Nehemiah 13

On the same day the temple workers were appointed (Nehemiah 12:44), the text from Deuteronomy 23:3–6 was read. It stated that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God. Nehemiah later discovered (Nehemiah 13:4–14) that people were no longer following these teachings.

Eliashib’s family married into the families of Sanballat (Nehemiah 13:28) and Tobiah. These men were enemies of the Jewish community (Nehemiah 2:10, 19; 4:1). Tobiah's use of the storeroom reduced space for storing tithes and gifts for temple workers (compare Nehemiah 10:39; 13:10–12; 2 Chronicles 31:11) and limited space for supplies needed for regular worship at the temple (Leviticus 2).

Eliashib the priest (see Nehemiah 12:10, 22; 13:28) had stopped excluding the Ammonites and Moabites (13:1). The people also stopped giving their tithes to the Levites (Nehemiah 13:10–12). Nehemiah corrected these issues.

Nehemiah went back to Persia after serving in Jerusalem for twelve years, from 445 to 433 BC. The text does not specify how long he stayed in Persia, but it was likely no more than a year or two. When he returned to Jerusalem, he discovered Tobiah living in the temple storeroom (Nehemiah 13:1–5).

• I was greatly displeased...I ordered: When people rejected God's instructions, Nehemiah spoke up.

• Everything related to the temple had to be purified and dedicated to God. This included:

  • The clothes that the priests and Levites wore (Exodus 29)

  • The priests themselves (Leviticus 8–9)

  • The temple building and altars (Leviticus 16:15–33)

  • All the holy items (1 Chronicles 23:28)

  They were all purified (compare 2 Chronicles 29:5, 15–19).

Because Tobiah used the storeroom, there was no space to store tithes for feeding the Levites and temple singers (Numbers 18:21–24; see Nehemiah 12:44, 47). They had to farm outside Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:28–29) to support themselves and could not serve in the temple.

they were considered trustworthy: Compare Acts 6:1–6.

Nehemiah asked God to remember his good deeds and not abandon him when he needed help. He likely faced opposition from those he corrected. See similar mentions in Nehemiah 13:22, 29, 31.

People were to stop working on the Sabbath to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8–11; 31:14–17; 35:2–3; Jeremiah 17:19–27).

Nehemiah made two more changes to bring back correct Sabbath observance (Nehemiah 13:15–22) and correct marriage practices (13:23–31). These two sections follow a similar pattern: Nehemiah found a problem, fixed it, and then asked God for a blessing.

The Sabbath starts at sunset on Friday evening and ends at sunset on Saturday evening.

show me mercy: Nehemiah's prayer suggests he felt the pressure of this unpopular decision. He knew God's unfailing love, not his popularity, would sustain him.

The earlier marriage reforms (Nehemiah 9:2; 10:28; Ezra 9:1–10:44) did not last. The children could not speak Hebrew, the language of Judah. This was disastrous because they could not read or understand the Scriptures.

• Nehemiah cursed them because the parents avoided Hebrew and did not teach their children the language of the Hebrew Bible. A curse asked God to remove his blessing from people.

• I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair: Some men did not accept Nehemiah’s rebuke at first, so he made them swear in the name of God not to marry pagans.

King Solomon led the nation into sin through his foreign wives (1 Kings 11). If intermarriage with non-believers continued, the community would face the same downfall. Nehemiah would not allow that.

Even the family of the high priest, who were meant to be Israel’s spiritual leaders, participated in the sin of intermarriage with unbelieving foreigners (compare Leviticus 21:14). Nehemiah banished the offender, stripping him of status and removing his rights in the Jewish community.

Remember them, O my God: Many likely resented Nehemiah's strong stance against intermarriage in the high priest's family. He prayed for God's judgment on these spiritual leaders who defiled the priesthood.

These final verses summarize Nehemiah’s reform. Nehemiah ensured the people kept their promises. He held them accountable and did not accept half-hearted efforts.