The Meaning of Nehemiah 13:26 Explained

Nehemiah 13:26

KJV: Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

YLT: By these did not Solomon king of Israel sin? and among the many nations there was no king like him, and beloved by his God he was, and God maketh him king over all Israel -- even him did the strange women cause to sin.

Darby: Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among the many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel; but even him did foreign wives cause to sin.

ASV: Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did foreign women cause to sin.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Did not Solomon  king  of Israel  sin  by these things? yet among many  nations  was there no king  like him, who was beloved  of his God,  and God  made  him king  over all Israel:  nevertheless even him  did outlandish  women  cause to sin. 

What does Nehemiah 13:26 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 13:26 mean?

Did not by these things sin Solomon king of Israel and yet among nations many no there was king like him and beloved of his God who was and made him God over all Israel nevertheless even him caused to sin women pagan
הֲל֣וֹא עַל־ ؟ אֵ֣לֶּה חָטָֽא־ שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל וּבַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָרַבִּים֩ לֹֽא־ הָיָ֨ה מֶ֜לֶךְ כָּמֹ֗הוּ וְאָה֤וּב לֵֽאלֹהָיו֙ הָיָ֔ה וַיִּתְּנֵ֣הוּ אֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־ כָּל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל גַּם־ אוֹת֣וֹ הֶחֱטִ֔יאוּ הַנָּשִׁ֖ים הַנָּכְרִיּֽוֹת

הֲל֣וֹא  Did  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
؟ אֵ֣לֶּה  these  things 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
חָטָֽא־  sin 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה  Solomon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁלֹמֹה  
Sense: son of David by Bathsheba and 3rd king of Israel; author of Proverbs and Song of Songs.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וּבַגּוֹיִ֣ם  and  yet  among  nations 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
הָרַבִּים֩  many 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
לֹֽא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הָיָ֨ה  there  was 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מֶ֜לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
כָּמֹ֗הוּ  like  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּמֹו  
Sense: like, as, the like of which conj.
וְאָה֤וּב  and  beloved 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
לֵֽאלֹהָיו֙  of  his  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הָיָ֔ה  who  was 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
וַיִּתְּנֵ֣הוּ  and  made  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֱלֹהִ֔ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
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.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
גַּם־  nevertheless  even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
הֶחֱטִ֔יאוּ  caused  to  sin 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
הַנָּשִׁ֖ים  women 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
הַנָּכְרִיּֽוֹת  pagan 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine plural
Root: נָכְרִי  
Sense: foreign, alien.