Men, Masculinities and
Intermarriage in Ezra 9–10
Offering a reading of the intermarriage debate and expulsion of the foreign
women in Ezra 9–10, this book engages with the production and performance of
masculinities in this biblical text, shifting the focus away from the ‘foreign women’
to the men who are the primary actors in this work.
This approach addresses the diversity of masculinities and the ways in which
they are implicated in the production of power relations in the text. It explores the
‘feminized’ masculinity of the peoples-of-the-lands, the unstable masculinity of the
golah, Ezra’s performance of penitential masculinity and the rehabilitation of
divine masculinity. The rejection of the marriages and the call for the expulsion
of the women and children are addressed as sites on which masculinities and power
relations are configured. In doing so, this book sheds light on how women and the
traits and performances culturally ascribed to women, femininity and inferior
masculinities are appropriated to produce masculinities and negotiate power
relations between men. It posits that the debate in Ezra 9–10 is not, ultimately,
about the women themselves, but about bringing the masculinities, bodies and
practices of dissenting men under the ‘management’ of those who wield the Torah
in the narrative world of the text.
Men, Masculinities and Intermarriage in Ezra-9–10 is of interest for scholars
and students working on the book of Ezra specifically, as well as the Hebrew Bible
and its world more broadly. It is also a valuable study for those working on
masculinities and gender in the biblical world and ancient Near East.
Elisabeth M. Cook is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Biblical Interpretation at the
Universidad Bíblica Latinoamericana in San José, Costa Rica where she has held
the position of Rector since 2017.
Routledge Studies in the Biblical World
Routledge Studies in the Biblical World publishes edited collections and
monographs which explore the Hebrew Bible in its ancient context. The
series encompasses all aspects of the world of the Hebrew bible, including its
archaeological, historical, and theological context, as well as exploring cultural
issues such as urbanism, literary culture, class, economics, and sexuality and
gender. Aimed at biblical scholars and historians alike, Studies in the Biblical
World is an invaluable resource for anyone researching the ancient Levant.
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Brian Charles DiPalma
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Brian Rainey
Job’s Body and the Dramatised Comedy of Moralising
Katherine E. Southwood
Male Friendship, Homosociality, and Women in the Hebrew Bible
Malignant Fraternities
Barbara Thiede
Embodiment of Divine Knowledge in Early Judaism
Andrei A. Orlov
Cultures of Mobility, Migration, and Religion in Ancient Israel and Its World
Eric M. Trinka
Men, Masculinities and Intermarriage in Ezra 9–10
Elisabeth M. Cook
For more information about this series please visit: https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Studies-inthe-Biblical-World/book-series/BIBWORLD
Men, Masculinities and
Intermarriage in Ezra 9–10
Elisabeth M. Cook
First published 2024
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2024 Elisabeth M. Cook
The right of Elisabeth M. Cook to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
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without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-032-34217-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-34218-4 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-32106-4 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/b23091
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
In loving memory of my mother, Beverly Jean Steike
(1932–2022)
Contents
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations
Preface
1
Introduction: the problem with the foreign women in
Ezra 9–10
Introduction 1
The problem with the problem of the foreign women 3
The ‘real’ women of Yehud 6
Embracing ambiguity 9
Outline of the book 11
References 18
ix
x
xii
1
2
What masculinities do to help
Introduction 23
Gender matters 24
Men and masculinities in the Hebrew Bible 26
Gendering otherness 28
References 33
23
3
Gendering otherness in Ezra 9–10
Introduction 38
The men of the golah 38
The enemy is a ‘she’ 40
Daughters of the Canaanites 42
People of menstrual impurity 44
Golah masculinity and its discontents 46
References 52
38
viii Contents
4
Mourning and masculinity
Introduction 56
Ezra the man 56
Ezra the mourner 59
The power of mourning 63
Problematizing priestly performance 67
References 75
56
5
The masculinization of Yhwh
Introduction 79
The silent god of Ezra 9–10 79
The problem of the exile for the masculinity of Yhwh 82
The supreme monarch 85
The benevolent provider 88
The imperial lawgiver 92
References 101
79
6
Intermarriage, foreign women and masculinities
Introduction 105
Intermarriage and masculinities 105
Managing men 110
Foreign women and golah masculinities 116
References 125
105
7
Conclusion: masculinities matter
Introduction 128
On men and masculinities in Ezra 9–10 129
Managing men 131
Beyond the text 132
References 135
128
Index
137