Nehemiah 10:29
New International Version
all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord.

New Living Translation
joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as issued by his servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the LORD our Lord:

English Standard Version
join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and his statutes.

Berean Standard Bible
hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.

King James Bible
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;

New King James Version
these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and 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 ordinances and His statutes:

New American Standard Bible
are joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given through Moses, God’s servant, and to keep and to comply with all the commandments of GOD our Lord, and His ordinances and statutes;

NASB 1995
are joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law, which was given through Moses, God’s servant, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of GOD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes;

NASB 1977
are joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law, which was given through Moses, God’s servant, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of GOD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes;

Legacy Standard Bible
are joining with their relatives, their nobles, and are entering into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law, which was given by the hand of Moses, God’s servant, and to keep and to do all the commandments of Yahweh our Lord and His judgments and His statutes;

Amplified Bible
are joining with their fellow Israelites, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given through Moses the servant of God, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of GOD our Lord, and His ordinances and statutes:

Christian Standard Bible
join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the law of God given through God’s servant Moses and to obey carefully all the commands, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the law of God given through God’s servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commands, ordinances, and statutes of Yahweh our Lord.

American Standard Version
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 Jehovah our Lord, and his ordinances and his statutes;

English Revised Version
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 to do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They joined their relatives, the nobles, in binding themselves with a curse and an oath to follow God's teachings given by Moses, God's servant. They also bound themselves to follow all the commandments, rules, and regulations of the LORD our Lord.

Good News Translation
do hereby join with our leaders in an oath, under penalty of a curse if we break it, that we will live according to God's Law, which God gave through his servant Moses; that we will obey all that the LORD, our Lord, commands us; and that we will keep all his laws and requirements.

International Standard Version
joined with their relatives and their leaders. They entered into an oath—enforced by a curse —to walk in God's Law that was given through God's servant Moses, and to be careful to obey all of the commands of the LORD, our Lord, as well as his regulations and statutes:

Majority Standard Bible
hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.

NET Bible
hereby participate with their colleagues the town leaders and enter into a curse and an oath to adhere to the law of God which was given through Moses the servant of God, and to obey carefully all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, along with his ordinances and his statutes.

New Heart English Bible
they joined with their brothers, 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 ordinances and his statutes;

Webster's Bible Translation
They united with 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;

World English Bible
joined with their brothers, 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 Yahweh our Lord, and his ordinances and his statutes;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
are laying hold on their brothers, their majestic ones, and coming into an execration and an oath, to walk in the Law of God, that was given by the hand of Moses, servant of God, and to observe and to do all the commands of YHWH our Lord, and His judgments, and His statutes;

Young's Literal Translation
are laying hold on their brethren, their honourable ones, and coming in to an execration, and in to an oath, to walk in the law of God, that was given by the hand of Moses, servant of God, and to observe and to do all the commands of Jehovah our Lord, and His judgments, and His statutes;

Smith's Literal Translation
Holding upon their brethren, their mighty ones, and coming into a curse, and into an oath, to go in the law of God which was given by the hand of Moses the servant of God, and to watch and to do all the command of Jehovah our Lord, and his judgments and his ordinances;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
All that could understand promising for their brethren, with their chief men, and they came to promise, and swear that they would walk in the law of God, which he gave in the hand of Moses the servant of God, that they would do and keep all the commandments of the Lord our God, and his judgments and his ceremonies.

Catholic Public Domain Version
All who were able to understand, pledged on behalf of their brothers, with their nobles, and they came forward to promise and to swear that they would walk in the law of God, which he had given to the hand of Moses, the servant of God, that they would do and keep all the commandments of the Lord our God, and his judgments and his ceremonies,

New American Bible
join their influential kindred, and with the sanction of a curse take this oath to follow the law of God given through Moses, the servant of God, and to observe carefully all the commandments of the LORD, our Lord, his ordinances and his statutes.

New Revised Standard Version
join with their kin, their nobles, and enter into a curse and 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 ordinances and his statutes.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Strengthened their brethren, their neighbors, taking oaths and making a covenant to walk in the LORD'S law which he gave 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;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they were strengthened with their brethren and with their neighbors, and they entered into an oath and into a covenant to walk in the Torah of LORD JEHOVAH that he gave into the hand of Moshe the Servant of LORD JEHOVAH, and to keep and do all the commandments of LORD JEHOVAH our Lord, and his judgments and his laws
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
they cleaved 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 ordinances and His statutes;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
were urgent with their brethren, and bound them under a curse, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in the law of God, which was given by the hand of Moses, the servant of God; to keep and to do all the commandments of the Lord, and his judgments, and his ordinances;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Vows of the Covenant
28“The rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the people of the land to obey the Law of God—along with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand, 29hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord. 30We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 29:10-15
All of you are standing today before the LORD your God—you leaders of tribes, elders, officials, and all the men of Israel, / your children and wives, and the foreigners in your camps who cut your wood and draw your water— / so that you may enter into the covenant of the LORD your God, which He is making with you today, and into His oath, ...

Exodus 24:3-8
When Moses came and told the people all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all responded with one voice: “All the words that the LORD has spoken, we will do.” / And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early the next morning he got up and built an altar at the base of the mountain, along with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. / Then he sent out some young men of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. ...

Joshua 24:24-27
So the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey His voice.” / On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance. / Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD. ...

2 Kings 23:3
So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.

2 Chronicles 34:31-32
So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book. / Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand in agreement to it. So all the people of Jerusalem carried out the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

Ezra 10:3
So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

Deuteronomy 27:26
‘Cursed is he who does not put the words of this law into practice.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

Jeremiah 11:3-5
You must tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant, / which I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, ‘Obey Me, and do everything I command you, and you will be My people, and I will be your God.’ / This was in order to establish the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is to this day.” “Amen, LORD,” I answered.

Deuteronomy 5:1-3
Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances that I declare in your hearing this day. Learn them and observe them carefully. / The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. / He did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with all of us who are alive here today.

Leviticus 26:14-15
If, however, you fail to obey Me and to carry out all these commandments, / and if you reject My statutes, despise My ordinances, and neglect to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant,

Galatians 3:10
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

Romans 10:5
For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”

Hebrews 8:6-10
Now, however, Jesus has received a much more excellent ministry, just as the covenant He mediates is better and is founded on better promises. / For if that first covenant had been without fault, no place would have been sought for a second. / But God found fault with the people and said: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. ...

Matthew 5:17-19
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. / For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. / So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

James 2:10
Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.


Treasury of Scripture

They joined to their brothers, 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;

clave.

Isaiah 14:1
For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

Acts 11:23
Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

Acts 17:34
Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

entered.

Nehemiah 5:12,13
Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise…

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.

Deuteronomy 27:15-26
Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen…

to walk.

2 Kings 10:31
But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

2 Kings 23:3
And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

2 Chronicles 6:16
Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

given.

Deuteronomy 33:4
Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

Malachi 4:4
Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

John 1:17
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

by.

Deuteronomy 5:1,32
And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them…

Psalm 105:45
That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.

Ezekiel 36:27
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

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Nehemiah 10
1. The names of those who sealed the covenant.
29. The points of the covenant.














all who had separated themselves
This phrase indicates a deliberate and conscious decision to set apart from the surrounding nations. The Hebrew root for "separated" is "פרש" (parash), which implies a distinct division or setting apart for a holy purpose. Historically, this separation was crucial for maintaining the identity and purity of the Jewish people, especially after the Babylonian exile. It reflects a commitment to holiness and a rejection of pagan influences, aligning with the broader biblical theme of being "in the world but not of the world."

from the peoples of the land
The "peoples of the land" refers to the non-Israelite inhabitants of the region, including those who had settled during the Jewish exile. This separation was not merely ethnic but spiritual, as these peoples often practiced idolatry and customs contrary to the Law of God. The historical context underscores the importance of maintaining a distinct covenant community, as intermingling often led to syncretism and a dilution of faith.

to observe the Law of God
The commitment "to observe the Law of God" highlights the centrality of the Torah in the life of the Jewish community. The Hebrew word for "observe" is "שמר" (shamar), meaning to keep, guard, or give heed. This implies not just passive acknowledgment but active, diligent adherence to God's commandments. The Law was seen as a divine guide for living a life pleasing to God, and this observance was a sign of faithfulness and devotion.

along with their wives and all their sons and daughters
This inclusion of "wives and all their sons and daughters" emphasizes the communal and familial nature of the covenant commitment. It reflects the biblical principle that faith and obedience to God are to be taught and practiced within the family unit. This mirrors Deuteronomy 6:6-7, where parents are instructed to teach God's commandments to their children, ensuring that the faith is passed down through generations.

who are able to understand
The phrase "who are able to understand" indicates a level of maturity and cognitive ability necessary to grasp the significance of the covenant and the Law. It suggests that the commitment to God's Law is not just a ritualistic practice but requires comprehension and personal conviction. This aligns with the biblical emphasis on understanding and wisdom, as seen in Proverbs 4:7, where acquiring understanding is deemed essential.

(29) They clave to their brethren.--It was a union of the people as such, and sprang from a deep national conviction.

Entered into a curse, and into an oath.--The oath assumed the obligation; the curse imprecated the penalty of violation. (Comp. Deuteronomy 29:12.)

Verse 29. - They clave to their brethren, their nobles. They gave their support and adherence to their more distinguished brethren who had attached their seals to the document, approving what they had done, and ratifying it. Entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law. Something of this kind seems to have occurred in the wilderness, when God's law was first given to his people (Deuteronomy 29:12); and therefore, when renewals of the covenant were made, and the people were required to ratify the act, it was natural to recur to the old sanction, An oath was probably taken of the people in the time of Josiah (2 Kings 23:3), when they are said to have "stood to the covenant." Moses the servant of God. The epithet "servant of God," or "servant of the Lord," attaches to Moses in a peculiar way. God called him (Numbers 12:7) "my servant Moses, who is faithful in all my house;" and henceforward "servant of God" was his epitheton usitatum (see Joshua 1:1; Joshua 8:31, 33; 1 Chronicles 6:49; 2 Chronicles 24:9; Daniel 9:11; Hebrews 3:5; Revelation 15:3). St. Paul contrasts "Moses, the servant" with "Christ, the Son" (Hebrews 3:1-6).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
hereby join
מַחֲזִיקִ֣ים (ma·ḥă·zî·qîm)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer

with
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

their noble
אַדִּירֵיהֶם֒ (’ad·dî·rê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 117: Wide, large, powerful

brothers
אֲחֵיהֶם֮ (’ă·ḥê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 251: A brother, )

and commit
וּבָאִ֞ים (ū·ḇā·’îm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

themselves with a sworn
וּבִשְׁבוּעָ֗ה (ū·ḇiš·ḇū·‘āh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7621: Something sworn, an oath

oath
בְּאָלָ֣ה (bə·’ā·lāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 423: An imprecation

to follow
לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ (lā·le·ḵeṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

the Law
בְּתוֹרַ֣ת (bə·ṯō·w·raṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8451: Direction, instruction, law

of God
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

given
נִתְּנָ֔ה (nit·tə·nāh)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

through
בְּיַ֖ד (bə·yaḏ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

[His]
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

servant
עֶֽבֶד־ (‘e·ḇeḏ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

Moses
מֹשֶׁ֣ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

and to carefully
וְלִשְׁמ֣וֹר (wə·liš·mō·wr)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

obey
וְלַעֲשׂ֗וֹת (wə·la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the commandments,
מִצְוֺת֙ (miṣ·wōṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 4687: Commandment

ordinances,
וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו (ū·miš·pā·ṭāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

and statutes
וְחֻקָּֽיו׃ (wə·ḥuq·qāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2706: Something prescribed or owed, a statute

of the LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

our Lord.
אֲדֹנֵ֔ינוּ (’ă·ḏō·nê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 136: The Lord


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OT History: Nehemiah 10:29 They joined with their brothers their nobles (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 10:28
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