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?
• New International Version (NIV)I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating 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 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 wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. 16Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 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? 18Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.” 19So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would 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 contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place.
• Nehemiah 5:7After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I called a great assembly against them.
• Psalms 82:1God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods.
• Proverbs 28:4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But such as keep the law contend with them.
• Isaiah 1:10Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah:
• Jeremiah 5:5I will go to the great men and speak to them, For they have known the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God.” But these have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds.
• Jeremiah 13:18Say to the king and to the queen mother, “Humble yourselves; Sit down, For your rule shall collapse, the crown of your glory.”
• Jeremiah 22:2and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates!
• Micah 3:1And I said: “Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know 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
• Evil Thing
• Contend
• Outlandish
• Testify
• Understand
• Buying
• Commerce
• Profane
• Sabbath

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