Nehemiah 13:18

18 ¹Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster^[a] on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath."

Nehemiah 13:18 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 13:18

Did not your fathers thus
Profane the sabbath in like manner:

and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon our city?
suffered them to be carried captive into a strange land, and their city destroyed for their sins, and for this of sabbath breaking among the rest, see ( Jeremiah 17:21-27 ) ( Ezekiel 20:16 Ezekiel 20:21 Ezekiel 20:24 ) ,

yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath;
additional judgments to those that had been already upon them for the same evil with others.

Nehemiah 13:18 In-Context

16 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!

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

18 Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath."

19 As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day.

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

Cross References

• 1. See Jeremiah 17:19-23

Footnotes

• [a]. The Hebrew word can mean evil, harm, or disaster, depending on the context