Nehemiah 13:3

Now R.V. And. The A.V. begins a new paragraph with this verse; which however continues the preceding verses, giving the result of the action taken.

they separated -They," impersonal, but evidently the leaders of the people are referred to. It does not appear whether the words -they separated from Israel" denote merely ceremonial exclusion from participation in the worship and festivals of the holy people, or the forcible ejectment from their borders. The practical impossibility of so summary a policy is an objection to the latter interpretation. The parallel in Nehemiah 9:2 gives some support to the former alternative; and the instance recorded by Nehemiah in the following Nehemiah 13:4-14, shows that Nehemiah's anger was kindled not at the presence of a stranger but at his connexion with the high-priest, and at the fact of his not being -separated from" the Temple.

all the mixed multitude The use of the Hebrew word -"ereb" here without an article may be illustrated by Exodus 12:38. There, as here, the word denotes the large body of strangers, members of other races, attached by ties of marriage or by commercial interests to the people of Israel. Their proneness to lead the Israelites astray was proverbial, cf. Numbers 11:4.