Nehemiah 5:13

Biblia Hebrica Stuttgartensia (1967/77)

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I shook my lap: So "when the Roman ambassadors entered the senate of Carthage, they had their toga gathered up in their bosom, and said, We carry here peace and war; you may have which you will. The senate answered, You may give which you please. They then shook their toga, and said, We bring you war." - Livy. Matthew 10:14, Acts 13:51, Acts 18:6

So God: 1 Samuel 15:28, 1 Kings 11:29-31, Zechariah 5:3, Zechariah 5:4

emptied: Heb. empty, or void

Amen: Numbers 5:22, Deuteronomy 27:14-26

praised: 1 Chronicles 16:36

the people: 2 Kings 23:3, Psalms 50:14, Psalms 76:11, Psalms 119:106, Ecclesiastes 5:5

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 11:17 - made a covenant 2 Chronicles 15:14 - sware 2 Chronicles 23:16 - made a covenant Nehemiah 8:6 - Amen Nehemiah 10:29 - entered Nehemiah 13:25 - cursed Proverbs 21:13 - at Matthew 6:12 - as Mark 6:11 - whosoever Luke 9:5 - shake Revelation 19:4 - Amen

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Also I shook my lap,.... The fore skirts of his garment, shaking the dust out of them, as a symbol of what follows; a like rite was used in the case of peace and war, the choice of either, by the Romans, as proposed by their ambassadors to the Carthaginians, as having either in their bosom to shake out l:

and said, so God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour; what he has got by his labour:

that performeth not his promise; confirmed by an oath:

even thus be he shaken out, and emptied; of all that he has in the world, and out of the world too, as Jarchi adds:

and all the congregation said, Amen; so let it be, even those that had taken pledges and usury, as well as others:

and praised the Lord; that had given them such a governor to direct, advise, and exhort them to their duty, and had inclined their hearts to attend thereunto:

and the people did according to this promise; they punctually kept it, and the oath they had sworn.

l Florus, l. 2. c. 6. Liv. l. 21. c. l8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I shook my lap - Compare the marginal references. By “lap” is meant a fold in the bosom of the dress, capable of serving as a pocket. Compare Isaiah 49:22 margin.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nehemiah 5:13. Also I shook my lap — This was a significant action frequent among the Hebrews; and something of the same nature was practised among other nations. "When the Roman ambassadors entered the senate of Carthage, they had their toga gathered up in their bosom. They said, We carry here peace and war; you may have which you will. The senate answered, You may give which you please. They then shook their toga, and said, We bring you war. To which all the senate answered, We cheerfully accept it." See Livy. lib. xxi., cap. 18; and see Calmet.