Nehemiah 13:16 kjv
There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 13:16 nkjv
Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 13:16 niv
People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah.
Nehemiah 13:16 esv
Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself!
Nehemiah 13:16 nlt
Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah ? and in Jerusalem at that!
Nehemiah 13 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 20:8-10 | "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God..." | Fourth Commandment; command for rest. |
| Deut 5:12-14 | "Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee... thou shalt not do any work therein..." | Reiteration of Sabbath command. |
| Num 15:32-36 | "And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day... all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, that he died..." | Penalty for Sabbath desecration. |
| Neh 10:31 | "And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath..." | Judah's covenant pledge against buying. |
| Jer 17:21-23 | "Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day... But they obeyed not..." | Prophetic warning against Sabbath trade. |
| Jer 17:24-27 | "And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day... then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings..." | Blessings for Sabbath obedience. |
| Isa 56:2 | "Blessed is the man... that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil." | Blessing for Sabbath observance. |
| Isa 58:13-14 | "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day... then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord..." | Delight in the Lord through Sabbath rest. |
| Ezek 20:13 | "But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments... and my sabbaths they greatly polluted..." | Sabbath breaking leading to judgment. |
| Ezek 22:8 | "Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths." | Jerusalem's sins include profaning Sabbaths. |
| Ezek 23:38 | "Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths." | Linking temple defilement with Sabbath desecration. |
| Ezra 9:1-2 | "Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel... have not separated themselves from the people of the lands... For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons..." | Intermarriage, similar to Nehemiah's other reforms. |
| Neh 13:6-7 | "But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king: And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah..." | Context of Nehemiah's return and widespread apostasy. |
| Neh 13:17-18 | "Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city?" | Nehemiah's rebuke linking past disobedience to exile. |
| Mk 2:27-28 | "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." | Jesus' teaching on the purpose of Sabbath. |
| Col 2:16-17 | "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." | Sabbath's ultimate fulfillment in Christ. |
| Amos 8:4-6 | "Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy... Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat..." | Desire to circumvent Sabbath for profit. |
| Zech 14:21 | "...there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts." | Vision of future holiness and exclusion of profaners. |
| Isa 23:18 | "And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord..." | Future dedication of Tyre's wealth to God. |
| Rev 18:11-13 | "And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more..." | Warning against materialism and false system. |
| Hab 2:9-11 | "Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness... For the stone shall cry out of the wall..." | Warning against ill-gotten gain and greed. |
| Heb 4:9-11 | "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." | The spiritual fulfillment of the Sabbath rest in God. |
Nehemiah 13 verses
Nehemiah 13 16 Meaning
This verse describes the flagrant disregard for the divine Sabbath law in post-exilic Jerusalem. It specifies that Phoenician merchants from Tyre were residing within the city or its vicinity and were actively engaged in commerce. They were importing and selling various goods, particularly fish, to the inhabitants of Judah and directly in Jerusalem on the holy Sabbath day. This practice underscored a significant decline in spiritual devotion among the Judeans, who were complicit by purchasing goods, thereby compromising the sanctity of the Lord's designated day of rest and holiness. Nehemiah observed this as a core aspect of Jerusalem's backsliding.
Nehemiah 13 16 Context
Nehemiah chapter 13 describes the grave spiritual decline Nehemiah discovered upon his return to Jerusalem after a period with King Artaxerxes in Persia. During his absence, several reforms he had established were abandoned. This included the high priest Eliashib allowing Tobiah the Ammonite to use a Temple chamber, Levites not receiving their tithes and abandoning their service, and rampant intermarriage with foreign women. The severe issue detailed in Nehemiah 13:16 specifically concerns the widespread desecration of the Sabbath. This verse provides a specific example of foreign merchants, the Tyrians, bringing goods, notably fish, and selling them to the people of Judah within Jerusalem itself on the Sabbath day. This context highlights Nehemiah's zealous efforts to re-establish the Mosaic Law, cleanse the city, and ensure Israel's adherence to their covenant with God. It was a struggle to maintain the distinct identity and holiness of the rebuilt community amidst compromise and worldly influences.
Nehemiah 13 16 Word analysis
- "There dwelt" (וְהַצֹּרִים, wəhaṣṣōrîm with the implied dwelling): While "Tyrians" is explicit, the underlying sense of "dwelt" (derived from yāšaḇ, meaning to sit, dwell, or remain) suggests these were not mere transient visitors but had a established, possibly even a habitual, presence in or near Jerusalem. This implies their commercial activities were systematic and a regular challenge to Sabbath observance.
- "men of Tyre" (וְהַצֹּרִים, wəhaṣṣōrîm): Literally "the Tyrians." Tyre, a prominent Phoenician city-state, was famed for its seafaring, trade, and economic prowess. Their merchants epitomized the pursuit of commerce and material gain, which stood in stark contrast to the Sabbath's call for spiritual rest and devotion. Their presence directly represented external commercial pressures influencing God's people.
- "also therein": This indicates that these foreign merchants were operating within the territory of Judah and Jerusalem. This signifies the depth of the compromise, as the sacred city itself, the center of Israel's worship, had become a hub for the desecration of God's law.
- "which brought fish" (מְבִאִים דָּג, məḇi’îm dāḡ): "Fish" (dāḡ) was a common food item. "Bringing" (məḇi’îm, a participle) implies a continuous action of importation and supply. The specific mention of fish suggests a primary commodity, likely sourced from the Mediterranean, further highlighting Tyre's maritime trading expertise.
- "and all manner of ware" (וְכָל־מֶכֶר, wəḵāl-meḵer / mimkār): "Ware" (from mimkār, meaning merchandise, selling) is a comprehensive term for all types of goods for sale. This indicates the extent of the commercial activity, signifying that a wide variety of commodities, not just fish, were being traded, turning Jerusalem into a bustling marketplace on the day of rest.
- "and sold" (וּמוֹכְרִים, ûmôḵərîm): This participle form ("those selling") emphasizes the ongoing nature of the commercial transactions. The verb māḵar (to sell) describes the active exchange of goods for money. Crucially, this implied not only that Tyrians were selling, but that Judeans were willing buyers.
- "on the sabbath" (בַּשַּׁבָּת, baššabāt): The "Sabbath" (šaḇāṯ, meaning "rest" or "cessation") was a fundamental tenet of Israel's covenant with God, signifying divine rest from creation and God's sanctification of Israel (Ex 20:8-11). Performing commerce on this holy day was a direct transgression of this sacred commandment, blurring the lines between the sacred and the secular, and diminishing Israel's distinctive identity.
- "unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem": This phrase precisely defines the demographic and geographical extent of the problem. "Children of Judah" were God's covenant people, who knew the Law yet engaged in this prohibited activity. "In Jerusalem" signifies that the profanation occurred in the very heart of the holy city, demonstrating a severe lapse in spiritual vigilance and obedience within the returned community.
Nehemiah 13 16 Bonus section
The selection of "fish" as a specific commodity highlights its potential as a readily available, daily-use item. This convenience might have made it particularly tempting for the people of Judah to engage in Sabbath commerce, illustrating how practical desires can easily lead to the compromise of divine commands. This problem was not merely the presence of foreign merchants; it was the active complicity of the "children of Judah" in buying from them, which directly violated the vow they had collectively sworn in Neh 10:31 never to buy from foreign traders on the Sabbath. This points to an internal breakdown of commitment within the community, rather than simply external pressure. Nehemiah's uncompromising stance demonstrates his leadership in preserving the purity of God's covenant within the land, recognizing that allowing such desecration weakened the very foundation of their faith and identity.
Nehemiah 13 16 Commentary
Nehemiah 13:16 starkly reveals the swift spiritual erosion within post-exilic Jerusalem during Nehemiah's absence. The overt commercial activities of Tyrian merchants on the Sabbath, openly tolerated and even participated in by the Judeans, exposed a critical failure to uphold God’s covenant. The Sabbath was not a minor rule but a pivotal commandment distinguishing Israel as a holy people dedicated to God, meant to observe rest and focus on Him rather than earthly pursuits. The widespread disregard for this sacred day, motivated by profit and convenience, indicated a spiritual indifference and a re-prioritization of the secular over the divine. Nehemiah’s vigorous reaction highlights the profound seriousness of such compromises, showing that external influences, combined with internal apathy, can swiftly lead a community away from God’s established standards.