Nehemiah 5:12
in Nehemiah 5“We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do, even as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.
KJV
Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.
⋯
This verse in Nehemiah 5
Commentary
5 notes on this verseHe sent for the priests to give them their oath that they would perform this promise; now that their convictions were strong, and they seemed resolved, he would keep them to it. He bound them by a solemn curse or execration, hoping that would strike some awe upon them: So let God shake out every man that performeth not this promise,
This site's exposition
required of the nobles and officials an oath
on Nehemiah 5:12-13
The nobles agree in one sentence, "We will restore it," yet Nehemiah summons the priests and takes an oath of them. He acts out the curse: "May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise" (5:13).
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then said they, we will restore them,....
Very holy men may differ much from each other in their natural temper and in other things that result from it. God's work may be done, well done, and successfully, and yet different methods taken in the doing of it, which is a good reason why we should neither arraign the management of others nor make our own a standard. There are diversities of operation, but the same Spirit.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words--When such disorders came to the knowledge of the governor, his honest indignation was roused against the perpetrators of the evil.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And they said, “We shall return” And they said [that they were willing] to return and to relinquish all.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
give back And you shall also do as I do, to relinquish all their debts to them.
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. 2 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
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| נָשִׁ֗יב | nashiv | we will return [it] | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וּמֵהֶם֙ | umehem | and from them | ||
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נְבַקֵּ֔שׁ | nevakesh | we will require [it] | H1245 → | 225 times |
| כֵּ֣ן | ken | so | H3651 → | 771 times |
| נַעֲשֶׂ֔ה | naaseh | we will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אַתָּ֣ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| אוֹמֵ֑ר | ʾomer | [are] saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| וָאֶקְרָא֙ | vaekra' | and I summoned | H7121 → | 733 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים | hakohanim | the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וָֽאַשְׁבִּיעֵ֔ם | vaashbiem | and I made swear an oath them | H7650 → | |
| לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת | laasot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כַּדָּבָ֥ר | kadavar | according to the manner | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
נָשִׁ֗יבwe will return [it]
nashivH7725 →1056 times
וּמֵהֶם֙and from them
umehem
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
נְבַקֵּ֔שׁwe will require [it]
nevakeshH1245 →225 times
כֵּ֣ןso
kenH3651 →771 times
נַעֲשֶׂ֔הwe will do
naasehH6213 →2628 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֖רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
אַתָּ֣הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
אוֹמֵ֑ר[are] saying
ʾomerH559 →5305 times
וָאֶקְרָא֙and I summoned
vaekra'H7121 →733 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔יםthe priests
hakohanimH3548 →750 times
וָֽאַשְׁבִּיעֵ֔םand I made swear an oath them
vaashbiemH7650 →
לַעֲשׂ֖וֹתto do
laasotH6213 →2628 times
כַּדָּבָ֥רaccording to the manner
kadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 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
Matthew 26:63But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
it leads to
- Leviticus 5:1
“If someone sins by failing to testify when he hears a public charge about something he has witnessed, whether he has seen it or learned of it, he shall bear the iniquity.
- Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not…
- Matthew 16:16
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
- Matthew 27:12
And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer.
- John 6:69
We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”
- Leviticus 5:1
Through
Ezra 10:5So Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said. And they took the oath.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 13:25
I 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…
- Proverbs 15:23
A man takes joy in a fitting reply—and how good is a timely word!
- Proverbs 25:11–12
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
- Nehemiah 13:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Nehemiah
This page draws on 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.