Focused Passage

Nehemiah 13:4-9

Nehemiah Returns to Confront Compromise and Restore Covenant Faithfulness

After the Law exposes the need for separation, Nehemiah returns and confronts temple compromise, restores Levite support, enforces Sabbath holiness, rebukes intermarriage, purifies the priesthood, and repeatedly appeals to God to remember him.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

4Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God

5and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.

6While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king

7to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God.

8And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.

9Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 4

Original words

Now beforeוְלִפְנֵ֣יH6440Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - common plural constructthisמִזֶּ֔הH2088Preposition-m | Pronoun - masculine singularEliashibאֶלְיָשִׁיב֙H475Noun - proper - masculine singularthe priestהַכֹּהֵ֔ןH3548Article | Noun - masculine singulara relativeקָר֖וֹבH7138Adjective - masculine singularof Tobiahלְטוֹבִיָּֽה׃H2900Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singularhad been put in charge ofנָת֖וּןH5414Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularthe storeroomsבְּלִשְׁכַּ֣תH3957Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructof the houseבֵּית־H1004Noun - masculine singular constructof our Godאֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּH430Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Verse 5

Original words

and had preparedוַיַּ֨עַשׂH6213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularfor [Tobiah]ל֜וֹPreposition | third person masculine singulara largeגְדוֹלָ֗הH1419Adjective - feminine singularroomלִשְׁכָּ֣הH3957Noun - feminine singularwhereוְשָׁ֣םH8033Conjunctive waw | Adverb. . .הָי֪וּH1961Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralthey had previouslyלְפָנִ֟יםH6440Preposition-l | Noun - masculine pluralstoredנֹ֠תְנִיםH5414Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe grain offeringsהַמִּנְחָ֨הH4503Article | Noun - feminine singularthe frankincenseהַלְּבוֹנָ֜הH3828Article | Noun - feminine singularthe [temple] articlesוְהַכֵּלִ֗יםH3627Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine pluraland the tithesוּמַעְשַׂ֤רH4643Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructof grainהַדָּגָן֙H1715Article | Noun - masculine singularnew wineהַתִּיר֣וֹשׁH8492Article | Noun - masculine singularand oilוְהַיִּצְהָ֔רH3323Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singularprescribedמִצְוַת֙H4687Noun - feminine singular constructfor the Levitesהַלְוִיִּ֔םH3881Article | Noun - proper - masculine pluralsingersוְהַמְשֹׁרְרִ֖יםH7891Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine pluraland gatekeepersוְהַשֹּׁעֲרִ֑יםH7778Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine pluralalong with the contributionsוּתְרוּמַ֖תH8641Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular constructfor the priestsהַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃H3548Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 6

Original words

While allוּבְכָל־H3605Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructthisזֶ֕הH2088Pronoun - masculine singularwas happeningהָיִ֖יתִיH1961Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularI was notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particlein Jerusalemבִּֽירוּשָׁלִָ֑םH3389Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singularbecauseכִּ֡יH3588ConjunctionI had returnedבָּ֣אתִיH935Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singulartoאֶל־H413PrepositionArtaxerxesלְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֤סְתְּאH783Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singularkingמֶֽלֶךְ־H4428Noun - masculine singular constructof Babylonבָּבֶל֙H894Noun - proper - feminine singularin the thirty-secondשְׁלֹשִׁ֨יםH7970Number - common plural. . .וּשְׁתַּ֜יִםH8147Conjunctive waw | Number - fdyearבִּשְׁנַת֩H8141Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructof his reignהַמֶּ֔לֶךְH4428Article | Noun - masculine singularSome time laterוּלְקֵ֥ץH7093Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct. . .יָמִ֖יםH3117Noun - masculine pluralI obtained leaveנִשְׁאַ֥לְתִּיH7592Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singularfromמִן־H4480Prepositionthe kingהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃H4428Article | Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Artaxerxes king of Persia is identified here as the king of Babylon because Persia had conquered the Babylonian Empire.
Verse 7

Original words

to returnוָאָב֖וֹאH935Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularto Jerusalemלִֽירוּשָׁלִָ֑םH3389Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singularThen I discoveredוָאָבִ֣ינָהH995Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singularthe evilבָרָעָ֗הH7451Preposition-b, Article | Adjective - feminine singularthatאֲשֶׁ֨רH834Pronoun - relativeEliashibאֶלְיָשִׁיב֙H475Noun - proper - masculine singularhad doneעָשָׂ֤הH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularon behalf of Tobiahלְט֣וֹבִיָּ֔הH2900Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singularby providingלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתH6213Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructhimלוֹ֙Preposition | third person masculine singulara roomנִשְׁכָּ֔הH5393Noun - feminine singularin the courtsבְּחַצְרֵ֖יH2691Preposition-b | Noun - common plural constructof the houseבֵּ֥יתH1004Noun - masculine singular constructof Godהָאֱלֹהִֽים׃H430Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 8

Original words

And I was greatlyמְאֹ֑דH3966Adverbdispleasedוַיֵּ֥רַֽעH7489Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularand threwוָֽאַשְׁלִ֜יכָהH7993Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular-אֶֽת־H853Direct object markerallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructof Tobiah’sטוֹבִיָּ֛הH2900Noun - proper - masculine singularhouseholdבֵית־H1004Noun - masculine singular constructgoodsכְּלֵ֧יH3627Noun - masculine plural constructoutהַח֖וּץH2351Article | Noun - masculine singularofמִן־H4480Prepositionthe roomהַלִּשְׁכָּֽה׃H3957Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

Then I orderedוָאֹ֣מְרָ֔הH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singularthat the roomsהַלְּשָׁכ֑וֹתH3957Article | Noun - feminine pluralbe purifiedוַֽיְטַהֲר֖וּH2891Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraland I had the articlesכְּלֵי֙H3627Noun - masculine plural constructof the houseבֵּ֣יתH1004Noun - masculine singular constructof Godהָאֱלֹהִ֔יםH430Article | Noun - masculine plural-אֶת־H853Prepositionrestoredוָאָשִׁ֣יבָהH7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singularto themשָּׁ֗םH8033Adverbalong with the grain offeringsהַמִּנְחָ֖הH4503Article | Noun - feminine singularand frankincenseוְהַלְּבוֹנָֽה׃פH3828Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.