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Nehemiah 13:25-27

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

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?

Nehemiah 13:25-27 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Nehemiah 13:25

Theological / Devotional

Cursed them. The seriousness of the cases, and the dangerous trend which they represented, weighed heavily upon Nehemiah, and led him to take the actions here described.

Plucked off their hair. Ezra had plucked off his own hair and beard as a sign of utter distress (Ezra 9:3). Plucking the hair of someone else seems to have been a recognized form of punishment (Isa. 50:6). The loss of the beard was in itself considered a great disgrace (2 Sam. 10:4).

By SdaBc