"And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates sh…" — Nehemiah 13:19

Nehemiah 13:19 · KJV

“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.”

— Nehemiah 13:19

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.

Verse 20

So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.

Nehemiah 13 — Context

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.

So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.

Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do {so} again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no {more} on the sabbath. {about: Heb. before}

Cross References

Leviticus 23:32

It {shall be} unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth {day} of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. {celebrate: Heb. rest}

Exodus 31:14-17

Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it {is} holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth {any} work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Jeremiah 17:19-22

Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

Leviticus 23:22

And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I {am} the LORD your God.

Nehemiah 7:3

And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar {them}: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one {to be} over against his house.