Ezra 9:12

Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Ezra addresses the returned exiles after reporting their intermarriage with surrounding peoples, commanding them to halt these unions and cease pursuing the welfare of those nations.

The words — The text employs אַל־ תִּתְּנוּ (al-tittenu), "do not give," regarding daughters to foreign sons, and אַל־ תִּשְׂאוּ (al-tisaʾu), "do not take/seek," regarding their peace or prosperity. These imperatives directly enforce the prohibition against intermarriage and political or social alliance.

The thread — The intermarriage prohibition reappears in Deuteronomy 7:3 and Joshua 23:12 as warnings against union with remaining nations, while the command to stop seeking their peace or prosperity is explicitly repeated in Deuteronomy 23:6.

Why it lands — The verse demands immediate separation from surrounding cultures to preserve the community’s identity and secure the land as a lasting inheritance for their descendants.

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

וְ֠עַתָּהVe./'a.tahand/ therefore בְּֽנוֹתֵיכֶ֞םbe.no.tei./Khemdaughters/ your אַל־'al-may not תִּתְּנ֣וּti.te.Nuyou give לִבְנֵיהֶ֗םli/v.nei./Hemto/ sons/ their וּבְנֹֽתֵיהֶם֙u./ve.no.tei./Hemand/ daughters/ their אַל־'al-may not תִּשְׂא֣וּtis.'Uyou take לִבְנֵיכֶ֔םli/v.nei./Khemfor/ sons/ your וְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ not תִדְרְשׁ֧וּtid.re.Shuyou must seek שְׁלֹמָ֛םshe.lo.Ma/mpeace/ their וְטוֹבָתָ֖םve./toa.Ta/mand/ good/ their עַד־'ad-until עוֹלָ֑םo.Lamperpetuity לְמַ֣עַןle.Ma.'anso that תֶּחֶזְק֗וּte.chez.Kuyou may be strong וַאֲכַלְתֶּם֙va./'a.khal.Temand/ you will eat אֶת־'et-<obj.>ט֣וּבtuv[the] good thing[s] of הָאָ֔רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּ֥םve./ho.rash.Temand/ you will cause to inherit [it]לִבְנֵיכֶ֖םli/v.nei./Khem<to>/ sons/ your עַד־'ad-until עוֹלָֽם׃o.Lamperpetuity

King James Version

Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.

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,
Deuteronomy 23:6 You are not to seek peace or prosperity from them as long as you live.
Joshua 23:12 For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them,
Exodus 34:15 Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices.
Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.
Proverbs 20:7 The righteous man walks with integrity; blessed are his children after him.
2 John 1:10 If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home or even greet him.
Genesis 18:18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
Exodus 23:32 You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.
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!”