They gave their hands that they would put away their wives . It is not clear whether this is intended to be said of Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah only, or of the entire body of persons found guilty of having married strange wives. Most probably the court made out the divorces in the generality of cases, but were content to take a solemn pledge from members of the high priest's family. read more
On the priestly families of Immer , Harim , and Pashur see above, Ezra 2:37-39 . read more
The singers and porters . These were special subdivisions of the Levitical order, appointed originally by David ( 2 Chronicles 25:1 ; 2 Chronicles 26:1-19 ). read more
Jehiel . Probably the father of the Shechaniah who counselled Ezra ( Ezra 10:2-4 ). read more
And some of them had wives by whom they had children. Rather, "And there were some among the wives who had given birth to children." The fact is implied above in the advice of Shechaniah ( Ezra 10:3 ), but is here alone distinctly asserted. No doubt it was more difficult to arrange the terms of the divorce where the marriage had been fruitful. read more
Some translate it: “Nevertheless, Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah opposed this.” The opposition was useless Ezra 10:16. read more
The business occupied the commission full two months. In some cases, it may be presumed, they had to summon persons before them who did not wish to part with their foreign wives; in all, they had to assure themselves that the wives were foreign; finally, they had in every case where they decreed a divorce to make out the “writing of divorcement” Ezra 10:3. read more
Compare with the list in Ezra 2:0.Ezra 10:19They gave their hands - i. e., “solemnly pledged themselves” (compare the marginal references).Ezra 10:44The guilty persons, it would seem, were 113 in number. They comprised 4 members of the high priest’s family, 13 other priests, 10 Levites, and 86 lay Israelites belonging to at least 10 distinct families. The fact noted in the second clause of the verse must have increased the difficulity of Ezra’s task. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 10:18-44
THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO HAD MARRIED THE STRANGE WIVES ( Ezra 10:18-44 ). Aware of the danger that the nation might relapse into the sin which he was seeking to root out, Ezra punishes the wrong-doers by placing their names on record, that others might fear to do the like. He assigns the first place in his catalogue of offenders to the priests, doubtless because in them the sin was greatest; they, as the special custodians of the Law, were most bound to have observed the... read more