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2 Samuel describes how David married a foreign wife and had a son with her, conflicting with Ezra, which considers this a serious covenant violation that required the immediate divorce of Israelites from their foreign wives.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
2 Samuel 3:3
Hebrew Bible
1 However, the war was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David. David was becoming steadily stronger, while the house of Saul was becoming increasingly weaker. 2 Now sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, born to Ahinoam the Jezreelite. 3 His second son was Kileab, born to Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. His third son was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. 4 His fourth son was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. His fifth son was Shephatiah, the son of Abital.
Ezra 10:3
Hebrew Bible
1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelites—men, women, and children alike—gathered around him. The people wept loudly. 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the local peoples. Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. 3 Therefore let us enact a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, and that of those who respect the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law. 4 Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”
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Notes and References
"... Bautsch summaries the work of various scholars using the method of intertextual studies, working 'closely with the most determined data in the text, namely, words and expressions'. Bautsch refers to Fishbane's intertextual analysis of Ezra 9:1-10:19 as an example. There was no indication in the Torah for the expulsion of foreign spouses. Intermarriage was even tolerated (Genesis 41:45; Numbers 12:1-8; Ruth 1:4; 2 Samuel 3:3). To ratify the dissolving of marriages with foreign wives, the author of Ezra 10:3-5 used Deuteronomy 7:1-3 to develop a legal argument. Intertextual exegesis was used here to widen older Pentateuchal stipulations (the traditum) to legalize the ideological actions of a newer time (traditio). In this process, other sources no longer available could have been used ..."
Venter, Pieter M.
The Dissolving of Marriages in Ezra 9-10 and Nehemiah 13 Revisited
(pp. 1-7) HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 74(4), 2018
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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