Nehemiah 13:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

On that day they read, &c.— At that time the law of Moses was read in the audience of the people. Houbigant. The phrase of not entering into the congregation of the Lord, in this verse, does not signify an ejection from the public assemblies for divine worship; but must be understood to mean no more than a prohibition of marriage; for this, according to the rabbis, was the case of such prohibitions. None of the house of Israel of either sex were to enter into marriage with any Gentile of what nation soever, unless they were first converted to their religion; and, even in that case, some were debarred from it for ever; others only in part; and others again only for a limited time. Of the first sort, were all of the seven nations of the Canaanites. Of the second sort, were the Moabites and the Ammonites, whose males were now excluded for ever, but not their females; and of the third sort were the Edomites and Egyptians, with whom the Jews might not marry till the third generation. But with all others, who were not of these three excepted sorts, they might freely make intermarriages whenever they became thorough proselytes to their religion. At present however, because, through the confusions which have since happened in all nations, it is not to be known who is an Ammonite, an Edomite, a Moabite, or an Egyptian, they held this prohibition to have been long out of date; and that now, any Gentile, as soon as proselyted to their religion, may immediately be admitted to make intermarriages with them. See Prideaux.