Albert Barnes Commentary Nehemiah 13:16

"There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, who brought in fish, and all manner of wares, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem." — Nehemiah 13:16 (ASV)

Friendly relations continued between the Phoenicians and the Jews after the captivity (Ezra 3:7). It was, however, a new fact, and one pregnant with evil consequences, that the Tyrians established a permanent colony in Jerusalem. Its influence on the other inhabitants weakened the hold of the Law on their consciences and caused it to be transgressed ever more openly.