Nehemiah 13:24

Nehemiah 13:24 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.
• New International Version (NIV)Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language of Judah.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.

Context of Nehemiah 13:24

22Then I directed the Levites to purify themselves and come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. For this please remember me, O my God, and have pity on me in keeping with your great love. 23Also in those days I saw the men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod (or the language of one of the other peoples mentioned) and were unable to speak the language of Judah. 25So I entered a complaint with them. I called down a curse on them, and I struck some of the men and pulled out their hair. I had them swear by God saying, “You will not marry off your daughters to their sons, and you will not take any of their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! 26Was it not because of things like these that King Solomon of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. But the foreign wives made even him sin!

Nehemiah 13:24 word by word

וּבְנֵיהֶ֗ם חֲצִי֙ מְדַבֵּ֣ר אַשְׁדּוֹדִ֔ית וְאֵינָ֥ם מַכִּירִ֖ים לְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוּדִ֑ית וְכִלְשׁ֖וֹן עַ֥ם וָעָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And their childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• halfחֲצִיchêtsîy · halfH2677
• in the speech of Ashdodאַשְׁדּוֹדִית'ashdôdîyth · AshdodH797
• and couldנָכַרnâkar · to recognizeH5234
• in the Jews’ languageיְהוּדִיתyehûdîyth · JewishH3066
• but according to the languageלָשׁוֹןlâshôn lâshôn leshônâh · tongue: languageH3956
• of eachעַם‛am · peopleH5971

Cross-references for Nehemiah 13:24

• Zephaniah 3:9Know for sure that I will then enable the nations to give me acceptable praise. All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray, and will worship him in unison.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 13:24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24Half in the speech of Ashdod - There were children in the same family by Jewish and Philistine mothers. As the Jewish mother would always speak to her children in Hebrew or Chaldee, so they learnt to speak these languages; and as the Ashdod mother would always speak to her children in the Ashdod language, so they learnt that tongue. Thus there were, in the same family, children who could not understand each other; half, or one part, speaking one language…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24The speech of Ashdod - The Philistine language, which was akin to that of Egypt. According to the language of each people - The children spoke a mixed dialect - half-Philistine, half-Hebrew.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-31Verses 23-31 If either parent be ungodly, corrupt nature will incline the children to take after that one; which is a strong reason why Christians should not be unequally yoked. In the education of children, great care should be taken about the government of their tongues; that they learn not the language of Ashdod, no impious or impure talk, no corrupt communication. Nehemiah showed the evil of these marriages. Some, more obstinate than the rest, he…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-24The earlier marriage reforms (Nehemiah 9:2; 10:28; Ezra 9:1–10:44) did not last. The children could not speak Hebrew, the language of Judah. This was disastrous because they could not read or understand the Scriptures.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people--a mongrel dialect imbibed from their mothers, together with foreign principles and habits.Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 13:24

• Ashdod
• Divorce
• Language
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Ashdod
• Ashdod, or Azotus
• Ashdod, Azotus
• Contend
• Hittites
• Outlandish
• Testify
• Understand
• Genealogy
• Jew, Jewess, Jewish

Commentaries on Nehemiah 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings