Venter, P.M. (Pieter Michiel), 1947-2018-06-112018-06-112018-02-22Venter, P.M., 2018, ‘The dissolving of marriages in Ezra 9–10 and Nehemiah 13 revisited’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 74(4), a4854. https://DOI. org/ 10.4102/hts.v74i4.4854.0259-9422 (print)2072-8050 (online)10.4102/hts.v74i4.4854http://hdl.handle.net/2263/65110The ‘harsh’ decision in Ezra 10:1–44 and Nehemiah 13:23–31 to terminate marriages with ‘foreign’ women falls strange on modern ears. This article reads these sections against the background of identity formation in Ezra-Nehemiah. It is proposed that these two passages should be studied on more than just one level. It states that synchronic, literary-redactional and socio-historical methods are to be combined in an effort to better understand why marriages were dissolved in Ezra and Nehemiah.en© 2018. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.Marriages dissolutionIdentity formationEzra 9-10Nehemiah 13Dissolving of marriagesPost-exilic judaismIntermarriageSocial reform in ancient IsraelCovenantGender roles in the bibleTheology articles SDG-05SDG-05: Gender equalityTheology articles SDG-10SDG-10: Reduced inequalitiesTheology articles SDG-16SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutionsArticle