King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, [was] allied unto Tobiah:
Complete Jewish Bible:
Also, prior to this, Elyashiv the cohen, who had been put in charge of the storage rooms in the house of our God, and who was related by marriage to Toviyah,
Berean Standard Bible:
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God
American Standard Version:
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied unto Tobiah,
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And before{H6440} this, Eliashib{H475} the priest{H3548}, having the oversight{H5414} of the chamber{H3957} of the house{H1004} of our God{H430}, was allied{H7138} unto Tobiah{H2900}:
Cross-References (KJV):
Nehemiah 12:44
- ¶ And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.
Nehemiah 2:10
- When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard [of it], it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
Nehemiah 6:17
- Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and [the letters] of Tobiah came unto them.
Nehemiah 6:18
- For [there were] many in Judah sworn unto him, because he [was] the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
Nehemiah 13:28
- And [one] of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, [was] son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.
Nehemiah 12:10
- And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,
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Commentary for Nehemiah 13:4
Nehemiah 13:4 is a verse set within the broader context of the post-exilic period in Jewish history. The Israelites had been allowed to return to Jerusalem after a period of exile in Babylon, and the city, including its walls and the Temple, was being rebuilt with great effort and dedication. The book of Nehemiah recounts these events, focusing on the leadership of Nehemiah, who was instrumental in the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem and the reestablishment of the Jewish community according to the Law of Moses.
The verse in question highlights a significant issue that arose during this period of restoration. Eliashib the priest, who was responsible for the storerooms of the Temple—the house of God—had formed an alliance with Tobiah, an Ammonite. This alliance is problematic for several reasons. Firstly, Tobiah was a foreigner and not part of the covenant community of Israel, which made such an alliance potentially compromising to the purity and integrity of the priesthood and the Temple. Secondly, the book of Nehemiah suggests that Tobiah was an adversary to the Jewish community's efforts to reestablish themselves according to God's laws, as he had previously opposed Nehemiah's work (Nehemiah 2:10, 4:3).
The historical context of this verse is crucial to understanding its implications. The post-exilic community was striving to maintain its identity and religious purity in a context where they were surrounded by foreign influences and pressures. The alliance between Eliashib and Tobiah threatened this purity and the community's commitment to the covenant with God. Nehemiah later addresses this issue by removing Tobiah's belongings from the Temple storeroom and purifying the chambers (Nehemiah 13:8-9), thereby reasserting the sanctity of the Temple and the importance of maintaining the distinctiveness of the Jewish faith and community.
In summary, Nehemiah 13:4 touches on themes of covenant faithfulness, religious purity, leadership integrity, and the challenges faced by the Jewish people in maintaining their identity in the face of external pressures during the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H6440
There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּנִים
Transliteration: pânîym
Pronunciation: paw-neem'
Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you. - Strong's Number: H475
There are 163 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶלְיָשִׁיב
Transliteration: ʼElyâshîyb
Pronunciation: el-yaw-sheeb'
Description: from אֵל and שׁוּב; God will restore; Eljashib, the name of six Israelites; Eliashib. - Strong's Number: H3548
There are 653 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כֹּהֵן
Transliteration: kôhên
Pronunciation: ko-hane'
Description: active participle of כָּהַן; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman); chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer. - Strong's Number: H5414
There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָתַן
Transliteration: nâthan
Pronunciation: naw-than'
Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. - Strong's Number: H3957
There are 41 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לִשְׁכָּה
Transliteration: lishkâh
Pronunciation: lish-kaw'
Description: from an unused root of uncertain meaning; a room in a building (whether for storage, eating, or lodging); chamber, parlour. Compare נִשְׁכָּה. - Strong's Number: H1004
There are 1718 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּיִת
Transliteration: bayith
Pronunciation: bah'-yith
Description: probably from בָּנָה abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.); court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out). - Strong's Number: H430
There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. - Strong's Number: H7138
There are 76 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָרוֹב
Transliteration: qârôwb
Pronunciation: kaw-robe'
Description: or קָרֹב; from קָרַב; near (in place, kindred or time); allied, approach, at hand, [phrase] any of kin, kinsfold(-sman), (that is) near (of kin), neighbour, (that is) next, (them that come) nigh (at hand), more ready, short(-ly). - Strong's Number: H2900
There are 17 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טוֹבִיָּה
Transliteration: Ṭôwbîyâh
Pronunciation: to-bee-yaw'
Description: or טוֹבִיָּהוּ; from טוֹב and יָהּ; goodness of Jehovah; Tobijah, the name of three Israelites and of one Samaritan; Tobiah, Tobijah.