Ezra 9 12

Ezra 9:12 kjv

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.

Ezra 9:12 nkjv

Now therefore, do not give your daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons; and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.'

Ezra 9:12 niv

Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.'

Ezra 9:12 esv

Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.'

Ezra 9:12 nlt

Don't let your daughters marry their sons! Don't take their daughters as wives for your sons. Don't ever promote the peace and prosperity of those nations. If you follow these instructions, you will be strong and will enjoy the good things the land produces, and you will leave this prosperity to your children forever.'

Ezra 9 verses

Ezra 9 12 Meaning

Ezra 9:12 conveys a solemn and direct command given by God, highlighted in Ezra's prayer of confession. It prohibits the returned exiles from entering into mixed marriages with the peoples of the land, specifically forbidding the exchange of daughters and sons in marriage. Furthermore, it strictly enjoins them never to seek the peace or prosperity of these foreign nations. The purpose of these prohibitions is clearly stated: to maintain the covenant community's strength, allow them to fully enjoy the blessings of the land, and ensure this heritage passes securely to future generations. The verse emphasizes separation for the sake of spiritual purity and the long-term well-being of the covenant people.

Ezra 9 12 Context

Ezra chapter 9 details Ezra's deep anguish and profound prayer of confession upon learning that the Jewish exiles, who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, had flagrantly violated God's commands by intermarrying with the pagan peoples of the surrounding lands (Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites). These marriages blurred the lines between the holy seed of Israel and the peoples dedicated to idolatry, contaminating the covenant community and endangering their spiritual purity. Ezra is not speaking his own opinion, but relaying what he understands as God's divine will, based on the laws given through Moses. His prayer, spanning verses 6-15, expresses profound shame, humility, and recognition of Israel's repeated sinfulness, which had led to their past exiles and continued unfaithfulness even after being graciously restored by God. Verse 12 is a direct reiteration of God's prior command, highlighted by Ezra as a specific point of transgression.

Ezra 9 12 Word analysis

• Therefore (וְעַתָּה - v'attah): A strong connective adverb meaning "and now," or "therefore." In Ezra's prayer, it serves to draw a direct conclusion from the preceding verses that lament Israel's perpetual sin and their unworthiness of God's grace. It links God's past mercy and warnings with the current egregious transgression. It emphasizes the immediacy and grave importance of the command being re-stated.

• Do not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons: This is a direct, reciprocal prohibition of intermarriage.

  • daughters (בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם - b'notaychem) / sons (בְּנֵיהֶם - b'nayhem): This specifies marital exchange. The original Hebrew and Aramaic terms carry the fundamental meaning of male and female offspring, signifying the core of family and generational continuity. The explicit prohibition reflects a foundational concern for the spiritual and racial purity of the covenant people, as marriage was the primary means of cultural and religious transmission.

• nor ever seek their peace or prosperity: This is a radical and comprehensive command of separation, far beyond mere marriage prohibition.

  • peace (שָׁל֣וֹמָם - shalomam): Refers to their general well-being, wholeness, completeness, or absence of conflict. It implies avoiding any alliance, friendship, or close relationship that contributes to their success or security. It forbids making treaties or forming close economic/social ties.
  • prosperity (ט֖וֹבָתָם - tovatam): Refers to their good, welfare, or success. Together with 'peace', it creates a sweeping directive to avoid entanglement, assistance, or contribution to the thriving of these pagan nations. This does not mean universal ill-will towards all Gentiles, but specifically towards these nations whose religious practices posed an existential threat to Israel's covenant fidelity. This is a pointed contrast to general commands of hospitality or even to Jer 29:7, where exiles were commanded to seek the shalom of Babylon. This distinction underscores the danger these specific peoples posed to Israel’s unique spiritual identity.

• that you may be strong (תֶּחֱזְקוּ - techezkû): Indicates becoming robust, courageous, firm, or holding firm. Obedience to God's command directly leads to the strengthening of the covenant community, implying resilience against idolatry and assimilation.

• and eat the good (וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֣ם טוּב־הָאָ֗רֶץ - va'akaltem tuv ha'aretz) of the land: This speaks of full enjoyment of the blessings inherent in the Promised Land.

  • the good (טוּב - tuv): Encompasses the produce, abundance, fertility, and all desirable aspects of the land. It refers to a flourishing existence, a direct result of covenant faithfulness, mirroring promises found in Deut 28.

• and leave it for an inheritance (וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּ֥ם לִבְנֵיכֶ֖ם לְעוֹלָֽם - v'horash’tem livneychem l’olam) to your children forever: This highlights the generational implications.

  • inheritance (נַחֲלָה - nachalah): Refers to the landed property passed down through generations.
  • forever (לְעוֹלָם - l'olam): Emphasizes the permanence and lasting legacy. The purpose of this stringent command is not just immediate purity, but the secure transmission of the covenant land and its spiritual benefits to future generations indefinitely. The alternative was being dispossessed from the land.

• Words-group Analysis: "do not give your daughters...nor ever seek their peace or prosperity": This pairing reveals a deep understanding of how sin penetrates a community. It starts with the most intimate relationships (marriage), which inevitably lead to broader societal integration ("seek their peace or prosperity"), resulting in cultural and spiritual compromise. The divine prohibition aims to cut off the root of contamination.

Ezra 9 12 Bonus section

The intense lamentation of Ezra in this chapter, culminating in verses like 9:12, showcases the gravity of breaking the covenant, not merely as a legal transgression but as an act that brings immense grief to those truly devoted to God. The phrase "holy seed" (Ezra 9:2) is pivotal; it signifies the theological purity of the Israelite lineage, distinct and consecrated to God. Intermarriage threatened this "seed" because it directly integrated the very abominations from which Israel was meant to be separate. The historical backdrop of this period (post-exilic return) magnifies the urgency. Having just returned from exile—a direct consequence of prior unfaithfulness including idolatry—Israel was given a second chance. This sin was therefore not merely a recurrence but a profound insult to God's recent deliverance, demonstrating a lack of understanding regarding the very reasons for their previous national catastrophe. This verse echoes and enforces a command foundational to Israel's covenant identity since the days of Moses and even earlier concerns of Abraham about Isaac's bride; it was never about racial prejudice but spiritual preservation and preparation for the arrival of the promised Savior, whose lineage was meticulously preserved.

Ezra 9 12 Commentary

Ezra 9:12 distills a fundamental principle of covenantal separation, passionately reiterated by Ezra in the face of flagrant disobedience. The core issue is not simply ethnicity or nationality, but rather the religious and spiritual identity that these foreign peoples represented – a way of life steeped in idolatry and moral depravity that was anathema to God's holiness. Mixed marriages were explicitly forbidden because they inevitably led to spiritual apostasy, diluting the unique identity of the "holy seed" and corrupting their fidelity to Yahweh. The stricture against seeking their "peace or prosperity" further underscored this required distinctiveness; it was a call to avoid entanglements and alliances that could facilitate assimilation or endorse pagan practices. Obedience, conversely, was intrinsically linked to national strength, full enjoyment of the land's bounty, and crucially, the ability to pass on the covenant inheritance securely to future generations. This verse encapsulates the theological necessity of Israel's separation from pagan influences for the sake of its spiritual preservation and its continued role as God's peculiar people through whom the Messiah would come. It serves as a stern reminder that compromise with the world’s values can jeopardize both present blessings and future legacy.

• Practical Usage Example:
  1. For a believer considering a serious relationship: The verse underlines the principle of not being unequally yoked (2 Cor 6:14-18), emphasizing the potential spiritual erosion when a partnership does not share core faith commitments.
  2. For a church community: It stresses the importance of maintaining distinctiveness in its values and practices, avoiding full assimilation into ungodly cultural norms that could compromise its mission and witness.