Commentaire sur Néhémie 13:38

all mixtures Every mixture of heathens, like (Exodus 12:38): “A great mixed multitude (עֵרֶב רַב) also went up with them.”

Now prior to this Heb. וְלִפְנֵי מִזֶה, before this.

was a kinsman of Tobiah Eliashib the priest was a kinsman of Tobiah the companion of Sanballat, and the priest placed Tobiah’s vessels there.

And he made Eliashib [made].

in previous times Before I came to Jerusalem, they would put [them] there.

which were ordained for the Levites the gifts due the Levites.

Now with all this during this entire episode. I came to the king when I returned to Babylon.

I requested of the king to give me permission to go up and to return to Jerusalem.

And I commanded I commanded to purify it, and they purified the chambers, etc.

portions Heb. מְנָיוֹת, [like] מָנוֹת.

had not been given that the Israelites had not placed the gifts there, and because of that they fled and wandered here and there to ask for their gifts, and were not occupied as much with their service.

And I gathered them I gathered the priests and the Levites to station them on their watches in their service, and all of Israel brought them their gifts there.

for they were deemed trustworthy to distribute the gifts among them [the Levites].

the stacks sheaves of grain.

and I warned I warned them not to do it.

on the day they sold provisions On the day they were selling food and provisions. צָיִד, provisions, as (Gen. 45:21): “...and he gave them provision (צֵדָה) for the way.”

and the Tyrian Merchants of Tyre would bring fish to sell.

Now it came to pass when the gates of Jerusalem cast shadows When the shadows of the Sabbath eve fell on the gates, I ordered the doors of the city to be closed and not re-opened until after the Sabbath so that the traffickers would not enter the city to sell their merchandise and cause Israel to profane the Sabbath.

So...lodged The traffickers and the merchants lodged outside Jerusalem on the Sabbath once and twice so that the Children of Israel would open the gates and buy from them on the Sabbath.

and I said to them I warned those traffickers.

If you repeat this if you continue to do this a second time.

Since that time From that day on, they did not come on the Sabbath day.

who had married who had married heathen wives.

And half...were speaking Many of their children spoke the Ashdodite language like their mothers.

and I struck I gave them lashes in order to chastise them and remind them.

caused him even to sin If he sinned, how much more so is it certain that you will sin through your heathen wives! As is written in the next verse, “Shall we hearken, etc.?” i.e., Solomon was found sinning through his heathen wives, and you have married foreign wives in order to sin?

And [one] of the sons of Joiada...was the son in law of Sanballat One of the sons of Joiada was the son-in-law of Sanballat, the adversary of the Jews; thus, I drove him away from me so that he should not frequent Jerusalem because of his son-in-law, to see the city and the ways to enter and leave it.

Remember them the good that they did.

at appointed times They would cut wood for the altar pyre at appointed times.

and concerning the first fruits that they should bring the first fruits at a certain time; for each species I appointed its time.