God had charged the children of Israel not to intermarry with the peoples of the land when they entered into the good land (v. 12; Deut. 7:1-6). At Ezra’s time not only the common people but even the priests and the Levites had foreign wives (v. 1). Ezra confessed that because of their taking foreign wives Israel despised and neglected their right to enjoy the good land and, as a result, were given by God into captivity (vv. 7, 10-15). Cf. note 1 Kings 3:1¹, note 2 Cor. 6:14^2a and note 2 Cor. 6:14^3b.