Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
When the people heard the law being read, they separated from Israel everyone who was of mixed heritage.
The writer is describing how the Israelites, after hearing God's law read aloud, decided to separate themselves from people of mixed ancestry who were living among them.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Nehemiah, the Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylon and were working to restore their society under Nehemiah's leadership as governor. When the Law of Moses was read to them, it highlighted commands against intermarrying with foreigners and mixing with non-Israelites to protect their covenant relationship with God. This led to a deliberate separation from those considered part of the "mixed multitude" to maintain religious and cultural purity.
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