2 For they have taken H5375 of their daughters H1323 for themselves, and for their sons: H1121 so that the holy H6944 seed H2233 have mingled H6148 themselves with the people H5971 of those lands: H776 yea, the hand H3027 of the princes H8269 and rulers H5461 hath been chief H7223 in this trespass. H4604
In those days H3117 also saw H7200 I Jews H3064 that had married H3427 wives H802 of Ashdod, H796 of Ammon, H5984 and of Moab: H4125 And their children H1121 spake H1696 half H2677 in the speech of Ashdod, H797 and could H5234 not speak H1696 in the Jews' language, H3066 but according to the language H3956 of each H5971 people. H5971
And thou take H3947 of their daughters H1323 unto thy sons, H1121 and their daughters H1323 go a whoring H2181 after H310 their gods, H430 and make H2181 thy sons H1121 go a whoring H2181 after H310 their gods. H430
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 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 And of the sons H1121 of Immer; H564 Hanani, H2607 and Zebadiah. H2069 And of the sons H1121 of Harim; H2766 Maaseiah, H4641 and Elijah, H452 and Shemaiah, H8098 and Jehiel, H3171 and Uzziah. H5818 And of the sons H1121 of Pashur; H6583 Elioenai, H454 Maaseiah, H4641 Ishmael, H3458 Nethaneel, H5417 Jozabad, H3107 and Elasah. H501 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 Of the singers H7891 also; Eliashib: H475 and of the porters; H7778 Shallum, H7967 and Telem, H2928 and Uri. H221 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 And of the sons H1121 of Elam; H5867 Mattaniah, H4983 Zechariah, H2148 and Jehiel, H3171 and Abdi, H5660 and Jeremoth, H3406 and Eliah. H452 And of the sons H1121 of Zattu; H2240 Elioenai, H454 Eliashib, H475 Mattaniah, H4983 and Jeremoth, H3406 and Zabad, H2066 and Aziza. H5819 Of the sons H1121 also of Bebai; H893 Jehohanan, H3076 Hananiah, H2608 Zabbai, H2140 H2079 and Athlai. H6270 And of the sons H1121 of Bani; H1137 Meshullam, H4918 Malluch, H4409 and Adaiah, H5718 Jashub, H3437 and Sheal, H7594 and Ramoth. H7433 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 And of the sons H1121 of Harim; H2766 Eliezer, H461 Ishijah, H3449 Malchiah, H4441 Shemaiah, H8098 Shimeon, H8095 Benjamin, H1144 Malluch, H4409 and Shemariah. H8114 Of the sons H1121 of Hashum; H2828 Mattenai, H4982 Mattathah, H4992 Zabad, H2066 Eliphelet, H467 Jeremai, H3413 Manasseh, H4519 and Shimei. H8096 Of the sons H1121 of Bani; H1137 Maadai, H4572 Amram, H6019 and Uel, H177 Benaiah, H1141 Bedeiah, H912 Chelluh, H3622 Vaniah, H2057 Meremoth, H4822 Eliashib, H475 Mattaniah, H4983 Mattenai, H4982 and Jaasau, H3299 And Bani, H1137 and Binnui, H1131 Shimei, H8096 And Shelemiah, H8018 and Nathan, H5416 and Adaiah, H5718 Machnadebai, H4367 Shashai, H8343 Sharai, H8298 Azareel, H5832 and Shelemiah, H8018 Shemariah, H8114 Shallum, H7967 Amariah, H568 and Joseph. H3130 Of the sons H1121 of Nebo; H5015 Jeiel, H3273 Mattithiah, H4993 Zabad, H2066 Zebina, H2081 Jadau, H3035 and Joel, H3100 Benaiah. H1141 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
And ye shall be holy H6944 men H582 unto me: neither shall ye eat H398 any flesh H1320 that is torn of beasts H2966 in the field; H7704 ye shall cast H7993 it to the dogs. H3611
And ye shall be unto me a kingdom H4467 of priests, H3548 and an holy H6918 nation. H1471 These are the words H1697 which thou shalt speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
And did not he make H6213 one? H259 Yet had he the residue H7605 of the spirit. H7307 And wherefore one? H259 That he might seek H1245 a godly H430 seed. H2233 Therefore take heed H8104 to your spirit, H7307 and let none deal treacherously H898 against the wife H802 of his youth. H5271
Judah H3063 hath dealt treacherously, H898 and an abomination H8441 is committed H6213 in Israel H3478 and in Jerusalem; H3389 for Judah H3063 hath profaned H2490 the holiness H6944 of the LORD H3068 which he loved, H157 and hath married H1166 the daughter H1323 of a strange H5236 god. H410
But yet in it shall be a tenth, H6224 and it shall return, H7725 and shall be eaten: H1197 as a teil tree, H424 and as an oak, H437 whose substance H4678 is in them, when they cast H7995 their leaves: so the holy H6944 seed H2233 shall be the substance H4678 thereof.
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.
When the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall bring H935 thee into the land H776 whither thou goest H935 to possess H3423 it, and hath cast out H5394 many H7227 nations H1471 before H6440 thee, the Hittites, H2850 and the Girgashites, H1622 and the Amorites, H567 and the Canaanites, H3669 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Hivites, H2340 and the Jebusites, H2983 seven H7651 nations H1471 greater H7227 and mightier H6099 than thou; And when the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall deliver H5414 them before H6440 thee; thou shalt smite H5221 them, and utterly H2763 destroy H2763 them; thou shalt make H3772 no covenant H1285 with them, nor shew mercy H2603 unto them: Neither shalt thou make marriages H2859 with them; thy daughter H1323 thou shalt not give H5414 unto his son, H1121 nor his daughter H1323 shalt thou take H3947 unto thy son. H1121 For they will turn away H5493 thy son H1121 from following H310 me, that they may serve H5647 other H312 gods: H430 so will the anger H639 of the LORD H3068 be kindled H2734 against you, and destroy H8045 thee suddenly. H4118
That the sons H1121 of God H430 saw H7200 the daughters H1323 of men H120 that they H2007 were fair; H2896 and they took H3947 them wives H802 of all which they chose. H977
For G1063 the unbelieving G571 husband G435 is sanctified G37 by G1722 the wife, G1135 and G2532 the unbelieving G571 wife G1135 is sanctified G37 by G1722 the husband: G435 else G686 G1893 were G2076 your G5216 children G5043 unclean; G169 but G1161 now G3568 are they G2076 holy. G40
And one of the sons H1121 of Joiada, H3111 the son H1121 of Eliashib H475 the high H1419 priest, H3548 was son in law H2860 to Sanballat H5571 the Horonite: H2772 therefore I chased H1272 him from me.
Then I contended H7378 with the nobles H2715 of Judah, H3063 and said H559 unto them, What evil H7451 thing H1697 is this that ye do, H6213 and profane H2490 the sabbath H7676 day? H3117
Now it came to pass, when they had heard H8085 the law, H8451 that they separated H914 from Israel H3478 all the mixed multitude. H6154 And before H6440 this, Eliashib H475 the priest, H3548 having the oversight H5414 of the chamber H3957 of the house H1004 of our God, H430 was allied H7138 unto Tobiah: H2900
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezra 9
Commentary on Ezra 9 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 9
The affairs of the church were in a very good posture, we may well suppose, now that Ezra presided in them. Look without; the government was kind to them. We hear no complaints of persecution and oppression; their enemies had either their hearts turned or at least their hands tied; their neighbours were civil, and we hear of no wars nor rumours of wars; there were none to make them afraid; all was as well as could be, considering that they were few, and poor, and subjects to a foreign prince. Look at home; we hear nothing of Baal, or Ashtaroth, nor Moloch, no images, nor groves, nor golden calves, no, nor so much as high places (not only no idolatrous altars, but no separate ones), but the temple was duly respected and the temple service carefully kept up. Yet all was not well either. The purest ages of the church have had some corruptions, and it will never be presented "without spot or wrinkle' till it is "a glorious church,' a church "triumphant,' Eph. 5:27. We have here,
Ezr 9:1-4
Ezra, like Barnabas when he came to Jerusalem and saw the grace of God to his brethren there, no doubt was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord, Acts 11:23. He saw nothing amiss (many corruptions lurk out of the view of the most vigilant rulers); but here is a damp upon his joys: information is brought him that many of the people, yea, and some of the rulers, had married wives out of heathen families, and joined themselves in affinity with strangers. Observe,
Ezr 9:5-15
What the meditations of Ezra's heart were, while for some hours he sat down astonished, we may guess by the words of his mouth when at length he spoke with his tongue; and a most pathetic address he here makes to Heaven upon this occasion. Observe,