God’s Word Translation
Nehemiah 13:20
20Once or twice merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 13:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.
- New International Version (NIV)Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
Context of Nehemiah 13:20
18Isn’t this what your ancestors did, with the results that our God brought all these evils on us and on this city? Now you’re making him even more angry with Israel by treating the day of rest—a holy day, as unholy.” 19Before the day of rest—a holy day, when the gates of Jerusalem were cleared of traffic, I ordered the doors to be shut and not to be reopened until after the day of rest. I stationed some of my men by the gates to make sure that no loads could be brought in on the day of rest. Once or twice merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. 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. 22Then I told the Levites to cleanse themselves and guard the gates to keep the day of rest holy. ⌞Nehemiah prayed,⌟ “Remember me also for this, my God, and spare me, since you are very kind.”
Read all of Nehemiah 13Nehemiah 13:20 word by word
וַיָּלִ֨ינוּ הָרֹכְלִ֜ים וּמֹכְרֵ֧י כָל־מִמְכָּ֛ר מִח֥וּץ לִירוּשָׁלִָ֖ם פַּ֥עַם וּשְׁתָּֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- So the merchantsרָכַלrâkal · to tradeH7402
- and sellersמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
- of all kind of wareמִמְכָּרmimkâr · saleH4465
- lodgedלוּןlûn lîyn · to lodgeH3885
- withoutחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
- Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- onceפַּ֫עַםpa‛am pa‛ămâh · beatH6471
- or twiceשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
Commentaries on Nehemiah 13:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20So the merchants - lodged without Jerusalem - They exposed their wares for sale on the outside of the walls.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. 15-31Nehemiah made two more changes to bring back correct Sabbath observance (Nehemiah 13:15–22) and correct marriage practices (13:23–31). These two sections follow a similar pattern: Nehemiah found a problem, fixed it, and then asked God for a blessing.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 13:20
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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