Christian Standard Bible
Nehemiah 13:3
3When they heard the law, they separated all those of mixed descent from Israel.
Nehemiah 13:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
- New International Version (NIV)When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.
- English Standard Version (ESV)As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.
Context of Nehemiah 13:3
1At that time the book of Moses was read publicly to the people. The command was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2because they did not meet the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam against them to curse them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing. When they heard the law, they separated all those of mixed descent from Israel. 4Now before this, the priest Eliashib had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was a relative of Tobiah 5and had prepared a large room for him where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, and the tenths of grain, new wine, and fresh oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.
Read all of Nehemiah 13Nehemiah 13:3 word by word
וַיְהִ֖י כְּשָׁמְעָ֣ם אֶת־הַתּוֹרָ֑ה וַיַּבְדִּ֥ילוּ כָל־עֵ֖רֶב מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Nehemiah 13:3
- Psalms 19:7The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.
- Psalms 119:9How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping your word.
- Proverbs 6:23For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life.
- Romans 3:20For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.
- Nehemiah 9:2Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors.
- Nehemiah 10:28The rest of the people — the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with their wives, sons, and daughters, everyone who is able to understand and who has separated themselves from the surrounding peoples to obey the law of God —
- Ezra 10:11Therefore, make a confession to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the surrounding peoples and your foreign wives.”
- James 1:27Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
- Exodus 12:38A mixed crowd also went up with them, along with a huge number of livestock, both flocks and herds.
- Numbers 11:4The riffraff among them had a strong craving for other food. The Israelites wept again and said, “Who will feed us meat?
Commentaries on Nehemiah 13:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude - They excluded all strange women, and all persons, young and old, who had been born of these illegal connections.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3A separation like that made by Ezra, some 20 years previously Ezra 10:15-44, seems to be intended. The pagan wives were divorced and sent back, with their offspring, to their own countries.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3On 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.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-91. On that day--This was not immediately consequent on the dedication of the city wall and gates, but after Nehemiah's return from the Persian court to Jerusalem, his absence having extended over a considerable period. The transaction here described probably took place on one of the periodical occasions for the public readings of the law, when the people's attention was particularly directed to some violations of it which called for immediate correction…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Nehemiah 13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Christian Standard Bible — © 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Commentaries