Nehemiah 13:31and for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~430 BC. Nehemiah stands at the rebuilt temple, his governorship ending. The city walls are complete, worship is restored, but he knows human nature — it will all drift again without God's sustaining grace.
The emotion here: exhausted but hopeful, wanting assurance his sacrifice mattered
The original word
zakar (זָכַר) — to remember with action, not just mental recall but deliberate intervention
Why it matters
This is Nehemiah's final recorded prayer — he served 12 years as governor and transformed Jerusalem from rubble to thriving city
Read with care
What most readers miss in Nehemiah 13:31
Nehemiah mentions wood offerings because even firewood was scarce — they had to schedule when people brought logs for the altar
Common misconceptionPeople think Nehemiah is being selfish asking God to remember him. Actually, this is humble recognition that only God can sustain what humans build — Nehemiah knows his reforms will fail without divine intervention.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Nehemiah 13:31
Bible Genome reading
Nehemiah 13:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Nehemiah 13:31 comes from the book of Nehemiah, written during the Post-Exile period. These words are attributed to Nehemiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 70% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the prayer genre of biblical literature. Key themes include faithful service, divine remembrance, legacy of faithfulness. Notable phrases: wood offering; first fruits; Remember me, my God, for good. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Nehemiah 13:31 mean to you, today?
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