ESTUDIO DEL VERSÍCULO
Nehemiah 13:31 — The Closing Plea to Be Remembered
Nehemiah 13:31 records the final provision for scheduled wood offerings and firstfruits, sealed by Nehemiah's prayer that God remember him for good.
Escritura
- 31.y para la ofrenda de la leña en los tiempos señalados, y para las primicias. Acuérdate de mí, Dios mío, para bien.and for the wood - offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
Qué significa este pasaje
Nehemiah 13:31 is the closing line of the book and compresses two concerns into a single sentence: the regular provision of wood for the altar at appointed times, and the presentation of firstfruits. By placing these provisions last, Nehemiah frames the entire reform program as ongoing, not merely a one-time purge. The household of God needs continual supply and continual leadership, and the verse reads as a final appointment to that duty.
The second half, "Remember me, O my God, for good," mirrors the three earlier "Remember" prayers in the chapter (vv. 14, 22, 29). Those prayers asked God to remember Nehemiah's deeds, his Sabbath reforms, and the defilers of the priesthood. This final petition is shorter and more personal: not "remember this" but "remember me." The wording "for good" asks that the memory God holds be one of blessing rather than judgment, an unusual note of vulnerability from a reformer.
Read as a conclusion, the verse does two things at once. It secures the practical infrastructure of worship — fuel for the altar and the first portion of the harvest — and it hands the result over to divine memory rather than human praise. Nehemiah's reforms end not with self-congratulation but with a request that the God of the covenant keep the account.
Contexto
Chapter 13 is a series of reform measures Nehemiah took after returning from a trip to the king: he expelled Tobiah from a temple chamber, restored the tithes that supported the Levites, enforced Sabbath observance, and purged the community of intermarriage with foreign women. Verse 30 records that he "cleansed" the priests and Levites from foreign connections and assigned each to his work. Verse 31 immediately follows that appointment with the wood-offering and firstfruits provisions and the closing prayer, so the verse functions as the seal on the whole reform program, linking personnel reforms to the material supply of the altar.
The chapter contains a chain of "Remember" prayers (vv. 14, 22, 29, 31) that frame Nehemiah's reforms as deeds placed before God for his assessment rather than deeds advertised to the people. The closing petition in v. 31 echoes that pattern while shifting from "remember this" to "remember me," making the final verse both a practical regulation and a personal appeal.
Preguntas frecuentes
Why does Nehemiah 13:31 mention wood offerings?
The verse lists the wood offering among the final provisions for ongoing temple service. Supplying fuel for the altar was a recurring communal duty, and Nehemiah places it among the regulations that must continue after his reforms.
How many times does Nehemiah say "Remember" in chapter 13?
The chapter contains four "Remember" prayers: Nehemiah asking God to remember his deeds (v. 14), the Sabbath reforms (v. 22), those who defiled the priesthood (v. 29), and himself for good (v. 31).
What does "for good" mean in Nehemiah's final prayer?
The phrase asks that God's memory of Nehemiah be a memory of blessing, not of judgment. After a chapter of reforms and confrontations, Nehemiah ends by entrusting the outcome of his work to God's favorable remembrance.