The Meaning of Nehemiah 13:15 Explained

Nehemiah 13:15

KJV: In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.

YLT: In those days I have seen in Judah those treading wine-vats on sabbath, and bringing in the sheaves, and lading on the asses, and also, wine, grapes, and figs, and every burden, yea, they are bringing in to Jerusalem on the sabbath-day, and I testify in the day of their selling provision.

Darby: In those days I saw in Judah some treading winepresses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading them on asses; as also wine, grapes and figs, and all manner of burdens; and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I protested in the day on which they sold the victuals.

ASV: In those days saw I in Judah some men treading wine-presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses therewith ; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In those days  saw  I in Judah  [some] treading  wine presses  on the sabbath,  and bringing in  sheaves,  and lading  asses;  as also wine,  grapes,  and figs,  and all [manner of] burdens,  which they brought  into Jerusalem  on the sabbath  day:  and I testified  [against them] in the day  wherein they sold  victuals. 

What does Nehemiah 13:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 13:15-31 - A Disobedient And Gainsaying People
Let us remember to keep perpetual Sabbath in the heart, whatever be our outward life. In this life there is a Sabbath rest for the people of God, Hebrews 4:9, but we must labor to enter into it, and must set God's angel of peace to keep the door against all intruders, Philippians 4:7. Twenty years before, Ezra had dismissed the strange wives, but the evil had risen again. Alas, how sadly do children expose the inconsistencies of their parents, and betray the evil of unequal marriages! We see plenty of this around us; and where there is such a union, the balance is almost certain to turn in favor of the world and against vital godliness, Deuteronomy 7:4; 2 Corinthians 6:14. Nehemiah did not hesitate to add strong acts to strong words. Josephus says that this expelled priest was Manasseh, and that he went to his father-in-law, Sanballat, who built for him a temple on Mount Gerizim like that at Jerusalem, and that this was the origin of the religious rivalry and hatred between Samaritans and Jews, John 4:20. The faithful servant and the dying thief join in the same petition, Nehemiah 13:31. To be remembered by Jesus Christ is enough reward for any of us [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 13

1  Upon the reading of the law, separation is made from the mixed multitude
4  Nehemiah, at his return, causes the chambers to be cleansed
10  He reforms the offices in the house of God;
15  the violation of the Sabbath;
23  and the marriages with the strange wives

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 13:15 mean?

In days those I saw [people] in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves and loading on donkeys and with wine grapes and figs and all [kinds [of] burdens and which they brought into Jerusalem on day The Sabbath and I warned [them] about the day on which they were selling provisions
בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֡מָּה רָאִ֣יתִי בִֽיהוּדָ֣ה ׀ דֹּֽרְכִֽים־ גִּתּ֣וֹת ׀ בַּשַּׁבָּ֡ת וּמְבִיאִ֣ים הָעֲרֵמ֣וֹת וְֽעֹמְסִ֪ים עַל־ הַחֲמֹרִ֟ים וְאַף־ יַ֜יִן עֲנָבִ֤ים וּתְאֵנִים֙ וְכָל־ מַשָּׂ֔א וּמְבִיאִ֥ים יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם בְּי֣וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת וָאָעִ֕יד בְּי֖וֹם מִכְרָ֥ם צָֽיִד

בַּיָּמִ֣ים  In  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הָהֵ֡מָּה  those 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
רָאִ֣יתִי  I  saw  [people] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בִֽיהוּדָ֣ה ׀  in  Judah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
דֹּֽרְכִֽים־  treading 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: דָּרַךְ  
Sense: to tread, bend, lead, march.
גִּתּ֣וֹת ׀  wine  presses 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: גַּת  
Sense: winepress, wine vat.
בַּשַּׁבָּ֡ת  on  the  Sabbath 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שַׁבָּת  
Sense: Sabbath.
וּמְבִיאִ֣ים  and  bringing  in 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הָעֲרֵמ֣וֹת  sheaves 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: עֲרֵמָה  
Sense: heap, pile.
וְֽעֹמְסִ֪ים  and  loading 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָמַס  
Sense: to load, carry, carry a load.
הַחֲמֹרִ֟ים  donkeys 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֲמֹור 
Sense: (he)ass.
וְאַף־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
יַ֜יִן  wine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַיִן  
Sense: wine.
עֲנָבִ֤ים  grapes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵנָב  
Sense: grape(s).
וּתְאֵנִים֙  and  figs 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural
Root: תְּאֵנָה  
Sense: fig, fig tree.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מַשָּׂ֔א  [kinds  [of]  burdens 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַשָּׂא 
Sense: load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting.
וּמְבִיאִ֥ים  and  which  they  brought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם  into  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
בְּי֣וֹם  on  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת  The  Sabbath 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שַׁבָּת  
Sense: Sabbath.
וָאָעִ֕יד  and  I  warned  [them] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עוּד 
Sense: to return, repeat, go about, do again.
בְּי֖וֹם  about  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
מִכְרָ֥ם  on  which  they  were  selling 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מָכַר  
Sense: to sell.
צָֽיִד  provisions 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צַיִד 
Sense: hunting, game.