Ezra
Ezra 10
Chapter X · Vol. II, pp. 905–906
1 Shechaniah encourageth Ezra to reform the abuse of the strange marriages. 6 Ezra mourning assembleth the people. 9 The people, at the exhortation of Ezra, repent, and promise amendment. 15 The care to perform it. 18 The names of those who had married strange wives.
1 Now when Ezra1 hada prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down bbefore the house of God, there cassembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men, and women, and children: for the people wept very sore.2
1 The sorrow and consternation of so eminent a person as Ezra, with his prayer and confession of deep criminality, were no doubt speedily reported all over the city; and this induced the people seriously to reflect upon their conduct and its consequences, so that numbers of their own accord gathered around the governor, and united with him in lamentations and humiliation before God. And the alarm becoming general, even the women and children joined the assembly in the court of the temple, probably fearing lest the wrath of God should immediately be poured out upon them.—I.
a Zec.12.10. Ps.32.5. Pr.28.13. 1 Jn.1.9,10. Ho.14.1,2.
c De.31.12. 2 Ch.20.13.
2 Under a deep feeling of guilt, dread of judgment, and hope of pardon, ver. 3.—C.
2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, dWe have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now ethere is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
3 Now therefore let us fmake a covenant with our God, to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that gtremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done haccording to the law.
4 Arise;i for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.3
i Jos.7.10; 1.6,9. 1 Ch.19.13; 28.10. Is.35.3,4. He.12.12,13; 10.24. 1 Th.5.14.
3 After love and humility, there is nothing more needful than courage in attempting any work of reformation. It is indeed faith working by love, and enduring, and hoping all things for the Lord's sake, and his people's sake.—C.
5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to kswear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.
6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into lthe chamber of Johanan the son of mEliashib: and when he came thither, he ndid eat no bread, nor drink water; for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem, unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;
8 And othat whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be pforfeited,4 and himself qseparated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
o Ju.21.5. 1 Sa.11.7. ch.7.26.
p Heb. devoted, Le.27.28. Jos.6.19.
4 The marriage of a Jew with an idolater was contrary to the divine law (De. 7. 3), and he that sinned presumptuously had no right to sacrifice, and was by law cut off from the congregation (De. xxx. xxxi.) Infidels have called this law harsh and unjust; but out of their own mouth are they condemned; for they, being men, and in much ignorance, do form arbitrary rules, for neglect or violation of which members are excluded from their societies, and yet dare to accuse God, who of his infinite wisdom promulgates and enforces his laws, only in support of the eternal and unchangeable principles of holiness.—C.
q Excommunicated, Jn.9.22. Jude 19. 1 Co.5.4,5,13. Mat.18.17.
9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days: it was the ninth month,5 and the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, tremblingr because of this matter, and for the great rain.6
A.M. 3547. B.C. 457.
5 Answering to our December, and the coldest and most rainy season of the year. But did not Ezra act with inhumanity in calling out the people at such an inclement season? Does the commander of an army act with inhumanity when he retreats with his troops by forced marches, and in the most inclement season, from the presence of a superior force? No—we praise his promptitude and his skill, and count a well-managed retreat sometimes superior to a victory. And shall the promptitude of Ezra be blamed, who will not wait an hour after the discovery of the national sin, but instantly calls upon the people to 'flee from the wrath to come?'—C.
6 Heb. the showers.
10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to sincrease the trespass of Israel.
11 Now therefore tmake confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and udo his pleasure; and vseparate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, xso must we do.
x ver.3,4. De.5.27-29. Ps.78.37,57.
13 But the people are ymany, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without,7 neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.8
y Mat.7.13. ver.18-44.
7 They had assembled at Jerusalem in mid-winter. The houses of the city could scarcely contain a tithe of them. Hence the great body of the people were obliged either to live or to encamp in the open air, exposed to the cold and rain of the winter nights. At Jerusalem there are often sharp frosts, and even falls of snow.—P.
8 Or, we have greatly offended in this thing.
14 Let now our zrulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.9
15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel, and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah, were employed1 about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
1 Heb. stood. Perhaps these were the only opposers. [The translation here seems doubtful, if not erroneous. The word translated employed literally means stood. Now Ezra and the others, as judges always do, 'sat down (ver. 16) to examine:' the meaning seems to be, that Asahel, &c., were the only persons opposed to the decision of Ezra and the princes.—C.]
16 And the children of the captivity did so: and Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examinea the matter.
17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.2
2 The Jewish year had thirteen months. This investigation must therefore have been very complicated, as it lasted three months.—C.
18 And among the sons of the priests there bwere found that had taken strange wives; namely, of the sons of cJeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 And they dgave their hands3 that they would put away their wives; and, being eguilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.4
d 1 Ch.29.24.
3 In what mode the hands were given does not appear; but may probably be ascertained from 2 Ki.10.15, where Jehu says to Jehonadab, 'Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand.' La.5.6.—C.
4 Ezra being himself a priest, manifests distinguished impartiality in beginning his reformation with the priesthood. He also showed great wisdom; for if the priesthood be not reformed, the people cannot be improved. A comparison of the reformed and unreformed kingdoms of Europe, or even of the miniature cantons of Switzerland, bears ample testimony to this fact.—C.
20 And of the sons of fImmer; Hanani and Zebadiah.
f ch.2.37. Ne.7.40. 1 Ch.24.14.
23 Also of the iLevites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Of the singers also; Eliashib: and kof the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
k ch.2.42. Ne.7.45.
25 Moreover of Israel:5 of the sons of lParosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
5 Ezra having first recorded the reformation of the priesthood, now records that of the people.—Note, That a more precise and scrupulous morality is required of the ministers of the gospel than of others, is a common but a most pernicious opinion. Christians should all be a 'peculiar people' (1 Pe.2.9), an 'holy priesthood,' 1 Pe.2.5.—C.
l ch.2.3. Ne.7.8.
26 And of the sons of mElam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.
m ch.2.7. Ne.7.12.
27 And of the sons of nZattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
n ch.2.8. Ne.7.13.
29 And of the sons6 of pBani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
6 About 113 in all are here named who had married strange wives, and some of them, it is said, had children by them. Whether the children were turned off with the mothers, as Shechaniah proposed, does not appear; it should seem not; it is, however, 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, Ne. 13. 22; Mal. 2. 11; for such corruptions are easily and insensibly brought in, but not without great difficulty purged out again.—Henry.
p ch.2.10. Ne.7.15.
30 And of the sons of qPahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
q ch.2.6. Ne.7.11.
32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33 Of the sons of sHashim; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
s ch.2.19. Ne.7.22.
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
38 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43 Of the sons of uNebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.
u ch.2.29. Ne.7.33.
44 Allx these had taken strange8 wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
x ver.13. Mat.7.13. Re.13.3. Pr.9.17,18.
8 Perhaps this observation is intended to show that only a few of them had children—so that the separation would be more easily effected. The names here given are supposed to be merely the principal persons, for all circumstances combine to induce an opinion that a far greater number were concerned than those here enumerated.—I.
Notes
[Ver. 11. The original cause of the law against mixed marriages evidently was the tendency of such marriages to draw the people away from the worship of the true God. All the nations among which the Israelites were placed were idolaters. Not only was their worship irrational, and sometimes inhuman, but their morals were most impure. Had the Israelites been permitted freely to intermarry with them, the natural and speedy result must have been universal degeneracy and degradation. The priesthood especially, as being the instructors and guides of the nation, required to be kept pure and spotless. Hence the intense desire and strenuous effort of Ezra to reclaim the erring among them. P.]
Ver. 17. ['They made an end with all the men,' that is, they completed the investigation of all the cases, and determined what should be done in each case. Probably in most cases the wives conformed to Judaism, and separated entirely from their Gentile relatives; but wherever the wives proved ignorant or stubborn, the rulers insisted on their being divorced. It became therefore, in regard to each wife, a choice between her idolatry and her husband; and in regard to each husband between carnal appetite and religious principle. P.]
Ver. 44. [All these had taken strange wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children. The comparatively small number who had married idolatrous wives seems to intimate that the transgression was but of recent origin; and this view seems corroborated by the statement that 'some of them had wives by whom they had children.' This statement also evidences the strictness of the investigation and enforcement of the law. But was it not cruel thus to divorce husbands and wives? No. For God had not joined them, God had forbidden their union. It was no more cruel than to divorce a bigamist, whose marriage is rendered null and void by virtue of a previous contract. Besides, there is no reason to conclude these wives and children would be sent away portionless, the uncompromising purity of the divine law being always consistent with the dictates of mercy. Ex.xxi. C.]
Reflections.—Wherever sin is seen and felt there is no ground for despair: yea, there may be good hope, through grace, where there is a burden of the most aggravated guilt. In mournful circumstances we ought to observe what makes for us as well as what makes against us. And even weaker saints may be instructors to those who are far stronger in gifts and grace. Mourning and reforming sinners ought to be encouraged; and leaders in church or state ought to be most active in promoting reformation. Men's sins, with the aggravations and danger of them, ought to be closely laid home to their consciences; for none will part with them till they perceive that they are undone if they persevere therein. Great men ought to take the good advice of their inferiors. Critical causes ought to be decided with great deliberation and caution; and reformations begun and carried on with much fasting, prayer, and solemn covenanting with God, promise good success. When we truly return to God he will return to us: he will at last pluck his people as brands out of the burning. They who have the cause of God at heart spare neither time nor pains to serve it. But how shameful is it to find priests, whose marriages were peculiarly restricted of God, ringleaders in unhallowed connections with heathen women! and yet it is highly commendable in them to prove at last patterns of repentance and reformation to others. Alas! that so few clergymen are disposed to imitate their example; but rather endeavouring by every possible shift to extenuate, excuse, or defend their own error and wickedness.