Nehemiah 3:5
in Nehemiah 3Next to him, the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their lord.
KJV
And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.
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This verse in Nehemiah 3
Commentary
5 notes on this verseOf their Lord - Of God, whom they owned for their Lord, whose work this was, because it had proceeded thus far by his singular providence: and because it was done for the defense of the city, and people, and temple of God. And therefore they are branded to all posterity.
This site's exposition
The Fish Gate
on Nehemiah 3:3-5
Verse 5 carries one shame clause: "the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors" (3:5). The nobles hold back while their townsmen build, and the same Tekoites repair "another section" at verse 27 while their nobles' sentence stands.
This site's exposition
their nobles did not put their shoulders
The Berean reads the phrase as work under their supervisors, while Wesley reads it as work for God, whose work the wall of Jerusalem was. The nobles of Tekoa refused to put their shoulders to it. Tekoa was the home of Amos (Amos 1:1).
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), that is, they would not come under the yoke of an obligation to this service; as if the dignity and liberty of their peerage were their discharge from serving God and doing good, which are indeed the highest honour and the truest freedom.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And next unto them the Tekoites repaired,....
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יָדָ֖ם | yadam | hand their | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּ | hecheziku | they repaired | H2388 → | 291 times |
| הַתְּקוֹעִ֑ים | hatekoim | the Tekoites | H8621 → | |
| וְאַדִּֽירֵיהֶם֙ | veadireihem | and nobles their | H117 → | |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הֵבִ֣יאוּ | heviu | they brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| צַוָּרָ֔ם | tzavaram | neck their | H6677 → | |
| בַּעֲבֹדַ֖ת | baavodat | in [the] work of | H5656 → | 145 times |
| אֲדֹנֵיהֶֽם׃ ס | ʾadoneihem | master<s> their | H113 → | 333 times |
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
יָדָ֖םhand their
yadamH3027 →1618 times
הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּthey repaired
hechezikuH2388 →291 times
הַתְּקוֹעִ֑יםthe Tekoites
hatekoimH8621 →
וְאַדִּֽירֵיהֶם֙and nobles their
veadireihemH117 →
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
הֵבִ֣יאוּthey brought
heviuH935 →2568 times
צַוָּרָ֔םneck their
tzavaramH6677 →
בַּעֲבֹדַ֖תin [the] work of
baavodatH5656 →145 times
אֲדֹנֵיהֶֽם׃ סmaster<s> their
ʾadoneihemH113 →333 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
1 Corinthians 1:26Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.
it leads to
- James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
- 1 Corinthians 3:18–20
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
- James 1:9–11
The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
- 1 Corinthians 2:8
None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
- Matthew 11:25–26
At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
- James 2:5
Through
2 Samuel 14:2So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 11:6
He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
- Amos 1:1
These are the words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, in the days when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son…
- Ruth 3:3
Therefore wash yourself, put on perfume, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but do not let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
- 2 Chronicles 11:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Nehemiah
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).