The Meaning of Nehemiah 13:14 Explained

Nehemiah 13:14

KJV: Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.

YLT: Be mindful of me, O my God, for this, and do not blot out my kind acts that I have done, for the house of my God, and for its charges.

Darby: Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds which I have done for the house of my God, and for the charges thereof!

ASV: Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the observances thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Remember  me, O my God,  concerning this, and wipe not out  my good  deeds that I have done  for the house  of my God,  and for the offices  thereof. 

What does Nehemiah 13:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 13:1-14 - Neglect Of Religious Duties
In Nehemiah 12:44-47 we have recorded the care that was manifested for the worthy maintenance of those who ministered in sacred things. As a result there were glad outbursts of minstrelsy and holy joy. Make room in your life for songs and praises, Psalms 33:1. In the opening of Nehemiah 13:1-31 we see how the Word of God cuts like a two-edged sword against evil. Happy are they who attend to its solemn warnings. The law referred to here was Deuteronomy 23:3-5. Tobiah was an Ammonite, and it was a scandalous thing that the high priest was not only allied to him by marriage, but had cast out the stores of the Temple in order to make room for him in the sacred edifice. Tobiah's influence was so great that the rest shrank from putting the law of separation into operation against him. When Nehemiah returned from a long sojourn in Persia he cast out all of Tobiah's goods, and restored the chamber to its proper use. If we have given up a chamber in our heart to any Tobiah, we must be prepared to do likewise. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 13

1  Upon the reading of the law, separation is made from the mixed multitude
4  Nehemiah, at his return, causes the chambers to be cleansed
10  He reforms the offices in the house of God;
15  the violation of the Sabbath;
23  and the marriages with the strange wives

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 13:14 mean?

Remember me my God concerning this and not do wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God for its services
זָכְרָה־ לִּ֥י אֱלֹהַ֖י עַל־ זֹ֑את וְאַל־ תֶּ֣מַח חֲסָדַ֗י אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֛יתִי בְּבֵ֥ית אֱלֹהַ֖י וּבְמִשְׁמָרָֽיו

זָכְרָה־  Remember 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
לִּ֥י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אֱלֹהַ֖י  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עַל־  concerning 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
זֹ֑את  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
וְאַל־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תֶּ֣מַח  do  wipe  out 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect Jussive, second person masculine singular
Root: מָחָא 
Sense: to wipe, wipe out.
חֲסָדַ֗י  my  good  deeds 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָשִׂ֛יתִי  I  have  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בְּבֵ֥ית  for  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֱלֹהַ֖י  of  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וּבְמִשְׁמָרָֽיו  for  its  services 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁמָר 
Sense: place of confinement, prison, guard, jail, guard post, watch, observance.