The Meaning of Nehemiah 10:34 Explained

Nehemiah 10:34

KJV: 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 by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law:

YLT: And the lots we have caused to fall for the offering of wood, among the priests, the Levites, and the people, to bring in to the house of our God, by the house of our fathers, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is written in the law,

Darby: 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, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is written in the law;

ASV: And we cast lots, the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood-offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn upon the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is written in the law;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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  by year,  to burn  upon the altar  of the LORD  our God,  as [it is] written  in the law: 

What does Nehemiah 10:34 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 10:28-39 - A Pledge Of Better Service
The chapter opens with a list of the signers of the covenant, which was signed on behalf of the people. The consecration covenant involved-first, obedience; then, the purity of the holy seed from intermarriage with heathen peoples; next, the observance of the Sabbath, and of the Sabbatic year. In addition there was the yearly charge for the maintenance of divine worship. The great lack among Christian people is system in the apportioning of their incomes. They leave their giving to impulse, and thus often give the merest fraction of their possessions to the cause of God. We should at least give a tenth, and as much more as we can afford. If only all who read these words would resolve to imitate these impoverished exiles, and to set aside the tithe of all they earn or receive, they would discover the luxury of giving, and a new zest in receiving. The first-fruits of increased wages and revenue should also be given to God, as a tribute of thanksgiving. Let the first produce of hen-roost, orchard, and field be His. Do not neglect or forsake God's house, Nehemiah 10:39. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 10

1  The names of those who sealed the covenant
29  The points of the covenant

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 10:34 mean?

And lots we cast upon offering the wood the among priests the Levites and the people for [bringing] into the house of our God according to the houses of our fathers' at the times appointed year by year to burn on the altar Yahweh our God as [it is] written in Law
וְהַגּוֹרָל֨וֹת הִפַּ֜לְנוּ עַל־ קֻרְבַּ֣ן הָעֵצִ֗ים הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים הַלְוִיִּם֮ וְהָעָם֒ לְ֠הָבִיא לְבֵ֨ית אֱלֹהֵ֧ינוּ לְבֵית־ אֲבֹתֵ֛ינוּ לְעִתִּ֥ים מְזֻמָּנִ֖ים שָׁנָ֣ה בְשָׁנָ֑ה לְבַעֵ֗ר עַל־ מִזְבַּח֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ כַּכָּת֖וּב בַּתּוֹרָֽה

וְהַגּוֹרָל֨וֹת  And  lots 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּורָל  
Sense: lot.
הִפַּ֜לְנוּ  we  cast 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
קֻרְבַּ֣ן  offering 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָרְבָּן 
Sense: offering, oblation.
הָעֵצִ֗ים  the  wood 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים  the  among  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
הַלְוִיִּם֮  the  Levites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
וְהָעָם֒  and  the  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לְ֠הָבִיא  for  [bringing] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
לְבֵ֨ית  into  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֱלֹהֵ֧ינוּ  of  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לְבֵית־  according  to  the  houses 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֲבֹתֵ֛ינוּ  of  our  fathers' 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
לְעִתִּ֥ים  at  the  times 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
מְזֻמָּנִ֖ים  appointed 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Participle, masculine plural
Root: זָמַן  
Sense: to appoint a time, be fixed, be appointed.
שָׁנָ֣ה  year 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
בְשָׁנָ֑ה  by  year 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
לְבַעֵ֗ר  to  burn 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּעַר 
Sense: to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled.
מִזְבַּח֙  the  altar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
כַּכָּת֖וּב  as  [it  is]  written 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
בַּתּוֹרָֽה  in  Law 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.