The Meaning of Nehemiah 13:17 Explained

Nehemiah 13:17

KJV: Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

YLT: And I strive with the freemen of Judah, and say to them, 'What is this evil thing that ye are doing, and polluting the sabbath-day?

Darby: And I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, What evil thing is this which ye do, profaning the sabbath day?

ASV: Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then I contended  with the nobles  of Judah,  and said  unto them, What evil  thing  [is] this that ye do,  and profane  the sabbath  day? 

What does Nehemiah 13:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 13:15-31 - A Disobedient And Gainsaying People
Let us remember to keep perpetual Sabbath in the heart, whatever be our outward life. In this life there is a Sabbath rest for the people of God, Hebrews 4:9, but we must labor to enter into it, and must set God's angel of peace to keep the door against all intruders, Philippians 4:7. Twenty years before, Ezra had dismissed the strange wives, but the evil had risen again. Alas, how sadly do children expose the inconsistencies of their parents, and betray the evil of unequal marriages! We see plenty of this around us; and where there is such a union, the balance is almost certain to turn in favor of the world and against vital godliness, Deuteronomy 7:4; 2 Corinthians 6:14. Nehemiah did not hesitate to add strong acts to strong words. Josephus says that this expelled priest was Manasseh, and that he went to his father-in-law, Sanballat, who built for him a temple on Mount Gerizim like that at Jerusalem, and that this was the origin of the religious rivalry and hatred between Samaritans and Jews, John 4:20. The faithful servant and the dying thief join in the same petition, Nehemiah 13:31. To be remembered by Jesus Christ is enough reward for any of us [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 13:17 mean?

And I contended with the nobles of Judah and said to them what [is] thing evil this that you do and by which you profane - day the Sabbath
וָאָרִ֕יבָה אֵ֖ת חֹרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לָהֶ֗ם מָֽה־ הַדָּבָ֨ר הָרָ֤ע הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים וּֽמְחַלְּלִ֖ים אֶת־ י֥וֹם ؟ הַשַּׁבָּֽת

וָאָרִ֕יבָה  And  I  contended 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: רִיב  
Sense: to strive, contend.
חֹרֵ֣י  the  nobles 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: חֹר  
Sense: a noble, freeborn one.
יְהוּדָ֑ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וָאֹמְרָ֣ה  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהֶ֗ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
מָֽה־  what  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
הַדָּבָ֨ר  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הָרָ֤ע  evil 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
הַזֶּה֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
וּֽמְחַלְּלִ֖ים  and  by  which  you  profane 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: חָלַל 
Sense: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
י֥וֹם  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
؟ הַשַּׁבָּֽת  the  Sabbath 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שַׁבָּת  
Sense: Sabbath.