New English Translation
Nehemiah 13:22
22Then I directed the Levites to purify themselves and come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. For this please remember me, O my God, and have pity on me in keeping with your great love.
Nehemiah 13:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.
- New International Version (NIV)Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!
Context of Nehemiah 13:22
20The traders and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you repeat this, I will forcibly remove you!” From that time on they did not show up on the Sabbath. Then I directed the Levites to purify themselves and come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. For this please remember me, O my God, and have pity on me in keeping with your great love. 23Also in those days I saw the men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod (or the language of one of the other peoples mentioned) and were unable to speak the language of Judah.
Read all of Nehemiah 13Nehemiah 13:22 word by word
וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לַלְוִיִּ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִֽהְי֤וּ מִֽטַּהֲרִים֙ וּבָאִים֙ שֹׁמְרִ֣ים הַשְּׁעָרִ֔ים לְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֶת־י֣וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת גַּם־זֹאת֙ זָכְרָה־לִּ֣י אֱלֹהַ֔י וְח֥וּסָה עָלַ֖י כְּרֹ֥ב חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I commandedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
- that they should cleanseטָהֵרţâhêr · be pureH2891
- they should comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
- the gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- to sanctifyקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: consecateH6942
- the sabbathשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
- dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- Rememberזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
- me, O my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- this also, and spareחוּסchûs · to pityH2347
- me according to the greatnessרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
- of thy mercyחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
Cross-references for Nehemiah 13:22
- Nehemiah 7:64They searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but none were found. They were therefore excluded from the priesthood.
- Nehemiah 12:30When the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
- 2 Kings 23:4The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the high-ranking priests, and the guards to bring out of the Lord’s temple all the items that were used in the worship of Baal, Asherah, and all the stars of the sky. The king burned them outside of Jerusalem in the terraces of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.
- 1 Chronicles 15:12He told them: “You are the leaders of the Levites’ families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves and bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel up to the place I have prepared for it.
- 2 Chronicles 29:4He brought in the priests and Levites and assembled them in the square on the east side.
- Isaiah 49:23Kings will be your children’s guardians; their princesses will nurse your children. With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you and they will lick the dirt on your feet. Then you will recognize that I am the Lord; those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.
- Nehemiah 12:10Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim was the father of Eliashib, Eliashib was the father of Joiada,
- Deuteronomy 5:12Be careful to observe the Sabbath day just as the Lord your God has commanded you.
- Nehemiah 13:14Please remember me for this, O my God, and do not wipe out the kindness that I have done for the temple of my God and for its services!
- Nehemiah 5:19Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
- Psalms 132:1O Lord, for David’s sake remember all his strenuous effort,
- Isaiah 38:3“Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, and how I have carried out your will.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.
- 2 Corinthians 1:12For our reason for confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God – not by human wisdom but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more toward you.
- 2 Timothy 4:7I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith!
- Psalms 25:6Remember your compassionate and faithful deeds, O Lord, for you have always acted in this manner.
- Psalms 51:1Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love! Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts!
Commentaries on Nehemiah 13:22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy - By some Nehemiah has been thought to deal with God too much on the principle of merit. That he wished God to remember him for good, is sufficiently evident; and who does not wish the same? But that he expected heaven because of his good deeds, does not appear. Indeed, the concluding clause of this verse proves the contrary, and shows that he expected nothing from God but through the greatness of his…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22I commanded the Levites - At first Nehemiah had employed his own retinue Nehemiah 13:19 in the work of keeping the gates. He now assigned the duty to the Levites, as one which properly belonged to them, since the object of the regulation was the due observance of the Sabbath.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. 22show me mercy: Nehemiah's prayer suggests he felt the pressure of this unpopular decision. He knew God's unfailing love, not his popularity, would sustain him.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 13:22
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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