13:3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they
separated from Israel a all the mixed multitude.
(a) That is, all who had joined in unlawful marriage and
also those with whom God had forbidden them to mingle
with.
13:4 And before b this, Eliashib the priest, having the
oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, [was] c
allied unto Tobiah:
(b) That the separation was made.
(c) He was united with Tobiah the Ammonite the enemy of the
Jews.
13:6 But in all this [time] was not I at Jerusalem: for in the
two and thirtieth year of d Artaxerxes king of Babylon
came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I
leave of the king:
13:7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of e the evil
that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in
the courts of the house of God.
(e) Thus we see to what inconveniences the people fall into
when they are destitute of one who fears God, seeing
that their chief governor was absent only for a little
while and yet they fell into such great absurdities: as
appears in, (Ex 32:1).
13:14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out
my f good deeds that I have done for the house of my
God, and for the offices thereof.
(f) He protests that he did his duty with a good
conscience yet he does not justify himself in it, but
desires God to favour him and to be merciful to him
for his own goodness' sake, as in (Ne 13:22,31).
13:15 In those days saw I in Judah [some] treading wine presses
on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses;
as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all [manner of]
burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath
day: and g I testified [against them] in the day wherein
they sold victuals.
(g) I declared to them that God would not allow such
transgressors of his law to go unpunished.
13:18 Did not your fathers h thus, and did not our God bring
all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring
more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
(h) Was this not the reason God plagued us in times past:
meaning, that if they transgressed now in the same
way, their plague would be greater.
13:19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem
began to be i dark before the sabbath, I commanded that
the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not
be opened till after the sabbath: and [some] of my
servants set I at the gates, [that] there should no burden
be brought in on the sabbath day.
(i) About the time that the sun went down, for the sabbath
lasted from the sun setting one day, to the sun
setting the next day.
13:22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse
themselves, and [that] they should come [and] k keep the
gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God,
[concerning] this also, and spare me according to the
greatness of thy mercy.
(k) Meaning, of the temple that none that was unclean
should enter.
13:23 In those days also saw I Jews [that] had married wives of
l Ashdod, of Ammon, [and] of Moab:
(l) Which was a city of the Philistines and they had
married wives from it and so had corrupted their
speech and religion.
13:25 And I contended with them, and m cursed them, and smote
certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them
swear by God, [saying], Ye shall not give your daughters
unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons,
or for yourselves.
(m) That is, I excommunicated them and drove them out of
the congregation.
13:29 Remember them, O my God, because they have n defiled the
priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the
Levites.
(n) Punish them according to their sin and the evil
example they have given to the rest of the people
contrary to their calling.
13:31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the
firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, o for good.
