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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(11) Contended I with the rulers.—See their express covenant in Nehemiah 10:39. The rich men had taken advantage of Nehemiah’s absence to indulge their covetousness.

And I gathered them together.—The Levites were summoned back from their fields.

Benson Commentary

Nehemiah 13:11. Then contended I with the rulers — I sharply reproved those priests to whom the management of those things was committed, for the neglect of their duty, and breach of their late solemn promise. Why is the house of God forsaken? — So that there are few or no Levites or priests to attend there. You have not only injured men, in withholding their dues, but you have occasioned the neglect of God’s house and service, insomuch that little or no public worship is maintained. And I gathered them together — To Jerusalem, from their several country possessions. And set them in their place — Restored them to the exercise of their office. “A Levite in his field,” says Henry, “is out of his station: God’s house is his place, and there let him be found. Say to Archippus, Take heed to thy ministry.”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:10-14 If a sacred character will not keep men from setting an evil example, it must not shelter any one from deserved blame and punishment. The Levites had been wronged; their portions had not been given them. They were gone to get livelihoods for themselves and their families, for their profession would not maintain them. A maintenance not sufficient, makes a poor ministry. The work is neglected, because the workmen are. Nehemiah laid the fault upon the rulers. Both ministers and people, who forsake religion and the services of it, and magistrates, who do not what they can to keep them to it, will have much to answer for. He delayed not to bring the Levites to their places again, and that just payment should be made. Nehemiah on every occasion looked up to God, and committed himself and all his affairs to Him. It pleased him to think that he had been of use to revive and support religion in his country. He here refers to God, not in pride, but with a humble appeal concerning his honest intention in what he had done. He prays, Remember me; not, Reward me. Wipe not out my good deeds; not, Publish them, or record them. Yet he was rewarded, and his good deeds recorded. God does more than we are able to ask.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I gathered them together - Nehemiah gathered the Levites from their lands, and reinstated them in their set offices.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Ne 13:10-14. Nehemiah Reforms the Officers in the House of God.

10-13. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them—The people, disgusted with the malversations of Eliashib, or the lax and irregular performance of the sacred rites, withheld the tithes, so that the ministers of religion were compelled for their livelihood to withdraw to their patrimonial possessions in the country. The temple services had ceased; all religious duties had fallen into neglect. The money put into the sacred treasury had been squandered in the entertainment of an Ammonite heathen, an open and contemptuous enemy of God and His people. The return of the governor put an end to these disgraceful and profane proceedings. He administered a sharp rebuke to those priests to whom the management of the temple and its services was committed, for the total neglect of their duties, and the violation of the solemn promises which they had made to him at his departure. He upbraided them with the serious charge of having not only withheld from men their dues, but of having robbed God, by neglecting the care of His house and service. And thus having roused them to a sense of duty and incited them to testify their godly sorrow for their criminal negligence by renewed devotedness to their sacred work, Nehemiah restored the temple services. He recalled the dispersed Levites to the regular discharge of their duties; while the people at large, perceiving that their contributions would be no longer perverted to improper uses, willingly brought in their tithes as formerly. Men of integrity and good report were appointed to act as trustees of the sacred treasures, and thus order, regularity, and active service were re-established in the temple.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

I sharply reproved those priests to whom the management of these things was committed, for neglect of their duty, and breach of their late solemn promise.

Why is the house of God forsaken? you have not only injured men in withholding their dues, but you have occasioned the neglect of God’s house and service.

I gathered them together to Jerusalem, from their several country possessions, in which they were dispersed.

Set them in their place; restored them to the exercise of their office.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then I contended with the rulers;.... The ecclesiastical rulers, the priests that were appointed over those chambers, Nehemiah 12:44, he expostulated with them warmly, and chode them severely for their conduct:

and said, why is the house of God forsaken? no care being taken of the maintenance of the ministers of it, contrary to the promise made Nehemiah 10:37,

and l gathered them together; the Levites and singers that were dispersed in the countries round about:

and set them in their place; in the temple, and in the course of their ministry there.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. contended I] Cf. Nehemiah 13:17-25, Nehemiah 5:7.

the rulers] R.V. marg. ‘Or, deputies’.

forsaken] Neglected by the Jews and deserted by the Levites.

I gathered them together] Nehemiah caused a muster of the Levites.

in their place] i.e. in their proper positions. See notes Nehemiah 8:7, Nehemiah 9:3. LXX. ἐπὶ στάσει αὐτῶν. Vulg. ‘in stationibus suis.’

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 11. - Then contended I with the rulers. While the guilt of profaning the temple lay especially with the priestly class, that of withholding the tithes was mainly chargeable on the "rulers," or "nobles." These persons, as wealthy landowners, had of course a pecuniary interest in keeping back the tithe. When they felt the control of a strong hand they made the payments regularly enough (Nehemiah 12:47; Nehemiah 13:12); but no sooner was this control removed by Nehemiah's departure than they relapsed into the covetous habits in which they had indulged before he was made governor (Nehemiah 10:37). The Church in all ages has suffered wrong from the cupidity of wealthy men among its members. Why is the house of God forsaken? Why, contrarily to the distinct pledge given at the time of the renewal of the covenant (Nehemiah 10:39), have you suffered the house of God to become a solitude, driving the Levites away from it by depriving them of their legal sustenance? I gathered them together. Nehemiah brought the Levites back to the temple from their country residences, and re-established them in their proper offices. Nehemiah 13:11

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

"Then I contended with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken?" It was the duty of the סגנים, the heads of the community (comp. Nehemiah 2:16), to see that the tithes, etc., were regularly brought to the house of God. Hence Nehemiah rebukes them by asking: Why is the house of God forsaken? i.e., through the non-delivery of the dues. On נעזב, comp. Nehemiah 10:39. This rebuke made the impression desired. Nehemiah assembled the Levites and set them in their place (comp. Nehemiah 9:3; 2 Chronicles 30:16; 2 Chronicles 35:10), i.e., he brought them back to the performance of their official duties, and (Nehemiah 13:12) all Judah (the whole community) brought the tithe of the corn, etc., into the store-chambers of the temple; comp. Nehemiah 10:38. 2 Chronicles 11:11.