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Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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THE MESSAGE

Nehemiah 13:4

Some time before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of The Temple of God. He was close to Tobiah and had made available to him a large storeroom that had been used to store Grain-Offerings, incense, worship vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil for the Levites, singers, and security guards, and the offerings for the priests.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Eliashib;   Minister, Christian;   Priest;   Tobiah;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Eliashib;   Marriage;   Tobiah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Samaria, samaritans;   Temple;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Eliashib;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - High Priest;   Jerusalem;   Nehemiah;   Nehemiah, the Book of;   Tobiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Eliashib;   Jehohanan;   Nehemiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Nehemiah, Book of;   Tobiah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Eliashib ;   Tobiah ;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Tobiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Allied;   Eliashib;   Priest, High;   Tobiah;   Treasury (of Temple);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Now before this, the priest Eliashib had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was a relative of Tobiah
Hebrew Names Version
Now before this, Elyashiv the Kohen, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied to Toviyah,
King James Version
And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:
English Standard Version
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah,
New Century Version
Before that happened, Eliashib the priest, who was in charge of the Temple storerooms, was friendly with Tobiah.
New English Translation
But prior to this time, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been appointed over the storerooms of the temple of our God.
Amplified Bible
Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and was related to Tobiah [our adversary],
New American Standard Bible
Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being related to Tobiah,
World English Bible
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah,
Geneva Bible (1587)
And before this had the Priest Eliashib the ouersight of the chamber of the house of our God, being kinsman to Tobiah:
Legacy Standard Bible
Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who was put in charge over the chambers of the house of our God, being related to Tobiah,
Berean Standard Bible
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God
Contemporary English Version
The priest Eliashib was a relative of Tobiah and had earlier been put in charge of the temple storerooms.
Complete Jewish Bible
Also, prior to this, Elyashiv the cohen, who had been put in charge of the storage rooms in the house of our God, and who was related by marriage to Toviyah,
Darby Translation
And before this, Eliashib the priest, who had the oversight of the chambers of the house of our God, a kinsman of Tobijah,
Easy-to-Read Version
But, before that happened, Eliashib had given a room in the Temple to Tobiah. Eliashib was the priest in charge of the storerooms in our God's Temple. And he was a close friend of Tobiah. That room had been used for storing the grain offerings, incense, and the Temple dishes and things. They also kept the tenth of grain, new wine, and oil for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers in that room. And they also kept the gifts for the priests in that room. But Eliashib gave that room to Tobiah.
George Lamsa Translation
And before this, Eliasbib the priest had come and built there for himself a large court,
Good News Translation
The priest Eliashib, who was in charge of the Temple storerooms, had for a long time been on good terms with Tobiah.
Lexham English Bible
Before this, Eliashib the priest who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God—the one related to Tobiah—
Literal Translation
And before this, Eliashib the priest, who was set over the rooms of the house of our God, who was related to Tobiah,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And before this had the prest Eliasib delyuered the chest of ye house of oure God vnto his kynsman Tobia:
American Standard Version
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied unto Tobiah,
Bible in Basic English
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who had been placed over the rooms of the house of our God, being a friend of Tobiah,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And before this had the priest Eliasib the ouersight of the treasurie of the house of our God, and he was kynsman vnto Tobia,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied unto Tobiah,
King James Version (1611)
And before this Eliashib the priest hauing the ouersight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied vnto Tobiah:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And before this time Eliasib the priest dwelt in the treasury of the house of our God, connected with Tobias;
English Revised Version
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied unto Tobiah,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And upon these thingis Eliasib, the prest, `was blameful, that was the souereyn in the tresorie of the hows of oure God, and was the neiybore of Tobie.
Update Bible Version
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah,
Webster's Bible Translation
And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, [was] allied to Tobiah:
New King James Version
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah.
New Living Translation
Before this had happened, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah,
New Life Bible
Before this, Eliashib the religious leader, who watched over the store-rooms of the house of our God, being close to Tobiah,
New Revised Standard
Now before this, the priest Eliashib, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, before this, Eliashib the priest, who was set over a chamber of the house of God, was allied unto Tobiah;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And over this thing was Eliasib the priest, who was set over the treasury of the house of our God, and was near akin to Tobias.
Revised Standard Version
Now before this, Eli'ashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was connected with Tobi'ah,
Young's Literal Translation
And before this Eliashib the priest, appointed over chambers of the house of our God, [is] a relation of Tobiah,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being related to Tobiah,

Contextual Overview

1Also on that same day there was a reading from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. It was found written there that no Ammonite or Moabite was permitted to enter the congregation of God, because they hadn't welcomed the People of Israel with food and drink; they even hired Balaam to work against them by cursing them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing. When they heard the reading of The Revelation, they excluded all foreigners from Israel. 4Some time before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of The Temple of God. He was close to Tobiah and had made available to him a large storeroom that had been used to store Grain-Offerings, incense, worship vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil for the Levites, singers, and security guards, and the offerings for the priests. 6When this was going on I wasn't there in Jerusalem; in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I had traveled back to the king. But later I asked for his permission to leave again. I arrived in Jerusalem and learned of the wrong that Eliashib had done in turning over to him a room in the courts of The Temple of God. I was angry, really angry, and threw everything in the room out into the street, all of Tobiah's stuff. Then I ordered that they ceremonially cleanse the room. Only then did I put back the worship vessels of The Temple of God, along with the Grain-Offerings and the incense.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Eliashib: Nehemiah 13:7, Nehemiah 12:10

having the oversight of: Heb. being set over, Nehemiah 12:44

allied: Nehemiah 13:28, Nehemiah 6:17, Nehemiah 6:18

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 9:28 - the charge 1 Chronicles 23:28 - for the service Ezra 9:2 - the hand Nehemiah 3:20 - Eliashib Job 31:34 - the contempt Jeremiah 41:10 - to the Malachi 3:8 - In

Cross-References

Genesis 13:1
So Abram left Egypt and went back to the Negev, he and his wife and everything he owned, and Lot still with him. By now Abram was very rich, loaded with cattle and silver and gold.
Genesis 13:3
He moved on from the Negev, camping along the way, to Bethel, the place he had first set up his tent between Bethel and Ai and built his first altar. Abram prayed there to God .
Genesis 13:8
Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have fighting between us, between your shepherds and my shepherds. After all, we're family. Look around. Isn't there plenty of land out there? Let's separate. If you go left, I'll go right; if you go right, I'll go left."
Genesis 13:18
Abram moved his tent. He went and settled by the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to God .
Psalms 26:8
God , I love living with you; your house glows with your glory. When it's time for spring cleaning, don't sweep me out with the quacks and crooks, Men with bags of dirty tricks, women with purses stuffed with bribe-money.
Psalms 84:10
One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. All sunshine and sovereign is God , generous in gifts and glory. He doesn't scrimp with his traveling companions. It's smooth sailing all the way with God -of-the-Angel-Armies.
Psalms 107:1
Oh, thank God —he's so good! His love never runs out. All of you set free by God , tell the world! Tell how he freed you from oppression, Then rounded you up from all over the place, from the four winds, from the seven seas.
Psalms 145:18
God 's there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it.
Jeremiah 29:12
"When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen.
Zephaniah 3:9
"In the end I will turn things around for the people. I'll give them a language undistorted, unpolluted, Words to address God in worship and, united, to serve me with their shoulders to the wheel. They'll come from beyond the Ethiopian rivers, they'll come praying— All my scattered, exiled people will come home with offerings for worship. You'll no longer have to be ashamed of all those acts of rebellion. I'll have gotten rid of your arrogant leaders. No more pious strutting on my holy hill! I'll leave a core of people among you who are poor in spirit— What's left of Israel that's really Israel. They'll make their home in God . This core holy people will not do wrong. They won't lie, won't use words to flatter or seduce. Content with who they are and where they are, unanxious, they'll live at peace."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And before this,.... Before the above law was read, and observed and acted upon:

Eliashib the priest; whom some take to be a common priest; so Bishop Usher a; but he seems rather to be the high priest, by comparing it with Nehemiah 13:28,

having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God; which has led some to the notion of his being a common priest; but chamber may be put for chambers, and those for the whole house or temple, which the high priest had the greatest concern in, and oversight of:

was allied to Tobiah; the servant and Ammonite, an inveterate enemy of the Jews, Nehemiah 2:10, having married a daughter of Shecaniah, and his son a daughter of Meshullam, who were both priests, and so as it seems related to Eliashib, Nehemiah 6:18.

a Annal. Vet. Test. p. 200.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The relations of Eliashib, the high priest Nehemiah 3:1, with Tobiah and Sanballat will account for the absence of any reference to him either in Neh. 8–10, or in Nehemiah 12:27-47.

The chamber - The entire outbuilding, or “lean-to,” which surrounded the temple on three sides 1 Kings 6:5-10.

Allied - i. e, “connected by marriage.” Tobiah was married to a Jewess Nehemiah 6:18, who may have been a relation of Eliashib; and his son Johanan was married to another Nehemiah 6:18, of whom the same may be said.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nehemiah 13:4. Eliashib the priestPerhaps this was a different person from Eliashib the high priest; but there is no indubitable evidence that he was not the same. If he was high priest, he was very unfaithful to the high charge which he had received; and a reproach to the priesthood. He had married his grandson to Sanballat's daughter: this produced a connection with Tobiah, the fast friend of Sanballat; in whose favour he polluted the house of God, giving him one of the chambers for his ordinary residence, which were appointed for the reception of the tithes, oblations, &c., that came to the house of God.


 
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