Nehemiah 10 · Verse 32

Nehemiah 10:32

Also 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;
Nehemiah 10:32, King James Version

Nehemiah 10:32 in other translations

BSBWe also place ourselves under the obligation to contribute a third of a shekel yearly for the service of the house of our God:
WEBAlso we made ordinances for ourselves, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
ASVAlso 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;
YLTAnd we have appointed for ourselves commands, to put on ourselves the third of a shekel in a year, for the service of the house of our God,
DARBYAnd 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,
BBEAnd we made rules for ourselves, taxing ourselves a third of a shekel every year for the upkeep of the house of our God;
WebsterAlso 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;

What does Nehemiah 10:32 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Nehemiah 10:29-37

Ne 10:29-39. Points of the Covenant. 29-37. to observe and do all the commandments, &c.--This national covenant, besides containing a solemn pledge of obedience to the divine law generally, specified their engagement to some particular duties, which the character and exigency of the times stamped with great urgency and importance, and which may be summed up under the following heads: that they abstain from…

Read the full comment on Nehemiah 10:29-37 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 32 Charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel - According to the law, every one above twenty years of age was to give half a shekel to the sanctuary, which was called a ransom for their souls. See Exo 30:11-16. But why is one third of a shekel now promised instead of the half shekel, which the law required? To this question no better answer can be given than this: the general poverty of the people, occasioned by their wars, overthrows, heavy tributes, etc., in the land of their captivity: and now on their return, having little property, it was impossible for them to give more; and we know, from the terms of the law in this case, that the poor and the rich were obliged to give alike, because it was a ransom for their souls; and the souls of the poor and the rich were of like value, and stood equally in need of redemption; for all were equally fallen, and all had come equally short of the glory of God. Though only a third part of a shekel was given at this time, and probably for the reason above assigned, yet when the people got into a state of greater prosperity, the half shekel was resumed: for it is clear that this sum was paid in the time of our Lord, though not to the temple, but to the Roman government. Hence when those who collected this as a tribute came to our Lord, it was for the διδραχμα, didrachma, which was half a shekel; and the coin with which our Lord paid for himself and Peter was a stater, which contained exactly two half shekels. See Mat 17:24-27.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Nehemiah 10:32-39
Having covenanted against the sins of which they had been guilty, they obliged themselves to observe the duties they had neglected. We must not only cease to do evil, but learn to do well. Let not any people expect the blessing of God, unless they keep up public worship. It is likely to go well with our houses, when care is taken that the work of God's house goes on well. When every one helps, and every one gives, though but little, toward a good work, the whole will come to be a large sum. We must do what we can in works of piety and charity; and whatever state we are placed in, cheerfully perform our duty to God, which will be the surest way to ease and liberty. As the ordinances of God are the appointed means of support to our souls, the believer will not grudge the expense; yet most people leave their souls to starve.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Nehemiah 10:32 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהֶעֱמַ֤דְנוּve.he.'e.Mad.nuand we establishH5975
עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙'a.Lei.nuon ourselvesH5921
מִצְוֹ֔תmitz.VotcommandmentsH4687
לָתֵ֥תla.Tetto putH5414
עָלֵ֛ינוּ'a.Lei.nuon ourselvesH5921
שְׁלִשִׁ֥יתshe.li.Shit[the] third ofH7992
הַשֶּׁ֖קֶלha.She.kelthe shekelH8255
בַּשָּׁנָ֑הba.sha.Nahin the yearH8141
לַעֲבֹדַ֖תla.'a.vo.Datfor [the] service ofH5656
בֵּ֥יתbeit[the] house ofH1004
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ\׃'e.lo.Hei.nuGod ourH430

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Nehemiah 10:32

  • Matthew 17:24-27

    And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

  • Exodus 30:11-16

    And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord. …

  • 2 Corinthians 8:12

    For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

  • Proverbs 3:9

    Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

  • Genesis 28:22

    And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
to charge.
Ge 28:22; Pr 3:9
the third part.According to the law, every one above twenty years of age was to give half a shekel to the sanctuary for a ransom for their souls. But, on account of the general poverty of the people, occasioned by their wars, and captivity, and by heavy tributes, etc., in the land of their captivity, this sum was reduced to the third part of a shekel.
Ex 30:11-16; Mt 17:24-27; 2Co 8:12

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Nehemiah 10:31

    And 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.

  • Nehemiah 10:32

    Also 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;

  • Nehemiah 10:33

    For 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.

Read all of Nehemiah 10

Nehemiah 10:32 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Impusímonos además por ley el cargo de contribuir cada año con la tercera parte de un siclo, para la obra de la casa de nuestro Dios;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et que, si les peuples du pays apportaient des marchandises ou toutes sortes de grains, le jour du sabbat, pour les vendre, nous n’en prendrions pas le jour du sabbat, ni en un jour saint; et que nous laisserions la terre en friche la septième année, et remettrions toute espèce de dettes.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und wir verpflichteten uns dazu, uns den dritten Teil eines Sekels im Jahre für den Dienst des Hauses unseres Gottes aufzuerlegen:
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et statuemus super nos præcepta, ut demus tertiam partem sicli per annum ad opus domus Dei nostri,