · wareH4728
- or any victualsשֶׁ֫בֶרsheber · grainH7668
- on the sabbathשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
- dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- to sellמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
- we would not buyלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- or on the holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
- we would leaveנָטַשׁnâţash · to leaveH5203
- the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
- yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- and the exactionמַשָּׂאmaώώâ' · burdenH4853
- of every debtיָדyâd · handH3027
Cross-references for Nehemiah 10:31
- Nehemiah 13:15In those days I saw people in Judah stomping grapes in the winepresses on the day of rest—a holy day. I saw them bringing in loads of wine, grapes, figs, and every other kind of load. They piled the loads on donkeys and brought them into Jerusalem on the day of rest. I warned them about selling food on that day.
- Exodus 20:10The seventh day is the day of rest—a holy day dedicated to the Lord your God. You, your sons, your daughters, your male and female slaves, your cattle, and the foreigners living in your city must never do any work ⌞on that day⌟.
- Leviticus 23:3You may work for six days. But the seventh day is a day of rest, a day when you don’t work, a holy assembly. Don’t do any work. It is the Lord’s day of rest—a holy day wherever you live.
- Deuteronomy 5:12“Observe the day of rest as a holy day. This is what the Lord your God has commanded you.
- Isaiah 58:13If you stop trampling on the day of rest and doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the day of rest a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, if you honor it by not going your own way, by not going out when you want, and by not talking idly,
- Jeremiah 17:21This is what the Lord says: Watch out! If you value your lives, do not carry anything on the day of rest—a holy day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.
- Exodus 12:16You must have a holy assembly on the first day and another one on the seventh. You must not work on these days except to prepare your own meals. That’s all you may do.
- Leviticus 16:29“This will be a permanent law for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month both native Israelites and foreigners must humble themselves. They must do no work.
- Leviticus 23:21Make an announcement that there will be a holy assembly on that same day. Don’t do any regular work. It is a permanent law for generations to come wherever you live.
- Colossians 2:16Therefore, let no one judge you because of what you eat or drink or about the observance of annual holy days, New Moon Festivals, or weekly days of rest—holy days.
- Exodus 23:10“For six years you may plant crops in your fields and harvest them,
- Leviticus 25:4However, the seventh year will be a festival year for the land. It will be a year to honor the Lord. Don’t plant crops in your fields or prune your vineyards.
- 2 Chronicles 36:21This happened so that the Lord’s words spoken through Jeremiah would be fulfilled. The land had its years of rest and was made acceptable ⌞again⌟. While it lay in ruins, ⌞the land had its⌟ 70 years of rest.
- Nehemiah 5:1Then some of the people, the men and their wives, complained publicly about their Jewish relatives.
- Deuteronomy 15:1At the end of every seven years, you must cancel debts.
- Matthew 6:12Forgive us as we forgive others.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 10:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Bring ware - We will most solemnly keep the Sabbath. Leave the seventh year - We will let the land have its Sabbath, and rest every seventh year. See on Exodus 23:10-11; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31Bring ware on the sabbath day - Compare Nehemiah 13:16, where this desecration of the Sabbath is shown to have commonly taken place. Leave the seventh year - i. e., “let the land rest in the sabbatical year” (margin reference) and give up the “pledge-taking” Nehemiah 10:2-10.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31Stopping trade on the Sabbath was important for keeping the covenant (compare Nehemiah 13:15–22; see Exodus 16:29; 20:8–11; 31:15; Numbers 15:32–36; Amos 8:5). Every seventh year: See Exodus 23:10–11; Leviticus 25:2–7; Deuteronomy 15:1–3.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 29-3929-37. to observe and do all the commandments, &c.--This national covenant, besides containing a solemn pledge of obedience to the divine law generally, specified their engagement to some particular duties, which the character and exigency of the times stamped with great urgency and importance, and which may be summed up under the following heads: that they abstain from contracting matrimonial alliances with the heathen; that they would rigidly observe…Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 10:31
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Nehemiah 10
- 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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