Children Not Speaking the Jews Language - Nehemiah 13:24

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab”, and in chapter thirteen and verse twenty-four of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “their children … could not speak in the Jew's language” where we read,

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.

The verse reads, “And their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, ...”Nehemiah began with the words, “and their children” which means “and their, the Jewish men who married foreign wives', offspring and progeny” “spoke half in the speech of Ashdod” or “uttered, declared, converses and one-half of the children spoke with the language belonging to the people of Ashdod whose name means I will spoil”, “and could not speak” which means “and were unable to utter, declare, proclaim and converse” “in the Jew's language” or “within the speech used by the descendants of the Jehudaites or people from Judah”. Nehemiah shared how one-half of the offspring of the “Jewish men” who married foreign wives talked in the “language” of the people of “Ashdod”, and they were unable to speak in the Jewish “Hebrew” “language”.

The verse goes on to say, “... but according to the language of each people.” Nehemiah continued with the words, “but according to the language” or “however, notwithstanding, nonetheless and moreover in keeping with the speech, utterance and proclamation” “of each people” which means “belonging to every particular people group”. Nehemiah shared how the “children” of the Jewish men who married foreign wives spoke in the languages of the foreign women to whom they were wedded. 

When we think through Nehemiah words in this verse, we learn how there were men among the Jews who married foreign women and had offspring that mingled their language with the people of “Ashdod”. This caused them not to be able to speak their own language, but instead they spoke in the languages of the people with whom they were associated. God wants us to separate ourselves from the world and it's influences and to believe and trust in His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. When we submit to Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and teach us to associate with those whom He desires and not to speak as the world. (See 2 Corinthians 6:17)

Next time Nehemiah said, “and I contended with them”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".