John Gill Commentary Nehemiah 13

On that day Not when the wall of the city was dedicated, nor quickly after; for it cannot be thought that people should be so corrupted so soon as this chapter shows; but when Nehemiah had governed them twelve years, and had been at Babylon, and was returned again, as appears from (Nehemiah 13:6) , compared with (Nehemiah 2:1Nehemiah 2:6) (7:2) ,

they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people ; for from the time of the reading of the law by Ezra, (Nehemiah 8:1) it became a custom to read the law publicly:

and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of the Lord ; that is, be admitted to marry with any of the people of Israel; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 23:3).

Because they met not the children of Israel with bread
The same reason is given, and what follows in this verse is observed in (Deuteronomy 23:4Deuteronomy 23:5) ; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 23:4) (See Gill on Deuteronomy 23:5).

Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law
Or the law concerning the Ammonite and the Moabite, and which included other nations also, and forbade marriage with them:

that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude ;
all of these, and other nations, they had contracted affinity with.

And before this Before the above law was read, and observed and acted upon:

Eliashib the priest ; whom some take to be a common priest; so Bishop Usher ^F1 ; but he seems rather to be the high priest, by comparing it with (Nehemiah 13:28) ,

having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God ; which has led some to the notion of his being a common priest; but chamber may be put for chambers, and those for the whole house or temple, which the high priest had the greatest concern in, and oversight of:

was allied to Tobiah ; the servant and Ammonite, an inveterate enemy of the Jews, (Nehemiah 2:10Nehemiah 2:20) , having married a daughter of Shecaniah, and his son a daughter of Meshullam, who were both priests, and so as it seems related to Eliashib, (Nehemiah 6:18) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F1: Annal. Vet. Test. p. 200.

And he had prepared for him a great chamber
In the temple, by throwing together several chambers, as Piscator observes:

where formerly 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 to the singers,
and the porters, and the offerings of the priests ;
see (Nehemiah 10:37–39) (12:44) .