Neither shall you make marriages with them; your daughter you shall not give to his son, nor his daughter shall you take to your son.
Genesis 6:2,3 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose…
Exodus 34:15,16 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; …
Joshua 23:12,13 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: …
Do not give your daughters to their sons
This phrase emphasizes the active role of the Israelite community in preventing intermarriage. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, marriages were often arranged by families, and daughters were given in marriage as part of alliances or social contracts. By prohibiting the giving of daughters to Canaanite sons, the Israelites were to avoid forming alliances that could lead to spiritual compromise. This reflects a broader biblical theme of separation from ungodly influences, as seen in 2 Corinthians 6:14, which warns against being "unequally yoked" with unbelievers.
or take their daughters for your sons,
The reciprocal nature of the command highlights the equal importance of both sides of the marriage equation. Taking Canaanite daughters for Israelite sons would similarly introduce foreign religious practices into Israelite households. This concern for spiritual integrity is echoed in Ezra 9-10 and Nehemiah 13, where the post-exilic community addresses the issue of intermarriage with foreign women. The command serves as a type of Christ's call for His followers to remain pure and devoted, as the Church is often depicted as the bride of Christ, called to be holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:25-27).
“Do not intermarry with them.” (Deuteronomy 7:3)
• “Them” refers to the seven Canaanite nations named in Deuteronomy 7:1. God was leading Israel into their land, but Israel was not to absorb their ways.
• The command safeguards Israel’s covenant identity: “You are a people holy to the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 7:6). Holiness means being set apart, not blended with cultures committed to idols.
• Intermarriage with idolaters easily leads to shared worship practices. God warns of this immediately: “For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods” (Deuteronomy 7:4).
• History confirms the danger. Solomon “loved many foreign women,” and “his wives turned his heart after other gods” (1 Kings 11:1–4).
• Ezra faced the same issue centuries later, tearing his garments when he heard that “the Israelites… have taken some of their daughters as wives” (Ezra 9:1–2).
• The principle carries into the New Testament: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). The spiritual mismatch, not ethnicity, remains the concern.
• God is not against interethnic marriage; He is against union with those who reject Him. Rahab (Joshua 6) and Ruth (Ruth 4) are celebrated foreign women who trusted the LORD and married into Israel.
“Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons.” (Deuteronomy 7:3)
• Parents had authority—and responsibility—over marital arrangements. God calls them to guard their children’s faith above social, political, or economic gain.
• The wording covers both directions: Israel was not to initiate marriages (give) or accept proposals (take) that crossed into idolatrous households.
• Nehemiah confronted this very violation: “I rebuked them and cursed them and beat some of their men… because they had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab” (Nehemiah 13:23–27).
• Malachi mourns, “Judah has profaned the sanctuary… marrying the daughter of a foreign god” (Malachi 2:11). The issue is spiritual adultery.
• For believers today, the charge is echoed in 1 Corinthians 7:39—“she is free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord.” Parents, pastors, and friends should encourage marriages that unite two disciples of Christ.
• When marriages do form across belief lines, 1 Peter 3:1–2 and 1 Corinthians 7:12–16 give counsel for faithful witness within the home, yet the ideal remains clear: guard the faith at the outset.
God’s command in Deuteronomy 7:3 protects His people from compromise. He forbids marriages with those devoted to other gods so that Israel stays loyal, holy, and distinct. The timeless principle is that believers are to prize faithfulness to the LORD above every relational tie, ensuring that marriage fosters, rather than hinders, wholehearted devotion to Him.
Verse 3. - Neither shalt thou make marriages with them. Brought into intimate relations with idolaters, they might be seduced into idolatry; and where marriage was contracted with an idolater, the children might be brought up in idolatry. Such unions were forbidden.