Dec 16, 2004 · “The Jewish community was 'holy seed,' the heathens belonged to the 'uncleanness of the nations.' Hence, intermarriage was defilement. The ...

Constructing the temple, restoring the worship of Yahweh, and building national spiritual integrity necessitated breaking cultural and even marital bonds.

It is tempting to transpose this section to follow 3:9 . The connection would then be all that is desired” (126). Concerning 4:7-24 a he asserts, “In MT. [sic] ...