Nehemiah 10:31

31 "The people around us will bring goods and grain to sell on the Sabbath day. But we won't buy anything from them on the Sabbath. In fact, we won't buy anything from them on any holy day. Every seventh year we won't farm the land. And we'll forgive people what they owe us.

Nehemiah 10:31 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 10:31

And if the people of the land bring ware
Any thing to be sold, any sort of goods, that being sold might be taken away, as the word signifies;

or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell;
anything to make food of; wheat or barley, as Aben Ezra interprets it; the same word is rendered corn, (See Gill on Genesis 42:1); to sell which was not lawful on the sabbath day, see ( Amos 8:5 )

that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day;
any festival, as the feast of the passover, pentecost, and tabernacles:

and that we would leave the seventh year:
the ground untilled in that year, the vines unpruned, and the fruits of the earth, which sprung of themselves, for the poor to gather, ( Leviticus 25:4-7 ) ,

and the exaction of every debt;
that they would not demand the payment of any debt on the seventh year, as the law required they should not, ( Deuteronomy 15:2 ) .

Nehemiah 10:31 In-Context

29 All of the men joined the nobles of their people. They made a firm agreement. They put themselves under a curse and took an oath. They promised to follow the Law of God. It had been given through Moses, the servant of God. They promised to obey carefully all of the commands, rules and laws of the LORD our Lord.

30 The priests, Levites and people said, "We promise not to give our daughters to be married to men from the nations that are around us. And we promise not to let their daughters get married to our sons.

31 "The people around us will bring goods and grain to sell on the Sabbath day. But we won't buy anything from them on the Sabbath. In fact, we won't buy anything from them on any holy day. Every seventh year we won't farm the land. And we'll forgive people what they owe us.

32 "We will be accountable for carrying out the commands for serving in the house of our God. Each of us will give an eighth of an ounce of silver every year.

33 It will pay for the holy bread that is placed on the table in the temple. It will pay for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings. It will pay for the offerings on the Sabbath days. It will pay for the offerings at the New Moon Feasts and appointed feasts. It will pay for the holy offerings. It will be used for sin offerings to pay for the sin of Israel. It will also pay for everything else that needs to be done at the house of our God.