Nehemiah Chapter 13 verse 11 Holy Bible
Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
read chapter 13 in ASV
Then I made protests to the chiefs, and said, Why has the house of God been given up? And I got them together and put them in their places.
read chapter 13 in BBE
Then I contended with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their place.
read chapter 13 in DARBY
Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
read chapter 13 in KJV
Then I contended with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? and I assembled them, and set them in their place.
read chapter 13 in WBT
Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
read chapter 13 in WEB
And I strive with the prefects, and say, `Wherefore hath the house of God been forsaken?' and I gather them, and set them on their station;
read chapter 13 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 11. - Then contended I with the rulers. While the guilt of profaning the temple lay especially with the priestly class, that of withholding the tithes was mainly chargeable on the "rulers," or "nobles." These persons, as wealthy landowners, had of course a pecuniary interest in keeping back the tithe. When they felt the control of a strong hand they made the payments regularly enough (Nehemiah 12:47; Nehemiah 13:12); but no sooner was this control removed by Nehemiah's departure than they relapsed into the covetous habits in which they had indulged before he was made governor (Nehemiah 10:37). The Church in all ages has suffered wrong from the cupidity of wealthy men among its members. Why is the house of God forsaken? Why, contrarily to the distinct pledge given at the time of the renewal of the covenant (Nehemiah 10:39), have you suffered the house of God to become a solitude, driving the Levites away from it by depriving them of their legal sustenance? I gathered them together. Nehemiah brought the Levites back to the temple from their country residences, and re-established them in their proper offices.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(11) Contended I with the rulers.--See their express covenant in Nehemiah 10:39. The rich men had taken advantage of Nehemiah's absence to indulge their covetousness.And I gathered them together.--The Levites were summoned back from their fields.
