2 And Shechaniah H7935 the son H1121 of Jehiel, H3171 one of the sons H1121 of Elam, H5867 answered H6030 and said H559 unto Ezra, H5830 We have trespassed H4603 against our God, H430 and have taken H3427 strange H5237 wives H802 of the people H5971 of the land: H776 yet now there is H3426 hope H4723 in Israel H3478 concerning this thing.
3 Now therefore let us make H3772 a covenant H1285 with our God H430 to put away H3318 all the wives, H802 and such as are born H3205 of them, according to the counsel H6098 of my lord, H136 and of those that tremble H2730 at the commandment H4687 of our God; H430 and let it be done H6213 according to the law. H8451
4 Arise; H6965 for this matter H1697 belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, H2388 and do H6213 it.
5 Then arose H6965 Ezra, H5830 and made the chief H8269 priests, H3548 the Levites, H3881 and all Israel, H3478 to swear H7650 that they should do H6213 according to this word. H1697 And they sware. H7650
6 Then Ezra H5830 rose up H6965 from before H6440 the house H1004 of God, H430 and went H3212 into the chamber H3957 of Johanan H3076 the son H1121 of Eliashib: H475 and when he came H3212 thither, he did eat H398 no bread, H3899 nor drink H8354 water: H4325 for he mourned H56 because of the transgression H4604 of them that had been carried away. H1473
7 And they made proclamation H5674 H6963 throughout Judah H3063 and Jerusalem H3389 unto all the children H1121 of the captivity, H1473 that they should gather themselves together H6908 unto Jerusalem; H3389
8 And that whosoever would not come H935 within three H7969 days, H3117 according to the counsel H6098 of the princes H8269 and the elders, H2205 all his substance H7399 should be forfeited, H2763 and himself separated H914 from the congregation H6951 of those that had been carried away. H1473
9 Then all the men H582 of Judah H3063 and Benjamin H1144 gathered themselves together H6908 unto Jerusalem H3389 within three H7969 days. H3117 It was the ninth H8671 month, H2320 on the twentieth H6242 day of the month; H2320 and all the people H5971 sat H3427 in the street H7339 of the house H1004 of God, H430 trembling H7460 because of this matter, H1697 and for the great rain. H1653
10 And Ezra H5830 the priest H3548 stood up, H6965 and said H559 unto them, Ye have transgressed, H4603 and have taken H3427 strange H5237 wives, H802 to increase H3254 the trespass H819 of Israel. H3478
11 Now therefore make H5414 confession H8426 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of your fathers, H1 and do H6213 his pleasure: H7522 and separate H914 yourselves from the people H5971 of the land, H776 and from the strange H5237 wives. H802
12 Then all the congregation H6951 answered H6030 and said H559 with a loud H1419 voice, H6963 As thou hast said, H1697 so must we do. H6213
13 But H61 the people H5971 are many, H7227 and it is a time H6256 of much rain, H1653 and we are not able H3581 to stand H5975 without, H2351 neither is this a work H4399 of one H259 day H3117 or two: H8147 for we are many H7235 that have transgressed H6586 in this thing. H1697
14 Let now our rulers H8269 of all the congregation H6951 stand, H5975 and let all them which have taken H3427 strange H5237 wives H802 in our cities H5892 come H935 at appointed H2163 times, H6256 and with them the elders H2205 of every city, H5892 and the judges H8199 thereof, until the fierce H2740 wrath H639 of our God H430 for this matter H1697 be turned H7725 from us.
15 Only Jonathan H3129 the son H1121 of Asahel H6214 and Jahaziah H3167 the son H1121 of Tikvah H8616 were employed H5975 about this matter: and Meshullam H4918 and Shabbethai H7678 the Levite H3881 helped H5826 them.
16 And the children H1121 of the captivity H1473 did so. H6213 And Ezra H5830 the priest, H3548 with certain H582 chief H7218 of the fathers, H1 after the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 and all of them by their names, H8034 were separated, H914 and sat down H3427 in the first H259 day H3117 of the tenth H6224 month H2320 to examine H1875 the matter. H1697
17 And they made an end H3615 with all the men H582 that had taken H3427 strange H5237 wives H802 by the first H259 day H3117 of the first H7223 month. H2320
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ezra 10
Commentary on Ezra 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
Ezr 10:1-17. Ezra Reforms the Strange Marriages.
1. Now when Ezra had prayed—As this prayer was uttered in public, while there was a general concourse of the people at the time of the evening sacrifice and as it was accompanied with all the demonstrations of poignant sorrow and anguish, it is not surprising that the spectacle of a man so respected, a priest so holy, a governor so dignified as Ezra, appearing distressed and filled with fear at the sad state of things, should produce a deep sensation; and the report of his passionate grief and expressions in the court of the temple having rapidly spread through the city, a great multitude flocked to the spot.
2-4. Shechaniah … answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed—This was one of the leading men, who was not himself a delinquent in the matter, for his name does not occur in the following list. He spoke in the general name of the people, and his conduct evinced a tender conscience, as well as no small fortitude in making such a proposal; for as his father and five paternal uncles (Ezr 10:26) were involved in the guilt of unlawful marriages, he showed, by the measure he recommended, that he deemed it better to obey God than to please his nearest relatives.
yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing—This hope, however, depended on timely measures of reformation, and therefore, instead of surrendering themselves to despair or despondency, he counselled them to amend their error without delay, relying on God's mercy for the past. Though the proposal may seem harsh and cruel, yet in the peculiar circumstances of the Jews it was just as well as necessary; and he urged the duty of seeing it executed on Ezra, as the only person competent to carry it into effect, being possessed of skill and address for so delicate and difficult a work, and invested by God, and under Him by the Persian king (Ezr 7:23-28), with the requisite authority to enforce it.
5-8. Then Ezra … went into the chamber of Johanan—At a private council of the princes and elders held there, under the presidency of Ezra, it was resolved to enter into a general covenant to put away their foreign wives and children; that a proclamation should be made for all who had returned from Babylon to repair within three days to Jerusalem, under pain of excommunication and confiscation of their property.
9-11. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin—The returned captives belonged chiefly to these tribes; but other Israelites are also included under these names, as they all were then occupying the territory formerly assigned to those two tribes.
It was the ninth month—that is, between the end of December and the beginning of January, which is the coldest and most rainy season of the year in Palestine.
all the people sat in the street—that is, the court.
10-17. Ezra the priest stood up, and said—Having fully represented the enormity of their sin and urged them to dissolve their unlawful connections, he was gratified by receiving a prompt acknowledgment of the justice of his reproof and a promise of compliance with his recommendation. But as the weather was ungenial and the defaulters were too numerous to be passed in review at one time, it was resolved that a commission should be appointed to examine into the whole matter. These commissioners, assisted by the judges and elders of the respective cities, made a minute investigation into every case, and after three months' labor completely removed all traces of the abuse. Doubtless, an adequate provision was made for the repudiated wives and children, according to the means and circumstances of the husbands.
Ezr 10:18-44. Those That Had Taken Strange Wives.
18. among the sons of the priests—From the names of so many men of rank appearing in the following list, some idea may be formed of the great and complicated difficulties attending the reformatory work.
19. they gave their hands—that is, came under a solemn engagement, which was usually ratified by pledging the right hand (Pr 6:1; Eze 17:18). The delinquents of the priestly order bound themselves to do like the common Israelites (Ezr 10:25), and sought to expiate their sin by sacrificing a ram as a trespass offering.