God’s Word Translation
Nehemiah 13:15
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.
Nehemiah 13:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
- New International Version (NIV)In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day.
- English Standard Version (ESV)In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food.
- New King James Version (NKJV)In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions.
Context of Nehemiah 13:15
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. 14⌞Nehemiah prayed,⌟ “Remember me for what I have done, my God, and don’t wipe out the good things that I have done for your temple and for the worship that is held there.” In 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. 16People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of goods. They were selling them on the day of rest—a holy day, to the people of Judah, even in Jerusalem. 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!
Read all of Nehemiah 13Nehemiah 13:15 word by word
בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֡מָּה רָאִ֣יתִי בִֽיהוּדָ֣ה׀ דֹּֽרְכִֽים־גִּתּ֣וֹת׀ בַּשַּׁבָּ֡ת וּמְבִיאִ֣ים הָעֲרֵמ֣וֹת וְֽעֹמְסִ֪ים עַל־הַחֲמֹרִ֟ים וְאַף־יַ֜יִן עֲנָבִ֤ים וּתְאֵנִים֙ וְכָל־מַשָּׂ֔א וּמְבִיאִ֥ים יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם בְּי֣וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת וָאָעִ֕יד בְּי֖וֹם מִכְרָ֥ם צָֽיִד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- In those daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- I in Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- treadingדָּרַךְdârak · to treadH1869
- wine pressesגַּתgath · wine pressH1660
- on the sabbathשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
- and bringing inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- sheavesעֲרֵמָה‛ârêm ‛ărêmâh · heapH6194
- and ladingעָמַס‛âmas ‛âmaώ · loadH6006
- assesחֲמוֹרchămôr chămôr · donkeyH2543
- as also wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
- grapesעֵנָב‛ênâb · grapeH6025
- and figsתְּאֵנָהte'ên te'ênâh · figH8384
- burdensמַשָּׂאmaώώâ' · burdenH4853
- into Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- and I testifiedעוּד‛ûd · to testifyH5749
- wherein they soldמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
- victualsצַ֫יִדtsayid · foodH6718
Cross-references for Nehemiah 13:15
- Exodus 20:8“Remember the day of rest by observing it as a holy day.
- Exodus 34:21“You may work six days, but on the seventh day you must not work. Even during the time of plowing or harvesting you must not work ⌞on this day⌟.
- Exodus 35:2You may work for six days, but the seventh day is a holy day of rest, a day when you don’t work. It is dedicated to the Lord. Whoever does any work on this day should be put to death.
- 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,
- Ezekiel 20:13“ ‘But the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They didn’t live by my laws, and they rejected my rules. If people obey them, they will live. They dishonored the days of rest—holy days on which to worship me. So I was going to pour out my fury on them in the desert and completely wipe them out.
- Nehemiah 10:31If 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.
- Numbers 15:32While the Israelites were in the desert, they found a man gathering wood on the day of rest—a holy day.
- 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.
- Nehemiah 13:21I warned them. “Why are you spending the night in front of the wall?” I asked them. “If you do it again, I’ll arrest you.” After that, they no longer came on the day of rest—a holy day.
- Nehemiah 9:29You warned them in order to bring them back to your teachings, but they became arrogant and would not obey your commandments. They sinned by not following your regulations. If anyone follows them, he will find life in them. But they gave you the cold shoulder, became impossible to deal with, and wouldn’t listen.
- Deuteronomy 8:19I warn you today that if you forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, and if you serve them and bow down to them, you will certainly be destroyed.
- 2 Chronicles 24:19The Lord sent them prophets to bring them back to himself. The prophets warned them, but they wouldn’t listen.
- Psalms 50:7“Listen, my people, and I will speak. Listen, Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God!
- Jeremiah 42:19“The Lord has told you people who are left in Judah not to go to Egypt. You need to know that I am warning you today.
- Micah 6:3“My people, what have I done to you? How have I tried your patience? Answer me!
- Acts 2:40Peter said much more to warn them. He urged, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Commentaries on Nehemiah 13:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Treading wine-presses - The Sabbath appears to have been totally disregarded.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15The desecration of the Sabbath is first brought into prominence among the sins of the Jewish people by Jeremiah Jeremiah 17:21-27. It could not but have gained ground during the captivity, when foreign masters would not have allowed the cessation of labor for one day in seven. On the return from the captivity, the sabbatical rest appears to have been one of the institutions most difficult to re-establish. In the day - Some render, “concerning the day.”Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-22Verses 15-22 The keeping holy the Lord's day forms an important object for their attention who would promote true godliness. Religion never prospers while sabbaths are trodden under foot. No wonder there was a general decay of religion, and corruption of manners among the Jews, when they forsook the sanctuary and profaned the sabbath. Those little consider what an evil they do, who profane the sabbath. We must answer for the sins others are led to commit…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16People were to stop working on the Sabbath to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8–11; 31:14–17; 35:2–3; Jeremiah 17:19–27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-3115-22. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath--The cessation of the temple services had been necessarily followed by a public profanation of the Sabbath, and this had gone so far that labor was carried on in the fields, and fish brought to the markets on the sacred day. Nehemiah took the decisive step of ordering the city gates to be shut, and not to be opened, till the Sabbath was past; and in order to ensure the faithful…Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 13:15
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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