Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:
But if you turn away from God and cling to the remaining nations that are still living among you, and if you marry their people and become closely connected with them,
Joshua is warning the Israelites that if they abandon their faith and become closely connected with the pagan nations around them, there will be serious consequences.
📚 Historical Context
This was part of Joshua's farewell speech to the Israelites after they had conquered much of the Promised Land. Some Canaanite peoples still remained in the land, and God had commanded the Israelites to stay separate from these nations and their idol worship. Intermarriage was forbidden because it typically led to the adoption of foreign gods and practices.
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