Nehemiah 10:28-39

Nehemiah 10:28-39

[28] 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;  [29] They clave  to their brethren,  their nobles,  and entered  into a curse,  and into an oath,  in God's  law,  which was given  by  Moses  the servant  of God,  and to observe  and do  all the commandments  of the LORD  and his judgments  and his statutes;  [30] And that we would not give  our daughters  unto the people  of the land,  nor take  their daughters  for our sons:  [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,  of every debt.  [32] Also we made  ordinances  for us, to charge  ourselves yearly  with the third part  of a shekel  for the service  of the house  of our God;  [33] For the shewbread,  and for the continual  meat offering,  and for the continual  burnt offering,  of the sabbaths,  of the new moons,  for the set feasts,  and for the holy  things, and for the sin offerings  to make an atonement  for Israel,  and for all the work  of the house  of our God.  [34] And we cast  the lots  among the priests,  the Levites,  and the people,  for the wood  offering,  to bring  it into the house  of our God,  after the houses  of our fathers,  at times  appointed  year  to burn  upon the altar  of the LORD  our God,  as it is written  in the law:  [35] And to bring  the firstfruits  of our ground,  and the firstfruits  of all fruit  of all trees,  year  unto the house  of the LORD:  [36] Also the firstborn  of our sons,  and of our cattle,  as it is written  in the law,  of our herds  and of our flocks,  to bring  to the house  of our God,  unto the priests  that minister  in the house  of our God:  [37] And that we should bring  the firstfruits  of our dough,  and our offerings,  and the fruit  of all manner of trees,  of wine  and of oil,  unto the priests,  to the chambers  of the house  of our God;  and the tithes  of our ground  unto the Levites,  might have the tithes  in all the cities  of our tillage.  [38] And the priest  the son  of Aaron  shall be with the Levites,  take tithes:  and the Levites  shall bring up  the tithe  unto the house  of our God,  to the chambers,  into the treasure  house.  [39] For the children  of Israel  and the children  of Levi  shall bring  the offering  of the corn,  of the new wine,  and the oil,  unto the chambers,  where are the vessels  of the sanctuary,  and the priests  that minister,  and the porters,  and the singers:  and we will not forsake  the house  of our God. 

What does Nehemiah 10:28-39 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The rest of the restoration community joined those who signed their names pledging to obey the Mosaic Law ( Nehemiah 10:28-29). The "curse" they took on themselves was submission to the curse that God promised would come on those who did not keep His Word ( Nehemiah 10:29; Deuteronomy 28:15-68). "Law" (Heb. torah) refers to all God"s instructions, "commandments" are His rules, "ordinances" are His judicial pronouncements, and "statutes" are His permanent decrees ( Nehemiah 10:29; cf. Deuteronomy 4:45).
These Jews promised, specifically, not to intermarry with pagans ( Nehemiah 10:30) and to keep the Sabbath day and the sabbatical year ( Nehemiah 10:31). They further committed to support the temple service financially ( Nehemiah 10:32-34), to give their firstfruits to God ( Nehemiah 10:35-37 a), and to pay their basic tithe tax ( Nehemiah 10:37-39). The last sentence in Nehemiah 10:39 shows that the primary concern of the people was the worship that was the heart of their national life. Their priorities were proper.
The Law required Israelites20 years old and older to pay one-half a shekel as a temple tax ( Exodus 30:11-16). This particular congregation only promised one-third of a shekel ( Nehemiah 10:32). Perhaps Nehemiah reduced the amount since the returned exiles were now poor (cf. Nehemiah 5:1-5). [1] Another explanation is that the people may have pledged this one-third shekel in addition to the other one-half. [2] A third possibility is that a different system of evaluating the shekel had replaced the older one. [3] The text is not specific on this point. In any case the people responded sacrificially.