Nehemiah 13:4

4 Now before this, Elyashiv the Kohen, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied to Toviyah,

Nehemiah 13:4 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 13:4

And before this
Before the above law was read, and observed and acted upon:

Eliashib the priest;
whom some take to be a common priest; so Bishop Usher ^F1; but he seems rather to be the high priest, by comparing it with ( Nehemiah 13:28 ) ,

having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God;
which has led some to the notion of his being a common priest; but chamber may be put for chambers, and those for the whole house or temple, which the high priest had the greatest concern in, and oversight of:

was allied to Tobiah;
the servant and Ammonite, an inveterate enemy of the Jews, ( Nehemiah 2:10 Nehemiah 2:20 ) , having married a daughter of Shecaniah, and his son a daughter of Meshullam, who were both priests, and so as it seems related to Eliashib, ( Nehemiah 6:18 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Annal. Vet. Test. p. 200.

Nehemiah 13:4 In-Context

2 because they didn't meet the children of Yisra'el with bread and with water, but hired Bil`am against them, to curse them: however our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 It came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Yisra'el all the mixed multitude.

4 Now before this, Elyashiv the Kohen, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied to Toviyah,

5 had prepared for him a great chamber, where before they laid the meal-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by mitzvah to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the heave-offerings for the Kohanim.

6 But in all this [time] I was not at Yerushalayim; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artachshasta king of Bavel I went to the king: and after certain days asked I leave of the king,