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1 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; 2 Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. 4 And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: 5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests. 6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king: 7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense. 10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. 11 Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. 12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries. 13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren. 14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof. 15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. 16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath. 19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. 20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. 21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath. 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. 23 In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: 24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people. 25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin. 27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives? 28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me. 29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites. 30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business; 31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
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[AD 735] Bede on Nehemiah 13:1
On that day, it was read from the book of Moses, etc. It is evident that the Moabites and Ammonites, because they were born of incest, hold the figure of the heretics, whose founders, while they corrupt the doctrine of the fathers, from which they themselves were taught, by misunderstanding it, use it as if the daughters of Lot secretly and in the dark used their father's seed, and not lawfully: therefore the progeny of such, that is, the followers of heresies, can never have any part in the Church of the Lord. For whoever are corrected from this, will no longer be the offspring of the same origin. However, they met the children of Israel coming out of Egypt with bread and water, if they, living well, and dwelling in Catholic peace, would offer the solace of the word of God to those who have recently been rescued from the service of sins by the water of baptism and the waves of the sea, aspiring to the freedom of the heavenly homeland; just as Barzillai the Gileadite did (2 Samuel 19), who met David and his army fleeing from Absalom with provisions, so that by refreshing them, he rendered them stronger against the new tyranny of the king's son; clearly signifying those who strengthen the church scattered by heretics with the help of the heavenly word, and take care to encourage them to conquer their madness. But while these same heretics strive to destroy neophytes with their leaders and by the shown examples of others, or with malignant words, like a people born of incest attacking the exodus of Israel from Egypt with their arms, and Balaam the soothsayer, who is interpreted as the vanity of the cursed people, and with wicked plots. But God turned the curse of Balaam into a blessing for His people, and protected them from the arms of hostile nations; for all things work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8).

Source: Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
[AD 735] Bede on Nehemiah 13:3
Now it came to pass when they heard the law, etc. Hearing the law about the two enemy nations to be anathematized, the faithful people immediately separated all foreigners from themselves; because it is necessary for us to attend to the hearing of the truth in such a way that when we are prohibited by divine reading from any single vice, we immediately purge not only that particular vice concerning which the discourse may have occurred, but also everything whatsoever of vice we find soiling us, both from our actions and our conscience.

Source: Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
[AD 1781] Richard Challoner on Nehemiah 13:4
Over this thing: Or, he was faulty in this thing, or in this kind.
[AD 735] Bede on Nehemiah 13:5
He made for himself a large treasury, etc. This statement, where Nehemiah writes that he was not in Jerusalem, does not seem to pertain to the matters narrated above up to this point, but only to the present location; for the previous matters were seen to have been done or spoken at the time when the city was built and dedicated, when Nehemiah was still residing in Jerusalem; with those things diligently completed, he returned to the king, and while he was absent, Eliashib made a large treasury in which were stored those things necessary either for the ministry of the house of the Lord or for the use of the ministers. He was not afraid to place certain unlawful things in the treasury of the house of the Lord; because when Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he immediately strove to disrupt those things. For it follows:

Source: Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
[AD 735] Bede on Nehemiah 13:7
And I came to Jerusalem and understood the evil, etc. We read above that Tobiah was an Ammonite servant, an enemy of the people of God; therefore, Eliashib the priest acted very wrongfully; for he made a treasury in the vestibules of the house of God for this man, even though he was closely related to him by kinship, in which he placed his vessels, having ejected the vessels of the house of God, and the other things required for its ministry; for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What accord has Christ with Belial? What agreement does the temple of God have with idols? What communion have heretics and schismatics with the orthodox and peaceful children of God? (II Cor. VI)

Source: Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
[AD 735] Bede on Nehemiah 13:8
And I cast out the vessels of the house of Tobiah outside, etc. And you, whatever of infidelity and impurity you find among the faithful, immediately cast it out, so that from the hearts of the believers, which are the treasuries of the Lord, when they have been filled with the riches of virtues, the vessels of the Lord may be brought in; that is, those very hearts which shortly before had been vessels of error through fault may again become vessels of the Lord through correction; and there the sacrifice of good works and the incense of pure prayer may be found, where formerly was the den of thieves. But those also who cast out the vessels of Tobiah the Ammonite from the treasury of the temple, and replace there the vessels of the house of God, and the sacrifice and incense, are those who, excommunicating or anathematizing heretics or false Catholics and expelling them from the Church, appoint in their place the servants of Christ who serve Him with faithful deeds and prayers. Certainly, this too should be compared to Nehemiah, with the zeal of the Lord the Savior, when finding those selling and buying in the temple, he made a whip of cords and drove them all out (Mark XII, Luke XIX); and Nehemiah, aptly as in his other acts, thus in this also carried the type of the true comforter and cleaner of God.

Source: Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
[AD 735] Bede on Nehemiah 13:15
In those days I saw in Judah men treading wine presses on the Sabbath, etc. By law, we are commanded to work for six days on necessary things, and on the seventh, we are to rest; the general mystery of this command is clear, that all the elect in this world, which is measured by six ages, ought to labor for eternal rest; but on the future day, as on the seventh day, they hope to receive perpetual rest from the Lord. And according to tropology, that is, the moral sense, the elect also in this life keep a Sabbath dedicated to the Lord, when they separate themselves temporarily from the cares of this world, devote themselves to prayer, and lift their purified minds to the contemplation of heavenly things. For when we carry out the demands of the flesh with a sincere heart, and not in desires contrary to the Apostle's command, we labor as if in six days on necessary things; since we are occupied with things needed for this world. Furthermore, the Sabbath of our prayers and devotion, in which we are freed from temporal activities, so that we may sweetly taste the joys of eternity, is rightly assigned to the seventh day; because it imitates the future rest of life and blessed praise; but the Gentiles seek to profane the Sabbath day when earthly thoughts inopportunely disturb us during our time of prayer and try to draw us away from deep love through memory or delight in temporal things. They load wine, grapes, and figs onto donkeys, and all kinds of burdens, and bring them into Jerusalem, when they seek to burden the foolish movements of our spirit with carnal pleasures, attempting through these and similar temptations to violate the rest of our hearts devoted to God. But Nehemiah opposes these tumults of improper thoughts so that they do not disturb our Sabbath, when with strict diligence, aided by the Lord, we exclude useless and inept imaginations from our hearts during prayer. He exhorts them to sell such merchandise on the days when it is lawful to do so, when the devout heart imposes a boundary on its thoughts, so that during prayer, it abstains from the cares of passing things. Yet at other times, when opportunity dictates, let them not completely turn away from efforts concerning food and clothing; but let them dispense these with appropriate moderation when necessity demands.

Source: Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
[AD 735] Bede on Nehemiah 13:16
And the Tyrians lived in it, bringing in fish, etc. Just as the good fish represents pious faith, which when one asks from the Lord, one does not receive the serpent of unbelief; similarly, the wicked fish represents base thoughts, which by their very nature tend to immerse themselves excessively in worldly cares; these the Tyrians, who are interpreted as the constrained, seek to sell to us on the Sabbath, when impure spirits improperly attempt to overwhelm the rest of our pious life with deep worldly concerns. However, for such commerce Nehemiah rebukes and chastises the leaders of Judah, when divine inspiration mercifully purges those who strive to serve the profession of piety from such thoughts.

Source: Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
[AD 735] Bede on Nehemiah 13:19
Therefore, it happened, when the gates of Jerusalem rested on the Sabbath day, etc. If our conscience, when purified from vices, rejoices in the indwelling of God, it can rightly be called Jerusalem. What are these gates of Jerusalem, but the senses of our body, namely, sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch? through which the things done outside reach the knowledge of our mind, as if entering through them; which we are commanded to close on the Sabbath day, so that when we seek to occupy ourselves with psalms or prayers to God, everything external is expelled from the mind, and we pray and praise only our judge in secret with a free mind. And because no one becomes supreme suddenly, but ought to reach this perfection and peace of mind, of which we speak, through long progress in holy living with the aid of Christ's grace, it is fittingly added and said of these things:

Source: Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
[AD 735] Bede on Nehemiah 13:22
He also said to the Levites that they should be purified, etc. For it is necessary that they be purified from the daily exercise of good works, who desire to guard the gates of their senses from any incursion of turbulent thoughts. And whoever wishes to sanctify the Sabbath day, that is, to make useful to oneself the leisure of prayers, psalmody, holy reading, and tears, it is necessary to cleanse one’s conscience with great diligence, so that one may be able to bring to completion the intent of good action well. This can also be rightly interpreted in an allegorical sense concerning the teachers of the faithful. For whoever desires to guard the gates of the holy Church, that is, the faith and works of their hearers, through which alone one enters the Church, from the contagion of heretics and vice knocking, ought first to purify their own heart and actions from every stain of errors.

Source: Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
[AD 735] Bede on Nehemiah 13:30
But in those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, etc. And now in the holy Church they marry foreign wives, whoever tarnishes his conscience with the pleasures of crimes, which properly belong to the pagans. And the children born from these do not know how to speak Jewish, as the deeds which arose from a corrupted mind reveal nothing of pious profession; but rather sound like pagan folly than ecclesiastical chastity. For Ashdod, which is called Asdod in Hebrew, is interpreted as "word of fire." Therefore, according to the allegorical sense, the sons of foreign wives speak Ashdodite, when deeds begotten through wantonness expect the retribution of eternal combustion. Hence, rightfully, the parents of such are not only rebuked and cursed by Nehemiah, but some are also beaten; because it is necessary for the erring to be more severely restrained by teachers of the truth, so that they may learn to be happily transferred from the word of avenging fire to the word of divine praise. But also heretics, when they devote themselves more to the studies of gentile philosophy, dialectics, and rhetoric than to ecclesiastical simplicity, it is not surprising if their listeners speak according to the tongue of the people, and the people indeed speak, turning over the holy scriptures with their mouth, but interpreting these with erratic and pagan sense.

Source: Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
[AD 735] Bede on Nehemiah 13:30
Therefore, I cleansed them from all foreigners, etc. An apt and fitting end in all respects for the edification of the holy city and the temple of the Lord, so that with the citizens cleansed of every stain of foreign and alien pollution from God, the orders of priests and Levites might rightly be preserved in their ministry; so that the institution of the master of the Church, royally established, may remain and grow in goodness, encouraging the people disciplined from all sin; for indeed this people, among other things, offers wood to the Lord to sustain the fire of the altar, as they perform works of virtues surely worthy of divine consecration. For if wood did not sometimes signify something good, the prophet would not say: "Then shall all the trees of the forest rejoice before the Lord" (Psalm 95). But wood burns and is consumed on the altar of holocausts, when works of justice in the hearts of teachers are perfected by the flame of charity. Rightly then does such a founder and dedicant of the city, after many labors of his devotion, commend himself to the memory of his Creator and the Giver of all good things. And You, supreme Father of lights, from whom every good gift and every perfect gift descends; who have bestowed upon me, most humble of your servants, both the love and the help to consider the wonders of your law; who in the treasury of the prophetic volume has granted me the grace not only to embrace the old things, but also to find new gifts by the uplifting of the old, and to bring them forth for the use of my fellow servants, remember me, my God, for good (James 1).

Source: Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah