Table of Contents
The Unending Need for Reform
Nehemiah chapter 13 serves as a sobering epilogue to the book. After the great spiritual highs of the covenant renewal and the dedication of the wall, this final chapter reveals that the people’s commitment had begun to waver. The narrative jumps forward in time. Nehemiah, after serving as governor for 12 years, had returned to the Persian court. Upon his return to Jerusalem at a later date, he discovered that several of the old problems had resurfaced. The chapter details Nehemiah’s swift, zealous, and sometimes forceful actions to correct these abuses and call the people back to the covenant they had signed. It is a realistic depiction of the constant struggle against sin and compromise and a powerful example of a leader’s uncompromising zeal for God’s holiness and honor.
The Cleansing of the Temple
(Nehemiah 13:1-9) The chapter opens with another public reading of the Law of Moses. During this reading, the command from Deuteronomy 23 was rediscovered: “no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God.” This was because of their hostility to Israel during the wilderness wanderings. The people responded with immediate obedience and “separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.” This act of separation sets the stage for Nehemiah’s reforms.
Upon his return to Jerusalem, Nehemiah was appalled to find a flagrant abuse of the temple. Eliashib the priest, who was in charge of the temple storerooms, was an ally of Tobiah the Ammonite, Nehemiah’s old enemy. Eliashib had provided Tobiah with a large chamber within the temple courts—a room that was supposed to be used for storing the grain offerings, frankincense, vessels, and the tithes for the Levites. An Ammonite enemy, who was explicitly barred from the assembly of God, had been given a place of honor in the very house of God. Nehemiah’s reaction was one of righteous fury. He was “very angry” and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. He then commanded that the chambers be purified and restored the temple goods and offerings to their proper place.
The Restoration of the Tithe
(Nehemiah 13:10-14) Nehemiah’s inspection revealed another serious problem. He discovered that the portions for the Levites and singers had not been given to them. As a result, the temple workers had abandoned their posts in Jerusalem and returned to their own fields to make a living. The system of tithing, which the people had solemnly sworn to uphold in their covenant (Nehemiah 10), had been neglected. The house of God was being forsaken. Nehemiah once again confronted the officials, asking the pointed question, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” He then gathered the Levites, restored them to their posts, and reinstituted the system of tithing. All Judah brought the tithe of grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. Nehemiah appointed trustworthy treasurers to manage the distribution, ensuring the system would be handled with integrity. The section concludes with Nehemiah’s prayer, asking God to remember his faithful deeds and not to “wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God.”
Upholding the Sabbath
(Nehemiah 13:15-22) Next, Nehemiah tackled the desecration of the Sabbath. He saw people in Judah treading winepresses, bringing in heaps of grain, and loading donkeys on the Sabbath day. Merchants from Tyre were selling fish and all sorts of goods in Jerusalem on the Sabbath. The holy day had become just another day of commerce, a direct violation of the covenant. Nehemiah rebuked the nobles of Judah, holding them responsible for this “great evil.” He reminded them that this very sin was what had brought disaster upon their ancestors. Nehemiah then took decisive action. He commanded that the city gates be shut just before the Sabbath began and not be reopened until it was over. He stationed his own servants at the gates to ensure no commercial goods entered. When the merchants camped outside the walls, hoping to do business, Nehemiah warned them that he would use force if they did it again. That threat was enough to make them stop. He also commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy.
The Problem of Intermarriage Returns
(Nehemiah 13:23-29) Finally, Nehemiah confronted the persistent problem of intermarriage. He saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. The most alarming sign of this assimilation was that their children spoke a mixed language and could not even speak the language of Judah. The language of the covenant was being lost in a single generation. Nehemiah’s reaction was severe. “I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair.” He made them take an oath in God’s name not to intermarry. He reminded them of the great King Solomon, who, despite his wisdom and God’s love for him, was led into sin by his foreign wives. The situation was made even worse when Nehemiah discovered that one of the sons of the high priest had married the daughter of his arch-enemy, Sanballat the Horonite. Nehemiah “drove him from me.” He concludes with a prayer asking God to remember how these men had defiled the priesthood.
Verse by Verse
(Nehemiah 13:1-3) The reading of the Law leads to the exclusion of foreigners, specifically Ammonites and Moabites, from the assembly.
(Nehemiah 13:4-9) Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem and finds that Eliashib the priest has given a temple storeroom to Tobiah the Ammonite. Nehemiah is furious, throws Tobiah’s belongings out, and has the room purified.
(Nehemiah 13:10-14) Nehemiah discovers the Levites have been neglected and have abandoned the temple. He rebukes the officials, restores the Levites, and reorganizes the collection of the tithe.
(Nehemiah 13:15-18) Nehemiah sees widespread Sabbath-breaking, with both Jews and foreign merchants conducting business. He confronts the nobles, blaming this sin for their past troubles.
(Nehemiah 13:19-22) Nehemiah takes firm action to enforce the Sabbath. He orders the city gates to be shut and guarded throughout the holy day, threatening merchants who linger outside.
(Nehemiah 13:23-27) Nehemiah discovers the problem of intermarriage has returned. He is enraged by the cultural and spiritual compromise, symbolized by the children who cannot speak Hebrew. He uses physical force and makes the men swear an oath.
(Nehemiah 13:28-29) The ultimate scandal is revealed: the high priest’s family is allied by marriage to Sanballat. Nehemiah expels the guilty priest.
(Nehemiah 13:30-31) The book concludes with Nehemiah’s summary of his reforms. He cleansed the people of foreign influence, re-established the duties of the priests and Levites, and ensured the temple was supplied. His final words are a simple prayer: “Remember me, O my God, for good.”
Cross References
Deuteronomy 23:3-4: “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD.” This is the specific law that was read, prompting the reforms at the beginning of the chapter.
Malachi 3:8-10: The prophet Malachi, a contemporary of Nehemiah, also confronted the sin of neglecting the tithe. He accused the people of “robbing God” and called them to bring the full tithe into the storehouse, promising a blessing if they did.
Jeremiah 17:21-22: The prophet Jeremiah had sternly warned the people of Jerusalem centuries earlier, “Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day… but keep the Sabbath day holy.” Nehemiah’s actions were a forceful attempt to finally enforce this command that had been ignored for so long.
1 Kings 11:1-8: Nehemiah explicitly uses the example of King Solomon, whose many foreign wives “turned away his heart after other gods,” leading to the division of the kingdom. Nehemiah saw the same disastrous pattern repeating itself.
2 Corinthians 6:14: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” While Nehemiah’s context was national and religious purity, the underlying spiritual principle of avoiding alliances that compromise faith and lead to spiritual decay is timeless.