New English Translation
Nehemiah 10:31
31We will not buy on the Sabbath or on a holy day from the neighboring peoples who bring their wares and all kinds of grain to sell on the Sabbath day. We will let the fields lie fallow every seventh year, and we will cancel every loan.
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
29hereby participate with their colleagues the town leaders and enter into a curse and an oath to adhere to the law of God which was given through Moses the servant of God, and to obey carefully all the commandments of the lord our Lord, along with his ordinances and his statutes. 30“We will not give our daughters in marriage to the neighboring peoples, and we will not take their daughters in marriage for our sons. We will not buy on the Sabbath or on a holy day from the neighboring peoples who bring their wares and all kinds of grain to sell on the Sabbath day. We will let the fields lie fallow every seventh year, and we will cancel every loan. 32We accept responsibility for fulfilling the commands to give one third of a shekel each year for the work of the temple of our God, 33for the loaves of presentation and for the regular grain offerings and regular burnt offerings, for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the appointed meetings, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of 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 treading winepresses on the Sabbath, bringing in heaps of grain and loading them onto donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, and bringing them to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them on the day that they sold these provisions.
- Exodus 20:10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates.
- Leviticus 23:3“‘Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy assembly. You must not do any work; it is a Sabbath to the Lord in all the places where you live.
- Deuteronomy 5:12Be careful to observe the Sabbath day just as the Lord your God has commanded you.
- Isaiah 58:13You must observe the Sabbath rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. You must look forward to the Sabbath and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect. You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities, and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals.
- Jeremiah 17:21The Lord says, ‘Be very careful if you value your lives! Do not carry any loads in through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.
- Exodus 12:16On the first day there will be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there will be a holy convocation for you. You must do no work of any kind on them, only what every person will eat – that alone may be prepared for you.
- Leviticus 16:29“This is to be a perpetual statute for you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you must humble yourselves and do no work of any kind, both the native citizen and the foreigner who resides in your midst,
- Leviticus 23:21“‘On this very day you must proclaim an assembly; it is to be a holy assembly for you. You must not do any regular work. This is a perpetual statute in all the places where you live throughout your generations.
- Colossians 2:16Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days –
- Exodus 23:10“For six years you are to sow your land and gather in its produce.
- Leviticus 25:4but in the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath of complete rest – a Sabbath to the Lord. You must not sow your field or prune your vineyard.
- 2 Chronicles 36:21This took place to fulfill the Lord’s message delivered through Jeremiah. The land experienced its sabbatical years; it remained desolate for seventy years, as prophesied.
- Nehemiah 5:1Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.
- Deuteronomy 15:1At the end of every seven years you must declare a cancellation of debts.
- Matthew 6:12and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.
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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