Nehemiah 13:11

11 I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, “Why has the Temple of God been neglected?” Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties.

Nehemiah 13:11 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 13:11

Then I contended with the rulers;
&c.] The ecclesiastical rulers, the priests that were appointed over those chambers, ( Nehemiah 12:44 ) , he expostulated with them warmly, and chode them severely for their conduct:

and said, why is the house of God forsaken?
no care being taken of the maintenance of the ministers of it, contrary to the promise made ( Nehemiah 10:37 ) ,

and l gathered them together;
the Levites and singers that were dispersed in the countries round about:

and set them in their place;
in the temple, and in the course of their ministry there.

Nehemiah 13:11 In-Context

9 Then I demanded that the rooms be purified, and I brought back the articles for God’s Temple, the grain offerings, and the frankincense.

10 I also discovered that the Levites had not been given their prescribed portions of food, so they and the singers who were to conduct the worship services had all returned to work their fields.

11 I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, “Why has the Temple of God been neglected?” Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties.

12 And once more all the people of Judah began bringing their tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the Temple storerooms.

13 I assigned supervisors for the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites. And I appointed Hanan son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah as their assistant. These men had an excellent reputation, and it was their job to make honest distributions to their fellow Levites.