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Commentary on Nehemiah 13 verses 23–31
We have here one instance more of Nehemiah's pious zeal for the purifying of his countrymen as a peculiar people to God; that was the thing he aimed at in the use of his power, not the enriching of himself. See here,
I. How they had corrupted themselves by marrying strange wives. This was complained of in Ezra's time, and much done towards a reformation, Ezr 9:1-15 and 10. But, when the unclean spirit is cast out, if a watchful eye be not kept upon him, he will re-enter; so he did here. Though in Ezra's time those that had married strange wives were forced to put them away, which could not but occasion trouble and confusion in families, yet others would not take warning. Nitimur in vetitum - we still lean towards what is forbidden. Nehemiah, like a good governor, enquired into the state of the families of those that were under his charge, that he might reform what was amiss in them, and so heal the streams by healing the springs. 1. He enquired whence they had their wives, and found that many of the Jews had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab (Neh 13:23), either because they were fond of what was far-fetched or because they hoped by these alliances to strengthen and enrich themselves. See how God by the prophet reproves this, Mal 2:11. Judah has dealt treacherously, and broken covenant with God, the covenant made in Ezra's time with reference to this very thing; he has profaned the holiness of the Lord by marrying the daughter (that is, the worshipper) of a strange god. 2. He talked with the children, and found they were children of strangers, for their speech betrayed them. The children were bred up with their mothers, and learned of them and their nurses and servants to speak, so that they could not speak the Jews' language, could not speak it at all, or not readily, or not purely, but half in the speech of Ashdod, or Ammon, or Moab, according as the country was which the mother was a native of. Observe, (1.) Children, in their childhood, learn much of their mothers. Partus sequitur ventrem - they are prone to imitate their mothers. (2.) If either side be bad, the corrupt nature will incline the children to take after that, which is a good reason why Christians should not be unequally yoked. (3.) In the education of children great care should be taken about the government of their tongues, that they learn not the language of Ashdod, any impious or impure talk, any corrupt communication.
II. What course Nehemiah took to purge out this corruption, when he discovered how much it had prevailed.
1.He showed them the evil of it, and the obligation he lay under to witness against it. He did not seek an occasion against them, but this was an iniquity to be punished by the judge, and which he must by no means connive at (Neh 13:27): "Shall we hearken to you, who endeavour to palliate and excuse it? No, it is an evil, a great evil, it is a transgression against our God, to marry strange wives, and we must do our utmost to put a stop to it. You beg that they may not be divorced from you, but we cannot hearken to you, for there is no other remedy to clear us from the guilt and prevent infection." (1.) He quotes a precept, to prove that it was in itself a great sin; and makes them swear to that precept: You shall not give your daughters unto their sons, etc., which is taken from Deu 7:3. When we would reclaim people from sin we must show them the sinfulness of it in the glass of the commandment. (2.) He quotes a precedent, to show the pernicious consequences of it, which made it necessary to be animadverted upon by the government (Neh 13:26): Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? The falls of great and good men are recorded in order that we may take warning by them to shun the temptations which they were overcome by. Solomon was famous for wisdom; there was no king like him for it; yet, when he married strange wives, his wisdom could not secure him from their snares, nay, it departed from him, and he did very foolishly. He was beloved of God, but his marrying strange wives threw him out of God's favour, and went near to extinguish the holy fire of grace in his soul: he was king over all Israel; but his doing this occasioned the loss of ten of his twelve tribes. You plead that you can marry strange wives and yet retain the purity of Israelites; but Solomon himself could not; even him did outlandish women cause to sin. Therefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall when he runs upon such a precipice.
2.He showed himself highly displeased at it, that he might awaken them to a due sense of the evil of it: He contended with them, Neh 13:25. They offered to justify themselves in what they did, but he showed them how frivolous their excuses were, and argued it warmly with them. When he had silenced them he cursed them, that is, he denounced the judgments of God against them, and showed them what their sin deserved. He then picked out some of them that were more obstinate than the rest, and fit to be made examples, and smote them (that is, ordered them to be beaten by the proper officers according to the law, Deu 25:2, Deu 25:3), to which he added this further mark of infamy that he plucked off their hair, or cut or shaved it off; for it may so be understood. Perhaps they had prided themselves in their hair, and therefore he took it off to deform and humble them, and put them to shame; it was, in effect, to stigmatize them, at least for a time. Ezra, in this case, had plucked off his own hair, in holy sorrow for the sin; Nehemiah plucked off their hair, in a holy indignation at the sinners. See the different tempers of wise, and good, and useful men, and the divers graces, as well as divers gifts, of the same Spirit.
3.He obliged them not to take any more such wives, and separated those whom they had taken: He cleansed them from all strangers, both men and women (Neh 13:30), and made them promise with an oath that they would never do so again, Neh 13:25. Thus did he try all ways and means to put a stop to this mischief and to prevent another relapse into this disease.
4.He took particular care of the priests' families, that they might not lie under this stain, this guilt. He found, upon enquiry, that a branch of the high priest's own family, one of his grandsons, had married a daughter of Sanballat, that notorious enemy of the Jews (Neh 2:10; Neh 4:1), and so had, in effect, twisted interests with the Samaritans, Neh 13:28. How little love had that man either to God or his country who could make himself in duty and interest a friend to him that was a sworn enemy to both. It seems this young priest would not put away his wife, and therefore Nehemiah chased him from him, deprived him, degraded him, and made him for ever incapable of the priesthood. Josephus says that this expelled priest was Manasseh, and that when Nehemiah drove him away he went to his father-in-law Sanballat, who built him a temple upon Mount Gerazim, like that at Jerusalem, and promised him he should be high priest in it, and that then was laid the foundation of the Samaritans' pretensions, which continued warm to our Saviour's time. Joh 4:20, Our fathers worshipped in this mountain. When Nehemiah had thus expelled one that had forfeited the honour of the priesthood he again posted the priests and Levites every one in his business, Neh 13:30. It was no loss to them to part with one that was the scandal of their cloth; the work would be done better without him. When Judas had gone out Christ said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, Joh 13:30, Joh 13:31. Here are Nehemiah's prayers on this occasion. (1.) He prays, Remember them, O my God! Neh 13:29. "Lord, convince and convert them; put them in mind of what they should be and do, that they may come to themselves." Or, "Remember them to reckon with them for their sin; remember it against them." If we take it so, this prayer is a prophecy that God would remember it against them. Those that defile the priesthood despise God, and shall be lightly esteemed. Perhaps they were too many and too great for him to deal with. "Lord" (says he), "deal thou with them; take the work into thy own hands." (2.) He prays, Remember me, O my God! Neh 13:31. The best services done to the public have sometimes been forgotten by those for whom they were done (Ecc 9:15); therefore Nehemiah refers it to God to recompense him, takes him for his paymaster, and then doubts not but he shall be well paid. This may well be the summary of our petitions; we need no more to make us happy than this: Remember me, O my God! for good.
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SUMMARY
Nehemiah 13:23 records Nehemiah's distressing discovery upon his return to Jerusalem: a significant portion of the post-exilic Jewish community had engaged in forbidden intermarriage with women from surrounding pagan nations, specifically Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. This widespread practice represented a profound spiritual compromise and a direct violation of God's covenant commands, severely threatening the distinct identity and spiritual purity of Israel and setting the stage for Nehemiah's swift and decisive actions to restore fidelity to the Law.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Nehemiah 13:23 is situated within the concluding chapter of the book, which details Nehemiah's second tenure as governor in Jerusalem. Following a period of absence during which he returned to the Persian court (as mentioned in Nehemiah 13:6), Nehemiah arrives back in Jerusalem to find that many of the reforms he had previously instituted had been neglected or outright abandoned. The preceding verses (from Nehemiah 13:1 to Nehemiah 13:12) describe his immediate efforts to rectify issues such as the desecration of the Temple by Tobiah, the neglect of Levitical support, and the profanation of the Sabbath. This verse, therefore, marks a continuation of Nehemiah's zealous campaign to address the widespread spiritual decline, specifically targeting the deeply entrenched and highly destructive issue of intermarriage, which constituted a fundamental breach of the covenant and a direct threat to the community's spiritual integrity. It powerfully sets the stage for Nehemiah's impassioned and drastic response detailed in the subsequent verses of Nehemiah 13.
Historical & Cultural Context: The post-exilic community in Jerusalem was a fragile remnant, striving to rebuild not only the physical infrastructure of walls and a temple but, more critically, their spiritual identity as God's covenant people. The Mosaic Law, particularly explicit passages in Deuteronomy 7:3-4 and Exodus 34:15-16, unequivocally prohibited intermarriage with the surrounding pagan nations. This prohibition was not arbitrary; it was a divine safeguard designed to prevent idolatry, safeguard the purity of worship, and preserve Israel's unique relationship with Yahweh. The specific mention of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab is highly significant. Ashdod was a prominent Philistine city, historically a formidable enemy of Israel and a notorious center of pagan worship (e.g., Dagon). The Ammonites and Moabites, though distantly related through Lot, were long-standing adversaries of Israel, known for their abhorrent idolatry (e.g., Molech worship among the Ammonites) and active opposition to Israel's prosperity, notably their refusal to provide aid during the Exodus (as recounted in Deuteronomy 23:3-6). Their inclusion in this verse underscores the profound depth of the community's spiritual compromise, as these were not merely generic "foreigners" but peoples with a deeply ingrained history of hostility and spiritual corruption against God's chosen nation.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes central to the book of Nehemiah and the broader post-exilic narrative. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Covenant Fidelity and Purity. The primary concern was the insidious erosion of Israel's distinct identity as God's chosen people, consecrated for holiness. Marrying outside the covenant community directly threatened their exclusive loyalty to Yahweh and exposed them to the corrupting influences of pagan worship and customs, a recurring problem throughout Israel's history, vividly illustrated in the narratives of the Judges and Kings. Secondly, it highlights the Consequences of Compromise. This spiritual drift, particularly the widespread intermarriage, demonstrates the community's pervasive failure to uphold the Law, leading to a breakdown in their relationship with God and foreshadowing Nehemiah's strong and decisive actions to address this grievous sin. The issue of foreign wives had plagued Israel from early times, leading to significant spiritual decline, and was a major concern for Ezra as well, as comprehensively detailed in Ezra 9-10. Finally, it reinforces the theme of Spiritual Separation. God had explicitly commanded Israel to remain separate from surrounding nations, not merely physically but profoundly spiritually, to avoid their idolatry and moral corruption. This principle was foundational to their existence as a holy nation, as articulated in Deuteronomy 7:3-4.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Nehemiah 13:23 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message and underscore the severity of the situation. The primary device is Eyewitness Account or First-Person Reportage, as Nehemiah directly states, "saw I Jews." This personal observation lends immediate credibility, authenticity, and a sense of urgent dismay to the discovery, preparing the reader for Nehemiah's subsequent strong reaction. Another significant device is Enumeration or Listing, specifically naming "Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab." This precise naming is far from arbitrary; it highlights the specific and particularly egregious nature of the transgression, as these nations had long histories of animosity and idolatry against Israel, making the intermarriages a profound betrayal of the covenant and a direct threat to Israel's spiritual distinctiveness. Finally, the verse functions powerfully as Foreshadowing, setting the dramatic stage for Nehemiah's intense and forceful actions in the subsequent verses (such as Nehemiah 13:25-27), where he confronts the offenders directly, even violently, underscoring the extreme severity of the sin in his eyes and the dire consequences of such spiritual compromise.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Nehemiah 13:23 stands as a stark and enduring reminder of the persistent struggle for covenant fidelity and the insidious dangers of spiritual compromise. The prohibition against intermarriage was not merely an ethnic or social regulation, but a profound theological imperative divinely designed to preserve Israel's unique identity as God's holy people and prevent the insidious infiltration of idolatry and pagan practices. This verse powerfully demonstrates how quickly a community can drift from its foundational principles when vigilance wanes, highlighting the ongoing human propensity to compromise divine commands for social acceptance, economic expediency, or personal desire. It underscores the vital importance of maintaining spiritual purity and separation from influences that would corrupt genuine faith and wholehearted devotion to the one true God, a principle that transcends the Old Covenant and speaks to the Church today.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Nehemiah 13:23 serves as a timeless and potent warning about the subtle yet ultimately destructive nature of spiritual compromise, particularly as it manifests through intimate relationships. While the New Covenant does not impose the same ethnic restrictions on marriage, the underlying principle of guarding one's spiritual integrity and prioritizing fidelity to God remains profoundly relevant and critically important for believers today. Our closest relationships, especially marriage, are incredibly formative and possess immense power to either strengthen and propel our walk with God or severely undermine and derail it. This verse challenges us to soberly consider the spiritual implications of our associations and to prioritize unwavering fidelity to Christ above all else. It calls believers to seek partners who genuinely share their faith, their commitment to God's Word, and their pursuit of holiness, understanding that being "unequally yoked" (as described in the New Testament) can lead to spiritual drift, compromise of core values, and a weakening of one's witness for Christ. It reminds us that true devotion to God often requires difficult choices, a willingness to stand apart from prevailing cultural norms that contradict biblical principles, and a steadfast resolve to ensure that our lives reflect the distinctiveness and holiness of God's redeemed people.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was intermarriage always forbidden in the Old Testament, or were there exceptions?
Answer: While the general command in the Law of Moses strongly prohibited intermarriage with the surrounding Canaanite nations due to the inherent threat of idolatry and spiritual corruption (e.g., Exodus 34:15-16 and Deuteronomy 7:3-4), there were nuanced situations. The primary concern was always the religious and moral influence that foreign spouses might exert, leading Israel away from Yahweh. For example, Ruth, a Moabitess, was accepted into Israel and became an ancestor of David and ultimately Christ because she converted to Yahwism and pledged unwavering allegiance to God and His people (Ruth 1:16-17). However, the specific nations mentioned in Nehemiah 13:23—Ashdod (Philistines), Ammonites, and Moabites—were often singled out for their deep-seated hostility towards Israel and their particularly corrupting religious practices. Some, like the Ammonites and Moabites, were even explicitly barred from the assembly of the Lord (e.g., Deuteronomy 23:3-6) due to their historical actions against Israel. Nehemiah's concern was not merely ethnic or racial, but primarily theological and covenantal, stemming from the historical and ongoing spiritual danger these particular alliances posed to Israel's covenant purity and their exclusive devotion to God.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Nehemiah 13:23, with its poignant focus on the purity of God's covenant people and the insidious dangers of spiritual compromise through unholy alliances, finds profound and amplified Christ-centered fulfillment in the New Covenant. While the specific ethnic prohibitions of the Old Testament are transcended by the universal scope of the Gospel, the underlying principle of spiritual distinctiveness and purity is not abolished but rather intensified in Christ. The Church, as the new Israel and the spiritual offspring of Abraham, is called to be a holy people, a pure and spotless bride prepared for Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27). The New Testament unequivocally warns believers against being "unequally yoked with unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 6:14-18), a prohibition rooted not in nationality or race, but in spiritual allegiance and shared devotion to the Lord. This command ensures that the believer's primary loyalty remains with Christ and that their spiritual journey is not hindered, corrupted, or drawn away from God by associations that promote conflicting values or idolatrous practices. Just as Nehemiah zealously sought to preserve the purity of the physical lineage and faith of Israel, Christ, through His atoning work on the cross, purifies His people from all sin, making them spiritually fit for His holy presence and preparing them as a glorious Church. The ultimate goal is not merely external separation, but an internal transformation of the heart that produces a people devoted solely to God, reflecting the radiant holiness of the Lamb's wife, eagerly awaiting the joyous marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-8).