Nehemiah 10:31
in Nehemiah 10When the people of the land bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on a Sabbath or holy day. Every seventh year we will let the fields lie fallow, and will cancel every debt.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy of them on the sabbath, or on a holy day; and that we would forego the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
KJV
And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
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This verse in Nehemiah 10
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Bring ware ... on the sabbath day - Compare Neh 13:16, where this desecration of the Sabbath is shown to have commonly taken place. Leave the seventh year ... - i. e., “let the land rest in the sabbatical year” (margin reference) and give up the “pledge-taking” Neh 10:2-10.
This site's exposition
bring merchandise or any kind of grain
The second ordinance forbids buying from the people of the land "on a Sabbath or holy day", a market Nehemiah shuts at 13:15-22. The verse adds the seventh year, the law of Exodus 23 and Leviticus 25 taken up as a civic duty. Worship and commerce stand under one commandment.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
The peoples of the land, who bring goods for sale, etc. And for us, the Sabbath is always to be kept spiritually, always to abstain from servile work, that is, from sin, always to be free and to see that the Lord himself is God, …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Note, Those that covenant to keep all God's commandments must particularly covenant to keep sabbaths well; for the profanation of them is an inlet to other instances of profaneness. The sabbath is a market day for our souls, but not for our bodies.
), and that they would carefully pay their church-dues, for the maintenance of the temple service, which they promise faithfully to adhere to,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
People of the land - The Heathens. On the sabbath - They that covenant to keep all the commandments of God, must particularly covenant to keep the sabbath holy. For the profanation of this is a sure inlet to all manner of profaneness.
And if the people of the land bring ware,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
A minute and particular enumeration of the first-fruits was made, that all might be made fully aware of their obligations, and that none might excuse themselves on pretext of ignorance from withholding taxes which the poverty of many, and the irreligion of others, had made them exceedingly prone to evade.
Bring ware - We will most solemnly keep the Sabbath. Leave the seventh year - We will let the land have its Sabbath, and rest every seventh year. See on Exo 23:10-11 (note).
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַמֵּ֣י | veamei | and [the] peoples of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָאָ֡רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַֽמְבִיאִים֩ | hamviim | who will bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמַּקָּח֨וֹת | hamakachot | <the> wares | H4728 → | |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שֶׁ֜בֶר | shever | grain | H7668 → | |
| בְּי֤וֹם | beyom | on [the] day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַשַּׁבָּת֙ | hashabat | the sabbath | H7676 → | 110 times |
| לִמְכּ֔וֹר | limkor | to sell | H4376 → | 80 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נִקַּ֥ח | nikach | we will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מֵהֶ֛ם | mehem | from them | ||
| בַּשַּׁבָּ֖ת | bashabat | on the sabbath | H7676 → | 110 times |
| וּבְי֣וֹם | uveyom | and on a day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| קֹ֑דֶשׁ | kodesh | holiness | H6944 → | 469 times |
| וְנִטֹּ֛שׁ | venitosh | so we may leave | H5203 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַשָּׁנָ֥ה | hashanah | the year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖ית | hasheviit | <the> seventh | H7637 → | 98 times |
| וּמַשָּׁ֥א | umasha' | and usury of | H4855 → | 3 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יָֽד׃ | yad | hand | H3027 → | 1618 times |
וְעַמֵּ֣יand [the] peoples of
veameiH5971 →1873 times
הָאָ֡רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
הַֽמְבִיאִים֩who will bring
hamviimH935 →2568 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמַּקָּח֨וֹת<the> wares
hamakachotH4728 →
וְכָל־and any
vekholH3605 →5413 times
שֶׁ֜בֶרgrain
sheverH7668 →
בְּי֤וֹםon [the] day of
beyomH3117 →2304 times
הַשַּׁבָּת֙the sabbath
hashabatH7676 →110 times
לִמְכּ֔וֹרto sell
limkorH4376 →80 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
נִקַּ֥חwe will take
nikachH3947 →966 times
מֵהֶ֛םfrom them
mehem
בַּשַּׁבָּ֖תon the sabbath
bashabatH7676 →110 times
וּבְי֣וֹםand on a day of
uveyomH3117 →2304 times
קֹ֑דֶשׁholiness
kodeshH6944 →469 times
וְנִטֹּ֛שׁso we may leave
venitoshH5203 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַשָּׁנָ֥הthe year
hashanahH8141 →877 times
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖ית<the> seventh
hasheviitH7637 →98 times
וּמַשָּׁ֥אand usury of
umasha'H4855 →3 times
כָל־every
khol-H3605 →5413 times
יָֽד׃hand
yadH3027 →1618 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 20:10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 5:14–15
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox…
- Exodus 34:21
Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even in the seasons of plowing and harvesting, you must rest.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 15:32–36
While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day.
- Exodus 16:27–28
Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find anything.
- Genesis 2:2–3
And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work.
- Deuteronomy 5:14–15
Through
Leviticus 23:3For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, a day of sacred assembly. You must not do any work; wherever you live, it is a…
it leads to
- Leviticus 19:3
Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
- Exodus 35:2–3
For six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on that day must be put…
- Exodus 23:12
For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant may be…
- Leviticus 19:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
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About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.