Nehemiah 13:21

21 I warned them, "It's no use waiting out there for morning to come. If you try this again, I'll use force on you." From then on they did not come back on the Sabbath.

Nehemiah 13:21 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 13:21

Then I testified against them
Against their continuance there, and threatened them, and called heaven and earth to witness what he would do to them, if they did not depart:

why lodge ye about the wall?
of the city, waiting an opportunity to get in, and tempting the Jews to come out and buy their ware:

if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you;
beat them, or slay them, at least imprison them:

from that time forth came they no more on the sabbath;
finding there was no likelihood of getting into the city, and that they were liable to be taken up and punished.

Nehemiah 13:21 In-Context

19 So I gave orders for the city gates to be shut at the beginning of every Sabbath, as soon as evening began to fall, and not to be opened again until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my men at the gates to make sure that nothing was brought into the city on the Sabbath.

20 Once or twice merchants who sold all kinds of goods spent Friday night outside the city walls.

21 I warned them, "It's no use waiting out there for morning to come. If you try this again, I'll use force on you." From then on they did not come back on the Sabbath.

22 I ordered the Levites to purify themselves and to go and guard the gates to make sure that the Sabbath was kept holy. Remember me, O God, for this also, and spare me because of your great love.

23 At that time I also discovered that many of the Jewish men had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.