New English Translation
Nehemiah 13:11
11So I registered a complaint with the leaders, asking “Why is the temple of God neglected?” Then I gathered them and reassigned them to their positions.
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 gave instructions that the storerooms should be purified, and I brought back the equipment of the temple of God, along with the grain offering and the incense. 10I also discovered that the grain offerings for the Levites had not been provided, and that as a result the Levites and the singers who performed this work had all gone off to their fields. So I registered a complaint with the leaders, asking “Why is the temple of God neglected?” Then I gathered them and reassigned them to their positions. 12Then all of Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil to the storerooms. 13I gave instructions that Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a certain Levite named Pedaiah be put in charge of the storerooms, and that Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, be their assistant, for they were regarded as trustworthy. It was then their responsibility to oversee the distribution to their colleagues.
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 13:17So I registered a complaint with the nobles of Judah, saying to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
- Nehemiah 5:6I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints.
- Job 31:34because I was terrified of the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I remained silent and would not go outdoors –
- Proverbs 28:4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law contend with them.
- Nehemiah 10:39The Israelites and the Levites will bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil to the storerooms where the utensils of the sanctuary are kept, and where the priests who minister stay, along with the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the temple of our God.”
- 1 Samuel 2:17The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.
- Malachi 3:8Can a person rob God? You indeed are robbing me, but you say, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and 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
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