Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with 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,
- KJV And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto 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
- 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 12:44On that day were men appointed over the rooms for the treasures, for the wave offerings, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who waited.
- Neh 2:10When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
- Neh 13:28One 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 to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.
- Neh 12:10Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of 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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