Nehemiah 13:29

Remember them Here in a bad sense.

because they have defiled R.V. marg. -Heb. for the defilings of". The word so rendered occurs only here. It is from the same root as the word -Goel," which explains the confusion of the LXX. ἐπὶ ἀγχιστείᾳ τῆς ἱερατείας.

the priesthood … the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites Joiada's son, not being high-priest, did not himself fall under the marriage law of the high-priest, Leviticus 21:13-15. But as a possible successor to the office, his marriage with Sanballat's daughter violated the spirit of the Law. -The covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites" seems to mean the peculiar relation of the priests and the Levites as holy, set apart for the special service of God, and as representatives of the whole people. It is possible that Nehemiah's words relate not to the offence of an individual, but to the shame accruing to the whole priesthood in the fact that renegade priests had founded a rival Jehovah worship on Mt Gerizim, among the hated Samaritans. The expression is very similar to that in Malachi 2:8, -But ye are turned aside out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble in the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts." For -the covenant of the priesthood," cf. Deuteronomy 33:8-11; Malachi 2:1-8 will form an excellent commentary upon Nehemiah's earnest denunciation.