The discovery that even the grandson of the high priest Eliashib had married the daughter of Sanballat indicates that violations had reached into the highest levels of the religious establishment, suggesting the pervasiveness of intermarriage threats. The reference to Tobiah and Sanballat (Nehemiah's persistent enemies) indicates that foreign marriages connected the Jewish community to its political opponents. The assertion that Nehemiah drove the grandson away indicates forceful enforcement of the prohibition even against the high priestly family. This verse demonstrates that covenant enforcement requires action even against the highest levels of leadership when violations emerge.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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