Nehemiah 13:19

Neh 13:19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and [some] of my servants set I at the gates, [that] there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.

Ver. 19. When the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark] As it did early, because the mountains were around Jerusalem, Psa 125:2.

Before the sabbath] That there might be a due preparation without interruption. At this day, in many cities where the Jews reside there is one goes about and proclaims the approaching of the Sabbath about half-an-hour before sunset the day before, that they may set all aside to sanctify it.

I commanded that the gates should be shut] And thereby all such occasions of profaning shut out.

And charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath] So King Edgar ordained that Sunday should be solemnized from Saturday, nine of the clock, till Monday morning here in this land, that God might surely have his due. The Jews of Tiberias began the Sabbath sooner than others. Those at Tsepphore continued it longer, adding de profane ad sacrum. of common to sacred time. Hence R. Jose wished that his portion might be with those of Tiberius, and ended it with those of Tsepphore (Buxtorf).

And some of my servants set I at the gates] To keep them carefully, and to prevent profanations. How the Athenians amerced those that came not to the assemblies on holy days, hurdling up all the streets, except them that led to the ecclesia, taking away all their saleable wares, &c., see Rous’s Archaeolog. Attic. p. 103.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13:19 The Sabbath began at sunset on Friday evening and lasted until sunset on Saturday evening.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

About the time that the Sun went down: for the Sabbath lasted from the Sun going down of the one day, to the Sun setting of the other.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 19. When the gates - began to be dark] After sunset on Friday evening he caused the gates to be shut, and kept them shut all the Sabbath; and, as he could not trust the ordinary officers, he set some of his own servants to watch the gates, that no person might enter for the purpose of traffic.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(19) Some of my servants.—These are several times mentioned as employed in public duty. Here they are used provisionally, to keep out traffickers until the formal appointment of the Levitical guard (Neh_13:22), after which they would be relieved.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark] The rare word for ‘began to be dark’ gives rise to the renderings LXX. ἡνίκα κατέστησαν πύλαι, Vulg. ‘cum quievissent portæ.’ Another suggested rendering is ‘had their bells rung,’ is very ludicrous, deriving the word from the same root as the word for ‘cymbals.’

before the sabbath] From this we should gather that the Sabbath began as soon as it was dark; not absolutely at sunset, but at the termination of the brief twilight.

gates] R.V. doors.

charged] R.V. commanded. Same word as in the previous clause.

servants] Literally ‘youths,’ παῖδες, i.e. personal attendants, cf. Neh_4:10.

at the gates] R.V. over the gates, i.e. to superintend the watch.

that there should no burden, &c.] The object of the watch was not to bar the free passage in and out, but only to prevent the introduction of merchandise on that day.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves,.... From all ceremonial uncleanness, that they might be fit in a ceremonial sense to perform the duties of the office on the sabbath day:

and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day; not the gates of the city, his servants were placed there, nor was this the work of the Levites, and much less did this require a particular purification to fit for it; but the gates of the temple, that no impure person might enter there; and on that day it required the greater diligence, because of the number of people that came to worship:

remember me, O my God, concerning this also; with respect to his care to have the sabbath kept holy, as well as his concern for the honour of the house of God, and the maintenance of his ministers, Neh 13:14,

and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy; he desired to be dealt with, not according to any merits of his own, but according to the abundant mercy of God; that he would kindly and graciously vouchsafe to accept any good that he had done for his mercy sake, and forgive whatever was amiss in him.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The gates were closed at the sunset of the day before the Sabbath; since the Sabbath was regarded as commencing on the previous evening.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

At rest. People travelling no longer. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "shaded, or in the dark." Before Friday night on, the sabbath commenced, and then the gates were shut. (Haydock) --- On the. Hebrew, "before the sabbath." (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

When the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark; which was about sun-setting, by reason of the mountains which were round about and near Jerusalem, Psa 125:2.

Some of my servants set I at the gates, out of a diffidence in those to whom the keeping of the gates was committed.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

When the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath. The Jews have always reckoned their days from sunset to sunset, grounding their practice on the account of the Creation given in the first chapter of Genesis, where "the evening and the morning" arc said to constitute each of the six days. There was also a special command that the "sabbath" of the great day of atonement should be kept "from even to even". (Lev_23:32) I commanded that the gates should be shut. The gates would as a matter of course have been shut at sunset. Nehemiah required that the closing should take place some half-hour earlier, when the shadows were lengthening, and the day was drawing towards a close. He regarded it as a sort of desecration of the sabbath to carry on secular work to the last allowable moment. Some of my servants. Compare Neh_4:16 Neh_5:16. That there should be no burthen brought in. Foot passengers were no doubt allowed to enter and leave the city on the sabbath, Nehemiah"s servants being set to see that under no pretence should merchandise be allowed to enter.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

At the gates - Out of a diffidence in those, to whom the keeping of the gates was committed.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

As soon as it became dark ... before the Sabbath

"When the sun went down ... and it was time for the Sabbath to begin"

that the doors be shut and that they should not be opened until

This can be translated in active form. AT: "that the guards shut the doors and not open them until" (See: Active or Passive)

no load could be brought in

This can be translated in active form. AT: "no one could bring in things they wanted to sell" (See: Active or Passive)

sellers of all kinds of wares

"people who had brought many different things they wanted to sell"

translationWords

gate

Jerusalem

Sabbath

command

servant

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Now it came to pass when the gates of Jerusalem cast shadows When the shadows of the Sabbath eve fell on the gates, I ordered the doors of the city to be closed and not re-opened until after the Sabbath so that the traffickers would not enter the city to sell their merchandise and cause Israel to profane the Sabbath.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.