Nehemiah 13:1

THE SEPARATION FROM STRANGERS, Nehemiah 13:1-3.

1. On that day This is to be understood in the same sense as at that time, in Nehemiah 12:44. But no doubt public readings of the law took place frequently during Nehemiah’s administration.

The book of Moses Here it is evident that the Book of Deuteronomy, from which they read on that occasion, was regarded as the work of Moses. Its Mosaic authorship was not questioned in Nehemiah’s day.

Found written The passage referred to is in Deuteronomy 23:3-6, and reads as follows: “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever; because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee. Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days forever.”