English · ASV

Nehemiah 13

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Separation of the Mixed Multitude 1–3

1
On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God for ever, ​
2
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. ​
3
And it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. ​

Nehemiah Expels Tobiah 4–9

4
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied unto Tobiah, ​
5
had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meal-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the heave-offerings for the priests. ​
6
But in all this time I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went unto the king: and after certain days asked I leave of the king, ​
7
and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
8
And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. ​
9
Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meal-offerings and the frankincense.

Restoring the Tithes and Levites' Support 10–14

10
And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; so that the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. ​
11
Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. ​
12
Then brought all Judah the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.
13
And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and their business was to distribute unto their brethren. ​
14
Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the observances thereof. ​

Enforcing Sabbath Observance 15–22

15
In those days saw I in Judah some men treading winepresses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses therewith; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. ​
16
There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, who brought in fish, and all manner of wares, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17
Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
18
Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath. ​
19
And it came to pass that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I over the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. ​
20
So the merchants and sellers of all kind of wares lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.
21
Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
22
And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember unto me, O my God, this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy lovingkindness. ​

Purity of Marriage and Language 23–29

23
In those days also saw I the Jews that had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, andof Moab: ​
24
and their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people. ​
25
And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves. ​
26
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did foreign women cause to sin. ​
27
Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?
28
And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me. ​
29
Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.

Cleansing and Final Dedication 30–31

30
Thus cleansed I them from all foreigners, and appointed charges for the priests and for the Levites, every one in his work; ​
31
and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Nehemiah 13

Verse 1

the Ammonite and the Moabite — The passage read is Deut 23:3–5: 'An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD'. 'In the audience of the people' is literally 'in the ears of the people', and the reason for the rule follows in v.2. Tobiah, who appears in the next scenes, is called 'the Ammonite' in Neh 2:10.

Verse 2

turned the curse into a blessing — Deut 23:4–5 gives the reason: they 'met you not with bread and with water' and 'hired against thee Balaam'. 'Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.' Josh 24:10 says the same, 'therefore he blessed you still'.

Verse 3

the mixed multitude — 'Erev, mixed, is the word of Ex 12:38, 'a mixed multitude went up also with them' out of Egypt. The verb 'separated' (badal) is the one of 9:2 and of 10:28, 'separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God'. Here the separating follows at once on hearing the law.

Verse 4

allied unto Tobiah — Qarov, near, is the word for a near kinsman. Tobiah had family ties in Judah: he was 'the son in law of Shechaniah', his son Johanan had married Meshullam's daughter, and 'many in Judah sworn unto him' (Neh 6:18). Eliashib had charge of the chamber (lishkah), one of the chambers over which 12:44 says men were appointed.

Verse 5

a great chamber — The room where they 'laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels' held the fine flour and frankincense of the meat offering (Lev 2:1) and the tithes assigned to the Levites (Num 18:21), singers and porters. The covenant had promised the opposite of what was done: 'we will not forsake the house of our God' (Neh 10:39).

Verse 6

Artaxerxes king of Babylon — The twentieth year of this king sent Nehemiah out (Neh 2:1) and his two and thirtieth year closes the twelve years of Neh 5:14. Nehemiah returns to the king, to whom he had 'set… a time' (Neh 2:6). 'King of Babylon' is a title also given to Cyrus (Ezra 5:13). The chamber was given to Tobiah in this absence.

Verse 8

cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah — Shalak, to cast, is the verb of 9:26, where the people 'cast thy law behind their backs'. Christ's cleansing of the temple was remembered in the words of Ps 69:9, 'The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up' (John 2:16–17), after he said, 'make not my Father's house an house of merchandise'.

Verse 10

the portions of the Levites — 'Portions' is manah, the word of 12:47. The Levites and singers 'that did the work' (melakah) had gone each 'to his field', the verb barach, to flee. The covenant had made the tithe their support (Neh 10:37–39), and Malachi names the same duty: 'Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse' (Mal 3:10).

Verse 11

Why is the house of God forsaken? — Azab, forsake, is the verb of the covenant's last promise, 'we will not forsake the house of our God' (Neh 10:39). 'Contended' is riv, as in vv.17 and 25. Nehemiah gathers the Levites and 'set them in their place', the standing in place named in 8:7 and 9:3.

Verse 13

counted faithful — Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, Pedaiah the Levite and Hanan are set over the treasuries. 'Counted faithful' (aman) is the credit given to those who handle what is another's: 'they dealt faithfully' (2 Kgs 22:7), 'it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful' (1 Cor 4:2). They 'distribute unto their brethren' the portions of Num 18:21.

Verse 14

Remember me, O my God — The prayer returns in vv.22 and 31 and answers 'Think upon me, my God, for good' (5:19). 'Wipe not out' is machah, the verb of 'let not their sin be blotted out' (4:5) and of David's 'blot out my transgressions' (Ps 51:1). 'Good deeds' is chesed, kindnesses, done for 'the house of my God, and for the offices thereof' (mishmar, the 'ward' of 12:24).

Verse 15

treading wine presses on the sabbath — 'In earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest' (Ex 34:21). The people had covenanted not to buy 'ware or any victuals on the sabbath day' (Neh 10:31). 'Burdens' is massa, the word of Jer 17:21, 'bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem'. 'Testified against' is ud, the verb used of the prophets in 9:26 and 9:29.

Verse 18

Did not your fathers thus — Jeremiah had warned that if Jerusalem would not 'hallow the sabbath day… then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof' (Jer 17:27). The confession of 9:33, 'thou art just in all that is brought upon us', is behind the question: the evil that fell on the city is traced to its own record, and 'profaning' (chalal) the sabbath adds 'more wrath upon Israel'.

Verse 19

began to be dark before the sabbath — The gates are shut as evening falls before the sabbath and stay shut 'till after the sabbath', the same shutting and guarding as in 7:3. 'Servants' is na'ar, young men, set 'at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in', the command of Jer 17:21–22 kept at the very gates it names.

Verse 22

the Levites that they should cleanse themselves — The verb taher is that of 12:30, where the priests and Levites 'purified themselves' before the dedication. Here they keep the gates, the post to which the porters and Levites were appointed in 7:1, 'to sanctify the sabbath day', the verb of 'Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy' (Ex 20:8). He asks mercy (chesed) for himself.

Verse 23

wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab — These are the marriages the law forbade (Deut 7:3), that Ezra had confronted (Ezra 9:1–2), and that the covenant had sworn off (Neh 10:30). Ashdod stands with the enemies at 4:7, 'the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites', and Ammon and Moab are the two peoples of v.1.

Verse 24

half in the speech of Ashdod — 'The speech of Ashdod' (ashdodit) occurs only here. 'The Jews' language' (yehudit) is the speech of 2 Kgs 18:26, spoken 'in the ears of the people that are on the wall', and of Isa 36:11. The law told parents to teach its words 'diligently unto thy children' (Deut 6:7).

Verse 25

plucked off their hair — 'Contended' (riv) is as in vv.11 and 17. The oath is the kind Ezra took of Israel (Ezra 10:5), and its words follow Deut 7:3, 'thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take'. 'Plucked off their hair' uses marat, the verb of Ezra's own grief, when he 'plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard' (Ezra 9:3).

Verse 26

beloved of his God — The LORD loved Solomon and called him Jedidiah (2 Sam 12:24–25), and 'there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee' (1 Kgs 3:13). Yet 'king Solomon loved many strange women' (1 Kgs 11:1). 'Outlandish' is nokri, the same word as 'strange' there, and 'sin' (chata) is said twice in the verse.

Verse 28

son in law to Sanballat — The line is Eliashib 'the high priest' (3:1), his son Joiada (12:10), and Joiada's son, who married into the family of Sanballat the Horonite (2:10, 19). The law kept the high priest's marriage to 'a virgin of his own people' (Lev 21:14), and the next verse says they 'defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood' (v.29).

Verse 30

cleansed I them from all strangers — 'Strangers' is nekar, foreign, the word of 9:2, where Israel 'separated themselves from all strangers'. The 'wards' are those of 12:45, and 'every one in his business' (melakah, work) matches the way Aaron's sons were to 'appoint them every one to his service and to his burden' (Num 4:19).

Verse 31

the wood offering — The altar's fire 'shall never go out', and the priest burned wood on it 'every morning' (Lev 6:12–13). The covenant had cast lots 'for the wood offering… at times appointed year by year' (Neh 10:34). The book closes with the third 'Remember me' of this chapter (vv.14, 22, 31), the same prayer as 'Think upon me, my God, for good' (5:19).