And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:
Parallel translations
- WEB Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the rooms of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah,
- BSB Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God
- NKJV Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah.
- NASB Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being related to Tobiah,
- NLT Before this had happened, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Beforehand, Eliashib the priest, charged with the temple storerooms, had allied himself with Tobiah. It matters because compromise crept in even among the priesthood, setting the stage for serious corruption.
Overview
This introduces a failure that occurred during Nehemiah's absence: a leading priest formed a relationship with Tobiah, an old enemy of God's work. The alliance shows how spiritual leaders can betray their trust through worldly associations. Such priestly compromise highlights the need for a faithful High Priest who never fails, found in Christ alone.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Neh 12:44And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.
- Neh 2:10When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
- Neh 13:28And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.
- Neh 6:17–18Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
- Neh 12:10And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,
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Christ at the center
The rebuilt walls and renewed covenant community foreshadow the greater builder who gathers and secures a people for God, the one who declares 'I will build my church.'
How Nehemiah 13:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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