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.
So don't let your daughters marry their sons, and don't take their daughters as wives for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity. If you do this, you will be strong and enjoy the good things of the land, and you'll be able to pass it down as an inheritance to your children forever.
God is commanding His people to avoid intermarriage and alliances with neighboring nations so they can remain spiritually strong and preserve their inheritance for future generations.
📚 Historical Context
Ezra is recounting God's earlier commands about avoiding marriages with the surrounding pagan nations when the Israelites first entered the Promised Land. The Jewish exiles had recently returned from Babylon and were struggling with the same issue of intermarriage that had contributed to their ancestors' spiritual downfall and exile.
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