Nehemiah 13 · Verse 15

Nehemiah 13:15

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.
Nehemiah 13:15, King James Version

Nehemiah 13:15 in other translations

BSBIn those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.
WEBIn those days I saw some men treading wine presses on the Sabbath in Judah, bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; and I testified against them in the day in which they sold food.
ASVIn those days saw I in Judah some men treading winepresses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses therewith; 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.
YLTIn those days I have seen in Judah those treading wine-vats on sabbath, and bringing in the sheaves, and lading on the asses, and also, wine, grapes, and figs, and every burden, yea, they are bringing in to Jerusalem on the sabbath-day, and I testify in the day of their selling provision.
DARBYIn those days I saw in Judah some treading winepresses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading them on asses; as also wine, grapes and figs, and all manner of burdens; and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I protested in the day on which they sold the victuals.
BBEIn those days, I saw in Judah some who were crushing grapes on the Sabbath, and getting in grain and putting it on asses; as well as wine and grapes and figs and all sorts of goods which they took into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I gave witness against them on the day when they were marketing food.
WebsterIn those days I saw 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 in which they sold provisions.

What does Nehemiah 13:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Nehemiah 13:15-22

Ne 13:15-31. The Violation of the Sabbath.

15-22. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath--The cessation of the temple services had been necessarily followed by a public profanation of the Sabbath, and this had gone so far that labor was carried on in the fields, and fish brought to the markets on the sacred day. Nehemiah took the decisive step of ordering the city gates to be shut, and not to be opened, till the Sabbath was past; and in order to ensure the faithful execution of this order, he stationed some of his own servants as guards, to prevent the introduction of any commodities on that day. On the merchants and various dealers finding admission denied them, they set up booths outside the walls, in hopes of still driving a traffic with the peasantry; but the governor threatened, if they continued, to adopt violent measures for their removal. For this purpose a body of Levites was stationed as sentinels at the gate, with discretionary powers to protect the sanctification of the Sabbath.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 Treading wine-presses - The Sabbath appears to have been totally disregarded.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Nehemiah 13:15-22
The keeping holy the Lord's day forms an important object for their attention who would promote true godliness. Religion never prospers while sabbaths are trodden under foot. No wonder there was a general decay of religion, and corruption of manners among the Jews, when they forsook the sanctuary and profaned the sabbath. Those little consider what an evil they do, who profane the sabbath. We must answer for the sins others are led to commit by our example. Nehemiah charges it on them as an evil thing, for so it is, proceeding from contempt of God and our own souls. He shows that sabbath-breaking was one of the sins for which God had brought judgments upon them; and if they did not take warning, but returned to the same sins again, they had to expect further judgments. The courage, zeal, and prudence of Nehemiah in this matter, are recorded for us to do likewise; and we have reason to think, that the cure he wrought was lasting. He felt and confessed himself a sinner, who could demand nothing from God as justice, when he thus cried unto him for mercy.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Nehemiah 13:15 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.

בַּיָּמִ֣יםbai.ya.Mimin the daysH3117
הָהֵ֡מָּהha.He.mah<the> thoseH1992
רָאִ֣יתִיra.'I.tiI sawH7200
בִֽיהוּדָ֣ה\׀vi.hu.Dahin JudahH3063
דֹּֽרְכִֽים\־do.re.khim-[some who] trodH1869
גִּתּ֣וֹת\׀gi.TotwinepressesH1660
בַּשַּׁבָּ֡תba.sha.Baton the sabbathH7676
וּמְבִיאִ֣יםu.me.vi.'Imand [some who] broughtH935
הָעֲרֵמ֣וֹתha.'a.re.Mot<the> heaps of grainH6194
וְֽעֹמְסִ֪יםve.'o.me.Simand [some who] loaded [them]H6006
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הַחֲמֹרִ֟יםha.cha.mo.Rim<the> donkeysH2543
וְאַף\־ve.'af-and alsoH637
יַ֜יִןYa.yinwineH3196
עֲנָבִ֤ים'a.na.VimgrapesH6025
וּתְאֵנִים֙u.te.'e.Nimand figsH8384
וְכָל\־ve.kholand everyH3605
מַשָּׂ֔אma.Sa'loadH4853
וּמְבִיאִ֥יםu.me.vi.'Imand [some who] brought [them]H935
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖םye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389
בְּי֣וֹםbe.Yomon [the] day ofH3117
הַשַּׁבָּ֑תha.sha.Batthe sabbathH7676
וָאָעִ֕ידva.'a.'Idand I protestedH5749
בְּי֖וֹםbe.Yomon [the] dayH3117
מִכְרָ֥םmikh.Ramsold theyH4376
צָֽיִד\׃Tza.yidfoodH6718

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

Cross references for Nehemiah 13:15

  • 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.

  • Exodus 34:21

    Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

  • Nehemiah 13:21

    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.

  • Isaiah 58:13

    If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

  • Exodus 20:8-11

    Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

  • Jeremiah 17:21-22

    Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

  • Jeremiah 17:27

    But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

  • Deuteronomy 8:19

    And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

  • Ezekiel 20:13

    But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.

  • Exodus 35:2

    Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

  • Jeremiah 17:24

    And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;

  • Numbers 15:32-36

    And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
treading wine.
Ex 20:8-11; 34:21; 35:2; Isa 58:13; Eze 20:13
burdens.
10:31; Nu 15:32-36; Jer 17:21,22,24,27
I testified.
21; 9:29; De 8:19; 2Ch 24:19; Ps 50:7; Jer 42:19; Mic 6:3; Ac 2:40
Ac 20:21; Ga 5:3; Eph 4:17; 1Th 4:6; Re 22:18,19

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

Context

  • Nehemiah 13:14

    Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.

  • Nehemiah 13:15

    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.

  • Nehemiah 13:16

    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.

Read all of Nehemiah 13

Nehemiah 13:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
En aquellos días ví en Judá algunos que pisaban en lagares el sábado, y que acarreaban haces, y cargaban asnos con vino, y también de uvas, de higos, y toda suerte de carga, y traían á Jerusalem en día de sábado; y protesté les acerca del día que vendían el mantenimiento.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Dans ces jours-là, je vis en Juda des gens qui foulaient aux pressoirs, le jour du sabbat, et qui rentraient des gerbes et les chargeaient sur des ânes, et aussi du vin, des raisins et des figues, et toutes sortes de fardeaux, et qui les amenaient à Jérusalem le jour du sabbat; et je protestai, le jour où ils vendaient des denrées.
German
Elberfelder 1871
In jenen Tagen sah ich einige in Juda, welche am Sabbath die Keltern traten, und Garben einbrachten und auf Esel luden, und auch Wein, Trauben und Feigen und allerlei Last, und es am Sabbathtage nach Jerusalem hereinbrachten; und ich zeugte wider sie an dem Tage, da sie die Lebensmittel verkauften.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
In diebus illis vidi in Juda calcantes torcularia in sabbato, portantes acervos, et onerantes super asinos vinum, et uvas, et ficus, et omne onus, et inferentes in Jerusalem, die sabbati. Et contestatus sum ut in die qua vendere liceret, venderent.