Nehemiah 13:25

“And I contended with them, etc.] Argued with them, faithfully admonished them, and sharply reproved them: and cursed them; assuring them that the curse of God would come upon them, unless they repented. Aben Ezra interprets it of excommunicating them, either with “Cherem” or “Niddui”, which were two sorts of excommunication among the Jews; but it is a question whether as yet those were used by them: and smote certain of them; ordered them to be beaten with rods or scourges, as transgressors of the law: and plucked off their hair; or ordered it to be plucked off by the executioner that smote them; which sort of punishment, as it was painful, it was disgraceful and ignominious, (see…”

“cursed them--that is, pronounced on them an anathema which entailed excommunication. smote . . . and plucked off their hair--To cut off the hair of offenders seems to be a punishment rather disgraceful than severe; yet it is supposed that pain was added to disgrace, and that they tore off the hair with violence as if they were plucking a bird alive. Next: Esther Introduction”

“Cursed - Caused them to be excommunicated and cast out of the society of God's people. This and the following punishments were justly inflicted upon them, because this transgression was contrary both to a plain law of God, and to their own late solemn covenants. Smote - I caused to be beaten with stripes, according to the law, Deu 25:2, such whose faults were most aggravated; to whom he added this punishment over and above the former. Plucked off - Or, shaved them. The hair was an ensign of liberty among the eastern nations; and baldness was a disgrace, and token of slavery and sorrow. Nehemiah 13:28”

“13:25 When Nehemiah called down curses on them, it was because the parents avoided Hebrew and did not teach their children the language of the Hebrew Bible. A curse called on God to remove his blessing on people. • I beat some of them and pulled out their hair: Apparently, some of the men did not accept Nehemiah’s rebuke at first, so he made them swear in the name of God not to intermarry with pagans.”

“I contended: Neh 13:11, Neh 13:17; Pro 28:4 cursed: or, reviled, Neh 5:13; Deu 27:14-26; Psa 15:4; Luk 11:45, Luk 11:46 smote: Deu 25:2, Deu 25:3; Ezr 7:26 plucked: Isa 50:6 made them: Neh 10:29, Neh 10:30; Deu 6:13; Ch2 15:12-15; Ezr 10:5 Ye shall not: Exo 34:16; Deu 7:3 Nehemiah 13:26”

“With these people also Nehemiah contended (אריב like Neh 13:11 and Neh 13:17), cursed them, smote certain of their men, and plucked off their hair (מרט, see rem. on Ezr 9:3), and made them swear by God: Ye shall not give your daughters, etc.; comp. Neh 10:31. On the recurrence of such marriages after the separations effected by Ezra of those existing at his arrival at Jerusalem. Nehemiah did not insist on the immediate dissolution of these marriages, but caused the men to swear that they would desist from such connections, setting before them, in Neh 13:26, how grievous a sin they were committing. "Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin on account of these?" (אלּה על, on account of strange…”