Nehemiah 10:34
What does Nehemiah 10:34 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 10:34 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 10:34 means
They cast lots among priests, Levites, and people for the wood-offering, assigning households times to bring wood to the temple annually, to burn on the altar as written in the law. Wood is mundane but essential; even the altar’s fire requires steady provision. Sharing this duty fairly ensures that no group bears it alone and that worship does not falter for lack of fuel. Obedience includes planning for ordinary needs that sustain sacred service.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And we cast lots, the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood-offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn upon the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is written in the law;
KJV
King James Version · 1611And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law:
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And we cast lots, the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood-offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn upon the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is written in the law;
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And we, the priests and the Levites and the people, made selection, by the decision of the Lord, of those who were to take the wood offering into the house of God, by families at the regular times, year by year, to be burned on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is recorded in the law;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And the lots we have caused to fall for the offering of wood, <FI>among<Fi> the priests, the Levites, and the people, to bring in to the house of our God, by the house of our fathers, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is written in the law,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And we cast lots among the priests, and the Levites, and the people for the offering of wood, that it might be brought into the house of our God by the houses of our fathers at set times, from year to year: to burn upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law of Moses:
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood-offering, to bring [it] into the house of ourGod, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of Jehovah ourGod, as it is written in the law;
Context
After funding offerings, the community organizes logistics: providing wood for the altar. This follows naturally from maintaining regular sacrifices. The casting of lots distributes responsibility equitably across priests, Levites, and laypeople, reinforcing the shared nature of covenant obedience. The next verses will address firstfruits, firstborn, and tithes—further ensuring that the temple has what it needs and that the people honor God with their increase.
v.33for the showbread, and for the continual meal-offering, and for the continual burnt-offering, for the sabbaths, for the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin-offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
v.34This passage
v.35and to bring the first-fruits of our ground, and the first-fruits of all fruit of all manner of trees, year by year, unto the house of Jehovah;
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Joshua 9:27
And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of Jehovah, unto this day, in the place which he should choose.
- Isaiah 40:16
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering.
- Nehemiah 11:1
And the princes of the people dwelt in Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in theothercities.
- 1 Chronicles 25:8
And they cast lots for their offices, all alike, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar.
- 1 Chronicles 24:7
Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,
- 1 Chronicles 24:5
Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for there were princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God, both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
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