Intermarriage In The Bible

In the book of Ezra, the main focus is the return of the exiles to Judah from Babylon, and the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple. This return was approved by Cyrus, who was the king of Persia at the time. Under the imperial rule of Persia and permitted by the edict to return to their land, the exiles were able to eventually implement the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Law of Moses, as an authoritative tool in both public and personal life.
The idea of the Law being used as a figure of authority can be seen in Chapter Nine; throughout the chapter, the author is exceedingly distressed, because he is told that the people of Israel “[had] not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations” (Ezra 9.1b). After showing physical signs of distress at this news, the author of this chapter proceeds to fall on his knees and lift his hands toward Yahweh. In what …show more content…
It is written that Yahweh commanded the people to not “give [their] daughters” as wives to foreign men nor for them to take foreign women as wives for their sons (Ezra 9.12a). By having the presence of intermarriage in their midst, the people or “the holy seed”, had tainted themselves; these acts were not only committed by random Israelites, but also by “the priests, and the Levites” (9.1-2). The author of this chapter acknowledges the depth of the peoples’ disobedience, saying that their “iniquities have risen higher than [their] heads” (Ezra 9.6a). Despite their ancestors being exiled from the land, the people showed their ignorance by refusing to acknowledge the mercy that Yahweh had shown them by letting them “[escape] as a remnant” (Ezra 9.15a). The author of this chapter was very concerned that the “[breaking] of [Yahweh’s] commands” concerning intermarriage will cause Him, in His anger, to destroy the lingering