Nehemiah 13:25

²³ In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

²⁴ Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.

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!

²⁶ Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.

²⁷ Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: 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!
KJV: And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
WEB: I contended with them, cursed them, struck certain of them, plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.
ASV: And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, [saying], Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.
DARBY: And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them and plucked off their hair, and adjured them by God [saying], Ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.
BLB: And I contended with them and cursed them and struck [some] men from them and pulled out their hair. And I made them swear by God, “You⁺ shall Not give your⁺ daughters to their sons or take from their daughters for your⁺ sons or for yourselves.

ÅB: Jeg gikk i rette med dem og forbannet dem, ja, noen av dem slo jeg og rev dem i håret; jeg lot dem sverge ved Gud og sa: Dere skal ikke gi deres døtre til deres sønner eller ta noen av deres døtre til hustruer for deres sønner eller for dere selv.
OTB: Så jeg refset dem og kalte forbannelser over dem. Jeg slo noen av mennene og rev ut håret deres. Jeg fikk dem til å avlegge en ed i Guds navn og sa: "Dere skal ikke gi deres døtre til deres sønner, eller ta deres døtre til deres sønner eller til dere selv.
B1930: Jeg gikk i rette med dem og forbannet dem, ja, nogen av dem slo jeg og rev dem i håret; jeg lot dem sverge ved Gud og sa: I skal ikke gi eders døtre til deres sønner eller ta nogen av deres døtre til hustruer for eders sønner eller for eder selv.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 7:3
Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,
Read in context
Nehemiah 10:29–30
hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.
Read in context
Nehemiah 13:17
Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?
Read in context
Ezra 10:5
So Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said. And they took the oath.
Read in context
Nehemiah 5:13
I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
Read in context
Nehemiah 13:11
So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,
Read in context
Ezra 7:26
If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 15:12–15
Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.
Read in context