The names go onto the sealed writing: Nehemiah the governor first, then priests, Levites, and the heads of the people — and all who have knowledge and understanding enter into an oath to walk in God's law: no intermarriage with the peoples of the land; no buying on Shabbat or a holy day; the seventh year's release; a yearly third of a shekel for the house of God; the wood offering in its appointed times; firstfruits, firstborn, and the tithe of the ground to the Levites — 'and we will not forsake the house of our God.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And yet for all this we make a sure covenant, and subscribe it; and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, set their seal to it.
verse value 3199
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "and·upon" (וְעַל֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·all·this" (וּבְכׇל־זֹ֕את, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·in·all·this" (וּבְכׇל־זֹ֕את), "cutting" (כֹּרְתִ֥ים), "covenant" (אֲמָנָ֖ה). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "our·Levites" (root לוי, 45x in Nehemiah); "and·upon" (root על, 44x in Nehemiah); "our·priests" (root כהן, 44x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·writing', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּבְכׇל־זֹ֕את [and·in·all·this] (466) + אֲנַ֛חְנוּ [we] (115) + כֹּרְתִ֥ים [cutting] (670) + אֲמָנָ֖ה [covenant] (96) + וְכֹתְבִ֑ים [and·writing] (478) + וְעַל֙ [and·upon] (106) + הֶֽחָת֔וּם [the·sealed] (459) + שָׂרֵ֥ינוּ [our·princes] (566) + לְוִיֵּ֖נוּ [our·Levites] (102) + כֹּהֲנֵֽינוּ [our·priests] (141) = 3199.
Rashi
Yet, despite all this Despite all the evil that has come upon us, we are making a trust with the Holy One, blessed be He, to believe and to trust in Him. and writing And we are writing on a scroll to accept His kingdom upon us in order that it be to us as a testimony. and signed thereon for most of the great and prominent men among us have signed the scroll of the acceptance of the commandments, to be for us as a testimony.
Ibn Ezra
"And yet for all this" — that is to say: despite all this distress, we make a binding covenant to walk in the Law of God, which was given by the hand of Moses, and that we would not give our daughters to the peoples of the land.
Ralbag
And yet for all this we make a sure covenant, to fulfill the words of the Torah, and to enter into a curse and an oath to walk in Hashem's Torah, and to observe and do His commandments, His ordinances, and His statutes, as the Torah stated, 'because you did not serve [Hashem your God].' And we have already put this covenant that we are making into writing, and signed upon it are all the leaders — that is, the princes, the Levites, and the priests — and here their names are recorded.
Metzudat David
'And yet for all this' — this refers back to what was said above: behold, our fathers had royalty and good fortune, and nevertheless did not serve You; and as for us, are we not servants, and in great distress? And yet, for all this, we make a firm and lasting covenant to serve You, and write it in a document, so that it should stand as a remembrance. 'And subscribe it... set their seal to it' — at the conclusion of the words of the document, our princes, etc., would sign with their own handwritten signatures, as a sign and proof that they accepted upon themselves everything written in the document.
Metzudat Zion
'a sure covenant' — refers to a binding commitment, as in 'let Your word now be confirmed' (I Kings 5). 'set their seal to it' — means completion, an ending; and in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: 'all who conclude blessings...' (Berachot 63).
Malbim
'And yet for all this' — even though we are in distress, 'we make a sure covenant' — that is, a faithful and enduring covenant, unlike our fathers who did not serve Hashem out of the abundance of everything they had. 'And subscribe it' — that is, in the document upon which they set their seal. It may be said that it was their practice, in every matter done to establish validity, to write it in two documents: one an open document and one a sealed document, as is written in Jeremiah (32:11, 14). In the open document they signed on the inside, and in the sealed document they signed on the outside, as our Sages said: a plain deed has its witnesses within it, a tied deed has its witnesses on the outside. The order of signatures was: the priests, then the Levites, then the officials — and this was in the open document. But in the sealed document, since the signatures were folded to the outside, the order was reversed and the last became first: first the officials, then the Levites, then the priests. So it says, 'and subscribe it' — meaning the sealed document — where the order was: our officials, our Levites, and our priests.
Now those who set their seal were: Nehemiah the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zedekiah;
verse value 2374
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "and·upon" (וְעַ֖ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·sealed" (הַחֲתוּמִ֑ים, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "the·sealed" (הַחֲתוּמִ֑ים), "and·Zedekiah" (וְצִדְקִיָּֽה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "son·of·Hachaliah" (root בן, 200x in Nehemiah); "and·upon" (root על, 44x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·sealed', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְעַ֖ל [and·upon] (106) + הַחֲתוּמִ֑ים [the·sealed] (509) + נְחֶמְיָ֧ה [Nehemiah] (113) + הַתִּרְשָׁ֛תָא [Tirshatha-governor] (1306) + בֶּן־חֲכַלְיָ֖ה [son·of·Hachaliah] (125) + וְצִדְקִיָּֽה [and·Zedekiah] (215) = 2374.
Rashi
And signed thereon He now proceeds to enumerate the signatories on the testimonial document of the acceptance of the commandments. Nehemiah Hattirshatha It is one name, and this is what I explained (Ezra 2:63) that [the name] Hattirshatha refers to Nehemiah. And why was he called Hattirshatha? Because the Sages permitted him to drink wine of gentiles, because he was the butler of the king.
Metzudat David
'Now those who set their seal were' — meaning, and these are the ones who were included among those who set their seal. 'Nehemiah, etc.' — and since they wrote in the document all the matters they swore concerning, stated below, it says 'those who set their seal' in the plural, meaning the ratification of all these matters.
Malbim
'Now those who set their seal were' — this refers to the open document, where the signers appear in the order: priests, then Levites, then officials of the people. And if you count, you will find that eighty-three men signed, corresponding to the seventy members of the Sanhedrin and the thirteen appointed officials that the Rambam counts in chapter 4 of Hilchot Klei HaMikdash — aside from the High Priest (who is not mentioned among the signers): the Segan, the two Ketikolin, the seven Amarkalim, and the three Gizbarim.
Verse structure: 3 words, 14 letters. The shortest word is "Seraiah" (שְׂרָיָ֥ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "Azariah" (עֲזַרְיָ֖ה, 5 letters). 3 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root שריה ("Seraiah") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root ירמיה ("Jeremiah") in Nehemiah. Full calculation: שְׂרָיָ֥ה [Seraiah] (515) + עֲזַרְיָ֖ה [Azariah] (292) + יִרְמְיָֽה [Jeremiah] (265) = 1072.
Verse structure: 3 words, 13 letters. The shortest word is "Hattush" (חַטּ֥וּשׁ, 4 letters) and the longest is "Shebaniah" (שְׁבַנְיָ֖ה, 5 letters). 3 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root מלוך ("Malluch") in Nehemiah. Full calculation: חַטּ֥וּשׁ [Hattush] (323) + שְׁבַנְיָ֖ה [Shebaniah] (367) + מַלּֽוּךְ [Malluch] (96) = 786.
Verse structure: 3 words, 14 letters. Verse gematria: 832 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Baruch" (בָּרֽוּךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "Daniel" (דָּנִיֵּ֥אל, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Daniel" (דָּנִיֵּ֥אל), "Ginnethon" (גִּנְּת֖וֹן). 3 unique roots are used. Full calculation: דָּנִיֵּ֥אל [Daniel] (95) + גִּנְּת֖וֹן [Ginnethon] (509) + בָּרֽוּךְ [Baruch] (228) = 832.
Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah. These were the priests.
verse value 768
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 23 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֖לֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "these" (אֵ֖לֶּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·priests" (הַכֹּהֲנִֽים, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Maaziah" (מַֽעַזְיָ֥ה), "Bilgai" (בִלְגַּ֖י). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·priests" (root כהן, 44x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Shemaiah', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: מַֽעַזְיָ֥ה [Maaziah] (132) + בִלְגַּ֖י [Bilgai] (45) + שְׁמַֽעְיָ֑ה [Shemaiah] (425) + אֵ֖לֶּה [these] (36) + הַכֹּהֲנִֽים [the·priests] (130) = 768.
Metzudat David
'These were the priests' — these who signed were from among the priests.
And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;
verse value 1035
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "Binnui" (בִּנּ֕וּי, 4 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Azaniah" (בֶּן־אֲזַנְיָ֔ה, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "son·of·Azaniah" (בֶּן־אֲזַנְיָ֔ה), "Henadad" (חֵנָדָ֖ד). The root בן appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "son·of·Azaniah" (root בן, 200x in Nehemiah); "and·the·Levites" (root לוי, 45x in Nehemiah); "Binnui" (root בנה, 27x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·the·Levites', dividing the verse into phrases of 1 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְֽהַלְוִיִּ֑ם [and·the·Levites] (97) + וְיֵשׁ֙וּעַ֙ [and·Jeshua] (392) + בֶּן־אֲזַנְיָ֔ה [son·of·Azaniah] (125) + בִּנּ֕וּי [Binnui] (68) + מִבְּנֵ֥י [from·sons·of] (102) + חֵנָדָ֖ד [Henadad] (66) + קַדְמִיאֵֽל [Kadmiel] (185) = 1035.
Metzudat David
'Jeshua' — this is his name, [spelled] with a vav.
Verse structure: 3 words, 13 letters. Verse gematria: 612 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "Mica" (מִיכָ֥א, 4 letters) and the longest is "Hashabiah" (חֲשַׁבְיָֽה, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Mica" (מִיכָ֥א), "Rehob" (רְח֖וֹב). 3 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root מיכא ("Mica") in Nehemiah. Full calculation: מִיכָ֥א [Mica] (71) + רְח֖וֹב [Rehob] (216) + חֲשַׁבְיָֽה [Hashabiah] (325) = 612.
Verse structure: 3 words, 13 letters. The shortest word is "Bani" (בָנִ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "Hodiah" (הוֹדִיָּ֥ה, 5 letters). The root בן appears 2 times in this verse. 2 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Bani" (root בן, 200x in Nehemiah). Full calculation: הוֹדִיָּ֥ה [Hodiah] (30) + בָנִ֖י [Bani] (62) + בְּנִֽינוּ [Beninu] (118) = 210.
Verse structure: 3 words, 13 letters. Verse gematria: 225 = 15². The shortest word is "Bigvai" (בִגְוַ֖י, 4 letters) and the longest is "Adonijah" (אֲדֹנִיָּ֥ה, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Adonijah" (אֲדֹנִיָּ֥ה). 3 unique roots are used. Full calculation: אֲדֹנִיָּ֥ה [Adonijah] (70) + בִגְוַ֖י [Bigvai] (21) + עָדִֽין [Adin] (134) = 225.
Verse structure: 3 words, 12 letters. The shortest word is "Ater" (אָטֵ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "Hezekiah" (חִזְקִיָּ֖ה, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Ater" (אָטֵ֥ר), "Hezekiah" (חִזְקִיָּ֖ה), "Azzur" (עַזּֽוּר). 3 unique roots are used. Full calculation: אָטֵ֥ר [Ater] (210) + חִזְקִיָּ֖ה [Hezekiah] (130) + עַזּֽוּר [Azzur] (283) = 623.
Verse structure: 4 words, 17 letters. The shortest word is "Hariph" (חָרִ֥יף, 4 letters) and the longest is "Anathoth" (עֲנָת֖וֹת, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Nebai" (נֵיבָֽי). 3 unique roots are used.
Verse structure: 3 words, 14 letters. The shortest word is "Meshullam" (מְשֻׁלָּ֖ם, 4 letters) and the longest is "Magpiash" (מַגְפִּיעָ֥שׁ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Magpiash" (מַגְפִּיעָ֥שׁ), "Hezir" (חֵזִֽיר). 3 unique roots are used. Full calculation: מַגְפִּיעָ֥שׁ [Magpiash] (503) + מְשֻׁלָּ֖ם [Meshullam] (410) + חֵזִֽיר [Hezir] (225) = 1138.
Verse structure: 3 words, 15 letters. The shortest word is "Zadok" (צָד֖וֹק, 4 letters) and the longest is "Meshezabel" (מְשֵׁיזַבְאֵ֥ל, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Meshezabel" (מְשֵׁיזַבְאֵ֥ל), "Jaddua" (יַדּֽוּעַ). 3 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root ידוע ("Jaddua") in Nehemiah. Full calculation: מְשֵׁיזַבְאֵ֥ל [Meshezabel] (390) + צָד֖וֹק [Zadok] (200) + יַדּֽוּעַ [Jaddua] (90) = 680.
Verse structure: 3 words, 12 letters. Verse gematria: 377 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "Hanan" (חָנָ֖ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "Pelatiah" (פְּלַטְיָ֥ה, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Pelatiah" (פְּלַטְיָ֥ה), "Anaiah" (עֲנָיָֽה). 3 unique roots are used. Full calculation: פְּלַטְיָ֥ה [Pelatiah] (134) + חָנָ֖ן [Hanan] (108) + עֲנָיָֽה [Anaiah] (135) = 377.
Verse structure: 3 words, 13 letters. The shortest word is "Hoshea" (הוֹשֵׁ֥עַ, 4 letters) and the longest is "Hananiah" (חֲנַנְיָ֖ה, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Hoshea" (הוֹשֵׁ֥עַ), "Hasshub" (חַשּֽׁוּב). 3 unique roots are used. Full calculation: הוֹשֵׁ֥עַ [Hoshea] (381) + חֲנַנְיָ֖ה [Hananiah] (123) + חַשּֽׁוּב [Hasshub] (316) = 820.
Verse structure: 3 words, 13 letters. The shortest word is "Pilha" (פִּלְחָ֖א, 4 letters) and the longest is "Hallohesh" (הַלּוֹחֵ֥שׁ, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Hallohesh" (הַלּוֹחֵ֥שׁ), "Pilha" (פִּלְחָ֖א), "Shobek" (שׁוֹבֵֽק). 3 unique roots are used. Full calculation: הַלּוֹחֵ֥שׁ [Hallohesh] (349) + פִּלְחָ֖א [Pilha] (119) + שׁוֹבֵֽק [Shobek] (408) = 876.
Verse structure: 3 words, 14 letters. Verse gematria: 1044 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "Rehum" (רְח֥וּם, 4 letters) and the longest is "Hashabnah" (חֲשַׁבְנָ֖ה, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "Hashabnah" (חֲשַׁבְנָ֖ה). 3 unique roots are used. Full calculation: רְח֥וּם [Rehum] (254) + חֲשַׁבְנָ֖ה [Hashabnah] (365) + מַעֲשֵׂיָֽה [Maaseiah] (425) = 1044.
Verse structure: 3 words, 11 letters. The shortest word is "Hanan" (חָנָ֖ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Ahiah" (וַאֲחִיָּ֥ה, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·Ahiah" (וַאֲחִיָּ֥ה). 3 unique roots are used. Full calculation: וַאֲחִיָּ֥ה [and·Ahiah] (30) + חָנָ֖ן [Hanan] (108) + עָנָֽן [Anan] (170) = 308.
And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one who had knowledge and understanding;
verse value 6238
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 96 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·all·the·separated" (וְֽכׇל־הַנִּבְדָּ֞ל, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 91: the·Levites, God. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·all·the·separated" (וְֽכׇל־הַנִּבְדָּ֞ל), "from·peoples·of" (מֵעַמֵּ֤י), "the·lands" (הָאֲרָצוֹת֙). The root עם appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "their·sons" (root בן, 200x in Nehemiah); "God" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah); "the·people" (root עם, 47x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·their·daughters', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 3 words.
Rashi
and all who separated themselves These are the proselytes who separated themselves from the practice of the nations to cling and attach themselves to the Law of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to keep His commandments.
Ralbag
'Their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one who had knowledge and understanding' — meaning, those among them who were old enough to understand, so that they could listen to and learn the words of the Torah.
Metzudat David
'And the rest of the people' — who were not included among those who set their seal. 'And all those who had separated themselves' — these are the converts. 'Every one who had knowledge and understanding' — everyone who knows how to understand a given matter.
Malbim
'And the rest' — meaning the rest of the people who did not come to sign the document, who stand firm alongside their brethren and agree to the oath. 'And all those who had separated themselves' — that is, the converts. 'Every one who had knowledge and understanding' — meaning, whether among their wives, who did not have knowledge, or among those who had knowledge and understanding, all of them stand firm, etc.
they cleaved to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of Hashem our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes;
verse value 7359
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 116 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·servant·of·God" (עֶֽבֶד־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים, 9 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "to·their·brothers" (עַל־אֲחֵיהֶם֮), "their·nobles" (אַדִּירֵיהֶם֒), "in·a·curse" (בְּאָלָ֣ה). 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "God" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah); "and·to·do" (root עשה, 55x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·servant·of·God', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 7 words.
Rashi
with their brethen Heb. עַל אֲחֵיהֶם with their brothers. their noblemen the great ones among them.
Ralbag
'They cleaved to their brethren, their nobles' — meaning, that their prominent men and their leaders pressed upon their brethren, compelling them to uphold the Torah.
Metzudat David
'They cleaved' — they all held fast and clung to the word of their brethren, the nobles and the princes who had been included among those who set their seal. 'And entered [into a curse]' — they too entered into the curse and the oath, and so on.
Metzudat Zion
'a curse' — this is the curse attached to an oath, as in 'the oath of the curse' (Numbers 5).
and that we would not give our daughters to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;
verse value 3253
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·their·daughters" (וְאֶת־בְּנֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם, 9 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "not·we·would·give" (לֹא־נִתֵּ֥ן), "our·daughters" (בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּ), "to·peoples·of" (לְעַמֵּ֣י). The root בת appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·our·sons" (root בן, 200x in Nehemiah); "and·that" (root אשר, 66x in Nehemiah); "to·peoples·of" (root עם, 47x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַאֲשֶׁ֛ר [and·that] (507) + לֹא־נִתֵּ֥ן [not·we·would·give] (531) + בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּ [our·daughters] (518) + לְעַמֵּ֣י [to·peoples·of] (150) + הָאָ֑רֶץ [the·land] (296) + וְאֶת־בְּנֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם [and·their·daughters] (914) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + נִקַּ֖ח [we·would·take] (158) + לְבָנֵֽינוּ [for·our·sons] (148) = 3253.
Ralbag
'And that we would not give our daughters,' etc. — here they recorded some of the specific commandments in which they had stumbled, such as intermarrying with the nations, and conducting trade on the Sabbath, even though this latter is forbidden only by rabbinic law, since it leads to transgressing a Torah prohibition, such as writing, which is a forbidden labor.
Metzudat David
'And that we would not [give], etc.' — this refers back to the previous verse, which said 'and entered into a curse, and into an oath, etc.,' to say that the oath itself was 'that we would not give,' etc. — and likewise for all the matters that follow one after another.
Malbim
'And that we would not give' — even though they are not from the seven [Canaanite] nations.
and if the peoples of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy of them on the sabbath, or on a holy day; and that we would forego the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
verse value 6889
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 87 letters. Verse gematria: 6889 = 83². The shortest word is "from·them" (מֵהֶ֛ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·wares" (אֶת־הַמַּקָּח֨וֹת, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 296: the·land, to·sell. 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·peoples·of" (וְעַמֵּ֣י), "the·bringing" (הַֽמְבִיאִים֩), "the·wares" (אֶת־הַמַּקָּח֨וֹת). The root יום appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·them" (root הם, 67x in Nehemiah); "in·day·of" (root יום, 61x in Nehemiah); "and·peoples·of" (root עם, 47x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'holiness', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 5 words.
Rashi
and all grains Heb. שֶּׁבֶר, grain, like (Gen. 47:14): “... for the grain (בַּשֶּׁבֶר) that they were purchasing.” or on holy days This refers to festivals. and we shall abandon during the seventh year As is stated (Exod. 23:11): “But throughout the seventh year you shall let it go and abandon it (וּנְטַשְּׁתָּה).” and the loan given by every hand This refers to the release of loans during the seventh year.
Ibn Ezra
"ware" (hamikachot) — a noun from the root lamed-qof-chet ("to take"), in the sense of "goods for sale." "victuals" (shever) — [meaning] wheat and barley.
Ralbag
'Or any victuals' — and any goods as well; and they had likewise stumbled in the release of land and the release of debts, for they had stumbled in this while they were in the Land of Israel, as you find explained in the words of Jeremiah. Now the release of the seventh year means that the owners release their hold over their own lands, so that the produce becomes like ownerless property, as we explained in the portion of Behar Sinai.
Metzudat David
'Ware' — goods purchased from them. 'Or any victuals' — every kind of grain, as in 'for the grain [shever] that they were buying' (Genesis 46). 'Or on a holy day' — this is a festival day. 'And that we would forego [the seventh year]' — we would give up working the land in the sabbatical year. 'And the exaction [of every debt]' — we would also release, in the sabbatical year, the debt of a loan already given, as it is said: 'every creditor shall release that which he has lent' (Deuteronomy 15:2).
Metzudat Zion
'we would forego' — and leave [it alone], as in 'you shall let it rest and leave it' (Exodus 23). 'the exaction' — the debt owed on a loan.
Malbim
'And the peoples of the land' — they took upon themselves a prohibition on buying and selling that is not explicitly stated in the Torah. 'And that we would forego' — this comes to exclude the view that if there is no Jubilee there is no Sabbatical year, and that the Jubilee applies only when all its inhabitants are dwelling upon it.
Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;
verse value 4741
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "to·give" (לָתֵ֥ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·we·established" (וְהֶעֱמַ֤דְנוּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 166: upon·us, upon·us. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·we·established" (וְהֶעֱמַ֤דְנוּ), "third·part" (שְׁלִישִׁ֥ית), "the·shekel" (הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "our·God" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah); "house·of" (root בית, 60x in Nehemiah); "to·give" (root נתן, 45x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·year', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהֶעֱמַ֤דְנוּ [and·we·established] (181) + עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ [upon·us] (166) + מִצְוֺ֔ת [ordinances] (536) + לָתֵ֥ת [to·give] (830) + עָלֵ֛ינוּ [upon·us] (166) + שְׁלִישִׁ֥ית [third·part] (1050) + הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל [the·shekel] (435) + בַּשָּׁנָ֑ה [in·the·year] (357) + לַעֲבֹדַ֖ת [for·service·of] (506) + בֵּ֥ית [house·of] (412) + אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ [our·God] (102) = 4741.
Ibn Ezra
"the third part of a shekel" — in addition to the half-shekel, for the needs of the matters mentioned.
Ralbag
'To charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel' — you should know that this shekel was larger than the shekel mentioned in the Torah, and therefore a third of it sufficed for them, being equivalent to the half-shekel that the Torah commanded. It has already been explained in the portion of Ki Tisa that this money was given for the service of the Tent of Meeting, to provide from it all the communal offerings and all the work needed in the Temple. And so that the service in the Temple would never cease, we cast lots for the wood offering — meaning, that some of them would bring wood there to the Temple at one time and others at another time, in a manner fixed by lot, so that they would bring it at set and appointed times, in such a way that wood would never be lacking there for the arrangement of the fire upon the altar. And it appears that in this too they had been negligent in earlier times. They also bound themselves to give the gifts of the priesthood and the Levites, so that the priests and the Levites could devote themselves to the service of the Temple and would not lack bread and clothing, for in this too they had been negligent in earlier days; and because of this the priests and the Levites had been abandoning the service of the Temple. And here they recorded, among the priestly gifts, the first-fruits, the firstborn of man, the firstborn of unclean and clean animals, the dough-offering, the heave-offering, and the tithe of the tithe that the priests would take from the tithe of the Levites; and they enacted that all these gifts be brought to the priests in the house of God, so that the priests would not have to abandon the service in order to go about the threshing floors collecting the heave-offerings and tithes.
Metzudat David
'Also we made ordinances for us' — we established for ourselves, as a matter of obligation, that we owed a third of a shekel every year, in addition to the half-shekel that the Torah prescribes. 'For the service' — to be sufficient for the needs of the service of the [Temple] house.
Malbim
'The third part of a shekel' — in addition to the half-shekel, according to the commentator; see (I Kings 7:26), for then the coinage changed, and a third of a shekel was equivalent to the earlier half-shekel, as is written in Ezekiel (45:12).
for the showbread, and for the continual meal-offering, and for the continual burnt-offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the appointed seasons, and for the holy things, and for the sin-offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
verse value 7469
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 92 letters. The shortest word is "and·all" (וְכֹ֖ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·house·of·our·God" (בֵּית־אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 459: the·continual, the·continual. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "for·bread·of" (לְלֶ֣חֶם), "the·row" (הַֽמַּעֲרֶ֡כֶת), "and·meal-offering·of" (וּמִנְחַ֣ת). The root תמיד appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·house·of·our·God" (root בית, 60x in Nehemiah); "and·all" (root כל, 31x in Nehemiah); "work·of" (root מלאכה, 22x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root מנחה ("and·meal-offering·of") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 3 words.
Rashi
and all the work of the Temple of our God to do with money.
Ralbag
'For the showbread' — this is the bread of the Presence. 'And for the continual meal-offering' — this is the incense that they would burn on the golden altar. 'And for the continual burnt-offering' — these are the daily offerings brought every day. 'Of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the appointed seasons' — these are the additional offerings of the Sabbath, Rosh Chodesh, and the festivals. 'And for the holy things, and for the sin-offerings' — these are the communal peace-offerings and the communal sin-offerings. 'And for all the work of the house of our God' — this is everything that would be needed there, such as oil for lighting, fine flour for meal-offerings, wine and oil, the red heifer, and whatever else would be needed there.
Metzudat David
'For the showbread' — this is the showbread (lechem hapanim). 'And for the continual meal-offering' — the meal-offering of the libations of the daily offerings. 'Of the sabbaths' — for the burnt-offerings of the sabbaths, etc. — these are the musaf offerings. 'And for the holy things' — these are the lambs of Atzeret [Shavuot], which are communal peace-offerings. 'And for the sin-offerings' — the communal sin-offerings, namely, the goats of the festivals and of Rosh Chodesh. 'And for all the work' — for the needs of the upkeep of the [Temple] house.
Metzudat Zion
'the showbread' — refers to arrangement, setting in order.
Malbim
'And for the continual burnt-offering' — [together with the burnt-offerings] of the sabbaths, the new moons, and the appointed seasons. 'And for the holy things' — such as the omer, the lambs of Atzeret, and the two loaves. 'And for the sin-offerings' — the goats of Rosh Chodesh and of the appointed seasons.
And we cast lots, the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood-offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn upon the altar of Hashem our God, as it is written in the Law;
verse value 6436
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 112 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "year" (שָׁנָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·house·of·our·fathers" (לְבֵית־אֲבֹתֵ֛ינוּ, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 102: our·God, our·God. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·the·lots" (וְהַגּוֹרָל֨וֹת), "we·cast" (הִפַּ֜לְנוּ), "for·offering·of" (עַל־קֻרְבַּ֣ן). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "our·God" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah); "to·house·of" (root בית, 60x in Nehemiah); "and·the·people" (root עם, 47x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·year', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 6 words.
Rashi
we cast how much each one should bring. the wood offering an offering of wood for the arrangement on the altar. to the House of our forefathers which is the House of the sanctity of our forefathers.
Ibn Ezra
"for the wood-offering" — in two divisions: the priests, and the Levites and the people, [together] to cut and bring the wood at the appointed times; the matter is explained fully in the words of the Sages. "according to our fathers’ houses" — meaning, that we would build it.
Metzudat David
'For the wood-offering' — [to determine] when each one should bring the offering of wood for the arrangement to the altar. 'The priests, etc.' — over all of them we cast the lot, to bring [the wood-offering] to the house of Hashem at the time appointed and fixed for it by the lot, year by year; each year one would bring it at that appointed time.
Metzudat Zion
'at times appointed' — refers to preparation and fixed regularity; and so too 'at times appointed' (below, ch. 13). 'to burn' — from the language of kindling and burning.
Malbim
'And we cast lots' — as our Sages explained this in Taanit.
and to bring the first-fruits of our land, and the first-fruits of all fruit of all manner of trees, year by year, to the house of Hashem;
verse value 3168
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3168 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "year" (שָׁנָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "first-fruits·of" (אֶת־בִּכּוּרֵ֣י, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·to·bring" (וּלְהָבִ֞יא), "first-fruits·of" (אֶת־בִּכּוּרֵ֣י), "and·first-fruits·of" (וּבִכּוּרֵ֛י). The root בכור appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·house·of" (root בית, 60x in Nehemiah); "and·to·bring" (root בוא, 47x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root בכור ("first-fruits·of") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·year', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words. Full calculation: וּלְהָבִ֞יא [and·to·bring] (54) + אֶת־בִּכּוּרֵ֣י [first-fruits·of] (639) + אַדְמָתֵ֗נוּ [our·land] (501) + וּבִכּוּרֵ֛י [and·first-fruits·of] (244) + כׇּל־פְּרִ֥י [all·fruit·of] (340) + כׇל־עֵ֖ץ [all·tree] (210) + שָׁנָ֣ה [year] (355) + בְשָׁנָ֑ה [in·year] (357) + לְבֵ֖ית [to·house·of] (442) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 3168.
Rashi
the first fruits of our soil The first of every fruit of a tree. They are required by rabbinical injunction.
Ibn Ezra
"and to bring the first-fruits of our land" — like the Omer and the Two Loaves. "all fruit of all manner of trees" — these are the ones mentioned in the verse: the vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the other trees; they are the seven species. So too our Sages said: first-fruits are brought only from the seven species, in keeping with 'and you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground.'
Ralbag
'The first-fruits of our land' — these are the first-fruits of wheat and barley. 'And the first-fruits of all fruit of all manner of trees' — our Sages have already explained that this applies only to the fruits particularly associated with the Land of Israel, such as the grape, the fig, the pomegranate, olives, and dates; and these seven species that we have mentioned are the ones specially associated with the Land of Israel, as it says, 'a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey.'
Metzudat David
'The first-fruits' — these are the bikkurim, from the first of all the produce of the land. 'All fruit of all manner of trees' — to bring from every fruit of the tree, even though the Torah obligated this only for the five species.
Malbim
'And to bring the first-fruits of our land' — wheat and barley. 'And the first-fruits of all fruit of all manner of trees' — grape, fig, pomegranate, and so on. Rashi writes that the first-fruits of all tree fruit are a matter of the words of the Sages, but this is puzzling, since it is explained in the Jerusalem Talmud, Bikkurim, that if one brought first-fruits from other than the seven species, they are not consecrated. It appears that since the Torah sets no fixed measure for first-fruits, they took upon themselves to bring to the house of Hashem a fitting gift of one-sixtieth, in accordance with the enactment of the Sages.
also the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;
verse value 6207
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 89 letters. The shortest word is "to·house·of" (לְבֵ֣ית, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·firstborn·of" (וְאֶת־בְּכֹר֤וֹת, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 102: our·God, our·God. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·firstborn·of" (וְאֶת־בְּכֹר֤וֹת), "and·our·cattle" (וּבְהֶמְתֵּ֔נוּ), "and·firstlings·of" (וְאֶת־בְּכוֹרֵ֨י). The root בכור appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "our·sons" (root בן, 200x in Nehemiah); "our·God" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah); "to·house·of" (root בית, 60x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·Law', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 10 words.
Ibn Ezra
"also the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle" — he means that 'our cattle' here refers to non-kosher animals, since afterward it mentions the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, which are the kosher animals.
Ralbag
'Also the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle' — these are the firstborn of man and the firstling of a donkey; and they are mentioned together because both of these are given over for redemption.
Metzudat David
'The first-born of our sons' — to give five shekels for his redemption. 'And of our cattle' — this is the firstling donkey, to redeem it with a lamb. 'To the priests' — to give to the ministering priests, in exchange for their service.
Malbim
'Also the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle' — meaning unclean animals, whose redemption need not be brought to the house of Hashem. 'And the firstlings of our herds' — to bring to the house of our God for offering up.
and that we should bring the first of our dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our land to the Levites; for they, the Levites, take the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
verse value 9398
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 112 letters. The shortest word is "and·they" (וְהֵם֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·our·contributions" (וּ֠תְרוּמֹתֵ֠ינוּ, 9 letters). 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "and·first·of" (וְאֶת־רֵאשִׁ֣ית), "our·dough" (עֲרִיסֹתֵ֣ינוּ), "and·our·contributions" (וּ֠תְרוּמֹתֵ֠ינוּ). The root לוי appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they" (root הם, 67x in Nehemiah); "the·house·of·our·God" (root בית, 60x in Nehemiah); "we·will·bring" (root בוא, 47x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root תרומה ("and·our·contributions") in Nehemiah. First appearance of the root לשכה ("to·chambers·of") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·Levites', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 6 words.
Rashi
we shall bring to the priests to the chambers for they were usually there. who receive tithes in all the cities of our work who take their tithes in all the cities of Israel.
Ibn Ezra
"the fruit of all manner of trees, the wine" — so it reads: the fruit, the wine, and the oil — three distinct items, not 'the fruit of the wine-tree.' "take the tithes" [ha-me'asserim] — those who collect the tithe.
Ralbag
'And our heave-offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, the wine and the oil' — meaning, the heave-offerings of grain, and the heave-offering of the fruit of every tree whose processing had been completed, such as new wine and oil.
Metzudat David
'The first of our dough' — this is the challah [portion] taken from the dough. 'And our heave-offerings' — this is the terumah of grain. 'And the fruit, etc.' — the terumah-offerings of the fruit, the wine, and the oil. 'To the chambers' — to place them in the chambers, and the priests would divide them among themselves. 'The tithes' — those who take the tithes in all the cities where we work the land by plowing and harvesting; as if to say: even though we ourselves work the land, still it is given to one who did not labor over it.
Metzudat Zion
'our dough' — refers to dough/batter, as in 'the first of your dough' (Numbers 15). 'the wine' [tirosh] — wine. 'and the oil' [yitzhar] — oil.
Malbim
'And that we should bring the first of our dough' — this fits very well with the view of the Rambam, that in the days of Ezra they were obligated in challah, terumah, and maaser only by rabbinic decree [as he writes in Hilchot Terumot, end of chapter 1] — in which case everything they took upon themselves here was by the words of the Sages. And according to the Ra'avad, who holds that terumah is min haTorah and only challah is rabbinic, it may be said that they took upon themselves terumot of the other fruits as well, as it says, 'and the fruit of all manner of trees' — for according to his view [chapter 1 of Hilchot Ma'aserot, halachah 9], one is obligated min haTorah only in grain, wine, and oil. Hence it says, 'and the tithes of our land' — meaning from everything that grows in the ground — and these are the Levites, who take the tithe in all the cities of our tillage, in every place where they work the field.
And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes; and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure-house.
verse value 5197
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 78 letters. Notable word values: "and·he·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֨ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·he·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֨ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·the·chambers" (אֶל־הַלְּשָׁכ֖וֹת, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 442: to·house·of, to·house·of. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "son·of·Aaron" (בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֛ן), "with·the·Levites" (עִם־הַלְוִיִּ֖ם), "in·tithing" (בַּעְשֵׂ֣ר). The root לוי appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "son·of·Aaron" (root בן, 200x in Nehemiah); "our·God" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah); "to·house·of" (root בית, 60x in Nehemiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·Levites', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 9 words.
Rashi
at the [Levites’] tithing Heb. בַּעְשֵּׂר ;an expression meaning at the tithing. the tithe of the tithe for the Levites would take a tithe from the tithe and bring it up to the priests, who did not leave the Temple.
Ibn Ezra
"when the Levites take tithes" [be'esser] — properly it should be be-ha'esser, from the hif'il pattern, like 'to make the belly swell' and 'to guide them on the way.' The meaning is: when the tithe is taken — that is, a tithe of the tithe.
Ralbag
'And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes' — they did this so as to prevent the Levites from keeping under their own control the tithe of the tithe that belongs to the priests; and for this reason they obligated that a priest be present with them when they collected the tithes. And they obligated the Levites to take charge of bringing the tithe of the tithe to the chambers of the Temple, to the treasury.
Metzudat David
'When the Levites take tithes' — at the time the Levites take their tithe, a priest is to be with them, for the priest's portion is also absorbed within it — namely, the terumah of the tithe. 'The tithe of the tithes' — a tithe from the tithe that they took for themselves. 'To the treasure-house' — to the place that serves as the storehouse for the terumah.
Malbim
'And the priest shall be with the Levites' — according to our Sages, the Levites were penalized at that time, so that the priests too would take a share of the tithe [see Yevamot 86b and Chullin 131]. This means that the priests were able to take the tithe as well, and the tithe of the tithe had to be given to the priests even from the produce of the Levite.
For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the heave-offering of the corn, of the wine, and of the oil, to the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests who minister, and the porters, and the singers; and we will not forsake the house of our God.
verse value 8824
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 113 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·the·chambers" (אֶל־הַ֠לְּשָׁכ֠וֹת, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nehemiah. Unique to this verse in Nehemiah (hapax): "they·shall·bring" (יָבִ֨יאוּ), "Levi" (הַלֵּוִ֗י), "contribution·of" (אֶת־תְּרוּמַ֣ת). The root בן appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons·of·Israel" (root בן, 200x in Nehemiah); "our·God" (root אלהים, 62x in Nehemiah); "house·of" (root בית, 60x in Nehemiah). First appearance of the root כלי ("vessels·of") in Nehemiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·the·singers', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 4 words.
Metzudat David
'Where [are the vessels]' — in those chambers the vessels of the Sanctuary were kept. 'And the priests, etc.' — they would sit there to guard them, and for this reason the terumah would be brought there to them. 'And we will not forsake' — so that we would not forsake the house of Hashem; for had the priests been driven to wander about after the terumah, the [Temple] house would then have been left unattended by them — and therefore they decreed to bring it to them instead.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim