The word Ashdodit (אַשְׁדּוֹדִית) appears once in Nehemiah 13:24, describing the language or dialect of Ashdod. Nehemiah was troubled that the children of mixed Israelite-Ashdodite marriages could speak Ashdodit but could not speak the language of Judah (Hebrew) — a sign of deep spiritual assimilation.
The loss of Hebrew in post-exilic Judah was a theological emergency. Hebrew was the language of Torah, Psalms, and Prophets. A child who could not speak Hebrew could not participate in worship, read Scripture, or understand the covenant liturgy. Deuteronomy 6:6–9 commanded: 'Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road.' Language was the vehicle of covenant transmission. Zephaniah 3:9 promises a future restoration: 'Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD.'