Nehemiah 10:29
in Nehemiah 10hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
they clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of Jehovah our Lord, and his ordinances and his statutes;
KJV
They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;
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This verse in Nehemiah 10
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThey clave to their brethren - Though they did not sign this instrument, yet they bound themselves under a solemn oath that they would fulfill the conditions of the covenant, and walk according to the law of Moses.
This site's exposition
to obey the Law of God
on Nehemiah 10:28-29
The covenant widens past the sealed names to "The rest of the people," the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers and temple servants (10:28). They "join with their noble brothers" under "a sworn oath to follow the Law of God," so no class stands outside the vow.
This site's exposition
join with their noble brothers
The sworn oath answers the sealed document: the leaders set their names to the writing, and the rest of the people bind themselves by swearing. Henry sets the oath beside David's sworn vow in Psalm 119 to keep God's judgments. The vow binds them to the law they already had.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
(2.) They entered into a curse and an oath. As the nobles confirmed the covenant with their hands and seals, so the people with a curse and an oath, solemnly appealing to God concerning their sincerity, and imprecating his just revenge if they dealt deceitfully.
Thus David swore that he would keep God's righteous judgments, Ps. cxix. Our own covenant binds us to this, if not more strongly, yet more sensibly, than we were before bound, and therefore we must not think it needless thus to bind ourselves.
Their nobles - The commonality agreed with the nobles in this good work, great men never look so great, as when they encourage religion and are examples of it: and they would by that, as much as any thing, make an interest in the most valuable of their inferiors, who would cleave to them closer than they can imagine.
They clave to their brethren, their nobles,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
and all who separated themselves These are the proselytes who separated themselves from the practice of the nations to cling and attach themselves to the Law of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to keep His commandments.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מַחֲזִיקִ֣ים | machazikim | [are] holding | H2388 → | 291 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֲחֵיהֶם֮ | ʾacheihem | countrymen their | H251 → | 630 times |
| אַדִּירֵיהֶם֒ | ʾadireihem | noble [ones] their | H117 → | |
| וּבָאִ֞ים | uvaim | and [are] going | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בְּאָלָ֣ה | bealah | in a curse | H423 → | |
| וּבִשְׁבוּעָ֗ה | uvishvuah | and in an oath | H7621 → | |
| לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ | lalekhet | to walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בְּתוֹרַ֣ת | betorat | in [the] law of | H8451 → | 219 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִתְּנָ֔ה | nitenah | it was given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בְּיַ֖ד | beyad | by [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֣ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| עֶֽבֶד־ | ʾeved- | [the] servant of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְלִשְׁמ֣וֹר | velishmor | and to take care | H8104 → | 468 times |
| וְלַעֲשׂ֗וֹת | velaasot | and to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מִצְוֹת֙ | mitzvot | [the] commandments of | H4687 → | 181 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲדֹנֵ֔ינוּ | ʾadoneinu | lord<s> our | H113 → | 333 times |
| וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו | umishpatav | and judgments his | H4941 → | 422 times |
| וְחֻקָּֽיו׃ | vechukav | and statutes his | H2706 → | 127 times |
מַחֲזִיקִ֣ים[are] holding
machazikimH2388 →291 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
אֲחֵיהֶם֮countrymen their
ʾacheihemH251 →630 times
אַדִּירֵיהֶם֒noble [ones] their
ʾadireihemH117 →
וּבָאִ֞יםand [are] going
uvaimH935 →2568 times
בְּאָלָ֣הin a curse
bealahH423 →
וּבִשְׁבוּעָ֗הand in an oath
uvishvuahH7621 →
לָלֶ֙כֶת֙to walk
lalekhetH1980 →1546 times
בְּתוֹרַ֣תin [the] law of
betoratH8451 →219 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נִתְּנָ֔הit was given
nitenahH5414 →2011 times
בְּיַ֖דby [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
מֹשֶׁ֣הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
עֶֽבֶד־[the] servant of
ʾeved-H5650 →799 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וְלִשְׁמ֣וֹרand to take care
velishmorH8104 →468 times
וְלַעֲשׂ֗וֹתand to do
velaasotH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מִצְוֹת֙[the] commandments of
mitzvotH4687 →181 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲדֹנֵ֔ינוּlord<s> our
ʾadoneinuH113 →333 times
וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יוand judgments his
umishpatavH4941 →422 times
וְחֻקָּֽיו׃and statutes his
vechukavH2706 →127 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
Romans 12:9Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
it leads to
- Psalms 34:14
Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
- 1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
- 1 Timothy 1:5
The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.
- 1 John 3:18–20
Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
- Psalms 34:14
Through
Ezekiel 36:27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
it leads to
- Titus 3:3–6
For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
- Hebrews 13:21
equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
- Titus 3:3–6
Through
John 15:14You are My friends if you do what I command you.
it leads to
- Matthew 12:50
For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
- Matthew 12:50
Where this verse is studied
About Nehemiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.