The Meaning of Nehemiah 13:4 Explained

Nehemiah 13:4

KJV: And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:

YLT: And before this Eliashib the priest, appointed over chambers of the house of our God, is a relation of Tobiah,

Darby: And before this, Eliashib the priest, who had the oversight of the chambers of the house of our God, a kinsman of Tobijah,

ASV: Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied unto Tobiah,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And before  this, Eliashib  the priest,  having the oversight  of the chamber  of the house  of our God,  [was] allied  unto Tobiah: 

What does Nehemiah 13:4 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 13:4 mean?

Now before this Eliashib the priest having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God [was] allied with Tobiah
וְלִפְנֵ֣י מִזֶּ֔ה אֶלְיָשִׁיב֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן נָת֖וּן בְּלִשְׁכַּ֣ת בֵּית־ אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ קָר֖וֹב לְטוֹבִיָּֽה

וְלִפְנֵ֣י  Now  before 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
מִזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אֶלְיָשִׁיב֙  Eliashib 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶלְיָשִׁיב  
Sense: a priest in David’s reign.
הַכֹּהֵ֔ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
נָת֖וּן  having  authority 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בְּלִשְׁכַּ֣ת  over  the  storerooms 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: לִשְׁכָּה  
Sense: room, chamber, hall, cell.
בֵּית־  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ  of  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
קָר֖וֹב  [was]  allied 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָרֹוב  
Sense: near.
לְטוֹבִיָּֽה  with  Tobiah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: טֹובִיָּה 
Sense: head of a family who returned from exile with Zerubbabel but who were unable to prove their connection with Israel.