The Meaning of Ezra 9:12 Explained

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.

YLT: and now, your daughters ye do not give to their sons, and their daughters ye do not take to your sons, and ye do not seek their peace, and their good -- unto the age, so that ye are strong, and have eaten the good of the land, and given possession to your sons unto the age.

Darby: Now therefore give not your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity 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.

ASV: now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Ezra 9:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 9:1-15 - A Leader's Sorrows For His People's Sins
The mingling of the holy seed with heathen peoples was always the curse of Israel, and it has been the temptation of God's children in every age. Do we sufficiently tremble at the words of the God of Israel because of our sins or those of others? The humiliation and anguish of soul experienced by Ezra and his associates are a great rebuke to us. We are indignant, but we do not view sin from God's standpoint. Notice the humility of his prayer, I blush to lift up my face; its vicarious confession of sin; its acknowledgment of God's grace in giving a little reviving; its recital of the aggravation which had dyed their sin of a deeper hue. Israel was intended to live in Canaan as a separated people. The land itself could not yield its good, or remain their permanent inheritance on condition of their fidelity to God. When confession of sin has been made, let us stand before God claiming forgiveness, acceptance, and cleansing, through the precious blood of Christ, 1 John 1:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 9

1  Ezra mourns for the affinity of the people with strangers
5  He prays unto God, with confession of sins

What do the individual words in Ezra 9:12 mean?

Now therefore your daughters not do give as wives for their sons and their daughters nor take to your sons and never seek their peace or prosperity even to ever that you may be strong and eat - the good of the land and leave [it] as an inheritance to your children forever
וְ֠עַתָּה בְּֽנוֹתֵיכֶ֞ם אַל־ תִּתְּנ֣וּ לִבְנֵיהֶ֗ם וּבְנֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ אַל־ תִּשְׂא֣וּ לִבְנֵיכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־ תִדְרְשׁ֧וּ שְׁלֹמָ֛ם וְטוֹבָתָ֖ם עַד־ עוֹלָ֑ם לְמַ֣עַן תֶּחֶזְק֗וּ וַאֲכַלְתֶּם֙ אֶת־ ט֣וּב הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּ֥ם לִבְנֵיכֶ֖ם עוֹלָֽם

וְ֠עַתָּה  Now  therefore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
בְּֽנוֹתֵיכֶ֞ם  your  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
תִּתְּנ֣וּ  do  give  as  wives 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִבְנֵיהֶ֗ם  for  their  sons 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וּבְנֹֽתֵיהֶם֙  and  their  daughters 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
אַל־  nor 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תִּשְׂא֣וּ  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
לִבְנֵיכֶ֔ם  to  your  sons 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְלֹֽא־  and  never 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תִדְרְשׁ֧וּ  seek 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.
שְׁלֹמָ֛ם  their  peace 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
וְטוֹבָתָ֖ם  or  prosperity 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
עַד־  even  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
עוֹלָ֑ם  ever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
לְמַ֣עַן  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
תֶּחֶזְק֗וּ  you  may  be  strong 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
וַאֲכַלְתֶּם֙  and  eat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
ט֣וּב  the  good 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: טוּב  
Sense: goods, good things, goodness.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּ֥ם  and  leave  [it]  as  an  inheritance 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
לִבְנֵיכֶ֖ם  to  your  children 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עוֹלָֽם  forever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.