Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Nehemiah 13:25
Nehemiah 13:25. And I contended with them, &c.— These words, it must be acknowledged, as proceeding from Nehemiah's own month, sound somewhat harshly in our translation; but the meaning of them is no more than this, "I contended with them, 1:e. I expostulated the matter with them; I cursed them, 1:e. excommunicated them; in the doing of which I denounced God's judgments against them; I smote certain of them, 1:e. ordered the officers to beat some of the most notorious offenders either with... read more
E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Nehemiah 13:25
cursed: i.e. caused them to be cursed. Hebrew idiom. Hebrew. kalal, as in Nehemiah 13:2 . smote. Hebrew idiom = caused them to be smitten (as in Matthew 27:26 . Mark 15:15 .John 19:1; John 19:1 ). certain = men. Hebrew. 'enosh. App-14 . read more