It came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.
Parallel Translations
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It came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.
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Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
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And it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the alien mixture.
Cross-references (11)
Passages linked to Nehemiah 13:3 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Nehemiah 9:2 The offspring of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
- Exodus 12:38 A mixed multitude went up also with them, with flocks, herds, and even very much livestock.
- Numbers 11:4 The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, “Who will give us meat to eat?
- Nehemiah 10:28 The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters—everyone who had knowledge, and understanding—
- James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
- Ezra 10:11 Now therefore make confession to Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.”
- Psalms 19:7-11 Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh’s covenant is sure, making wise the simple. Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether. They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb. Moreover your servant is warned by them. In keeping them there is great reward.
- Psalms 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
- Psalms 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
- Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
- Romans 3:20 Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain That is, all such which had joined in unlawful…
That is, all such which had joined in unlawful marriage, and also those with whom God had forbidden them to have society.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Neh 13:3 Now it came to pass, when they…
Neh 13:3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
Ver. 3. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law] And were transformed into the same image therewith, by the Spirit of grace, who had made their flinty hearts to become fleshy, &c. We used to say, As hard hearted as a Jew. But they that relent not, repent not at the hearing of the word, are worse than these Jews; and it may be feared that the Lord hath a purpose to destroy them. "The law of the Lord," when but read only, "is perfect, converting the soul," Psa 19:7, but woe to the irreformable, 2Co 4:4.
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That they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude] Vulgus promiscuum, the rabble of strangers, wherewith this people were haunted and pestered from the very first, Exo 12:38 Num 11:4. These, moved with miracles, removed with them out of Egypt, but for a mischief to them, for they drew them into sin then, as those here did also; and were, therefore, worthily put away, as the law required.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain i.e. All the heathenish people with whom they had…
i.e. All the heathenish people with whom they had contracted alliances. See Neh 9:2; Ezr 10:3.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And before this,.... Before the above law was read,…
And before this,.... Before the above law was read, and observed and acted upon:
Eliashib the priest; whom some take to be a common priest; so Bishop Usher (a); but he seems rather to be the high priest, by comparing it with Neh 13:28,
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having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God; which has led some to the notion of his being a common priest; but chamber may be put for chambers, and those for the whole house or temple, which the high priest had the greatest concern in, and oversight of:
was allied to Tobiah; the servant and Ammonite, an inveterate enemy of the Jews, Neh 2:10, having married a daughter of Shecaniah, and his son a daughter of Meshullam, who were both priests, and so as it seems related to Eliashib, Neh 6:18.
(a) Annal. Vet. Test. p. 200.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Multitude - All the heathenish people with whom they…
Multitude - All the heathenish people with whom they had contracted alliance.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 3. They separated from Israel all the mixed…
Verse 3. They 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.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Neh 13:3. They separated from Israel all the mixed…
Neh 13:3. They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude — All the Ammonites, Moabites, and other heathenish people, with whom they had contracted alliances. All these were cast out from the congregation of Israel, together with the children born of them; that is, they would not look upon them as Israelites, or as entitled to the same privileges with themselves.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain A separation like that made by Ezra, some 20…
A 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.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Stranger. Hebrew hereb, "mixture," (Haydock) infidel women and their…
Stranger. Hebrew hereb, "mixture," (Haydock) infidel women and their offspring.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 3. They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude…
3. They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude — Literally, separated all mixture from Israel. The word ערב, mixed multitude, is used of the people of foreign blood who accompanied the Hebrews out of Egypt, (Exo_12:38,) and afterwards lusted after flesh. Num_11:4. It may, therefore, refer to any non-Israelitish people. So according to the true spirit of the law they separated themselves from all foreigners, not from Ammonites and Moabites only. Marriage with unbelievers is fraught with so much danger that it is discountenanced in the New Testament also. 2Co_6:14. Intermarriage and association with foreigners was an evil against which both Ezra and Nehemiah had to fight repeatedly. Compare Neh_13:23-30, and Neh_9:2; also Ezra 9-10, notes.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 3. Now] R.V. And. The A.V. begins a new…
3. Now] R.V. And. The A.V. begins a new paragraph with this verse; which however continues the preceding verses, giving the result of the action taken.
they separated] ‘They,’ impersonal, but evidently the leaders of the people are referred to. It does not appear whether the words ‘they separated from Israel’ denote merely ceremonial exclusion from participation in the worship and festivals of the holy people, or the forcible ejectment from their borders. The practical impossibility of so summary a policy is an objection to the latter interpretation. The parallel in Neh_9:2 gives some support to the former alternative; and the instance recorded by Nehemiah in the following Neh_13:4-14, shows that Nehemiah’s anger was kindled not at the presence of a stranger but at his connexion with the high-priest, and at the fact of his not being ‘separated from’ the Temple.
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all the mixed multitude] The use of the Hebrew word ‘’ereb’ here without an article may be illustrated by Exo_12:38. There, as here, the word denotes the large body of strangers, members of other races, attached by ties of marriage or by commercial interests to the people of Israel. Their proneness to lead the Israelites astray was proverbial, cf. Num_11:4.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. Some…
They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. Some lengthy process, like that pursued by Ezra, (Ezr_10:10-19) is probably glanced at in these words, and again in the opening words of ver. 30 cleansed I them from all strangers." The rebukes of Nehemiah (vers. 25-27) did not suffice to produce a voluntary putting away of the foreign wives. Judicial proceedings had to be taken, and the "mixed multitude" separated off by authority.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.