John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. On that day , etc.] Not when the wall of the city was dedicated, nor quickly after; for it cannot be thought that people should be so corrupted so soon as this chapter shows; but when Nehemiah had governed them twelve years, and had been at Babylon, and was returned again, as appears from ( Nehemiah 13:6), compared with ( Nehemiah 2:1,6 7:2), they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people ; for from the time of the reading of the law by Ezra, ( Nehemiah 8:1) it became a custom to read the law publicly: and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of the Lord ; that is, be admitted to marry with any of the people of Israel; (see Gill on “ Deuteronomy 23:3”).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - Israel was a peculiar people, and not to mingle with the nations. Se the benefit of publicly reading the word of God; when it is dul attended to, it discovers to us sin and duty, good and evil, and show wherein we have erred. We profit, when we are thus wrought upon to separate from evil. Those that would drive sin out of their hearts, the living temples, must throw out its household stuff, and all the provision made for it; and take away all the things that are the foo and fuel of lust; this is really to mortify it. When sin is cast out of the heart by repentance, let the blood of Christ be applied to it by faith, then let it be furnished with the graces of God's Spirit, for every good work.
Original Hebrew ביום3117 ההוא1931 נקרא7121 בספר5612 משׁה4872 באזני241 העם5971 ונמצא4672 כתוב3789 בו אשׁר834 לא3808 יבוא935 עמני5984 ומאבי4125 בקהל6951 האלהים430 עד5704 עולם׃5769
