Nehemiah 13:1

_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;_ On that day. This was not immediately consequent on the dedication of the city wall and gates, but after Nehemiah's return from the Persian court to Jerusalem, his absence having extended over a considerable period. The transaction here described probably took place on one of the periodical occasions for the public reading of the law, when the people's attention was particularly directed to some violations of it which called for immediate correction. There is another instance afforded, in addition to those which have already fallen under our notice, of the great advantage resulting from the public and periodical reading of the divine law. It was an established provision for the religious instru...

1-9 Israel was a peculiar people, and not to mingle with the nations. See the benefit of publicly reading the word of God; when it is duly attended to, it discovers to us sin and duty, good and evil, and shows wherein we have erred. We profit, when we are thus wrought upon to separate from evil. Those that would drive sin out of their hearts, the living temples, must throw out its household stuff, and all the provision made for it; and take away all the things that are the food and fuel of lust; this is really to mortify it. When sin is cast out of the heart by repentance, let the blood of Christ be applied to it by faith, then let it be furnished with the graces of God's Spirit, for every good work....

CHAPTER XIII _The law is read, which commands that the Ammonite and Moabite_ _should be separated from the congregation, on which they_ _separate all the mixed multitude_, 1-3. _Eliashib the high priest having not only joined opinion with_ _Sanballat, but being also allied to Tobiah the Ammonite, and_ _having given him some of the chambers in the court of the house_ _of God_, 4, 5; _Nehemiah casts out the goods of Tobiah, and purifies the_ _chambers_, 6-9. _He rectifies several evils; and the people bring the tithes of_...

ON THAT DAY - Or, “at that time,” as in Nehemiah 12:44. The entire Pentateuch is probably meant by “the Book of Moses”....

EXPOSITION NEHEMIAH'S EFFORTS FOR THE REFORM OF RELIGION (Nehemiah 13:1). After having exercised the office of governor for twelve years, from B.C. 444 to B.C. 432, Nehemiah had had occasion to visit the Persian court, either to consult Artaxerxes personally on certain matters connected with his province, or for some other reason unknown to us. During his absence various evil practices, to which some reference has been already made in connection with the renewal of the covenant (Nehemiah 10:30-16), acquired so much strength, and came to such a head, that, on Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem at the expiration of a year (verse 6),

CHAPTER 13 _ 1. The separation of the mixed multitude (Nehemiah 13:1)_ 2. The unholy alliance repudiated (Nehemiah 13:4) 3. Nehemiah's action in behalf of the Levites and singers (Nehemiah 13:10) 4. Provision for Sabbath observance (Nehemiah 13:15) 5. Nehemiah's protest (Nehemiah 13:23) 6. His own testimony as to his work (Nehemiah 13:30)...

THE SEPARATION OF THE MIXED MULTITUDE FROM ISRAEL. A fragment inserted by way of introduction to the episode which follows. Nehemiah 13:1 f. _Cf._ Deuteronomy 23:3. Nehemiah 13:3. The fact that this separation is not undertaken by Nehemiah himself shows that this passage is not part of his memoirs....

ON THAT DAY: i.e. of which he is about to write. THE BOOK OF MOSES. See App-47. WAS FOUND WRITTEN. they came to the place or passage (viz. Deuteronomy 23:3). Not. discovery, but in the course of the public reading (as in Luke 4:17). Compare Nehemiah 8:14. MOABITE (masc). This did not therefore exclude Ruth,. female, though married to Mahlon before Boaz. CONGREGATION. assembly, or muster. GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ (withArt.). the [true] God. App-4....

Separation from the mixed multitude 1. _On that day_ See note on Nehemiah 12:44. _they read_ Literally -it was read," without any intimation that the Levites were the readers. _the book of Moses_ A short form for that which is found in Nehemiah 8:1, -the book of the law of Moses." _that the Ammonite and the Moabite_ The passage which had excited attention was doubtless Deuteronomy 23:3-6, which opens with the following prohibition, - _An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly_of the Lord; even to the tenth generation shall none belonging to them enter into the assembly of the Lord _for ever_." _come into the congregation_ R.V....

ON THAT DAY THEY READ, &C.— _At that time the law of Moses was read in the audience of the people._ Houbigant. The phrase of _not entering into the congregation of the Lord,_ in this verse, does not signify an ejection from the public assemblies for divine worship; but must be understood to mean no more than a prohibition of marriage; for this, according to the rabbis, was the case of such prohibitions. None of the house of Israel of either sex were to enter into marriage with any Gentile of what nation soever, unless they were first converted to their religion; and, even in that case, some were debarred from it for ever; others only in part; and others again only for a limited time. Of the first sort, were all of the seven nations of the Canaanites. Of the second sort, were the Moabites and the Ammonites, whose males were now excluded for ever, but not their females; and of the third so...