Bible Strands
Nehemiah 10:28
“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,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator catalogs the signatories of a post-exilic covenant renewal, moving from named officials to the broader community of religious workers and lay families. This occurs at the moment of formalizing a sworn commitment to God's Law after the wall's completion.
The words — וְ/כָל־ (ve./khol) translates literally as "and every," marking the inclusive scope of those bound by the agreement. הַ/נְּתִינִים (ha./ne.ti.Nim) denotes "the temple servants," a distinct group assigned to sanctuary maintenance.
The thread — The pattern of separating from foreign influence to obey Scripture appears in Nehemiah 9:2 and parallels the separation warning in 2 Corinthians 6:14. Jeremiah 4:2 similarly ties sworn oaths to the execution of truth, justice, and righteousness.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to recognize that covenant obedience extends beyond leadership to include households and all who voluntarily separate themselves to follow the written Law. It demands a concrete, community-wide commitment to uphold the commandments rather than assimilate into surrounding cultural practices.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
Cross-references
- Nehemiah 9:2 Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
- Jeremiah 4:2 and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
- 2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
- Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.
- Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God—
- Leviticus 20:24 But I have told you that you will inherit their land, since I will give it to you as an inheritance—a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the peoples.
- Ezra 2:36 The priests: The descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973;
- Ezra 2:70 So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, along with some of the people, settled in their own towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.
- Ezra 9:1 After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
- Ezra 10:11 Now, therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives.”