Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:1–3

¹At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,^a ²because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).

³As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.

Footnotes

a 13:1 See Deuteronomy 23:3–6|DEU 23:3-6.

Read all of Nehemiah 13

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Nehemiah 13:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
At that	הַה֗וּא	ha·hū	Article; Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
time	בַּיּ֣וֹם	bay·yō·wm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day
the Book	בְּסֵ֥פֶר	bə·sê·p̄er	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H5612 missive, document, writing, book
of Moses	מֹשֶׁ֖ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
was read aloud	נִקְרָ֛א	niq·rā	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
in the hearing	בְּאָזְנֵ֣י	bə·’ā·zə·nê	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine dual construct	H241 ear
of the people	הָעָ֑ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
and in it	בּ֔וֹ	bōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
they found	וְנִמְצָא֙	wə·nim·ṣā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H4672 attain to, find
the passage stating	כָּת֣וּב	kā·ṯūḇ	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular	H3789 write
that	אֲ֠שֶׁר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
no	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
Ammonite	עַמֹּנִ֧י	‘am·mō·nî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H5984 Ammonite
or Moabite	וּמֹאָבִ֛י	ū·mō·’ā·ḇî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4125 Moabitish
should ever	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
enter	יָב֨וֹא	yā·ḇō·w	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
the assembly	בִּקְהַ֥ל	biq·hal	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H6951 assembly, convocation, congregation
of God	הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים	hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H430 God

Nehemiah 13:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
because	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
they had not	לֹ֧א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
met	קִדְּמ֛וּ	qid·də·mū	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural	H6923 come or be in front, meet
the Israelites	בְּנֵ֥י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
with food	בַּלֶּ֣חֶם	bal·le·ḥem	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3899 bread, food
and water	וּבַמָּ֑יִם	ū·ḇam·mā·yim	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
but had hired	וַיִּשְׂכֹּ֨ר	way·yiś·kōr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7936 hire
Balaam	בִּלְעָם֙	bil·‘ām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1109 Balaam
to call down a curse	לְקַֽלְל֔וֹ	lə·qal·lōw	Preposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singular	H7043 be slight, swift, trifling
against them	עָלָ֤יו	‘ā·lāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5921 height
although our God	אֱלֹהֵ֛ינוּ	’ĕ·lō·hê·nū	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H430 God
had turned	וַיַּהֲפֹ֧ךְ	way·ya·hă·p̄ōḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2015 turn, overturn
the curse	הַקְּלָלָ֖ה	haq·qə·lā·lāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H7045 curse
into a blessing	לִבְרָכָֽה׃	liḇ·rā·ḵāh	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular	H1293 blessing

Nehemiah 13:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
As soon as	וַיְהִ֖י	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
heard	כְּשָׁמְעָ֣ם	kə·šā·mə·‘ām	Preposition-k; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine plural	H8085 hear
this law	הַתּוֹרָ֑ה	hat·tō·w·rāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H8451 direction, instruction, law
they excluded	וַיַּבְדִּ֥ילוּ	way·yaḇ·dî·lū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H914 be divided, separate
from Israel	מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃	mî·yiś·rā·’êl	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
all	כָל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
of foreign descent	עֵ֖רֶב	‘ê·reḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H6154 mixture, mixed company

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Nehemiah 13:1 Deuteronomy 23:3–5 · Nehemiah 9:3 · Deuteronomy 31:11–12 · Nehemiah 13:23 · 2 Kings 23:2 · Ezekiel 25:1–11

Nehemiah 13:2 Deuteronomy 23:5 · Joshua 24:9–10 · Micah 6:5 · Psalm 109:28 · Matthew 25:40 · Numbers 23:8–11 · Numbers 24:5–10 · Numbers 23:18 · Numbers 22:3–11

Nehemiah 13:3 Nehemiah 9:2 · Exodus 12:38 · Nehemiah 10:28 · Numbers 11:4 · James 1:27

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.