Nehemiah 13:2-12

2 for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 As soon as the people heard the law, ¹they separated from Israel all ²those of foreign descent.

4 Now before this, ³Eliashib the priest, who ⁴was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to ⁵Tobiah,

5 prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, ⁶which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.

6 While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for ⁷in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes ⁸king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king

7 and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, ⁹preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

8 And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber.

9 Then I gave orders, and they ¹⁰cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

10 I also found out that ¹¹the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each ¹²to his field.

11 ¹³So I confronted the officials and said, ¹⁴“Why is the house of God forsaken? ” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations.

12 Then all Judah brought ¹⁵the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses.

Nehemiah 13:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NEHEMIAH 13

This chapter relates the reformation of various abuses crept in among the Jews by Nehemiah, who removed the Moabites and Ammonites, mixed with them, Ne 13:1-3, threw the household goods of Tobiah out of a chamber of the temple, and restored it to its former use, Ne 13:4-9, took care that the Levites had their portion given them which had been kept from them, Ne 13:10-14 prevented the profanation of the sabbath by selling goods on that day, Ne 13:15-22, and put a stop to the marrying of strange wives, which had prevailed again among them, Ne 13:23-31.

Cross References

• 1. 13:3 See ch. 9:2
• 2. 13:3 [Ex. 12:38; Num. 11:4]
• 3. 13:4 ver. 28; ch. 3:1
• 4. 13:4 [ch. 12:44]
• 5. 13:4 ch. 2:10
• 6. 13:5 Num. 18:21, 24
• 7. 13:6 ch. 5:14
• 8. 13:6 Ezra 6:22
• 9. 13:7 ver. 5
• 10. 13:9 2 Chr. 29:15, 16, 18
• 11. 13:10 2 Chr. 31:4; [Mal. 3:8]
• 12. 13:10 ch. 12:28, 29
• 13. 13:11 ver. 17, 25
• 14. 13:11 [ch. 10:39]
• 15. 13:12 [ch. 10:38, 39; 12:44]