Nehemiah 13:21

"So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares camped outside of Jerusalem once or twice."

Key Reflection

This verse highlights the disruption to the religious life of Jerusalem, as commercial activities were conducted in areas meant for spiritual purposes. The presence of merchants and sellers outside the city's walls suggests a mingling of commerce with sacred spaces, which Nehemiah saw as a distraction from proper worship and observance.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

The lodging of the merchants with their merchandise just outside Jerusalem during the Sabbath, marked their impatience for the moment when they might bring their wares in. This was thought by Nehemiah to be unseemly, and to have an irreligious tendency.

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