Nehemiah 13:27

Study note

Setting — Nehemiah confronts the Jewish officials and leaders who have contracted marriages with foreign women. He delivers this rebuke immediately after citing Solomon’s downfall and before expelling a high priest’s grandson for a similar alliance.

The words — The Hebrew phrase הֲ/נִשְׁמַ֗ע (ha./nish.Ma') translates literally as “is it heard?” or “must we hear?”, framing the situation as a shocking report. The verb לִ/מְעֹ֖ל (li/m.'Ol) means “to act unfaithfully,” directly naming the covenant breach.

The thread — The accusation of marital unfaithfulness echoes Ezra 10:2, where returning exiles confess the same covenant violation. The warning against foreign alliances also recalls the precedent set by Solomon’s compromise in Nehemiah 13:26.

Why it lands — The text states that intermarriage with pagan groups constitutes direct covenant betrayal, not merely a cultural mistake. Readers must confront how personal alliances can replicate national spiritual failure.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.