Nehemiah 13:1

1 It was also at that time, when they were reading in the scroll of Moshe, that it was found written that no 'Amoni or Mo'avi may ever enter the assembly of God,

Nehemiah 13:1 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 13:1

On that day
Not when the wall of the city was dedicated, nor quickly after; for it cannot be thought that people should be so corrupted so soon as this chapter shows; but when Nehemiah had governed them twelve years, and had been at Babylon, and was returned again, as appears from ( Nehemiah 13:6 ) , compared with ( Nehemiah 2:1 Nehemiah 2:6 ) ( 7:2 ) ,

they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people;
for from the time of the reading of the law by Ezra, ( Nehemiah 8:1 ) it became a custom to read the law publicly:

and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should
not come into the congregation of the Lord;
that is, be admitted to marry with any of the people of Israel; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 23:3).

Nehemiah 13:1 In-Context

1 It was also at that time, when they were reading in the scroll of Moshe, that it was found written that no 'Amoni or Mo'avi may ever enter the assembly of God,

2 because they did not supply the people of Isra'el with food and water, but hired Bil'am against them to put a curse on them - although our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 On hearing the Torah, they separated from Isra'el everyone of mixed ancestry.

4 Also, prior to this, Elyashiv the cohen, who had been put in charge of the storage rooms in the house of our God, and who was related by marriage to Toviyah,

5 had prepared for him a large room where formerly they had stored the grain offerings, frankincense, equipment and the tenths of grain, wine and olive oil ordered to be given to the L'vi'im, singers and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the cohanim.