Nehemiah 10:1
What does Nehemiah 10:1 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 10:1 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 10:1 means
The covenant document begins with the primary civil leader, Nehemiah the governor, sealing it. His name first signals that this renewal is not merely a private spiritual matter but a public, national commitment. As son of Hacaliah, he stands in continuity with his family and with God’s providence in raising him for this work. Zedekiah, likely another prominent official, joins him. Sealing the document gives it legal and communal weight, showing that repentance and obedience must be formalized in accountable ways. Leadership goes first; by putting their names to the covenant, they model courage, humility, and resolve before God and people.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Now those that sealed were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
KJV
King James Version · 1611Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Now those that sealed were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Now those who put down their names were Nehemiah the Tirshatha, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And over those sealed <FI>are<Fi> Nehemiah the Tirshatha, son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And the subscribers were Nehemiah, Athersatha the son of Hachelai, and Sedecias,
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And at the head of those that sealed were Nehemiah the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zedekiah.
Context
Following the long confession and covenant-making resolution in chapter 9, the narrative now records the actual signatories. Verse 1 opens the roster with Nehemiah, anchoring the document in recognized authority. What follows will be a detailed list of priests, Levites, and chiefs. The placement matters: after corporate repentance, the community moves to concrete, traceable commitments. The sequence from governor, to priests and Levites, to the people displays ordered responsibility in Israel’s renewed life under God’s law.
v.1This passage
v.2Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Nehemiah 9:38
And yet for all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, seal unto it.
- Nehemiah 1:1
The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
- Nehemiah 7:70
And some from among the heads of fathers’ houses gave unto the work. The governor gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, five hundred and thirty priests’ garments.
- Ezra 2:63
And the governor said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
- Nehemiah 8:9
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto Jehovah your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
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