Nehemiah 13:23

“In those days also I saw Jews that married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab.] Ashdod, or Azotus, as it is called in (<440840>Acts 8:40), was one of the five cities of the Philistines; which, though none of the seven nations with whom marriage was forbid, yet it was very unfit and improper to marry with them, (<071403>Judges 14:3). This place was a mart of the Arabians f88, where they sold their goods, to which the Jews might resort, and thereby be ensnared into such marriages; and which with the Ammonites and Moabites were unlawful, (<161301>Nehemiah 13:1).”

“13:23-24 The earlier marriage reforms (9:2; 10:28; Ezra 9:1–10:44) had not lasted. The children’s inability to speak Hebrew (the language of Judah) was disastrous because they could not read or understand the Scriptures.”

“married: Heb. made to dwell with them, Neh 10:30; Ezr 9:2, Ezr 9:11, Ezr 9:12, Ezr 10:10, Ezr 10:44; Co2 6:14 Ashdod: Sa1 5:1 Ammon: Neh 13:1-3 Nehemiah 13:24”

“Marriages with foreign wives dissolved. - Neh 13:23 and Neh 13:24. "In those days I also saw, i.e., visited, the Jews who had brought home Ashdodite, Ammonite, and Moabite wives; and half of their children spoke the speech of Ashdod, because they understood not how to speak the Jews' language, and according to the speech of one and of another people." It is not said, I saw Jews; but, the Jews who ... Hence Bertheau rightly infers, that Nehemiah at this time found an opportunity of seeing them, perhaps upon a journey through the province. From the circumstance, too, that a portion of the children of these marriages were not able to speak the language of the Jews, but spoke the language of…”