19. they gave their hands—that is, came under a solemn engagement, which was usually ratified by pledging the right hand (Proverbs 6:1; Ezekiel 17:18). The delinquents of the priestly order bound themselves to do like the common Israelites (Ezra 10:25), and sought to expiate their sin by sacrificing a ram as a trespass offering. read more
The cooperation of the people 10:9-15This general assembly took place in late November or early December of 458 B.C. The people who were guilty agreed to divorce their foreign wives and to do this in various local towns that were convenient to their homes in the weeks and months that lay ahead. The Feast of Dedication fell on the twenty-fifth of this month. Perhaps they made their commitment to God then."Since such marriages led to the introduction of foreign cults, Ezra’s drastic solution is... read more
The completion of the proceedings 10:16-44The people were able to complete the divorce proceedings in three months (Ezra 10:9; Ezra 10:17). A total of 113 Israelites had married and now divorced their foreign wives, only a small fraction of the total number of Jews then living in Judah. Of these, 16 were priests and 10 were Levites, about 25 percent of the total 113. Perhaps no Jewish women had married any Gentile men. A more likely possibility is that since women could not divorce their... read more
The Foreign Wives are Divorced3. According to the law] see Deuteronomy 24:1-2, which required a bill of divorcement. 5. The chief priests] RV ’the chiefs of the priests’: see 2 Chronicles 36:14.6. Johanan] If the Eliashib meant is the contemporary of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 13:4, Nehemiah 13:7) and Johanan was really his grandson (not his son, see Nehemiah 12:22), he must have lived a long while after Ezra, and consequently the description of the chamber, here alluded to, as the chamber of Johanan... read more
(7-17) Conference of the people and commission to try individual cases.(8) Forfeited.—This, as also what precedes and what follows, again recalls the express commission of Ezra 7:0. But “according to the counsel” removes all appearance of arbitrariness on the part of Ezra.(9) Within three days.—From the time of hearing the summons. No town was more than forty miles distant; and of course only those would come that were able, and who came within the scope of the proclamation, the precise terms... read more
(18-44) List of the transgressors.(19) They gave their hands.—The four members of the high priest’s family were peculiarly dealt with. They gave their distinct pledge, and offered each a special trespass offering. It is one among a multitude of similar tokens of authenticity in the history; and inventor would have given some reason for the peculiarity.(22) Pashur.—Comparing Ezra 2:36-39, we find that all the priestly families that returned with Zerub-babel were implicated in the national... read more
THE HOME SACRIFICED TO THE CHURCHEzra 10:1-44EZRA’S narrative, written in the first person, ceases with his prayer, the conclusion of which brings us to the end of the ninth chapter of our Book of Ezra; at the tenth chapter the chronicler resumes his story, describing, however, the events which immediately follow. His writing is here as graphic as Ezra’s, and if it is not taken from notes left by the scribe, at all events it would seem to be drawn from the report of another eye-witness, for it... read more
CHAPTER 10 1. The effect of Ezra’s prayer on the people (Ezra 10:1-4 ) 2. Ezra summons an assembly (Ezra 10:5-8 ) 3. The gathering, confession and the evil judged (Ezra 10:9-17 ) 4. The register of those who had married strange women (Ezra 10:18-44 ) Ezra 10:1-4 . Ezra’s prayer, confession and humiliation were before the house of the LORD.” The people saw his great sorrow and his tears, they heard his words confessing the nation’s sins. It produced a wonderful effect among the people.... read more
10:16 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, {k} were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.(k) They went to the chief cities to sit on this matter which took three months to finish. read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Ezra 10:18
18. among the sons of the priests—From the names of so many men of rank appearing in the following list, some idea may be formed of the great and complicated difficulties attending the reformatory work. read more