Nehemiah 13:22
in Nehemiah 13Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according to Your abundant loving devotion.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember unto me, O my God, this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy lovingkindness.
KJV
And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.
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This verse in Nehemiah 13
Commentary
11 notes on this verseSpare me according to the greatness of thy mercy - By some Nehemiah has been thought to deal with God too much on the principle of merit. That he wished God to remember him for good, is sufficiently evident; and who does not wish the same? But that he expected heaven because of his good deeds, does not appear. Indeed, the concluding clause of this verse proves the contrary, and shows that he expected nothing from God but through the greatness of his mercy.
This site's exposition
Why are you camping in front of the wall
on Nehemiah 13:21-22
Nehemiah warns the merchants, "Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you," and "From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath." He charges the Levites to guard the gates "to keep the Sabbath day holy."
This site's exposition
instructed the Levites to purify themselves
Wesley explains the cleansing: guarding a gate was common work, yet here it served the holy day and was done on it. The watch passed from his servants to the Levites. Clarke notes that the prayer ends on mercy, which answers the charge that Nehemiah trusted his own merit.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
He also said to the Levites that they should be purified, etc. For it is necessary that they be purified from the daily exercise of good works, who desire to guard the gates of their senses from any incursion of turbulent thoughts. And whoever wishes …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Cleanse - Because the work they now were set upon, though common in its nature, yet was holy in design of it, and had respect unto the sabbath: and, because the day in which they were to do this was the sabbath-day, for the observation whereof they were obliged to purify themselves.
Note, The best saints, even when they do the best actions, stand in need of sparing mercy; for there is not a just man that doeth good and sinneth not. (2.) The plea: According to the greatness (or multitude) of thy mercies. Note, God's mercy is what we must depend upon, and not any merit of our own, when we appear before God.
The king that sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes. (3.) He charged the Levites to take care about the due sanctifying of the sabbath, that they should cleanse themselves in the first place, and so give a good example to the people, and that they should some of them come and keep the gates,
The courage, zeal, and prudence of Nehemiah in this matter, are here recorded for our imitation; and we have reason to think that the cure he wrought was lasting; for, in our Saviour's time, we find the Jews in the other extreme, over-scrupulous in the ceremonial part of sabbath-sanctification. He concludes this passage with a prayer (
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3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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 execution of this order, he stationed some of his own servants as guards, to prevent the introduction of any commodities on that day.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I commanded the Levites - At first Nehemiah had employed his own retinue Neh 13:19 in the work of keeping the gates. He now assigned the duty to the Levites, as one which properly belonged to them, since the object of the regulation was the due observance of the Sabbath.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֹמְרָ֣ה | vaomerah | and I said ! | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לַלְוִיִּ֗ם | lalviyim | to the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִֽהְי֤וּ | yihyu | they will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| מִֽטַּהֲרִים֙ | mitaharim | purifying themselves | H2891 → | 94 times |
| וּבָאִים֙ | uvaim | and coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| שֹׁמְרִ֣ים | shomerim | guarding | H8104 → | 468 times |
| הַשְּׁעָרִ֔ים | hashearim | the gates | H8179 → | 374 times |
| לְקַדֵּ֖שׁ | lekadesh | to keep holy | H6942 → | 171 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| י֣וֹם | yom | [the] day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת | hashabat | the sabbath | H7676 → | 110 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| זֹאת֙ | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| זָכְרָה־ | zakherah- | remember ! | H2142 → | 230 times |
| לִּ֣י | li | to me | ||
| אֱלֹהַ֔י | ʾelohai | O God my | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְח֥וּסָה | vechusah | and have mercy ! | H2347 → | |
| עָלַ֖י | ʾalai | on me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כְּרֹ֥ב | kero | according to [the] greatness of | H7230 → | |
| חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ פ | chasdekha | covenant loyalty your | H2617 → | 247 times |
וָאֹמְרָ֣הand I said !
vaomerahH559 →5305 times
לַלְוִיִּ֗םto the Levites
lalviyimH3881 →291 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִֽהְי֤וּthey will be
yihyuH1961 →3559 times
מִֽטַּהֲרִים֙purifying themselves
mitaharimH2891 →94 times
וּבָאִים֙and coming
uvaimH935 →2568 times
שֹׁמְרִ֣יםguarding
shomerimH8104 →468 times
הַשְּׁעָרִ֔יםthe gates
hashearimH8179 →374 times
לְקַדֵּ֖שׁto keep holy
lekadeshH6942 →171 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
י֣וֹם[the] day of
yomH3117 →2304 times
הַשַּׁבָּ֑תthe sabbath
hashabatH7676 →110 times
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
זֹאת֙this
zotH2063 →603 times
זָכְרָה־remember !
zakherah-H2142 →230 times
לִּ֣יto me
li
אֱלֹהַ֔יO God my
ʾelohaiH430 →2601 times
וְח֥וּסָהand have mercy !
vechusahH2347 →
עָלַ֖יon me
ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times
כְּרֹ֥בaccording to [the] greatness of
keroH7230 →
חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ פcovenant loyalty your
chasdekhaH2617 →247 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
Isaiah 49:23Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD;…
it leads to
- Isaiah 60:14
The sons of your oppressors will come and bow down to you; all who reviled you will fall facedown at your feet and call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy…
- Isaiah 60:16
You will drink the milk of nations and nurse at the breasts of royalty; you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
- Isaiah 60:3
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
- Micah 7:17
They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will crawl from their holes in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of…
- Isaiah 45:14
This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge…
- Isaiah 60:14
Through
Isaiah 38:3saying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
it leads to
- Hebrews 6:10
For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Nehemiah 13:14
Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His…
- Hebrews 6:10
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); 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.