History · Chapter 10 of 13

Nehemiah 10

The people put their renewal into writing. Leaders, Levites, and priests set their seals to a binding covenant, and the rest of the people join by oath to walk in God's Law. They pledge specific commitments: not to intermarry with the surrounding peoples, to keep the Sabbath and the sabbatical year, and to support the temple with tithes, offerings, firstfruits, and firstborn, vowing not to neglect the house of God.

What happens in Nehemiah 10

This chapter records the formal, written covenant that grows out of the confession in chapter nine. It begins by naming those who sealed the document: Nehemiah the governor, then priests, Levites, and leaders of the people. The rest of the people, with their wives and children who could understand, join their leaders in an oath, binding themselves with a curse to walk in God's Law given through Moses. Then come the specific pledges. They will not give their daughters to the surrounding peoples or take their daughters in marriage.

They will not buy goods on the Sabbath or holy days, and will let the land rest and release debts in the seventh year. They will support the temple with an annual tax, provide wood for the altar, and bring firstfruits, the firstborn of their sons and animals, and tithes to the priests and Levites. They conclude that they will not forsake the house of our God.

Nehemiah 10 in context

The covenant renewal reaches its climax in a written, sealed document, a formal, communal commitment following the reading of the Law and the great confession. The specific pledges directly address the failures that had marked Israel and would trouble the community again: intermarriage with idolaters, Sabbath breaking, and neglect of temple support.

This concreteness is striking; the people do not make vague promises but name the exact obedience they will pursue. The list of pledges anticipates the very problems Nehemiah must confront again in chapter thirteen.

Main themes of Nehemiah 10

Nehemiah 10 (KJV)

1Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah, 2Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the priests. 9And the Levites: both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; 10And their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13Hodijah, Bani, Beninu. 14The chief of the people; Parosh, Pahathmoab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani, 15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur, 18Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai, 19Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub, 24Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek, 25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26And Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, 27Malluch, Harim, Baanah. 28And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding; 29They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes; 30And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons: 31And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt. 32Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God; 33For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. 34And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law: 35And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD: 36Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God: 37And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. 38And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house. 39For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.

Verses to carry from Nehemiah 10

“They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;”Nehemiah 10:29

“And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.”Nehemiah 10:37

“For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.”Nehemiah 10:39

Reflection

Renewal that stays vague rarely lasts. These people named specific commitments and bound themselves to them. What would concrete obedience look like for you, in your commitments, your rhythms of rest, your giving? Yet remember too that our best resolutions falter; the covenant that finally holds is not the one we seal, but the one Christ sealed in his blood.

A prayer from Nehemiah 10