The Meaning of Nehemiah 13:13 Explained

Nehemiah 13:13

KJV: And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.

YLT: And I appoint treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites; and by their hand is Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for stedfast they have been reckoned, and on them it is to give a portion to their brethren.

Darby: And I made storekeepers over the storehouses: Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and subordinate to them, Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were esteemed faithful, and their office was to distribute to their brethren.

ASV: And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and their business was to distribute unto their brethren.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I made treasurers  over the treasuries,  Shelemiah  the priest,  and Zadok  the scribe,  and of the Levites,  Pedaiah:  and next to them  [was] Hanan  the son  of Zaccur,  the son  of Mattaniah:  for they were counted  faithful,  and their office [was] to distribute  unto their brethren. 

What does Nehemiah 13:13 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 13:13 mean?

And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe and Pedaiah of the Levites and next to them [was] Hanan son of Zaccur the son of Mattaniah for faithful they were considered and their task [was] to distribute to their brothers -
וָאוֹצְרָ֣ה עַל־ א֠וֹצָרוֹת שֶׁלֶמְיָ֨ה הַכֹּהֵ֜ן וְצָד֣וֹק הַסּוֹפֵ֗ר וּפְדָיָה֙ מִן־ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם וְעַל־ יָדָ֔ם חָנָ֥ן בֶּן־ זַכּ֖וּר בֶּן־ מַתַּנְיָ֑ה כִּ֤י נֶאֱמָנִים֙ נֶחְשָׁ֔בוּ וַעֲלֵיהֶ֖ם לַחֲלֹ֥ק לַאֲחֵיהֶֽם פ

וָאוֹצְרָ֣ה  And  I  appointed  as  treasurers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אָצַר  
Sense: to store up, save, lay up.
עַל־  over 
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.
א֠וֹצָרוֹת  the  storehouse 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֹוצָר  
Sense: treasure, storehouse.
שֶׁלֶמְיָ֨ה  Shelemiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁלֶמְיָה 
Sense: a son of Bani who put away his foreign wife in the time of Ezra.
הַכֹּהֵ֜ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וְצָד֣וֹק  and  Zadok 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צָדֹוק  
Sense: the high priest, son of Ahitub of the house of Eleazar the son of Aaron, and th in descent from Aaron; joined David after Saul’s death and supported him against Absalom and Adonijah; anointed Solomon as king.
הַסּוֹפֵ֗ר  the  scribe 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
וּפְדָיָה֙  and  Pedaiah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּדָיָה 
Sense: father of Zebudah, the wife of king Josiah and the mother of king Jehoiakim both of Judah.
הַלְוִיִּ֔ם  the  Levites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
יָדָ֔ם  next  to  them 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
חָנָ֥ן  [was]  Hanan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָנָן  
Sense: one of the chief people of the tribe of Benjamin.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
זַכּ֖וּר  of  Zaccur 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: זַכּוּר  
Sense: father of Shammua, the Reubenite spy.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מַתַּנְיָ֑ה  of  Mattaniah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַתַּנְיָה 
Sense: the original name of the last king of Judah before the captivity; also known as ‘Zedekiah’.
נֶאֱמָנִים֙  faithful 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: אָמַן 
Sense: to support, confirm, be faithful.
נֶחְשָׁ֔בוּ  they  were  considered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָשַׁב 
Sense: to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count.
וַעֲלֵיהֶ֖ם  and  their  task  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine plural
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.
לַחֲלֹ֥ק  to  distribute 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: חָלַק 
Sense: to divide, share, plunder, allot, apportion, assign.
לַאֲחֵיהֶֽם  to  their  brothers 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation