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Ezra 10:1-44 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 Now when Ezra H5830 had prayed, H6419 and when he had confessed, H3034 weeping H1058 and casting himself down H5307 before H6440 the house H1004 of God, H430 there assembled H6908 unto him out of Israel H3478 a very H3966 great H7227 congregation H6951 of men H582 and women H802 and children: H3206 for the people H5971 wept H1058 very H7235 sore. H1059

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

18 And among the sons H1121 of the priests H3548 there were found H4672 that had taken H3427 strange H5237 wives: H802 namely, of the sons H1121 of Jeshua H3442 the son H1121 of Jozadak, H3136 and his brethren; H251 Maaseiah, H4641 and Eliezer, H461 and Jarib, H3402 and Gedaliah. H1436

19 And they gave H5414 their hands H3027 that they would put away H3318 their wives; H802 and being guilty, H818 they offered a ram H352 of the flock H6629 for their trespass. H819

20 And of the sons H1121 of Immer; H564 Hanani, H2607 and Zebadiah. H2069

21 And of the sons H1121 of Harim; H2766 Maaseiah, H4641 and Elijah, H452 and Shemaiah, H8098 and Jehiel, H3171 and Uzziah. H5818

22 And of the sons H1121 of Pashur; H6583 Elioenai, H454 Maaseiah, H4641 Ishmael, H3458 Nethaneel, H5417 Jozabad, H3107 and Elasah. H501

23 Also of the Levites; H3881 Jozabad, H3107 and Shimei, H8096 and Kelaiah, H7041 (the same is Kelita,) H7042 Pethahiah, H6611 Judah, H3063 and Eliezer. H461

24 Of the singers H7891 also; Eliashib: H475 and of the porters; H7778 Shallum, H7967 and Telem, H2928 and Uri. H221

25 Moreover of Israel: H3478 of the sons H1121 of Parosh; H6551 Ramiah, H7422 and Jeziah, H3150 and Malchiah, H4441 and Miamin, H4326 and Eleazar, H499 and Malchijah, H4441 and Benaiah. H1141

26 And of the sons H1121 of Elam; H5867 Mattaniah, H4983 Zechariah, H2148 and Jehiel, H3171 and Abdi, H5660 and Jeremoth, H3406 and Eliah. H452

27 And of the sons H1121 of Zattu; H2240 Elioenai, H454 Eliashib, H475 Mattaniah, H4983 and Jeremoth, H3406 and Zabad, H2066 and Aziza. H5819

28 Of the sons H1121 also of Bebai; H893 Jehohanan, H3076 Hananiah, H2608 Zabbai, H2140 H2079 and Athlai. H6270

29 And of the sons H1121 of Bani; H1137 Meshullam, H4918 Malluch, H4409 and Adaiah, H5718 Jashub, H3437 and Sheal, H7594 and Ramoth. H7433

30 And of the sons H1121 of Pahathmoab; H6355 Adna, H5733 and Chelal, H3636 Benaiah, H1141 Maaseiah, H4641 Mattaniah, H4983 Bezaleel, H1212 and Binnui, H1131 and Manasseh. H4519

31 And of the sons H1121 of Harim; H2766 Eliezer, H461 Ishijah, H3449 Malchiah, H4441 Shemaiah, H8098 Shimeon, H8095

32 Benjamin, H1144 Malluch, H4409 and Shemariah. H8114

33 Of the sons H1121 of Hashum; H2828 Mattenai, H4982 Mattathah, H4992 Zabad, H2066 Eliphelet, H467 Jeremai, H3413 Manasseh, H4519 and Shimei. H8096

34 Of the sons H1121 of Bani; H1137 Maadai, H4572 Amram, H6019 and Uel, H177

35 Benaiah, H1141 Bedeiah, H912 Chelluh, H3622

36 Vaniah, H2057 Meremoth, H4822 Eliashib, H475

37 Mattaniah, H4983 Mattenai, H4982 and Jaasau, H3299

38 And Bani, H1137 and Binnui, H1131 Shimei, H8096

39 And Shelemiah, H8018 and Nathan, H5416 and Adaiah, H5718

40 Machnadebai, H4367 Shashai, H8343 Sharai, H8298

41 Azareel, H5832 and Shelemiah, H8018 Shemariah, H8114

42 Shallum, H7967 Amariah, H568 and Joseph. H3130

43 Of the sons H1121 of Nebo; H5015 Jeiel, H3273 Mattithiah, H4993 Zabad, H2066 Zebina, H2081 Jadau, H3035 and Joel, H3100 Benaiah. H1141

44 All these had taken H5375 H5375 strange H5237 wives: H802 and some of them had H3426 wives H802 by whom they had H7760 children. H1121

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezra 10


Chapter 10

In this chapter we have that grievance redressed which was complained of and lamented in the foregoing chapter. Observe,

  • I. How the people's hearts were prepared for the redress of it by their deep humiliation for the sin (v. 1).
  • II. How it was proposed to Ezra by Shechaniah (v. 2-4).
  • III. How the proposal was put in execution.
    • 1. The great men were sworn to stand to it (v. 5).
    • 2. Ezra appeared first in it (v. 6).
    • 3. A general assembly was called (v. 7-9).
    • 4. They all, in compliance with Ezra's exhortation, agreed to the reformation (v. 10-14).
    • 5. Commissioners were appointed to sit "de die in diem'-day after day, to enquire who had married strange wives and to oblige them to put them away, which was done accordingly (v. 15-17), and a list of the names of those that were found guilty given in (v. 18-44).

Ezr 10:1-5

We are here told,

  • I. What good impressions were made upon the people by Ezra's humiliation and confession of sin. No sooner was it noised in the city that their new governor, in whom they rejoiced, was himself in grief, and to so great a degree, for them and their sin, than presently there assembled to him a very great congregation, to see what the matter was and to mingle their tears with his, v. 1. Our weeping for other people's sins may perhaps set those a weeping for them themselves who otherwise would continue senseless and remorseless. See what a happy influence the good examples of great ones may have upon their inferiors. When Ezra, a scribe, a scholar, a man in authority under the king, so deeply lamented the public corruptions, they concluded that they were indeed very grievous, else he would not thus have grieved for them; and this drew tears from every eye: men, women, and children, wept very sore, when he wept thus.
  • II. What a good motion Shechaniah made upon this occasion. The place was Bochim-a place of weepers; but, for aught that appears, there was a profound silence among them, as among Job's friends, who spoke not a word to him, because they saw that his grief was very great, till Shechaniah (one of Ezra's companions from Babylon, ch. 8:3, 5) stood up, and made a speech addressed to Ezra, in which,
    • 1. He owns the national guilt, sums up all Ezra's confession in one word, and sets to his seal that it is true: "We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives, v. 2. The matter is too plain to be denied and too bad to be excused.' It does not appear that Shechaniah was himself culpable in this matter (if he had had the beam in his own eye, he could not have seen so clearly to pluck it out of his brother's eye), but his father was guilty, and several of his father's house (as appears v. 26), and therefore he reckons himself among the trespassers; nor does he seek to excuse or palliate the sin, though some of his own relations were guilty of it, but, in the cause of God, says to his father, I have not known him, as Levi, Deu. 33:9. Perhaps the strange wife that his father had married had been an unjust unkind step-mother to him, and had made mischief in the family, and he supposed that others had done the like, which made him the more forward to appear against this corruption; if so, this was not the only time that private resentments have been over ruled by the providence of God to serve the public good.
    • 2. He encourages himself and others to hope that though the matter was bad it might be amended: Yet now there is hope in Israel (where else should there be hope but in Israel? those that are strangers to that commonwealth are said to have no hope, Eph. 2:12) even concerning this thing. The case is sad, but it is not desperate; the disease is threatening, but not incurable. There is hope that the people may be reformed, the guilty reclaimed, a stop put to the spreading of the contagion; and so the judgments which the sin deserves may be prevented and all will be well. Now there is hope; now that the disease is discovered it is half-cured. Now that the alarm is taken the people begin to be sensible of the mischief, and to lament it, a spirit of repentance seems to be poured out upon them, and they are all thus humbling themselves before God for it, now there is hope that God will forgive, and have mercy. The valley of Achor (that is, of trouble) is the door of hope (Hos. 2:15); for the sin that truly troubles us shall not ruin us. There is hope now that Israel has such a prudent, pious, zealous governor as Ezra to manage this affair. Note,
      • (1.) In melancholy times we must see and observe what makes for us, as well as what makes against us.
      • (2.) There may be good hopes through grace, even when there is the sense of great guilt before God.
      • (3.) Where sin is seen and lamented, and good steps are taken towards a reformation, even sinners ought to be encouraged.
      • (4.) Even great saints must thankfully receive seasonable counsel and comfort from those that are much their inferiors, as Ezra from Shechaniah.
    • 3. He advises that a speedy and effectual course should be taken for the divorcing of the strange wives. The case is plain; what has been done amiss must be undone again as far as possible; nothing less than this is true repentance. Let us put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, v. 3. Ezra, though he knew this was the only way of redressing the grievance, yet perhaps did not think it feasible, and despaired of ever bringing the people to it, which put him into that confusion in which we left him in the foregoing chapter; but Shechaniah, who conversed more with the people than he did, assured him the thing was practicable if they went wisely to work. As to us now, it is certain that sin must be put away, a bill of divorce must be given it, with a resolution never to have any thing more to do with it, though it be dear as the wife of thy bosom, nay, as a right eye or a right hand, otherwise there is no pardon, no peace. What has been unjustly got cannot be justly kept, but must be restored; but, as to the case of being unequally yoked with unbelievers, Shechaniah's counsel, which he was then so clear in, will not hold now; such marriages, it is certain, are sinful, and ought not to be made, but they are not null. Quod fieri non debuit, factum valet-That which ought not to have been done must, when done, abide. Our rule, under the gospel, is, If a brother has a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away, 1 Co. 7:12, 13.
    • 4. He puts them in a good method for the effecting of this reformation, and shows them not only that it must be done, but how.
      • (1.) "Let Ezra, and all those that are present in this assembly, agree in a resolution that this must be done (pass a vote immediately to this effect: it will now pass nemine contradicente-unanimously), that it may be said to be done according to the counsel of my lord, the president of the assembly, with the unanimous concurrence of those that tremble at the commandment of our God, which is the description of those that were gathered to him, ch. 9:4. Declare it to be the sense of all the sober serious people among us, which cannot but have a great sway among Israelites.'
      • (2.) "Let the command of God in this matter, which Ezra recited in his prayer, be laid before the people, and let them see that it is done according to the law; we have that to warrant us, nay, that binds us to what we do; it is not an addition of our own to the divine law, but the necessary execution of it.'
      • (3.) "While we are in a good mind, let us bind ourselves by a solemn vow and covenant that we will do it, lest, when the present impressions are worn off, the thing be left undone. Let us covenant, not only that, if we have strange wives ourselves, we will put them away, but that, if we have not, we will do what we can in our places to oblige others to put away theirs.'
      • (4.) "Let Ezra himself preside in this matter, who is authorized by the king's commission to enquire whether the law of God be duly observed in Judah and Jerusalem (ch. 7:14), and let us all resolve to stand by him in it (v. 4): Arise, be of good courage. Weeping, in this case, is good, but reforming is better.' See what God said to Joshua in a like case, Jos. 7:10, 11.
  • III. What a good resolution they came to upon this good motion, v. 5. They not only agreed that it should be done, but bound themselves with an oath that they would do according to this word. Fast bind, fast find.

Ezr 10:6-14

We have here an account of the proceedings upon the resolutions lately taken up concerning the strange wives; no time was lost; they struck when the iron was hot, and soon set the wheels of reformation a-going.

  • 1. Ezra went to the council-chamber where, it is probable, the priests used to meet upon public business; and till he came thither (so bishop Patrick thinks it should be read), till he saw something done, and more likely to be done, for the redress of this grievance, he did neither eat nor drink, but continued mourning. Sorrow for sin should be abiding sorrow; be sure to let it continue till the sin be put away.
  • 2. He sent orders to all the children of the captivity to attend him at Jerusalem within three days (v. 7, 8); and, being authorized by the king to enforce his orders with penalties annexed (ch. 7:26), he threatened that whosoever refused to obey the summons should forfeit his estate and be outlawed. The doom of him that would not attend on this religious occasion should be that his substance should, in his stead, be for ever after appropriated to the service of their religion, and he himself, for his contempt, should for ever after be excluded from the honours and privileges of their religion; he should be excommunicated.
  • 3. Within the time limited the generality of the people met at Jerusalem and made their appearance in the street of the house of God, v. 9. Those that had no zeal for the work they were called to, nay, perhaps had a dislike to it, being themselves delinquents, yet paid such a deference to Ezra's authority, and were so awed by the penalty, that they durst not stay away.
  • 4. God gave them a token of his displeasure in the great rain that happened at that time (v. 9 and again v. 13), which perhaps kept some away, and was very grievous to those that met in the open street. When they wept the heavens wept too, signifying that, though God was angry with them for their sin, yet he was well pleased with their repentance, and (as it is said, Jdg. 10:16) his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel; it was also an indication of the good fruits of their repentance, for the rain makes the earth fruitful.
  • 5. Ezra gave the charge at this great assize. He told them upon what account he called them together now, that it was because he found that since their return out of captivity they had increased the trespass of Israel by marrying strange wives, had added to their former sins this new transgression, which would certainly be a means of again introducing idolatry, the very sin they had smarted for and which he hoped they had been cured of in their captivity; and he called them together that they might confess their sin to God, and, having done that, might declare themselves ready and willing to do his pleasure, as it should be made known to them (which all those will do that truly repent of what they have done to incur his displeasure), and particularly that they might separate themselves from all idolaters, especially idolatrous wives, v. 10, 11. On these heads, we may suppose, he enlarged, and probably made such another confession of the sin now as he made ch. 9, to which he required them to say Amen.
  • 6. The people submitted not only to Ezra's jurisdiction in general, but to his inquisition and determination in this matter: "As thou hast said, so must we do, v. 12. We have sinned in mingling with the heathen, and have thereby been in danger, not only of being corrupted by them, for we are frail, but of being lost among them, for we are few; we are therefore convinced that there is an absolute necessity of our separating from them again.' There is hope concerning people when they are convinced, not only that it is good to part with their sins, but that it is indispensably necessary: we must do it, or we are undone.
  • 7. It was agreed that this affair should be carried on, not in a popular assembly, nor that they should think to go through with it all on a sudden, but that a court of delegates should be appointed to receive complaints and to hear and determine upon them. It could not be done at this time, for it was not put into a method, nor could the people stand out because of the rain. The delinquents were many, and it would require time to discover and examine them. Nice cases would arise, which could not be adjudged without debate and deliberation, v. 13. "And therefore let the crowd be dismissed, and the rulers stand to receive informations; let them proceed city by city, and let the offenders be convicted before them in the presence of the judges and elders of their own city; and let them be entrusted to see the orders executed. Thus take time and we shall have done the sooner; whereas, if we do it in a hurry, we shall do it by halves, v. 14. If, in this method, a thorough reformation be made, the fierce wrath of God will be turned from us, which, we are sensible, is ready to break forth against us for this transgression.' Ezra was willing that his zeal should be guided by the people's prudence, and put the matter into this method; he was not ashamed to own that the advice came from them, any more than he was to comply with it.

Ezr 10:15-44

The method of proceeding in this matter being concluded on, and the congregation dismissed, that each in his respective place might gain and give intelligence to facilitate the matter, we are here told,

  • 1. Who were the persons that undertook to manage the matter and bring the causes regularly before the commissioners-Jonathan and Jahaziah, two active men, whether of the priests or of the people does not appear; probably they were the men that made that proposal (v. 13, 14) and were therefore the fittest to see it pursued; two honest Levites were joined with them, and helped them, v. 15. Dr. Lightfoot gives a contrary sense of this: only (or nevertheless) Jonathan and Jahaziah stood against this matter (which reading the original will very well bear), and these two Levites helped them in opposing it, either the thing itself or this method of proceeding. It was strange if a work of this kind was carried on and met with no opposition.
  • 2. Who were the commissioners that sat upon this matter. Ezra was president, and with him certain chief men of the fathers who were qualified with wisdom and zeal above others for this service, v. 16. It was happy for them that they had such a man as Ezra to head them; they could not have done it well without his direction, yet he would not do it without their concurrence.
  • 3. How long they were about it. They began the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter (v. 16), which was but ten days after this method was proposed (v. 9), and they finished in three months, v. 17. They sat closely and minded their business, otherwise they could not have despatched so many causes as they had before them in so little time; for we may suppose that all who were impeached were fairly asked what cause they could show why they should not be parted, and, if we may judge by other cases, provided the wife were proselyted to the Jewish religion she was not to be put away, the trial of which would require great care.
  • 4. Who the persons were that were found guilty of this crime. Their names are here recorded to their perpetual reproach; many of the priests, nay, of the family of Jeshua, the high priest, were found guilty (v. 18), though the law had particularly provided, for the preserving of their honour in their marriages, that being holy themselves they should not marry such as were profane, Lev. 21:7. Those that should have taught others the law broke it themselves and by their example emboldened others to do likewise. But, having lost their innocency in this matter, they did well to recant and give an example of repentance; for they promised under their hand to put away their strange wives (some think that they made oath to do so with their hands lifted up), and they took the appointed way of obtaining pardon, bringing the ram which was appointed by the law for a trespass offering (Lev. 6:6), so owning their guilt and the desert of it, and humbly suing for forgiveness. About 113 in all are here named who had married strange wives, and some of them, it is said (v. 44), had children by them, which implies that not many of them had, God not crowning those marriages with the blessing of increase. Whether the children were turned off with the mothers, as Shechaniah proposed, does not appear; it should seem not: however it is probable that the wives which were put away were well provided for, according to their rank. One would think this grievance was now thoroughly redressed, yet we meet with it again (Neh. 13:23 and Mal. 2:11), for such corruptions are easily and insensibly brought in, but not without great difficulty purged out again. The best reformers can but do their endeavour, but, when the Redeemer himself shall come to Sion, he shall effectually turn away ungodliness from Jacob.