Nehemiah 13:4–31
4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah, 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, which 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 in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king 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, preparing 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 cleansed 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 the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. 11 So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. 14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.
15 In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food. 16 Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! 17 Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster1 on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
19 As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.
23 In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people. 25 And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. 27 Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me. 29 Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; 31 and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits.
Remember me, O my God, for good.
1 The Hebrew word can mean evil, harm, or disaster, depending on the context
Section Overview
The wall dedication is clearly the climax of Ezra-Nehemiah, with all of the members of a purified, holy community gathered in the holy city (Neh. 12:30) with rejoicing caused by God (12:27–43). The celebration of “that day” (12:43) is followed by two events, also described as occurring “on that day.” These are summarized under the two broad themes of provisions (12:44–47) and purification (13:1–3). These themes were likewise present in the prior covenantal obligations, which focused on the provision of tithes for temple service (10:32–39) and purification from the peoples of the land, the latter including proper keeping of the Sabbath (10:30–31). These texts and themes provide a literary bridge to 13:4–31, which presents reforms in both of these areas. Nehemiah first describes those reforms undertaken for the purification and provision for the temple (13:4–14) and then moves on to describe those reforms carried out in the areas of Sabbath and separation (vv. 15–29).
Nehemiah’s “I” of first-person address is heard in almost every verse. The passage comprises four pericopes (vv. 4–14, 15–22, 23–29, 30–31), with each ending in a “remember” prayer of Nehemiah (vv. 14, 22, 29, 31). The first three also share the basic form of a problem Nehemiah faces, a confrontation he engages (vv. 11, 17, 25), and a resolution he enacts. In each case foreign influence is involved. The first pericope concerns the temple, both its misuse (vv. 4–9) and the failure of the people in providing for the temple work of the Levites (vv. 10–13). In the second, Nehemiah confronts the profanation of the Sabbath (vv. 15–22a). In the third vignette the problem of intermarriage is again found among the laity (vv. 23–27) and the priesthood (vv. 28–29). The concluding summary once more underscores the themes of purification and provision, followed by Nehemiah’s closing prayer (vv. 30–31).
Section Outline
III.D. Nehemiah’s Reforms: Temple, Sabbath, Separation (13:4–31)
1. Reforms concerning the Temple (13:4–14)
a. Cleansing of the Temple Chamber (13:4–9)
b. Neglect of the Temple through Lack of Support for the Levites (13:10–13)
c. Prayer: “Remember Me” (13:14)
2. Reforms concerning the Sabbath (13:15–22)
a. Problem: Goods and Trading on the Sabbath (13:15–16)
b. Confrontation of Nobles of Judah (13:17–18)
c. Resolution: Nehemiah’s Practices Guard Sabbath Sanctity (13:19–22a)
d. Prayer: “Remember This” (vv. 22b)
3. Reforms concerning Separation from Foreign Wives (13:23–29)
a. Linguistic and Marital Intermixing (13:23–24)
b. Confrontation (13:25a)
c. Resolution (13:25b–28)
d. Prayer: “Remember Them” (13:29)
4. Summary of Reforms: Purification and Provisions (13:30–31)
Response
The calling of the people of God to be a holy people is nonnegotiable (Eph. 1:4–6; 1 Pet. 1:15–16; 2:9–10). This is just as relevant for those in the days of Ezra-Nehemiah as it is for any other era. At a particular moment in the Persian period, God delivers and restores his people to their proper functioning as a purified worshiping community within the holy walls of the holy city (Neh. 12:30; 11:1). That is something to be celebrated.
And yet, until the Lord returns, there is no final celebration. The text of 13:4–31 is placed after the celebration (12:27–47), even though the events occur “before this” (13:4). This sequencing exhorts the faithful in every generation to prevent celebration from leading to carelessness. The church must always be reading and hearing from the Lord’s Word (13:1), always repenting and always reforming. The safety and security of our salvation won by Christ must never lead to complacency and negligence as we are to “conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile” (1 Pet. 1:17).
In various ways the neglect of consecration crept into the community in Nehemiah’s absence. Tobiah, an influential enemy with Ammonite connections (Neh. 13:4; 2:10; 6:17–19), used his relationships to worm his way into the temple. Indeed, the house of the Lord was forsaken not only in this way but with respect to the required tithes for the Levites as well. Promises once made were quickly forgotten (10:35–39) and the service of God impacted (13:10–11). This included the misuse of the Sabbath. By it God affords rest and the opportunity for his people to consider his past goodness, to grow in trust for his provision, and to express their identity as his people distinct from the nations. The failure to keep the Sabbath is perhaps entwined with the disobedience of mixed marriages. So dire is this issue for the holy calling of the people that both Ezra and Nehemiah are forced to address it. Even the high priest’s family is implicated.
If the distinctive character, calling, and testimony of God’s people is central to all of this, then Nehemiah’s vehement response to each is understandable. Consider what it means that God’s furniture had been removed from the temple chambers now indwelled by Tobiah. It demands Nehemiah’s expulsion of the furniture and the cleansing of the temple (vv. 8–9). At the other end of the passage, Nehemiah chases the high priest’s son from the community for his desecration of the priesthood (v. 28). This certainly evokes the comparable actions of the Lord Jesus in cleansing the temple (John 2:13–17). Our great and holy High Priest entered the world to defeat Satan and wash us clean (Heb. 10:19–22; 1 John 1:7–9). He made us members of his holy temple (1 Cor. 3:16–17; Eph. 2:19–22) and gained for us a “Sabbath rest” we could not gain for ourselves (Heb. 4:9–11). As a response to his mercy we must “not neglect the house of our God” (Neh. 10:39) but persist in the “confession of our hope” (Heb. 10:23). Each member of Christ’s body is called to be a living tithe, consecrated to him and distinct from the world (Rom. 12:1–2), giving ourselves to good works and walking in the means of grace as his distinct people. With Nehemiah we pray, “Remember us, our God, for good.”
The Hebrew word can mean evil, harm, or disaster, depending on the context
13:4–5 The temporal marker “Now before this” interrupts the expected chronological sequence and, if read as a flashback, suggests that the events in verses 4–14 (or perhaps vv. 4–31 as a whole) occurred previously, with “this” referring to the prior wall dedication and other events in 12:27–13:3 linked together by the repeated phrase “on that day” (12:43, 44; 13:1). So far, this presented sequence of events is no problem. The tension arises at verse 6, where Nehemiah states that the events of verses 4–14 (or vv. 4–31) took place during his visit to Artaxerxes in the king’s “thirty-second year” (433 BC; cf. 5:14). If so, then the wall dedication in 12:27–43 took place after Nehemiah’s return in 433, even though the wall itself was completed in 445 (and one might expect the wall dedication to have taken place shortly thereafter). It may be that after the promises of the covenant renewal (9:38–10:39) and the resettlement of Jerusalem (11:1–12:26), Nehemiah traveled to Babylon (13:6) in 433. Upon his return to Jerusalem he was appalled at the multiple community lapses. For the sake of the people’s spiritual health he carried out a series of reforms based on the very obligations the people themselves had previously embraced as part of the covenant renewal. Only after these reforms, narrated in verses 4–14 (or vv. 4–31), did the wall dedication of 12:27–43 take place.
Upon his return to Jerusalem, Nehemiah faced the ritual defilement of the temple precincts. A “large chamber” holding temple supplies and provisions for priests and Levites had been cleared of its contents. This was possible because a priest, Eliashib, had been given authority over the “chambers.” The prevalence of this word throughout recalls the other passage in which “chambers” are prominent (10:37–39). There the people had agreed to fill the rooms of the “house of our God” with tithes and all kinds of contributions, which they later offered at the dedication (12:44). Outrageously, temple supplies had now been removed in order for Tobiah to move in.
13:6–7 Beyond Eliashib’s unspecified relational connection with Tobiah, nothing more can be said of his motivation. As an aside, Nehemiah explains that these events occurred during his extended visit to Artaxerxes in 433 BC. He discovers this upon his return and calls it “evil” for several reasons. First, use of this sacred space was only for priests and Levites (cf. 6:11). Second, Tobiah held some Ammonite connection (2:10, 19; 4:3), and so Mosaic exclusion from the assembly was relevant (13:1). His presence would defile the temple vicinity itself. Finally, Tobiah consistently opposed the well-being of the community throughout the period. He even took the lead in hiring a prophet to harm Nehemiah (6:12; cf. 13:2).
13:8–9 Tobiah, once “displeased” (Hb. wayyeraʻ) that Nehemiah sought the welfare of the people of Israel (2:10), now experiences Nehemiah’s “anger” (wayyeraʻ). Nehemiah acts unilaterally and immediately by personally casting out the “vessels of the house of Tobiah” (kele bet-tobiyyah; AT). This phrase is mirrored precisely in the return of the “vessels of the house of God” (kele bet haʼelohim) and other previously removed contents. This restoration and the proper use of the chamber occurs only after it is ritually cleansed by Nehemiah’s orders (cf. 2 Chron. 29:15–19). It is not clear if he functions officially as governor or based on his prior authority.
13:10 Nehemiah also learns that the Levites and singers are not receiving their due tithes. This discovery may be provoked by the return of goods to the cleansed chamber (v. 9). This suggests a problem of both supply and distribution (cf. vv. 12–13). Under the current system the Levites are responsible for accepting the community’s tithes and transporting them to Jerusalem (10:37b–38). However, the people have not brought them as promised (10:35–39; cf. 12:44). As a result, those “who did the work” of the temple (cf. 12:45) are abandoning their posts to work the fields in their towns (cf. 7:73; 11:20; 12:28–29).
13:11 The loss of the Levites would be detrimental to the spiritual health of the community, given their central role in leading worship (cf. 12:27, 40–42). In response, Nehemiah confronts the lay leaders (“officials”) he deems responsible. This is the first occurrence of the verb translated “confronted” in the current passage (13:11, 17, 25). This is not a formal legal complaint but an argument and rebuke for insufficient tithes (cf. Mal. 3:8–10). The rhetorical question “Why is the house of God forsaken?” is an accusation referring to the literal flight of the Levites from their duties (Neh. 13:10). Also implicated is the community for failing to keep the summative promise of their renewed covenant—“We will not forsake the house of our God” (10:39). Nehemiah’s swift action solves the immediate problem, the lack of Levites, by gathering and restoring them to their places of service in the temple.
13:12–13 Short term, the supply is renewed with an influx of tithes into the temple storehouses (v. 12). For the long-term problem of distribution, Nehemiah appoints a team of four men of unquestioned integrity. These appointments are later confirmed at the dedication (cf. 12:44). The representatives (priest, scribe, Levite, singer) provide a cross section of constituencies with interest in the gathering, organization, and just distribution of the “portions” due their fellow temple workers (13:10).
13:14 The “remember” prayers uttered by Nehemiah provide structural markers at the end of each pericope (vv. 14, 22, 29, 31). Positively, Nehemiah pleads that God would be ever mindful of his faithful actions (cf. 1:8; 5:19). These “good deeds” are those just narrated, as evidenced by the phrases “house of my God” and “for his service.” Negatively, he asks that these not be blotted out—as if kept in a heavenly register (Mal. 3:16). This prayer is neither self-serving nor hubristic but asks that God would bless his work to bear long-term fruit (cf. Heb. 6:10). As Kidner states, “To hear God’s ‘Well done’ is the most innocent and most cleansing of ambitions.”
13:15–16 The events of the second problem faced by Nehemiah take place “in those days.” This provides loose temporal connection with the prior narrative. Nehemiah witnesses a bustle of activity, including preparing, loading, and transporting all kinds of merchandise into Jerusalem. Unfortunately, this occurs on the Sabbath. Foreign influence is again noted with the mention of Phoenicians (Tyrians and Sidonians), well-known traders (Isa. 23:2–3, 8, Ezek. 27:1–3). They have established a trading station for fish and other goods in Jerusalem, likely at the Fish Gate (Neh. 3:3).
13:17–18 This trade leads to the second confrontation, presented as accusatory questions and directed at the “nobles of Judah” (cf. comment on 13:11). Nehemiah calls their profanation of the day “evil” because the people are not observing the Sabbath, a holy covenant sign the Lord has commanded (v. 22; Ex. 20:8–11; 31:12–17). Likewise, they are disregarding their newly adopted obligation to reject Sabbath trade with foreigners (cf. Neh. 10:31). However, this is no recent problem, as both Amos (Amos 8:5) and Jeremiah (Jer. 17:21–22) attest. The latter notes that maintaining Sabbath holiness is a matter of life and death for his hearers. Its persistent denigration would lead to Jerusalem’s destruction (Jer. 17:27). Nehemiah warns that a fresh visitation of God’s wrath is possible (cf. Ezra 9:14; 10:14). By the very “evil” (Hb. raʻ) they are now perpetuating, their fathers had brought on them this “disaster” (raʻah), i.e., exile and Jerusalem’s destruction.
13:19–22a The threat of God’s judgment leads Nehemiah to act. First he denies access to Jerusalem by closing the doors of the gates throughout the Sabbath. He adds short-term security by stationing some of his own guards to ensure no possible entry by persons bearing a burden. Next he disperses the traders by threatening to “lay hands on” them, by either force or arrest. Clearly this is effective. Finally, as part of long-term arrangements (cf. v. 19), the Levitical gatekeepers are commanded to purify themselves and guard the gates as part of their ongoing responsibility to maintain the sanctity of the temple—now expanded to include the holy city (11:1, 18; 12:30; Isa. 52:1; Joel 3:17).
13:22b The former “remember” prayer focused on Nehemiah’s “deeds” (Hb. hesed) done to care for the temple (v. 14). In this prayer Nehemiah asks God to “spare me” or have compassion based on his “steadfast love” (hesed). The need for the manifestation of God’s covenant love would be palpable in this situation, as Nehemiah must correct Sabbath neglect among the people, a practice that had, in part, brought about the events of the exile (cf. comment on 13:17–18).
13:23–24 With “In those days also I saw,” the report of the third reform commences like the second had (cf. v. 15). Jewish men are again marrying foreign women. This reverses the earlier pledge that they would not marry the “peoples of the land” (10:30–31). The Ammonites and Moabites were not mentioned among the Pentateuchal lists because those lists prohibited marriage to inhabitants within the land (Ex. 34:11–16; Deut. 7:1–5). However, they are included in Ezra’s list (Ezra 9:1–2), likely expanded under the influence of Deuteronomy 23:3–4, 6.
Ashdod is the name of the Persian province west of Judah (cf. comment on Neh. 4:7–9). The Ashdodite marriages are singled out for their impact upon the language acquisition of some of the children of these unions. This may be so because the Ashdodite tongue had less affinity to Hebrew than did the Moabite and Ammonite dialects. Of significance to Nehemiah, the loss of Hebrew, “the language of Judah,” would have a harmful impact on social and religious identity. Primarily this would result in the inability to understand the Scriptures or engage meaningfully in worship. Within a generation the loss of the knowledge of the Lord could be precipitous (cf. Judg. 2:10).
13:25 Nehemiah’s third “confrontation” is with the actual Judeans who have married foreign wives. Ezra’s response to the news of foreign marriages had been internally focused, with mourning and confession on behalf of the community (Ezra 9:3–15). The process ended in repentance and separation of a select group from their foreign wives by community decision (Ezra 10:2–5, 9–15). Nehemiah’s reaction is autocratic and externally focused. He administers physical punishment and pulls out hair, probably from the beard. This latter practice expresses public humiliation rather than judicial action. Instead of the forced divorces of Ezra’s reforms, Nehemiah seems intent on punishing current and preventing future offenders. The divine sanctions of the oath Nehemiah utters are based on Deuteronomy 7:3 and apply this Scripture to his current context (Neh. 13:25b). Others have already taken a similar oath (10:30; cf. Ezra 9:12).
13:26–27 Some interpret Nehemiah’s response to be excessive and even xenophobic. However, Solomon provides the lens through which to interpret the logic of Nehemiah’s actions. Nehemiah has a balanced view of both human behavior and God’s grace. Solomon was loved by the Lord, who blessed him and his reign (2 Sam. 12:24–25; 1 Kings 3:12–13; 4:20–34). Unfortunately, while Solomon loved the Lord (1 Kings 3:3), he also loved “many foreign women,” including Moabites and Ammonites (1 Kings 11:1–2), and he began to love their gods (11:4–8). His spiritual adultery became the parade illustration of covenantal unfaithfulness (i.e., “act treacherously”; Neh. 13:27). The resulting judgment of kingdom division (1 Kings 11:9–12) was cataclysmic for both Israel and Judah and would lead ultimately to their current distress. In this sad trajectory, the people followed their king’s lead and “mixed [themselves] with the peoples,” becoming indistinguishable from the nations (Hos. 7:8). In so doing they lost their missional purpose. This leads naturally to the greater-to-lesser argument with which Nehemiah closes the paragraph. If even the resplendent Solomon could commit this “great evil and act treacherously,” how foolish is it for us to continue to sin likewise and expose ourselves to the just judgment of the Lord as had our ancestors, including our former kings (Neh. 9:33–35).
13:28 The theme of prohibited marriage persists in a specific case. Eliashib was high priest in Nehemiah’s time (3:1), and his son Jehoiada (= Joiada) was his successor (12:10–11). Whether Jehoiada is already high priest at this time is uncertain, since “high priest” in the verse could refer to either man. Either way, the reported marriage should horrify the reader. The high priest is held to more stringent standards in marriage. In particular, he is to marry “of his own people” (i.e., tribe; Lev. 21:14). This assures an offspring with a genealogy fully tied to the tribe of Levi (Ex. 29:29–30; Neh. 7:64). It also guarantees that the high priest would “not profane his offspring” (Lev. 21:13–15).
To exacerbate the problem, the unnamed bride is the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite. If he is governor of Samaria at the time, as seems possible, then Sanballat’s daughter would be considered a foreign wife. In this manner, the whole passage is framed with reference to Tobiah and Sanballat, the two archenemies of Nehemiah’s ministry who brokered influence through their intermarital relationships (cf. Neh. 6:18). The reform ends with neither accusatory question or dialogue but rather Nehemiah’s violent expulsion of Jehoiada’s son from the community.
13:29 This “remember” prayer differs from the earlier ones (vv. 14, 22). It bears some affinity with earlier imprecations directed against opponents (cf. comments on 4:4–5; 6:14). The reference to “them” indicates the persons mentioned in 13:28, perhaps extended to any priest whose faithless action or questionable genealogy defiles the priesthood itself (7:64). The phrase “covenant of the priesthood and the Levites” is not found in the Pentateuch, but a “covenant with Levi” is mentioned at Malachi 2:4–9. That covenant included the need for the descendant of Levi to fear the Lord, revere his name, and live righteously before God in life and speech. This manner of life was required of all those who instructed God’s people. Nehemiah now turns over to the Lord a priest who, by marrying a Gentile, has disqualified himself from instructing the people of God.
13:30–31a The terms purification and provisions nicely summarize the final section of Nehemiah. These terms not only apply to verses 4–31 but reach back to the purification of verses 1–3 and 10:30–31 as well as the provisions of 12:44–47 and 10:32–39. Nehemiah had purified the community (“them”) of “everything foreign.” Tobiah the Ammonite was expelled from the temple and the chambers were “cleansed” (13:4–9), the Sabbath was consecrated, foreign merchants were disbanded, the Levites purified themselves (vv. 15–22), laymen were rebuked for their foreign marriages (vv. 23–27), and the high priest’s descendant was banished (v. 28). All that remained was the need for provisions. And so Nehemiah “established” the particular duties of priests and Levites, ensuring proper worship (v. 30; cf. 12:45; 13:11). Finally, he “provided” for the wood offering “at appointed times” (cf. 10:34) as well as firstfruits (cf. 10:35). Both of these were prominent obligations in the covenant renewal but whose collections had lapsed during Nehemiah’s absence (cf. 13:5, 9; 12:45).
13:31b In Nehemiah’s concluding plea, the shortest “remember” prayer in the book (cf. vv. 14, 22), he turns all over to the Lord, asking him to remember all of his faithful actions (as at 5:19). These actions may include all that God has accomplished through him or the specific events of purification and provision lately recounted. If these events occurred before the dedication (13:4), then the community decisions of 12:44–47 and 13:1–3 may be the answer to his prayer. Certainly, preservation of the book bearing his name shows that God has answered the prayer of Nehemiah.