There was a root cause to their unholy marriages. They had disregarded the admonition to be a separate people; their lives were intertwined with the peoples of the land (Ezra 10:11). One will never marry an unbeliever if one never dates an unbeliever. Friendship with the world leads to friendships between peoples and the passions of the heart should never be underestimated. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23).