Nehemiah 13 20

Nehemiah 13:20 kjv

So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.

Nehemiah 13:20 nkjv

Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

Nehemiah 13:20 niv

Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 13:20 esv

Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

Nehemiah 13:20 nlt

The merchants and tradesmen with a variety of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice.

Nehemiah 13 verses

Nehemiah 13 20 Meaning

Nehemiah 13:20 describes the initial attempts by merchants and sellers, after Nehemiah had closed the city gates for the Sabbath, to circumvent his decree. They chose to camp just outside the walls of Jerusalem on one or two occasions, indicating their desire to resume business immediately after the Sabbath or even during the Sabbath if opportunities arose, thus testing the boundaries of the enacted reforms. It illustrates the challenge of enforcing God's law in the face of economic motivations.

Nehemiah 13 20 Context

Nehemiah 13 begins with Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem after a period of absence in Babylon, discovering severe compromises among the returned exiles. He finds various deviations from the Law of Moses: the unholy alliance between the high priest Eliashib and Tobiah the Ammonite, neglect of the Levites' provisions, and critically, the profanation of the Sabbath. Verses 15-18 specifically detail his shock at people conducting business on the Sabbath—treading winepresses, bringing in sheaves, loading donkeys, and selling food in Jerusalem. This direct defiance prompted Nehemiah to confront the nobles and Levites, eventually ordering the gates to be shut from Friday evening to Saturday evening to prevent all commerce. Verse 20 describes the immediate reaction of the persistent merchants, showing their determination to circumvent this new, strict enforcement by waiting outside the city. This highlights the tenacity of human resistance to divine law when personal gain is perceived to be at stake.

Nehemiah 13 20 Word analysis

• So: (Heb. וָלָנוּ va-lanu, "And they lodged") Connects this action directly to the previous verse (v. 19), showing a direct response to Nehemiah's decree to close the gates. It signifies a continued, defiant effort.
• the merchants: (Heb. הַסֹּחֲרִים ha-sokhǎrim) Refers to those engaged in trading goods, often coming from outside to sell. They were driven by profit and accustomed to their business practices. This term emphasizes their commercial profession, inherently opposed to the spirit of Sabbath rest.
• and sellers: (Heb. הַמֹּכְרִים ha-mokhěrim) Those directly involved in transactions, possibly distinct from large-scale merchants, including individual vendors. This broadens the scope of those violating the Sabbath spirit, indicating widespread practice.
• of all kinds of wares: (Heb. כָּל־מִמְכָּר kol-mimkar) Literally "every sold thing" or "every kind of merchandise." This emphasizes the extensive nature of their commercial activity and the variety of goods involved, illustrating the comprehensive nature of the Sabbath profanation Nehemiah sought to address.
• lodged: (Heb. לָנוּ lanu) To spend the night, to encamp. This term highlights their physical presence and intent; they weren't merely passing by, but establishing a temporary base for their commercial activity, anticipating entry or transactions.
• outside Jerusalem: (Heb. מִחוּץ לִירוּשָׁלָיִם mi-chutz l-Yerushalayim) Specifies their location, just beyond the city walls. This was a direct, albeit initially indirect, defiance of Nehemiah's command to close the gates and halt all trade within the city. It represents an attempt to bypass the letter of the law while violating its spirit.
• once or twice: (Heb. אַחַת וּשְׁתַּיִם achath u-shtayim) Literally "one and two," an idiomatic expression for "a few times," or "a couple of times." It suggests that this circumvention was not an isolated incident but a repeated attempt, testing the governor's resolve and finding loopholes in his enforcement. It conveys a limited, repeated effort, not continuous action.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares": This phrase collectively represents the entire commercial sector that posed a challenge to Sabbath observance. It underscores the deep-seated economic interests clashing with God's law. Their collective presence suggests organized resistance or a shared economic objective.
• "lodged outside Jerusalem": This highlights the cleverness and stubbornness of the merchants. They were adhering to the letter of Nehemiah's command to not trade within the city on the Sabbath, but they blatantly violated its spirit by positioning themselves for immediate post-Sabbath commerce, blurring the lines of sacred time and space. The "outside" area served as a waiting zone for potential profit.

Nehemiah 13 20 Bonus section

The walls of Jerusalem, recently rebuilt and consecrated under Nehemiah's leadership, were not merely physical fortifications; they were symbolic boundaries delineating the sacred space of the holy city and, by extension, the reformed community. By lodging "outside Jerusalem," the merchants effectively created a "gray zone" of economic activity, challenging this sacred demarcation. Their actions implicitly questioned the absolute authority of God's law within what was meant to be a holy sphere. This act underscores the human tendency to negotiate or dilute divine commands for perceived convenience or profit, a theme that reverberates throughout biblical narratives from Eden onwards. Nehemiah's vigilance ensured that the newly established physical and spiritual integrity of Jerusalem would not be compromised by such "edge-case" defiance.

Nehemiah 13 20 Commentary

Nehemiah 13:20 encapsulates a key tension in biblical history: the struggle between divine command and human self-interest. After enacting strict measures to uphold the Sabbath's sanctity by closing Jerusalem's gates, Nehemiah encountered not immediate submission, but circumvention. The merchants' act of lodging outside the walls, even for "once or twice," reveals their reluctance to fully comply with the spirit of the Sabbath. This was not a passive observation but an active challenge, an attempt to remain strategically positioned for economic advantage the moment the Sabbath passed or to engage in illicit trade under the cover of night or at the fringes of the sacred boundary.

This scenario vividly illustrates that true obedience goes beyond mere outward conformity; it requires a heart surrendered to God's will. The merchants were willing to obey superficially—by not entering the city—but continued to disregard the underlying principle of resting from labor and honoring the Sabbath as a sacred time for God. Nehemiah's decisive action that followed (v. 21) demonstrated that God's people cannot tolerate such compromises when establishing His law and holiness in their midst. This incident stands as a timeless reminder that genuine adherence to God's commands extends to every sphere of life, demanding not just outward conformity but also internal commitment, prioritizing Him above all material gain.

Examples:

1. Testing Boundaries: A believer avoiding church service for "just this once" for a profitable, non-essential task.
2. Spirit vs. Letter: Someone adhering to biblical principles publicly but engaging in dishonest business practices privately.
3. Prioritizing Gain: Choosing extra work shifts over family or spiritual devotion on a designated day of rest.