Nehemiah 10:30
New International Version
“We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.

New Living Translation
“We promise not to let our daughters marry the pagan people of the land, and not to let our sons marry their daughters.

English Standard Version
We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.

Berean Standard Bible
We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons.

King James Bible
And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons:

New King James Version
We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;

New American Standard Bible
and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.

NASB 1995
and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.

NASB 1977
and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.

Legacy Standard Bible
and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.

Amplified Bible
and that we will not give our daughters [as wives] to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.

Christian Standard Bible
We will not give our daughters in marriage to the surrounding peoples and will not take their daughters as wives for our sons.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
We will not give our daughters in marriage to the surrounding peoples and will not take their daughters as wives for our sons.

American Standard Version
and that we would not give our daughters unto the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;

Contemporary English Version
We won't let our sons and daughters marry foreigners.

English Revised Version
and that we would not give our daughters unto the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
We will not allow our daughters to marry the inhabitants of the land or allow their daughters to marry our sons.

Good News Translation
We will not intermarry with the foreigners living in our land.

International Standard Version
"We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons.

Majority Standard Bible
We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons.

NET Bible
"We will not give our daughters in marriage to the neighboring peoples, and we will not take their daughters in marriage for our sons.

New Heart English Bible
and that we would not give our daughters to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;

Webster's Bible Translation
And that we would not give our daughters to the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons:

World English Bible
and that we would not give our daughters to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and that we do not give our daughters to the peoples of the land, and we do not take their daughters to our sons;

Young's Literal Translation
and that we give not our daughters to the peoples of the land, and their daughters we take not to our sons;

Smith's Literal Translation
And that we will not give our daughters to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters to our sons:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And that we would not give our daughters to the people of the land, not take their daughters for our sons.

Catholic Public Domain Version
and that we would not give our daughters to the people of the land, and that we would not accept their daughters for our sons,

New American Bible
We will not marry our daughters to the local inhabitants, and we will not accept their daughters for our sons.

New Revised Standard Version
We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And that we would not give our daughters to the people of the land nor take their daughters for our sons;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And that we will not give our daughters to the Gentiles of the land, and their daughters we will not take for our sons.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
and that we would not give our daughters unto the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and that we will not, they said, give our daughters to the people of the land, nor will we take their daughters to our sons.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Vows of the Covenant
29hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord. 30 We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons. 31When the people of the land bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on a Sabbath or holy day. Every seventh year we will let the fields lie fallow, and will cancel every debt.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 7:3-4
Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, / 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.

Exodus 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. / And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.

Joshua 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, / know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.

Ezra 9:12
Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’

1 Kings 11:1-2
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / 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.

Judges 3:5-6
Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. / And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Malachi 2:11
Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god.

2 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? / What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? / What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” ...

1 Corinthians 7:39
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 7:12-14
To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. / And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. / For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

1 Corinthians 9:5
Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

Genesis 24:3-4
and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling, / but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Genesis 28:1-2
So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded. / “Go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel, and take a wife from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.

1 Kings 16:31
And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.

2 Chronicles 19:2
Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.


Treasury of Scripture

And that we would not give our daughters to the people of the land, not take their daughters for our sons:

Exodus 34:16
And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.

Deuteronomy 7:3
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.

Ezra 9:1-3,12-14
Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites…

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Nehemiah 10
1. The names of those who sealed the covenant.
29. The points of the covenant.














We will not give our daughters in marriage
This phrase reflects a solemn commitment made by the Israelites to uphold the sanctity of their community and faith. The Hebrew root for "give" (נָתַן, natan) implies a deliberate act of offering or surrendering. In the context of marriage, it signifies a covenantal relationship that is not merely a social contract but a spiritual union. Historically, intermarriage with surrounding nations often led to the dilution of religious practices and the introduction of idolatry, as seen in the accounts of Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-4). This commitment underscores the importance of maintaining a distinct identity as God's chosen people, set apart for His purposes.

to the peoples of the land
The "peoples of the land" refers to the various ethnic groups and tribes inhabiting the region surrounding Israel. These groups often practiced polytheism and engaged in customs contrary to the laws given to Israel. The Hebrew term for "peoples" (עַמִּים, amim) can denote nations or ethnic groups, emphasizing the diversity and potential influence of these cultures. Archaeological findings, such as those from the Canaanite and Philistine settlements, reveal religious practices that were in stark contrast to the monotheistic worship of Yahweh. The Israelites' resolve to avoid intermarriage was a protective measure to preserve their faith and obedience to God's commandments.

nor take their daughters for our sons
This part of the verse mirrors the earlier commitment, emphasizing reciprocity in the prohibition of intermarriage. The Hebrew word for "take" (לָקַח, laqach) suggests an active choice or acquisition, highlighting the responsibility of the community to guard against influences that could lead their sons astray. Scripturally, the dangers of such unions are illustrated in the narrative of Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31), where foreign influence led to widespread idolatry and moral decline. By refusing to take foreign daughters for their sons, the Israelites aimed to ensure that their households remained faithful to the covenant with God, fostering an environment where future generations could grow in the knowledge and fear of the Lord.

Verse 30. - That we would not give our daughters, etc. On the recurrence of the mixed marriages so soon after the reformation of Ezra, see the comment on Nehemiah 13:23.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
We will not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

give
נִתֵּ֥ן (nit·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

our daughters {in marriage}
בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּ (bə·nō·ṯê·nū)
Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 1323: A daughter

to the people
לְעַמֵּ֣י (lə·‘am·mê)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

of the land,
הָאָ֑רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

and we will not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

take
נִקַּ֖ח (niq·qaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 3947: To take

their daughters
בְּנֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם (bə·nō·ṯê·hem)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1323: A daughter

for our sons.
לְבָנֵֽינוּ׃ (lə·ḇā·nê·nū)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 1121: A son


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OT History: Nehemiah 10:30 And that we would not give our (Neh Ne)
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