God’s Word Translation
Nehemiah 13:11
11I reprimanded the leaders. “Why is God’s temple being neglected?” I asked. So I brought the Levites back together and put them back in their places of service.
Nehemiah 13:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
- New International Version (NIV)So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So I confronted the officials and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their stations.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place.
Context of Nehemiah 13:11
9Then I told them to cleanse the rooms, and I put back in there the utensils from God’s temple, the offerings, and the incense. 10I learned that the Levites had not been given their portions. So each of the Levites and singers, who conducted the worship ⌞in the temple⌟, had left for their own fields. I reprimanded the leaders. “Why is God’s temple being neglected?” I asked. So I brought the Levites back together and put them back in their places of service. 12Then all Judah brought a tenth of all the grain harvested, new wine, and olive oil to the storerooms. 13I appointed the following men to be in charge of the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah the Levite, and I appointed Hanan, son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah to help them. Since they could be trusted, I made them responsible for distributing ⌞the portions⌟ to their relatives.
Read all of Nehemiah 13Nehemiah 13:11 word by word
וָאָרִ֙יבָה֙ אֶת־הַסְּגָנִ֔ים וָאֹ֣מְרָ֔ה מַדּ֖וּעַ נֶעֱזַ֣ב בֵּית־הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וָֽאֶ֨קְבְּצֵ֔ם וָֽאַעֲמִדֵ֖ם עַל־עָמְדָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then contendedרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
- I with the rulersסָגָןsâgân · rulerH5461
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Why is the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- forsakenעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: neglectH5800
- And I gathered them togetherקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
- and setעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- them in their placeעֹ֫מֶד‛ômed · postH5977
Cross-references for Nehemiah 13:11
- Nehemiah 13:17I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and asked them, “What is this evil thing you’re doing? How dare you treat the day of rest—a holy day, as unholy!
- Nehemiah 5:6I became furious when I heard their complaint and what they had to say.
- Job 31:34because I dreaded the large, noisy crowd and because the contempt of the ⌞local⌟ mobs terrified me so that I kept quiet and didn’t go outside….
- Proverbs 28:4Those who abandon ⌞God’s⌟ teachings praise wicked people, but those who follow ⌞God’s⌟ teachings oppose wicked people.
- Nehemiah 10:39The Israelites and the Levites should bring into the storerooms their contributions of grain, new wine, and olive oil. They should bring these products to the place where the utensils of the holy place are and where the priests who serve and the gatekeepers and the singers are. We won’t neglect our God’s temple.
- 1 Samuel 2:17The sin of Eli’s sons was a serious matter to the Lord, because these men were treating the offerings made to the Lord with contempt.
- Malachi 3:8“Can a person cheat God? Yet, you are cheating me! “But you ask, ‘How are we cheating you?’ “When ⌞you don’t bring⌟ a tenth of your income and other contributions.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 13:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Why is the house of God forsaken? - They had all solemnly promised, Nehemiah 10:39, that they would never forsake the house of their God; but, alas, how soon is this forgotten! Nehemiah used their own words here by way of reproof.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11I gathered them together - Nehemiah gathered the Levites from their lands, and reinstated them in their set offices.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-14Verses 10-14 If a sacred character will not keep men from setting an evil example, it must not shelter any one from deserved blame and punishment. The Levites had been wronged; their portions had not been given them. They were gone to get livelihoods for themselves and their families, for their profession would not maintain them. A maintenance not sufficient, makes a poor ministry. The work is neglected, because the workmen are. Nehemiah laid the fault…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-12Because Tobiah used the storeroom, there was no space to store tithes for feeding the Levites and temple singers (Numbers 18:21–24; see Nehemiah 12:44, 47). They had to farm outside Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:28–29) to support themselves and could not serve in the temple.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-1410-13. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them--The people, disgusted with the malversations of Eliashib, or the lax and irregular performance of the sacred rites, withheld the tithes, so that the ministers of religion were compelled for their livelihood to withdraw to their patrimonial possessions in the country. The temple services had ceased; all religious duties had fallen into neglect. The money put into the sacred…Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 13:11
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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