Bible Strands
Nehemiah 13:5
and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Nehemiah addresses the returned exiles, reporting what Eliashib the priest had done while Nehemiah was absent serving King Artaxerxes. The narrator identifies the official responsible and the exact location affected.
The words — לִשְׁכָּה (lishkah) denotes a dedicated storage chamber, and גְדוֹלָה (gedolah) specifies its size. The text states that a large room was prepared for Tobiah.
The thread — The verse references the designated storage for Levitical and priestly tithes, echoing the tithe distribution laws in Numbers 18:21 and the collection procedures in Nehemiah 10:38. It highlights the ongoing practice of reserving temple stores for religious personnel.
Why it lands — The text states that sacred provisions were diverted to a private official, demanding immediate recognition of mismanaged holy resources. It requires the reader to identify where communal or sacred assets are being redirected and to restore them to their prescribed purpose.
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 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.
Cross-references
- Numbers 18:21 Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting.
- 2 Chronicles 34:11 They also gave money to the carpenters and builders to buy dressed stone, as well as timbers for couplings and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to deteriorate.
- Nehemiah 10:38 A priest of Aaron’s line is to accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of these tithes to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God.
- Nehemiah 12:44 And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving.