3 When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.
3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
3 As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.
3 When they heard the reading of The Revelation, they excluded all foreigners from Israel.
3 So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.
3 When this passage of the Law was read, all those of foreign descent were immediately excluded from the assembly.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Nehemiah 13:3
Commentary on Nehemiah 13:1-9
(Read Nehemiah 13:1-9)
Israel was a peculiar people, and not to mingle with the nations. See the benefit of publicly reading the word of God; when it is duly attended to, it discovers to us sin and duty, good and evil, and shows 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 food 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.