Nehemiah 13:22

22 Then I directed the Levites to ceremonially cleanse themselves and take over as guards at the gates to keep the sanctity of the Sabbath day. Remember me also for this, my God. Treat me with mercy according to your great and steadfast love.

Nehemiah 13:22 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 13:22

And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse
themselves
From all ceremonial uncleanness, that they might be fit in a ceremonial sense to perform the duties of the office on the sabbath day:

and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the
sabbath day;
not the gates of the city, his servants were placed there, nor was this the work of the Levites, and much less did this require a particular purification to fit for it; but the gates of the temple, that no impure person might enter there; and on that day it required the greater diligence, because of the number of people that came to worship:

remember me, O my God, concerning this also;
with respect to his care to have the sabbath kept holy, as well as his concern for the honour of the house of God, and the maintenance of his ministers, ( Nehemiah 13:14 ) ,

and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy;
he desired to be dealt with, not according to any merits of his own, but according to the abundant mercy of God; that he would kindly and graciously vouchsafe to accept any good that he had done for his mercy sake, and forgive whatever was amiss in him.

Nehemiah 13:22 In-Context

20 Traders and dealers in various goods camped outside the gates once or twice.

21 But I took them to task. I said, "You have no business camping out here by the wall. If I find you here again, I'll use force to drive you off." And that did it; they didn't come back on the Sabbath.

22 Then I directed the Levites to ceremonially cleanse themselves and take over as guards at the gates to keep the sanctity of the Sabbath day. Remember me also for this, my God. Treat me with mercy according to your great and steadfast love.

23 Also in those days I saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

24 Half the children couldn't even speak the language of Judah; all they knew was the language of Ashdod or some other tongue.