The Meaning of Nehemiah 13:22 Explained

Nehemiah 13:22

KJV: And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.

YLT: And I say to the Levites, that they be cleansed, and, coming in, keeping the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Also, this, remember for me, O my God, and have pity on me, according to the abundance of Thy kindness.

Darby: And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to hallow the sabbath day. Remember this also for me, my God, and spare me according to thy great loving-kindness!

ASV: And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember unto me, O my God, this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy lovingkindness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I commanded  the Levites  that they should cleanse  themselves, and [that] they should come  [and] keep  the gates,  to sanctify  the sabbath  day.  Remember  me, O my God,  [concerning] this also, and spare  me according to the greatness  of thy mercy. 

What does Nehemiah 13:22 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 13:22 mean?

And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves that they should go and guard the gates to sanctify - day The Sabbath also [concerning] this Remember me my God and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy -
וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לַלְוִיִּ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִֽהְי֤וּ מִֽטַּהֲרִים֙ וּבָאִים֙ שֹׁמְרִ֣ים הַשְּׁעָרִ֔ים לְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֶת־ י֣וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת גַּם־ זֹאת֙ זָכְרָה־ לִּ֣י אֱלֹהַ֔י וְח֥וּסָה עָלַ֖י כְּרֹ֥ב חַסְדֶּֽךָ פ

וָאֹמְרָ֣ה  And  I  commanded 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לַלְוִיִּ֗ם  the  Levites 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יִֽהְי֤וּ  they  should 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מִֽטַּהֲרִים֙  cleanse  themselves 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine plural
Root: טָהֵר  
Sense: to be clean, be pure.
וּבָאִים֙  that  they  should  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
שֹׁמְרִ֣ים  and  guard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
הַשְּׁעָרִ֔ים  the  gates 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
לְקַדֵּ֖שׁ  to  sanctify 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: קָדַשׁ  
Sense: to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
י֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת  The  Sabbath 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שַׁבָּת  
Sense: Sabbath.
גַּם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
זֹאת֙  [concerning]  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
זָכְרָה־  Remember 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
לִּ֣י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אֱלֹהַ֔י  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְח֥וּסָה  and  spare 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: חוּס  
Sense: (Qal) to pity, have compassion, spare, look upon with compassion.
עָלַ֖י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
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.
כְּרֹ֥ב  according  to  the  greatness 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹב  
Sense: multitude, abundance, greatness.
חַסְדֶּֽךָ  of  Your  mercy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation