5, 6. Who were Eliashib and Tobiah, and why might Eliashib have been associating with Tobiah?

⁵ Read Nehemiah 13:4-9. We are surrounded by unclean influences, so it is not easy for us to remain holy. Consider Eliashib and Tobiah. Eliashib was the high priest, and Tobiah was an Ammonite and likely a petty official in the Persian administration of Judea. Tobiah and his associates had opposed Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls. (Neh. 2:10) Ammonites were forbidden to come onto the temple grounds. (Deut. 23:3) So why would the high priest provide space in a temple dining hall for such a man as Tobiah?

⁶ Tobiah had become a close associate of Eliashib. Tobiah and his son Jehohanan had married Jewish women, and many Jews spoke highly of Tobiah. (Neh. 6:17-19) One of Eliashib’s grandsons was married to the daughter of Sanballat, governor of Samaria, who was one of Tobiah’s closest associates. (Neh. 13:28) These ties may explain why High Priest Eliashib allowed an unbeliever and opposer to influence him.

8. What should all dedicated servants of Jehovah remember when it comes to their associations?

⁸ We do well to remember that “bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Cor. 15:33) Some of our relatives might not be a positive influence in our lives. Eliashib had set a good example for the people by fully supporting Nehemiah in the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. (Neh. 3:1) In time, however, the unwholesome influence of Tobiah and others apparently led Eliashib to do things that left him defiled before Jehovah.