Nehemiah 13:11
in Nehemiah 13So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
KJV
Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
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This verse in Nehemiah 13
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThen I contended with the rulers;.... The ecclesiastical rulers, the priests that were appointed over those chambers, Neh 12:44, he expostulated with them warmly, and chode them severely for their conduct: and said, why is the house of God forsaken? no care being taken of the maintenance of the ministers of it, contrary to the promise made Neh 10:37, and l gathered them together; the Levites and singers that were dispersed in the countries round about: and set them in their place; in the temple, and in the course of their ministry there.
This site's exposition
the portions for the Levites
on Nehemiah 13:10-11
The Levites had gone unpaid: "all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields" (13:10). Nehemiah's question, "Why has the house of God been neglected?" echoes the covenant's last line, "we will not neglect the house of our God" (10:39).
This site's exposition
Why has the house of God been neglected
Clarke hears the covenant of 10:39 in the question, where the people had sworn never to neglect the house of their God. Nehemiah turned their own promise into the rebuke. Gill takes the officials as the priests set over the storerooms at 12:44.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Why are the Levites starved out of it? Why did not you take notice of this and prevent it?" The people forsook the Levites, which was expressly forbidden ( Deut. xii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Contended - I sharply reproved those priests to whom the management of those things was committed, for neglect of their duty, and breach of their late solemn promise.
A Levite in his field ( clericus in foro--a minister keeping the market ) is out of his station. God's house is his place, and there let him be found. Many that are careless would do much better than they do if they were but called upon.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Why is the house of God forsaken? - They had all solemnly promised, Neh 10:39, that they would never forsake the house of their God; but, alas, how soon is this forgotten! Nehemiah used their own words here by way of reproof.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The return of the governor put an end to these disgraceful and profane proceedings. He administered a sharp rebuke to those priests to whom the management of the temple and its services was committed, for the total neglect of their duties, and the violation of the solemn promises which they had made to him at his departure.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I gathered them together - Nehemiah gathered the Levites from their lands, and reinstated them in their set offices.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And I gathered them I gathered the priests and the Levites to station them on their watches in their service, and all of Israel brought them their gifts there.
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. 4 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
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאָרִ֙יבָה֙ | vaarivah | and I contended ! | H7378 → | 67 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| הַסְּגָנִ֔ים | haseganim | the officials | H5461 → | 17 times |
| וָאֹ֣מְרָ֔ה | vaomerah | and I said ! | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מַדּ֖וּעַ | madua' | why? | H4069 → | 72 times |
| נֶעֱזַ֣ב | neezav | has it been neglected | H5800 → | 215 times |
| בֵּית־ | beit- | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וָֽאֶ֨קְבְּצֵ֔ם | vaekbetzem | and I assembled them | H6908 → | 127 times |
| וָֽאַעֲמִדֵ֖ם | vaaamidem | and I made stand them | H5975 → | 521 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עָמְדָֽם׃ | ʾamedam | place their | H5977 → | 9 times |
וָאָרִ֙יבָה֙and I contended !
vaarivahH7378 →67 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
הַסְּגָנִ֔יםthe officials
haseganimH5461 →17 times
וָאֹ֣מְרָ֔הand I said !
vaomerahH559 →5305 times
מַדּ֖וּעַwhy?
madua'H4069 →72 times
נֶעֱזַ֣בhas it been neglected
neezavH5800 →215 times
בֵּית־[the] house of
beit-H1004 →2046 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וָֽאֶ֨קְבְּצֵ֔םand I assembled them
vaekbetzemH6908 →127 times
וָֽאַעֲמִדֵ֖םand I made stand them
vaaamidemH5975 →521 times
עַל־at
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
עָמְדָֽם׃place their
ʾamedamH5977 →9 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
Proverbs 28:4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.
it leads to
- Romans 1:32
Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.
- Ephesians 5:11
Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
- Matthew 14:4
because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
- Matthew 3:7
But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
- 1 John 4:5
They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.
- Romans 1:32
Through
Nehemiah 10:39For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 31:12
And they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.
- 2 Chronicles 31:12
Through
Nehemiah 13:25I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 10:29–30
hereby 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…
- Nehemiah 13:17
Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?
- Nehemiah 10:29–30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.