Nehemiah 13 · Verse 6

Nehemiah 13:6

But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
Nehemiah 13:6, King James Version

Nehemiah 13:6 in other translations

BSBWhile all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king
WEBBut in all this, I was not at Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king; and after some days I asked leave of the king,
ASVBut in all this time I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went unto the king: and after certain days asked I leave of the king,
YLTAnd during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty and second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon did I come unto the king, and at the end of days I have asked of the king,
DARBYAnd during all that time I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two-and-thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came to the king; and after some time I obtained leave of the king.
BBEBut all this time I was not at Jerusalem: for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I went to the king; and after some days, I got the king to let me go,
WebsterBut in all this time I was not at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came to the king, and after certain days I obtained leave of the king:

What does Nehemiah 13:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Nehemiah 13:6-9
6-9. But in all this was not I at Jerusalem--Eliashib (concluding that, as Nehemiah had departed from Jerusalem, and, on the expiry of his allotted term of absence, had resigned his government, he had gone not to return) began to use great liberties, and, there being none left whose authority or frown he dreaded, allowed himself to do things most unworthy of his sacred office, and which, though in unison with his own irreligious character, he would not have dared to attempt during the residence of the pious governor. Nehemiah resided twelve years as governor of Jerusalem, and having succeeded in repairing and refortifying the city, he at the end of that period returned to his duties in Shushan. How long [Nehemiah] remained there is not expressly said, but "after certain days," which is a Scripture phraseology for a year or a number of years, he obtained leave to resume the government of Jerusalem; to his deep mortification and regret, he found matters in the neglected and disorderly state here described. Such gross irregularities as were practised, such extraordinary corruptions as had crept in, evidently imply the lapse of a considerable time. Besides, they exhibit the character of Eliashib, the high priest, in a most unfavorable light; for while he ought, by his office, to have preserved the inviolable sanctity of the temple and its furniture, his influence had been directly exercised for evil; especially he had given permission and countenance to a most indecent outrage--the appropriation of the best apartments in the sacred building to a heathen governor, one of the worst and most determined enemies of the people and the worship of God. The very first reform Nehemiah on his second visit resolved upon, was the stopping of this gross profanation [by Eliashib]. The chamber which had been polluted by the residence of the idolatrous Ammonite was, after undergoing the process of ritual purification (Nu 15:9), restored to its proper use--a storehouse for the sacred vessels.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 Was not I at Jerusalem - Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, and remained there till the thirty-second year, twelve years: then returned to Babylon, and staid one year; got leave to revisit his brethren; and found matters as stated in this chapter.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Nehemiah 13:1-9

Sabbath-breaking restrained. (15-22) The dismissal of strange wives. (23-31) Verses 1-9 Israel was a peculiar people, and not to mingle with the nations. See the benefit of publicly reading the word of God; when it is duly attended to, it discovers to us sin and duty, good and evil, and shows wherein we have erred. We profit, when we are thus wrought upon to separate from evil. Those that would drive sin out of…

Read the full comment on Nehemiah 13:1-9 →

Nehemiah 13:6 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.

וּבְכָל\־u.ve.Khol-and in allH3605
זֶ֕הzehthisH2088
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
הָיִ֖יתִיha.Yi.tiI wasH1961
בִּֽירוּשָׁלִָ֑םbi.ru.sha.Limin JerusalemH3389
כִּ֡יkiforH3588
בִּשְׁנַת֩bish.Natin yearH8141
שְׁלֹשִׁ֨יםshe.lo.ShimthirtyH7970
וּשְׁתַּ֜יִםu.she.Ta.yimand twoH8147
לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֤סְתְּאle.'ar.tach.Shast'of ArtaxerxesH783
מֶֽלֶךְ\־Me.lekh-[the] king ofH4428
בָּבֶל֙ba.VelBabylonH894
בָּ֣אתִיBa.tiI had goneH935
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
וּלְקֵ֥ץu.le.Ketzand to [the] end ofH7093
יָמִ֖יםya.MimdaysH3117
נִשְׁאַ֥לְתִּיnish.'Al.tiI requested leave of absenceH7592
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ\׃ha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428

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

Cross references for Nehemiah 13:6

  • Nehemiah 5:14

    Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.

  • Nehemiah 2:5-6

    And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it. And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

  • Ezra 6:22

    And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

  • 2 Chronicles 24:17-18

    Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.

  • Matthew 13:25

    But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

  • Exodus 32:1

    And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

  • Nehemiah 2:1

    And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
But.
Ex 32:1; 2Ch 24:17,18; Mt 13:25
was.Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, and remained there till the thirty-second, being twelve years; then returned to Babylon; and probably, after about a year, got leave to revisit his brethren, and found matters as here stated.
the two.
2:1; 5:14
after certain days. Heb. at the end of days.
2:5,6
obtained I. or, I earnestly requested.

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

Context

  • Nehemiah 13:5

    And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.

  • Nehemiah 13:6

    But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:

  • Nehemiah 13:7

    And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

Read all of Nehemiah 13

Nehemiah 13:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas á todo esto, yo no estaba en Jerusalem; porque el año treinta y dos de Artajerjes rey de Babilonia, vine al rey; y al cabo de días fuí enviado del rey.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et pendant tout cela je n’étais pas à Jérusalem; car, la trente-deuxième année d’Artaxerxès, roi de Babylone, j’étais allé vers le roi; et au bout de quelque temps j’avais demandé au roi la permission de m’en aller.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Während diesem allem war ich aber nicht in Jerusalem; denn im 32. Jahre Artasastas, des Königs von Babel, war ich zu dem König zurückgekommen. Und nach Verlauf einer Zeit erbat ich mir Urlaub von dem König;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		In omnibus autem his non fui in Jerusalem, quia anno trigesimo secundo Artaxerxis regis Babylonis veni ad regem, et in fine dierum rogavi regem.