Ezr 10:1-17 - Commentary

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Text -- Ezra 10:1-17 (NET)

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Context

The People Confess Their Sins

10:1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelites– men, women, and children alike– gathered around him. The people wept loudly. 10:2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the local peoples. Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. 10:3 Therefore let us enact a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, and that of those who respect the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law. 10:4 Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!” 10:5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. And they all took a solemn oath. 10:6 Then Ezra got up from in front of the temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he stayed there, he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity of the exiles. 10:7 A proclamation was circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem. 10:8 Everyone who did not come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore, he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles. 10:9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin were gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. (It was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of that month.) All the people sat in the square at the temple of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rains. 10:10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have behaved in an unfaithful manner by taking foreign wives! This has contributed to the guilt of Israel. 10:11 Now give praise to the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the local residents and from these foreign wives.” 10:12 All the assembly replied in a loud voice: “We will do just as you have said! 10:13 However, the people are numerous and it is the rainy season. We are unable to stand here outside. Furthermore, this business cannot be resolved in a day or two, for we have sinned greatly in this matter. 10:14 Let our leaders take steps on behalf of all the assembly. Let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each town and its judges, until the hot anger of our God is turned away from us in this matter.” 10:15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were against this, assisted by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite. 10:16 So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out by name men who were leaders in their family groups. They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month, 10:17 and on the first day of the first month they finished considering all the men who had married foreign wives.

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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics

Names, People and Places:

· Asahel son of Zeruiah, David's sister; brother of Joab,a Levite assigned to teach in Judah under Jehoshaphat,a Levite assistant to the temple treasurer under Hezekiah,father of Jonathan who opposed Ezra's policies

· Benjamin the tribe of Benjamin of Israel

· Elam son of Shem son of Noah,a country east of the Tigris and Babylon in the territory of Media,son of Shashak of Benjamin,son of Meshelemiah; a Levite gatekeeper,a man whose descendants returned from exile in Babylon; Elam I,forefather of exile returnees with Zerubbabel; Elam II,forefather of returnees headed by Jeshaiah,forefather of Shecaniah who had to put away his heathen wife,an Israelite chief who signed the covenant to obey God's law,a priest who helped Nehemiah dedicate the new wall of Jerusalem

· Eliashib chief of a division of priests serving in David's sanctuary,son of Eli-O-Enai, (Hananiah Zerubbabel David),high priest in the days of Nehemiah,a Levite singer who agreed to put away his heathen wife,a layman of the Zattu clan who put away his heathen wife,a layman of the Bani clan who put away his heathen wife,a chief priest; son of Joiakim

· Ezra a man of Judah; probably the son of Hodiah

· Israel a citizen of Israel.,a member of the nation of Israel

· Jahzeiah son of Tikvaha

· Jehiel son of Heman the Levite in Hezekiah's time

· Jehohanan son of Kareah; a militia leader who rallied to Gedaliah,son of King Josiah,son of Eli-O-Enai, a descendant of Hananiah, Zerubbabel and David,a high priest; son of Azariah I,a Benjamite man who defected to David at Ziklag,Gadite officer who defected to David in the wilderness,a man of Ephraim; father of Azariah, who opposed Israel's taking Judeans captive,son of Hakkatan; head of a family group descended from Azgad who returned from exile,a Levite leader during the time of Nehemiah,son of Eliashib; a chief priest

· Jerusalem the capital city of Israel,a town; the capital of Israel near the southern border of Benjamin

· Jonathan a man who was a descendant of Gershom son of Moses,son of Saul of Benjamin,son of the high priest Abiathar in David's time,the son of Shime-i, David's brother,son of Shammah/Shagee; one of David's military elite,son of Jada of Judah,son of Uzziah; overseer of the country treasuries for King David,a man who was uncle and counselor of King David,father of Ebed who accompanied Ezra leading the clan of Adin back from exile,a man who opposed Ezra's reforms; son of Asahel,a chief priest; son of Joiada,priest and head of the house of Malluchi under High Priest Joiakim in the time of Nehemiah,son of Shemaiah of Asaph of Levi; father of Zechariah,a man who was secretary and dungeon keeper for King Zedekiah; son of Kareah

· Judah the son of Jacob and Leah; founder of the tribe of Judah,a tribe, the land/country,a son of Joseph; the father of Simeon; an ancestor of Jesus,son of Jacob/Israel and Leah; founder of the tribe of Judah,the tribe of Judah,citizens of the southern kingdom of Judah,citizens of the Persian Province of Judah; the Jews who had returned from Babylonian exile,"house of Judah", a phrase which highlights the political leadership of the tribe of Judah,"king of Judah", a phrase which relates to the southern kingdom of Judah,"kings of Judah", a phrase relating to the southern kingdom of Judah,"princes of Judah", a phrase relating to the kingdom of Judah,the territory allocated to the tribe of Judah, and also the extended territory of the southern kingdom of Judah,the Province of Judah under Persian rule,"hill country of Judah", the relatively cool and green central highlands of the territory of Judah,"the cities of Judah",the language of the Jews; Hebrew,head of a family of Levites who returned from Exile,a Levite who put away his heathen wife,a man who was second in command of Jerusalem; son of Hassenuah of Benjamin,a Levite in charge of the songs of thanksgiving in Nehemiah's time,a leader who helped dedicate Nehemiah's wall,a Levite musician who helped Zechariah of Asaph dedicate Nehemiah's wall

· Levite member of the tribe of Levi

· Levites relating to Levi and the priesthood given to him,a tribal name describing people and ceremonies as sacred

· Meshullam grandfather of Shaphan, King Josiah's secretary,son of Zerubbabel,son of Abihail; a founding father of one of the clans of Gad,son of Elpaal of Benjamin,son of Hodaviah of Benjamin,son of Shephatiah of Benjamin,a high priest; son of Zadok II,son of Meshillemith; a priest,a Kohath Levite overseer of temple restoration for King Josiah,one of the leaders Ezra sent to Iddo to ask for recruits,a man who opposed the Jews putting away their heathen wives,a layman of the Bani Clan who put away his heathen wife,son of Berechiah son of Meshezabel; a repairer of the wall,son of Besodeiah; a man who helped repair a gate in the wall,a man who stood with Ezra when he publicly read the law to the assembly,a priest who signed the covenant to keep God's law,an Israelite chief who signed the covenant to obey God's law,son of Joed of Benjamin; father of Sallu, a returned exile,a priest and head of the house of Ezra under High Priest Joiakim in the time of Nehemiah,a priest, head of the house of Ginnethon in Nehemiah's time,a man who was a gate keeper in the time of Nehemiah

· Shabbethai a Levite who objected to Israel's putting away heathen wives,a Levite who helped Ezra explain the reading of the law,a Levite supervisor for rebuilding the temple under Nehemiah

· Shecaniah son of Obadiah of Zerubbabel of David,the chief of a division of priests serving in David's sanctuary,a Levite assistant manager of temple offerings under Hezekiah,son of Jahaziel; post-exile leader of the Zattu Clan,son of Jehiel of the clan of Elam,father of Shemaiah, a wall rebuilder and guard of the east gate,son of Arah; father-in-law of Tobiah, Nehemiah's enemy,priestly leader of some who returned from exile with Zerubbabel

· Tikvah son of Harhas; father of Shallum, keeper of Josiah's wardrobe,father of Jahzeiah who opposed the dismissal of heathen wives

Table of Contents

Verse Notes / Footnotes NET Notes

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Ezr 10:1 Heb “with much weeping.”

NET Notes: Ezr 10:2 Heb “upon this.”

NET Notes: Ezr 10:3 Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”

NET Notes: Ezr 10:5 Heb “to do according to this plan.”

NET Notes: Ezr 10:6 The translation reads וַיָּלֶן (vayyalen, “and he stayed”) rather than the reading ו...

NET Notes: Ezr 10:7 For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

NET Notes: Ezr 10:11 Heb “the peoples of the land.”

NET Notes: Ezr 10:12 Heb “thus according to your word [singular = Qere] concerning us, to do.”

NET Notes: Ezr 10:13 Heb “the time [is] rain showers.”

NET Notes: Ezr 10:14 Heb “stand.”

NET Notes: Ezr 10:15 Heb “stood.”

NET Notes: Ezr 10:16 Heb “the heads of the fathers, to the house of their fathers, and all of them by name.”

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