Nehemiah 13:17

Nehemiah 13:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day?
• New Living Translation (NLT)So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked.

Context of Nehemiah 13:17

15In 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. 16People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah. I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? 18Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.” 19When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.

Nehemiah 13:17 word by word

וָאָרִ֕יבָה אֵ֖ת חֹרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לָהֶ֗ם מָֽה־הַדָּבָ֨ר הָרָ֤ע הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים וּֽמְחַלְּלִ֖ים אֶת־י֥וֹם הַשַּׁבָּֽת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then I contendedרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
• with the noblesחֹרchôr chôr · nobleH2715
• of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, What evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• this that ye doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• and profaneחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490
• the sabbathשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117

Cross-references for Nehemiah 13:17

• Nehemiah 13:11So 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.
• Nehemiah 5:7I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them
• Psalms 82:1God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods”:
• Proverbs 28:4Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked, but those who heed it resist them.
• Isaiah 1:10Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
• Jeremiah 5:5So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.” But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.
• Jeremiah 13:18Say to the king and to the queen mother, “Come down from your thrones, for your glorious crowns will fall from your heads.”
• Jeremiah 22:2‘Hear the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates.
• Micah 3:1Then I said, “Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice,

Commentaries on Nehemiah 13:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17I contended with the nobles - These evils took place through their negligence; and this I proved before them.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 13:17

• Harvest
• Sabbath
• Traffic
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Judah
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• Evil Thing
• Contend
• Outlandish
• Testify
• Understand
• Buying
• Commerce

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