Nehemiah 13:18

18 “Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!”

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 Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem at that!

17 So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked.

18 “Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!”

19 Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day.

20 The merchants and tradesmen with a variety of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice.