Nehemiah 13:11

11 and I did the cause against (the) magistrates, and I said, Why have ye forsaken the house of God? And I gathered them together, that is, (the) deacons and the ministers, that had gone away, and I made them to stand in their standings. (and I brought this case against the magistrates, and I said, Why is the House of God deserted? And so I brought back the Levites, and the singers who had gone away, and I put them in their places again.)

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 and I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and I brought again there the vessels of God's house, and the sacrifice thereof, and the incense. (and I commanded, that they purify the room, and that all the vessels of the House of God, and the offerings, and the incense, should be put back into it.)
10 And I knew that the parts of the deacons were not given to them, and that each man of the deacons and of the singers, and of them that ministered in the temple, had gone away into his country(side); (And I also learned that the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, and so all of the Levites and the singers, those who ministered in the Temple, had gone back to their fields;)
11 and I did the cause against (the) magistrates, and I said, Why have ye forsaken the house of God? And I gathered them together, that is, (the) deacons and the ministers, that had gone away, and I made them to stand in their standings. (and I brought this case against the magistrates, and I said, Why is the House of God deserted? And so I brought back the Levites, and the singers who had gone away, and I put them in their places again.)
12 And all Judah brought the tithe of wheat, of wine, and of oil, into the barns. (And so all Judah brought their tithes of corn, and wine, and oil, into the storehouses.)
13 And we ordained on the barns, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the writer, and Pedaiah, one of the deacons, and besides them we ordained Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were proved faithful men, and the parts of their brethren were betaken to them. (And I put in charge of the storehouses, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the writer/a teacher of the Law, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, and besides them I ordained Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they had proved to be faithful men, and so it was their duty to distribute their kinsmen's portions.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.