Deuteronomy 7:3
1 When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you—
2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.
Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,
4 because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.
5 Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,
- KJV
- Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
- WEB
- You shall not make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter for your son.
- ASV
- neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
- DARBY
- And thou shalt make no marriages with them: thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor take his daughter for thy son;
- BLB
- And you shall not join in marriage with them; your daughter you shall not give to their son, and their daughter you shall not take for your son.
- ÅB
- Du skal ikke inngå svogerskap med dem; du skal ikke gi dine døtre til hans sønner og ikke ta hans døtre til hustruer for dine sønner;
- OTB
- Unngå å inngå ekteskap med dem. Ikke gi dine døtre til deres sønner, og ikke ta deres døtre til dine sønner,
- B1930
- Du skal ikke inngå svogerskap med dem; du skal ikke gi dine døtre til hans sønner og ikke ta hans døtre til hustruer for dine sønner;
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Kings 11:2
These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.
Read in contextJoshua 23:12–13
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,
Read in contextExodus 34:15–16
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.
Read in contextNehemiah 13:23–27
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
Read in contextJudges 3:6–7
And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
Read in context2 Corinthians 6:14–17
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
Read in contextEzra 9:1–2
After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
Read in contextGenesis 6:2–3
the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.
Read in context