Nehemiah 13 17

Nehemiah 13:17 kjv

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?

Nehemiah 13:17 nkjv

Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day?

Nehemiah 13:17 niv

I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this wicked thing you are doing?desecrating the Sabbath day?

Nehemiah 13:17 esv

Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?

Nehemiah 13:17 nlt

So I confronted the nobles of Judah. "Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?" I asked.

Nehemiah 13 verses

Nehemiah 13 17 Meaning

In Nehemiah 13:17, Nehemiah directly and forcefully confronts the prominent leaders of Judah for their active participation in or permission of the commercial activities occurring on the Sabbath day. He explicitly calls their actions "evil" and a defilement of the sacred Sabbath, indicating a profound violation of God's Law and covenant.

Nehemiah 13 17 Context

Nehemiah 13:17 is a pivotal moment in the final chapter of Nehemiah's book. Following his return to Persia, Nehemiah revisits Jerusalem (after 433 BC) and finds that many reforms he previously established have been severely neglected or entirely undone. Key violations include Tobiah the Ammonite dwelling in a temple chamber, Levites not receiving their due support, and widespread mixed marriages. Most critically, Nehemiah observes the open and blatant profanation of the Sabbath day through commercial activity: people selling food, bringing various goods, and merchants from Tyre trading fish and all kinds of wares within Jerusalem's gates on the holy day. This specific verse marks Nehemiah's immediate and vigorous response to this discovery. The desecration of the Sabbath was not a minor issue but a direct violation of God's covenant with Israel, a sin explicitly warned against by prophets like Jeremiah as a cause for past national calamities and exile. Nehemiah's confrontation underscores his uncompromising commitment to God's law and his profound sorrow and indignation over the moral and spiritual decline he witnesses, especially among those who should have been responsible for upholding righteousness.

Nehemiah 13 17 Word analysis

• Then I contended:
  • Hebrew: וָאָרִיב (wa'arib), from the verb רוּב (ruv), meaning "to strive, contend, dispute, argue, plead."
  • Significance: This indicates a strong, forceful verbal engagement rather than a mild rebuke. Nehemiah did not merely object; he entered into a dispute or litigation-like argument, signaling his determination and authority in addressing the sin. It expresses righteous indignation.
• with the nobles:
  • Hebrew: אֶת-חֹרֵי (et-chorei), from חֹר (hor), meaning "noble, freeborn, prominent persons."
  • Significance: Nehemiah did not just address the common people but specifically the influential leaders, who were either complicit, neglectful, or directly participating in the Sabbath desecration. This shows his courage in confronting power and highlights that the problem was systemic and rooted in leadership. Their status amplified the offense and its negative impact on the community.
• of Judah:
  • Significance: Specifying "Judah" underscores that these were the indigenous leaders of the very people chosen by God, those entrusted with upholding the Law.
• and said to them:
  • Hebrew: וָאֹמַר (wa'omar), a straightforward declaration.
  • Significance: While "contended" describes the nature of the confrontation, "said" introduces the specific content of his direct address.
• "What evil thing:
  • Hebrew: מָה-הַדָּבָר הָרָע (mah-haddabar hara). דָּבָר (dabar) is "thing, matter, word, deed"; הָרָע (hara) is "the bad, the evil."
  • Significance: Nehemiah categorizes their actions not as a mistake or oversight, but as morally "evil" (ra'). This emphasizes the gravity of the sin, calling it out as offensive to God and destructive to the community's covenant integrity. It implies deliberate disregard.
• is this that you are doing,:
  • Hebrew: הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עֹשִׂים (hazzeh asher attem osim).
  • Significance: This rhetorical question is an indictment. It draws attention to their direct culpability and the visible nature of their actions. It challenges them to acknowledge their own active participation and responsibility in the offense.
• by which you profane:
  • Hebrew: וַתְּחַלְּלוּ (vatthalləlu), from חלל (ḥālal), meaning "to desecrate, defile, make common, wound."
  • Significance: This term highlights the severity. "Profane" is the opposite of "sanctify" (קדשׁ, qadash). It means to treat something holy as if it were common or unholy, stripping it of its sacred status. They were not merely neglecting the Sabbath; they were actively defiling it, polluting God's holy institution. This act showed contempt for God's divine command.
• the Sabbath day?":
  • Hebificance: The Sabbath was a fundamental part of the covenant with Israel, a sign of their relationship with Yahweh, and a perpetual statute (Exod 31:16-17, Ezek 20:12). Its desecration symbolized a broader turning away from God's law and served as a direct cause for past divine judgment and exile (Jer 17:27).

Words-group analysis:

• "Then I contended with the nobles of Judah": This phrase establishes Nehemiah's prophetic and authoritative role. He confronts the powerful, demonstrating that fidelity to God's Law takes precedence over political comfort or social standing. His leadership is direct and unyielding against corruption.
• "What evil thing is this that you are doing, by which you profane the Sabbath day?": This rhetorical question combines sharp accusation with a precise identification of the transgression. It explicitly links their "evil doing" to the "profaning" of the Sabbath, underscoring the spiritual nature and gravity of their commercial activities on this holy day. It compels the nobles to face the consequence of their actions not just as law-breaking, but as defilement of a sacred covenant sign.

Nehemiah 13 17 Bonus section

• Sabbath as a covenant marker: Beyond a day of rest, the Sabbath was Israel's unique sign of belonging to God's covenant (Eze 20:12). Profaning it was a rejection of this relationship, signifying a departure from God Himself.
• Lessons from Exile: The returning exiles were meant to be a reformed community, having learned that national disaster stemmed from covenant unfaithfulness, with Sabbath desecration frequently cited as a major contributing factor by prophets (Jeremiah 17:27). Nehemiah's concern reveals the danger of quickly forgetting the lessons of the past.
• Leader's Accountability: Nehemiah targets the "nobles" because their position gave them the power to prevent or stop such profanation, yet they either enabled it or participated in it. This highlights that greater influence carries greater responsibility and accountability before God.
• Holiness vs. Practicality: The narrative often shows economic pressures driving Sabbath violations (people wanting to sell, buy, make profit). This demonstrates a common human struggle: prioritizing perceived practicality and financial gain over divine commands and holiness.
• Divine Jealousy: God's instruction to "sanctify" indicates a specific separation unto Him. "Profaning" directly opposes this and touches God's holy character. Nehemiah's anger reflects God's own zeal for His name and His appointed days.

Nehemiah 13 17 Commentary

Nehemiah 13:17 stands as a stark depiction of resolute leadership facing spiritual decline. After having labored to rebuild Jerusalem's walls and re-establish communal and spiritual order, Nehemiah finds upon his return that core elements of God's Law have been openly flouted, especially the sanctity of the Sabbath. His choice of the word "contended" (אָרִיב, a forceful argument) highlights his profound righteous indignation. He confronts the "nobles of Judah," not the ordinary people alone, recognizing that leadership dereliction often underpins societal corruption. These leaders, who ought to have set the example of obedience and enforced God's statutes, were instead participating in or condoning "evil" actions that "profaned" the Sabbath. Profanation is more than mere breaking of a rule; it is treating something consecrated by God as common or defiled, showing utter disregard for divine holiness. The Sabbath, a memorial of creation and deliverance, was a defining sign of the covenant between God and Israel. Its desecration threatened to reintroduce the very spiritual malaise that led to the prior exile, making Nehemiah's swift and direct intervention crucial for the spiritual survival of the community. His question serves as a direct indictment, designed to cut through their self-justification and bring them face-to-face with the magnitude of their sin. This serves as a timeless example of how spiritual leaders must boldly address sin, particularly among those in positions of influence, upholding God's standard irrespective of popular opinion or personal cost.