1 ON that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;
2 Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
4 And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:
5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.
6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did 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 meat offering and the frankincense.
10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for 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 corn 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 office 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 offices thereof.
15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; 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, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, 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 gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware 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 cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.
23 In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of 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 unto 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, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
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.
30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;
31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

1On that day they read in the booke of Moses in the audience of the people, and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the Congregation of God for euer,

2Because they met not the children of Israel with bread, and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3Now it came to passe when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

4 And before this Eliashib the priest hauing the ouersight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied vnto Tobiah:

5And hee had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offrings, the frankincense and the vessels, and the tithes of the corne, the new wine, and the oile, which was commanded to be giuen to the Leuites, and the singers, and the porters, and the offerings of the priests.

6But in all this time was not I at Ierusalem: for in the two and thirtieth yeere of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, came I vnto the king, and after certaine dayes, obtained I leaue of the King:

7And I came to Ierusalem, and vnderstood of the euil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

8And it grieued me sore, therefore I cast foorth all the houshold stuffe of Tobiah out of the chamber:

9Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers, and thither brought I againe the vessels of the house of God, with the meate offering, and the frankincense.

10 And I perceiued that the portions of the Leuites had not beene giuen them: for the Leuites and the singers that did the worke, were fled euery one to his field.

11Then 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.

12Then brought all Iudah the tithe of the corne, and the new wine, and the oyle, vnto the treasuries.

13And I made treasurers ouer the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Leuites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the sonne of Zaccur, the sonne of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithfull, and their office was to distribute vnto their brethren.

14Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds, that I haue done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.

15 In those dayes sawe I in Iudah, some treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaues, and lading asses, as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all maner of burdens, which they brought into Ierusalem on the Sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they solde victuals.

16There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish and all maner of ware, and solde on the Sabbath vnto the children of Iudah, and in Ierusalem.

17Then I contended with the Nobles of Iudah, and sayd vnto them, What euill thing is this that ye doe, and profane the Sabbath day?

18Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this euill vpon vs, and vpon this citie? yet ye bring more wrath vpon Israel, by profaning the Sabbath.

19And it came to passe, that when the gates of Ierusalem beganne to be darke before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath: and some of my seruants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day.

20So the merchants, and sellers of all kinde of ware, lodged without Ierusalem once or twice.

21Then I testified against them, and said vnto them, Why lodge yee about the wall? If ye doe so againe, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath.

22And I commanded the Leuites, that they should cleanse themselues, and that they should come and keepe the gates, to sanctifie the Sabbath day: Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me, according to the greatnesse of thy mercie.

23 In those dayes also sawe I Iewes that had maried wiues of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:

24And their children spake halfe in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speake in the Iewes language, but according to the language of ech people.

25And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certeine of them, and pluckt off their haire, and made them sweare by God, saying, Yee shall not giue your daughters vnto their sonnes, nor take their daughters vnto your sonnes, or for your selues.

26Did not Solomon king of Israel sinne by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloued of his God, and God made him king ouer all Israel: neuerthelesse, euen him did outlandish women cause to sinne.

27Shall wee then hearken vnto you, to doe all this great euill, to transgresse against our God, in marrying strange wiues?

28And one of the sonnes of Ioiada, the sonne of Eliashib the high Priest, was sonne in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therfore I chased him from me.

29Remember them, O my God, because they haue defiled the Priesthood, and the couenant of the Priesthood, and of the Leuites.

30Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the Priests and the Leuites, euery one in his businesse:

31And for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

I == Deut 23:3-4 ; 31:11-12 ; 2nd Kings 23:2 ; Neh 8:3 , 8 ; 9:3 ; Isa 34:16

 

II == Num 22:5 ; 23:11 ; 24:10 ; Deut 23:5 ; Josh 24:9-10

 

III == Neh 9:2 ; 10:28

 

 

 

 

V == Num 18:21 , 24 ; Neh 12:44

 

 

 

 

VI == Neh 5:14

 

 

 

VII == Neh 13:1 , 5

 

 

 

 

IX == 2nd Chr 29:5 , 15-16 , 18

 

X == Num 35:2 ; Mal 3:8

 

 

XI == Neh 10:39 ; 13:17 , 25 ; Prov 28:4

 

XII == Neh 10:38-39 ; 12:44

 

XIII == 2nd Chr 31:12 ; Neh 7:2 ; 12:44 ; 1st Cor 4:2

 

 

XIV == Neh 5:19 ; 13:22 , 31

 

 

XV == Ez 20:10 ; Neh 10:31 ; Jer 17:21-22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVII == Neh 13:11

 

XVIII == Jer 17:21-23

 

 

XIX == Lev 23:32 ; Jer 17:21-22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXII == Neh 12:30 ; 13:14 , 31

 

 

 

XXIII ==Ezra 9:2

 

 

 

 

XXV == Ezra 10:5 ; Neh 10:29-30 ; 13:11 ; Prov 28:4

 

 

XXVI == 2nd Sam 12:24 ; 1st Kings 3:13 ; 11:1-8 ; 2nd Chr 1:12

 

 

XXVII == Ezra 10:2

 

XXVIII == Neh 12:10 , 22

 

 

 

 

 

XXX == Neh 10:30 ; 12:1-26

 

XXXI == Neh 10:34 ; 13:14 , 22

1 At that time, when there was reading from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people, it was found written there that "no Ammonite or Moabite may ever be admitted into the assembly of God;

2 for they would not succor the Israelites with food and water, but they hired Balaam to curse them, though our God turned the curse into a blessing."

3 When they had heard the law, they separated from Israel every foreign element.

4 Before this, the priest Eliashib, who had been placed in charge of the chambers of the house of our God and who was an associate of Tobiah,

5 had set aside for the latter's use a large chamber in which had previously been stored the cereal offerings, incense and utensils, the tithes in grain, wine, and oil allotted to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the offerings due the priests.

6 During all this time I had not been in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I had gone back to the king. After due time, however, I asked leave of the king

7 and returned to Jerusalem, where I discovered the evil thing that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in setting aside for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

8 This displeased me very much, and I had all of Tobiah's household goods thrown outside the chamber.

9 Then I gave orders to purify the chambers, and I had them replace there the utensils of the house of God, the cereal offerings, and the incense.

10 I learned, too, that the portions due the Levites were no longer being given, so that the Levites and the singers who should have been carrying out the services had deserted, each man to his own field.

11 I took the magistrates to task, demanding, "Why is the house of God abandoned?" Then I brought the Levites together and had them resume their stations.

12 All Judah once more brought in the tithes of grain, wine, and oil to the storerooms;

13 and in charge of the storerooms I appointed the priest Shelemiah, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, together with Hanan, son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, as their assistant; for these men were held to be trustworthy. It was their duty to make the distribution to their brethren.

14 Remember this to my credit, O my God! Let not the devotion which I showed for the house of my God and its services be forgotten!

15 In those days I perceived that men in Judah were treading the winepresses on the sabbath; that they were bringing in sheaves of grain, loading them on their asses, together with wine, grapes, figs, and every other kind of burden, and bringing them to Jerusalem on the sabbath day. I warned them to sell none of these victuals.

16 In Jerusalem itself the Tyrians who were resident there were importing fish and every other kind of merchandise and selling it to the Judahites on the sabbath.

17 I took the nobles of Judah to task, demanding of them: "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day?

18 Did not your fathers act in this same way, with the result that our God has brought all this evil upon us and upon this city? Would you add to the wrath against Israel by once more profaning the sabbath?"

19 When the shadows were falling on the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I ordered the doors to be closed and forbade them to be reopened till after the sabbath. I posted some of my own men at the gates so that no burden might enter on the sabbath day.

20 The merchants and sellers of various kinds of merchandise spent the night once or twice outside Jerusalem,

21 but then I warned them, saying to them: "Why do you spend the night alongside the wall? If you keep this up, I will lay hands on you!" From that time on, they did not return on the sabbath.

22 Then I ordered the Levites to purify themselves and to go and watch the gates, so that the sabbath day might be kept holy. This, too, remember in my favor, O my God, and have mercy on me in accordance with your great mercy!

23 Also in those days I saw Jews who had married Ashdodite, Ammonite, or Moabite wives.

24 Of their children, half spoke Ashdodite, and none of them knew how to speak Jewish; and so it was in regard to the languages of the various other peoples.

25 I took them to task and cursed them; I had some of them beaten and their hair pulled out; and I adjured them by God: "You shall not marry your daughters to their sons nor take any of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves!

26 Did not Solomon, the king of Israel, sin because of them? Though among the many nations there was no king like him, and though he was beloved of his God and God had made him king over all Israel, yet even he was made to sin by foreign women.

27 Must it also be heard of you that you have done this same very great evil, betraying our God by marrying foreign women?"

28 One of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite! I drove him from my presence.

29 Remember against them, O my God, how they defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites!

30 Thus I cleansed them of all foreign contamination. I established the various functions for the priests and Levites, so that each had his appointed task.

31 I also provided for the procurement of wood at stated times and for the first fruits. Remember this in my favor, O my God!

v 1-3. First impression is that this verse immediately follows on the same day as the dedication. However, we see in verses 4-7 that Nehemiah had left and now has returned to Jerusalem to be governor again. God’s word was read to the people as it had been in 8:1-6, and it had the same convicting power. The reading was from Deut. 23:3-5, where the Ammonite and Moabite were barred from the temple forever for their attempt to curse and the seduction of Israel in Num. 22-25. As earlier, the people are convicted of sin and separate from the mixed multitude.

v 4,5. This alliance may have begun earlier or a result of the marriage alliance of 13:28, but it was sacrilegious for him to have allowed the temple chambers to be used by anyone, much less Tobiah, who hindered the building and threatened Nehemiah.

 

v 6-9. Nehemiah had been governor 12 years and come back to, perhaps Susa, in 432 BC. He may have been there a couple of years or more and got permission to return to Jerusalem. He was shocked to learn the enemy Tobiah had been given chambers in the temple court, and threw out all his things. Then he gave orders that the chambers were to be cleansed, and the proper vessels and offerings restored.

 

 

 

 

v 10-14. The people had gone back on every provision of their covenant. of chapter 10. The Levites had returned to their fields because of lack of support. Malachi may have been ministering at this time, because we find his rebuke of the same thing  in Mal. 3:8-10. Nehemiah rebuked the rulers and put Levites and singers back in their proper stations. All Judah again brought their tithes and offerings, and to see they were properly handled, he appointed four men he knew to be faithful, a priest, scribe, and two Levites to oversee and distribute the offerings. In 5:19; 13:14; and 13:22,31 he asks God to remember him. In this he is not asking for a reward, but claiming the same promise we have in Heb. 6:10, that God will not forget our work and labor of love. This can also be considered as a plea to God for help in his difficult situation.

 

 

 

 

v 15,16. In violation of their pledge to keep the Sabbath, men were working on the Sabbath, buying and selling their produce and buying from  merchants of Tyre.

 

 

 

v 17-22. First Nehemiah rebuked the nobles with a reminder that it was for that reason they had been in captivity. Then he took action by ordering the gates closed as the Sabbath approached, and not opened till it was over. Moreover, guards were placed to prevent anything being brought in on the Sabbath. Some merchants hung around in case someone would slip out during the night, till Nehemiah rebuked and threatened them. Levites were to help guard, and again Nehemiah asked God’s help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 23,24. Next he observed the intermarriage, with children learning the foreign languages and not their own. The key to the apparent conflict of 13;1-3 and 23-25 with Ruth of Moab is in Ruth 1:16 is Ruth’s conversion to the Jews religion and people.

 

v 25-27. He took stern measures, cursing them, had some beaten, and pulled out hair, (possibly shaved their beards). He made them swear to discontinue their practice (made them give up their wives) and reminded them how Solomon had been led astray by marrying heathen, and it was a wicked act of unfaithfulness on their part.

 

 

 

 

v 28-31. Not only was Eliashib allied with Tobiah, v 4, but his grandson married the daughter of the other enemy, Sanballat, same tactic Midianites used Num. 25:6. Nehemiah drove the young man away for polluting the priesthood. Then he reset all the priests, Levites and people into doing their assigned jobs.