Nehemiah 13:24 - Forerunner Commentary

Nehemiah 13:24

22 And I commanded the Levites that ^athey should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!

23 In those days I also saw Jews who ^ahad married women of ^bAshdod, Ammon, and Moab.

24 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.

25 So I ^acontended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them ^bswear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.

26 ^aDid not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, ^bwho was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. ^cNevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin.

27 Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, ^atransgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”

28 And one of the sons ^aof Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of ^bSanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.

29 ^aRemember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and ^bthe covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

Verse Comparison: Nehemiah 13:24

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American Standard Version
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.

Amplified® Bible
And their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak the Hebrew, but in the language of each people.

Contemporary English Version
About half of their children could not speak Hebrew--they spoke only the language of Ashdod or some other foreign language.

Darby English Version
And their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.

Good News Bible
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or some other language and didn't know how to speak our language.

King James Version
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 American Standard Bible
As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but the language of his own people.

New International Version
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.

New King James Version
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.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but the language of his own people.

Revised Standard Version
and half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but the language of each people.

Young's Literal Translation
And of their sons, half are speaking Ashdoditish -- and are not knowing to speak Jewish -- and according to the language of people and people.

New English Translation
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod (or the language of one of the other peoples mentioned¹) and were unable to speak the language of Judah.

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