The people comprising this assembly understood that God would never hold guiltless the man who called upon God’s name in an oath and then reneged on that oath. So they, in step with their fathers of generations ago, uttered their Amen in response to Nehemiah’s curse (see Deuteronomy 27:15–26; Joshua 8:33). With their Amen
they confessed their sure conviction that God would do as he promised (and Nehemiah voiced).
13 I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.