Matthew Henry Commentary Nehemiah 13:1-9

"On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God for ever, because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. And it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied unto Tobiah, had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meal-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the heave-offerings for the priests. But in all this [time] I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went unto the king: and after certain days asked I leave of the king, and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meal-offerings and the frankincense." — Nehemiah 13:1-9 (ASV)

Israel was a special people, not meant to mix with the nations. Consider the benefit of publicly reading the Word of God; when it is properly attended to, it reveals to us sin and duty, good and evil, and shows us where we have erred.

We benefit when we are moved in this way to separate from evil. Those who would drive sin out of their hearts—the living temples—must throw out its furnishings and all the provision made for it; they must also take away all the things that are the food and fuel of lust; this is truly to mortify it. When sin is cast out of the heart by repentance, let the blood of Christ be applied to the heart by faith. Then, let the heart be furnished with the graces of God's Spirit for every good work.