Nehemiah 5:13

I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Nehemiah addresses the assembled nobles, officials, and people immediately after they swear an oath to restore confiscated property and cease usury. He performs a ritual gesture to seal the covenant and invokes a curse on oath-breakers.

The words — The text highlights נָעַ֗רְתִּי (na.'Ar.ti), meaning "I shook out," and יְנַעֵ֪ר (ye.na.'Er), meaning "may he shake out." These verbs describe the physical act of emptying one's garment and the corresponding divine judgment of stripping a person of their house and possessions.

The thread — The shaking gesture parallels the symbolic rejection in Acts 18:6, while the communal "Amen" and praise echo the response recorded in 1 Chronicles 16:36. The invoked curse against oath-breakers aligns with the sweeping judgment described in Zechariah 5:3.

Why it lands — The text demands immediate compliance with the sworn oath, confirming that verbal promises require tangible action. It establishes that covenant fidelity is enforced through communal witness and the serious consequence of divine judgment.

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

גַּם־gam-also חָצְנִ֣יcha.tze.N/ibosom/ my נָעַ֗רְתִּיna.'Ar.tiI shook out וָֽאֹמְרָ֡הva./'o.me.Ra/hand/ I said/ !כָּ֣כָהKa.khahthus יְנַעֵ֪רye.na.'Ermay he shake out הָֽאֱלֹהִ֟יםha./'E.lo.Him<the>/ God אֶת־'et-<obj.>כָּל־kol-every הָאִישׁ֩ha./'Ish<the>/ person אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwho לֹֽא־lo'-not יָקִ֜יםya.Kimhe will carry out אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַדָּבָ֣רha./da.Varthe/ word הַזֶּ֗הha./Zeh<the>/ this מִבֵּיתוֹ֙mi./bei.T/ofrom/ house/ his וּמִ֣יגִיע֔וֹu./Mi./gi.'/Oand/ from/ property/ his וְכָ֛כָהve./Kha.khahand/ thus יִהְיֶ֥הyih.Yehmay he be נָע֖וּרna.'Urshaken out וָרֵ֑קva./Rekand/ empty וַיֹּאמְר֨וּva/i.yo.me.Ruand/ they said כָֽל־khol-all הַקָּהָ֜לha./ka.Halthe/ assembly אָמֵ֗ן'a.Menamen וַֽיְהַלְלוּ֙va/y.ha.Luand/ they praised אֶת־'et-<obj.>יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh וַיַּ֥עַשׂva/i.Ya.'asand/ it did הָעָ֖םha./'Amthe/ people כַּדָּבָ֥רka./da.Varaccording to the/ manner הַזֶּֽה׃ha./Zeh<the>/ this

King James Version

Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise.

Cross-references

Acts 18:6 But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
1 Chronicles 16:36 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.” Then all the people said, “Amen!” and “Praise the LORD!”
Zechariah 5:3 Then he told me, “This is the curse that is going out over the face of all the land, for according to one side of the scroll, every thief will be removed; and according to the other side, every perjurer will be removed.
Matthew 10:14 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
Numbers 5:22 May this water that brings a curse enter your stomach and cause your belly to swell and your thigh to shrivel.’ Then the woman is to say, ‘Amen, Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:14 Then the Levites shall proclaim in a loud voice to every Israelite:
1 Samuel 15:28 So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
1 Kings 11:29 During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road as he was going out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself in a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field.
2 Kings 23:3 So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.
Nehemiah 8:6 Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.