Exodus 34:16

And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses Moses on Mount Sinai while renewing the covenant after the golden calf incident. The command directly warns the Israelite community against forming marital alliances with the Canaanite inhabitants of the promised land.

The words — The Hebrew לָקַחְתָּ (la.kach.ta) means "you will take," while זָנוּ (za.nu) and הִזְנוּ (hiz.nu) describe the act of prostitution or leading others into idolatrous sexual immorality. These terms establish a direct causal link between taking foreign wives and adopting pagan worship.

The thread — This warning echoes in Deuteronomy 7:3, which explicitly forbids intermarriage with those nations, and appears in 1 Kings 11:2 and Ezra 9:2 as historical violations of the same prohibition. The pattern shows repeated divine concern over covenant loyalty threatened by foreign alliances.

Why it lands — The text demands immediate separation from pagan religious practices by prohibiting marriages that would introduce foreign gods into Israel. It requires readers to prioritize covenant faithfulness over social or political integration with surrounding cultures.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ve./la.kach.Taand/ you will take מִבְּנֹתָ֖יוmi./be.no.Ta/vsome of/ daughters/ his לְבָנֶ֑יךָle./va.Nei./khafor/ sons/ your וְזָנ֣וּve./za.Nuand/ they will prostitute themselves בְנֹתָ֗יוve.no.Ta/vdaughters/ his אַחֲרֵי֙'a.cha.Reiafter אֱלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ן'e.Lo.hei./Hengods/ their וְהִזְנוּ֙ve./hiz.Nuand/ they will make prostitute [themselves]אֶת־'et-<obj.>בָּנֶ֔יךָba.Nei./khasons/ your אַחֲרֵ֖י'a.cha.Reiafter אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽן׃'e.lo.hei./Hengods/ their

King James Version

And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.

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,
1 Kings 11:2 These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.
Ezra 9:2 Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”
Numbers 25:1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of 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!
Nehemiah 13:23 In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?