Nehemiah 13:24
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 Living Translation
Furthermore, half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of some other people and could not speak the language of Judah at all.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.

King James Bible
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 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.

New American Standard Bible
As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them knew how to speak the language of Judah, but only the language of his own people.

NASB 1995
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.

NASB 1977
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.

Legacy 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 only the tongue of his own people.

Amplified Bible
As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them knew how to speak [Hebrew] the language of Judah, but only the language of his own people.

Christian Standard Bible
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples but could not speak Hebrew.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples but could not speak Hebrew.

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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And their children were speaking half Ashdodite language and half did not know how to speak the Judean language except according to the tongue of the Gentiles.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and did not know how to speak in the Jewish language.

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

Douay-Rheims Bible
And their children spoke half in the speech of Azotus, and could not speak the Jews' language, but they spoke according to the language of this and that people.

English Revised 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or one of the other languages, but they couldn't understand the language of Judah well enough to speak it.

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

International Standard Version
Furthermore, their children spoke half of the time in the language of Ashdod, and could not speak in the language of Judah. Instead, they spoke in the languages of various peoples.

JPS Tanakh 1917
and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.

Literal Standard Version
And of their sons, half are speaking Ashdoditish—and are not knowing to speak Jewish—and according to the language of people and people.

Majority Standard Bible
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.

New American Bible
Of their children, half spoke the language of Ashdod, or of one of the other peoples, and none of them knew how to speak the language of Judah.

NET Bible
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.

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

New Heart English Bible
and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Judean language, but according to the language of each people.

Webster's Bible Translation
And their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews language, but according to the language of each people.

World English Bible
and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to 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.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Intermarriage Forbidden
23In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah. 25I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!…

Cross References
Nehemiah 13:23
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

Nehemiah 13:25
I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, "You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!


Treasury of Scripture

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

could not speak.

Zephaniah 3:9
For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

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Able Ashdod Children Half Jewish Jews Judah Language Peoples Speak Speaking Speech Talking Use
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Able Ashdod Children Half Jewish Jews Judah Language Peoples Speak Speaking Speech Talking Use
Nehemiah 13
1. Upon the reading of the law, separation is made from the mixed multitude.
4. Nehemiah, at his return, causes the chambers to be cleansed.
10. He reforms the offices in the house of God;
15. the violation of the Sabbath;
23. and the marriages with the strange wives.














(24) Half in the speech of Ashdod.--A mixture of Philistine and Aramaic.

Verse 24. - Their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod. Some understand the writer to mean that half of the children in a family spoke the tongue of the father, and half that of the mother. But many of the best Hebraists prefer the sense expressed by our translators, viz., that all the children spoke a jargon half Ashdodite and half Aramaic. The Philistine language is said to have resembled the Egyptian (Hieronym., 'Comment. in Esaiam,' 19:18).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Half
חֲצִי֙ (ḥă·ṣî)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2677: The half, middle

of their children
וּבְנֵיהֶ֗ם (ū·ḇə·nê·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

spoke
מְדַבֵּ֣ר (mə·ḏab·bêr)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

the language of Ashdod
אַשְׁדּוֹדִ֔ית (’aš·dō·w·ḏîṯ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 797: In the language of Ashdod

or of
וְכִלְשׁ֖וֹן (wə·ḵil·šō·wn)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 3956: The tongue

the other peoples,
עַ֥ם (‘am)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

but could not
וְאֵינָ֥ם (wə·’ê·nām)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb | third person masculine plural
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

speak
לְדַבֵּ֣ר (lə·ḏab·bêr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

Hebrew.
יְהוּדִ֑ית (yə·hū·ḏîṯ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3066: The Jewish -- language


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OT History: Nehemiah 13:24 And their children spoke half (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 13:23
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