"Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing {is} this that ye do, and profane the sab…" — Nehemiah 13:17

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?”

— Nehemiah 13:17

Verse 16

There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

Verse 18

Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.

Nehemiah 13 — Context

In those days saw I in Judah {some} treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all {manner of} burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified {against them} in the day wherein they sold victuals.

There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

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?

Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.

And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and {some} of my servants set I at the gates, {that} there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.

Cross References

Nehemiah 13:11

Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. {place: Heb. standing}

Nehemiah 13:25

And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, {saying}, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. {cursed: or, reviled}

Psalms 82:1-2

[A Psalm of Asaph.] God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. {of Asaph: or, for Asaph}

Micah 3:9

Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.

Jeremiah 22:2-23

And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

Proverbs 28:4

They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

Isaiah 1:10

Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

Nehemiah 5:7

Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. {I consulted...: Heb. my heart consulted in me}