Nehemiah 10:31 Meaning and Explanation
“And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The people pledge to keep the Sabbath holy and to honor the sabbatical year by releasing debts and letting the land rest.
What Does Nehemiah 10:31 Mean?
The covenant addresses the Sabbath and the sabbatical year. The people promise not to trade on the Sabbath or holy days, and to observe the seventh year by letting the land lie fallow and releasing what was owed to them, as the law of Moses required.
To refuse Sabbath commerce and to forgive debts every seventh year was to trust God's provision over one's own gain. These were costly promises that placed faith above profit. They taught a people that the LORD, not ceaseless labor or strict collection, was the true source of their security, and they foreshadow the deeper rest and release found in Christ.
Nehemiah 10:31 in the Original Language
shabbath (שַׁבָּת), 'sabbath' -- from a root meaning to cease or rest, the day set apart from labor unto God.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nehemiah 10:31
What does Nehemiah 10:31 mean?
The people pledge to keep the Sabbath holy and to honor the sabbatical year by releasing debts and letting the land rest.