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Ezra Chapter
Ten
New King James Version
(NKJV)
Ezra 10:1 Now while Ezra
was praying
and while he was confessing
weeping
and bowing down before the
house of God
a very large assembly of men
women
and children gathered to him
from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly.
YLT And at Ezra's praying
and at his making
confession
weeping and casting himself down before the house of God
there
have been gathered unto him out of Israel an assembly very great -- men and
women and children -- for the people have wept
multiplying weeping.
Now when Ezra had prayed
and when he had confessed
weeping
&c.] Had confessed the sins of the people in prayer and supplication
with
many tears:
and casting himself down
before the house of God;
in the outward court before the temple
his face turned towards it
where he
lay prostrate:
there assembled to him out
of Israel a very great congregation of men
and women
and children;
it was quickly spread abroad
both in Jerusalem and places adjacent
that such
a great man
a commissioner from the king of Persia
and a priest of the Jews
was in the utmost distress
rending his garments
and plucking off his hair
and was crying and praying in a vehement manner; which brought a great
concourse of people
who concluded some great sins were committed
and sore
judgments were coming upon them:
for the people wept very
sore;
being affected with his confessions
cries
and tears
and fearing wrath would
come upon them for their sins.
Ezra 10:2 And Shechaniah
the son of Jehiel
one of the sons of Elam
spoke up and said to Ezra
“We have trespassed against our God
and have taken pagan wives from the
peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this.
YLT And Shechaniah son of Jehiel
of the sons of
Elam
answereth and saith to Ezra
`We -- we have trespassed against our God
and we settle strange women of the peoples of the land; and now there is hope
for Israel concerning this
And Shechaniah the son of
Jehiel
one of the sons of Elam
answered and said unto Ezra
This man seems to be one of those that now came with Ezra from Babylon
see ( Ezra
8:3 Ezra 8:5 )
we have trespassed against
our God
and have taken strange wives of the people of the land;
not that he had taken any himself
being but just come into the land
nor is
his name in the list of those that had; but inasmuch as many of the nation
of
which he was a part
and his own father
and several of his uncles had
( Ezra
10:26 )
he expresses himself in this manner:
yet now there is hope in
Israel concerning this thing;
of a reformation of this evil
and of pardon for it.
Ezra 10:3 Now therefore
let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who
have been born to them
according to the advice of my master and of those who
tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.
YLT and now
let us make a covenant with our God
to cause all the women to go out
and that which is born of them
by the
counsel of the Lord
and of those trembling at the command of our God
and
according to law it is done;
Now therefore let us make
a covenant with our God
Renew our covenant with him
and lay ourselves under fresh obligation by
promise and oath
and unanimously agree
to put away all the wives
and such as are born of them;
he means all the strange wives
such marriages being unlawful; and such wives
might the more easily be put away
since bills of divorce were in frequent use
with the Jews
and the children of such also being illegitimate; and the rather
they were to be put away
lest they should corrupt other children
or get into
the affections of their fathers
which might lead on to receive their mothers
again
and especially this was to be done as a punishment of their sin: though
no doubt but a provision was to be made
and was made
for the maintenance both
of wives and children:
according to the counsel
of my Lord;
either of Ezra
whom he honours with this title
being a ruler under the king
of Persia; or of the Lord God
according to his will declared in his words
which is his counsel:
and of those that tremble
at the commandment of our God;
feared to break it
and dreaded the effect of such a breach; and who no doubt
would follow the counsel of the Lord
and join in their advice to act according
to the proposal made:
and let it be done
according to the law;
as that directs in such cases.
Ezra 10:4 Arise
for this
matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of
good courage
and do it.”
YLT rise
for on thee [is] the matter
and we
[are] with thee; be strong
and do.'
Arise
From the ground
where he lay prostrate:
for this matter belongeth
unto thee;
as a priest and scribe of the law
well versed in it
and therefore could
direct what was to be done according to it; and as a ruler under the king of
Persia
and a commissioner of his
to inquire whether the law of God was
observed by the Jews
( Ezra 7:14 ) and so had authority to put the law
in execution:
we also will be with thee;
to help and assist in the reformation of this evil:
be of good courage
and do
it;
do not despair of going through it
though there may be some opposition to it;
begin
and doubt not of succeeding.
Ezra 10:5 Then Ezra
arose
and made the leaders of the priests
the Levites
and all Israel swear
an oath that they would do according to this word. So they swore an oath.
YLT And Ezra riseth
and causeth the heads of the
priests
the Levites
and all Israel
to swear to do according to this word --
and they swear.
Then arose Ezra
From the ground where he lay:
and made the chief
priests
and the Levites
and all Israel
to swear that they should do
according to this word:
he took an oath of all that were present to do what was proposed
namely
to
put away strange wives and their children:
and they sware;
by means of which they were kept to their word of promise
an oath being a
solemn
sacred
thing.
Ezra 10:6 Then Ezra rose
up from before the house of God
and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son
of Eliashib; and when he came there
he ate no bread and drank no water
for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity.
YLT And Ezra riseth from before the house of God
and goeth unto the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib; yea
he goeth there
bread
he hath not eaten
and water he hath not drunk
for he is mourning because of
the trespass of the removal.
Then Ezra rose up from
before the house of God
Departed from thence:
and went into the chamber
of Johanan the son of Eliashib;
who was of the family of the high priest. Eliashib was grandson of Joshua the
high priest
and succeeded his father Joiakim as such; but though Johanan was
never high priest
being a younger son
however he was a person of note
and
had a chamber in the temple
whither Ezra went
either to advise with the
princes and elders in it
( Ezra
10:8 ) or to refresh himself with food:
and when he came thither
he did eat no bread
nor drink water;
or rather "not yet had he ate bread" F15
as some render it; that is
not till he came thither
from the time he first
heard of the evil the people had committed; which very probably was early in
the morning
and it was now evening:
for he mourned for the
transgression of them that had been carried away;
into captivity
but were now returned from it
and it grieved him the more
that
after such kindness shown them
they should be guilty of such an evil.
FOOTNOTES:
F15 (lka al) "nondum
comederat"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator.
Ezra 10:7 And they issued
a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the
captivity
that they must gather at Jerusalem
YLT And they cause a voice to pass over into
Judah and Jerusalem
to all sons of the removal
to be gathered to Jerusalem
And they made proclamation
By the voice of an herald:
throughout Judah and
Jerusalem
unto all the children of the captivity;
who were returned from it:
that they should gather
themselves together unto Jerusalem;
within a time after mentioned.
Ezra 10:8 and that
whoever would not come within three days
according to the instructions of the
leaders and elders
all his property would be confiscated
and he himself would
be separated from the assembly of those from the captivity.
YLT and every one who cometh not in by the third
day
according to the counsel of the heads and of the elders
all his substance
is devoted
and himself separated from the assembly of the removal.
And that whosoever would
not come within three days
Or at the end of three days
as Jarchi
this was the space of time allowed
and
which was decided upon for the quick dispatch of this affair
to prevent any
schemes that might be formed to obstruct it
and lest those who had agreed to
it
and promised to assist in it
should repent and go from their word:
according to the counsel
of the princes
and of the elders;
for though Ezra had a commission at large from the king of Persia
to inquire
into and reform all abuses
he chose not to act of himself
but to have the
opinion and consent of the senate of the nation; this he prudently did to avoid
their envy
and that he might have less opposition
and better success:
his substance should be
forfeited;
or "devoted" F16
to sacred uses
to be put into the treasury of the temple
and used in the
service of it
and therefore never to be returned:
and himself separated from
the congregation of those that had been carried away;
into captivity
but now returned from it; that is
should be excommunicated
from them as a church
and be no more reckoned of the body politic
or a
freeman of Israel
and so deprived of all privileges both in church and state.
FOOTNOTES:
F16 (Mrxy) "anathema
erit [vel] fore"
Montanus
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator;
"devoveretur"
Michaelis.
Ezra 10:9 So all the men
of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was
the ninth month
on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the
open square of the house of God
trembling because of this matter and
because of heavy rain.
YLT And gathered are all the men of Judah and
Benjamin to Jerusalem by the third day
it [is] the ninth month
on the
twentieth of the month
and all the people sit in the broad place of the house
of God
trembling on account of the matter and of the showers.
Then all the men of Judah
and Benjamin
And such of the ten tribes that returned and dwelt among them:
gathered themselves
together unto Jerusalem within three days;
the time fixed: which they were the more careful to observe
since it was
enjoined by the authority of princes and elders
and the punishment in case of
disobedience very severe:
it was the ninth month
on
the twentieth day of the month;
the month Chisleu
which answers to part of November and part of December
so
that the twentieth day must be in the beginning of December; this was almost
five months after Ezra came to Jerusalem:
and all the people sat in
the street of the house of God:
the street which led to the temple
the east street
( 2 Chronicles 29:4 ) though some think this was
the court of the people
called a street
because it lay open
not yet walled
in; and
according to Josephus F17
it was in an upper room of the temple in which Ezra was
perhaps the same with
the chamber of Johanan
( Ezra
10:6 )
trembling because of this
matter;
they were met about; some that were guilty
not knowing what punishment would
be inflicted on them
and others that were not
yet dreaded the wrath of God
lest that should break out upon the whole congregation for it:
and for the great rain;
which now fell
and which they interpreted as a token of the divine
displeasure: for though it was in winter time
yet not with them a time of
rain
for the former rain had fallen a month before; so that this being unusual
and unexpected
they understood it as betokening evil to them.
FOOTNOTES:
F17 Antiqu. l. 11. c. 5. sect. 4.
Ezra 10:10 Then Ezra the
priest stood up and said to them
“You have transgressed and have taken pagan
wives
adding to the guilt of Israel.
YLT And Ezra the priest riseth
and saith unto
them
`Ye -- ye have trespassed
and ye settle strange women
to add to the
guilt of Israel;
And Ezra the priest stood
up
In the midst of the assembly to make his speech
acquainting them with the
reason of their meeting together:
and said unto them
ye
have transgressed;
the law of God in the following instance:
and have taken strange
wives;
of the people of the land and others
idolatrous persons:
to increase the trespass
of Israel;
to add to former iniquities
which had been the cause of the captivity.
Ezra 10:11 Now therefore
make confession to the Lord
God of your fathers
and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of
the land
and from the pagan wives.”
YLT and
now
make confession to Jehovah
God of
your fathers
and do His good pleasure
and be separated from the peoples of
the land
and from the strange women.'
Now therefore make
confession to the Lord God of your fathers
&c.] Of their sin
and express their detestation of it
and repentance for
it:
and do his pleasure;
obey his will
and particularly in this case:
and separate yourselves
from the people of the land;
the Canaanites
&c. have no fellowship with them
make no covenants
contracts
and alliances with them for the future;
and from the strange wives;
they had taken; put them away.
Ezra 10:12 Then all the
assembly answered and said with a loud voice
“Yes! As you have said
so we
must do.
YLT And all the assembly answer and say [with] a
great voice
`Right; according to thy word -- on us to do;
Then all the congregation
answered and said with a loud voice
&c.] That they might be heard
and to show that they were willing and ready
to comply with what was proposed:
as thou host said
so must
we do;
being convinced of their sin
they saw it was a duty incumbent on them to put
away their strange wives
and that there was a necessity of it
to avert the
wrath of God from them.
Ezra 10:13 But there
are many people; it is the season for heavy rain
and we are not
able to stand outside. Nor is this the work of one or two days
for there
are many of us who have transgressed in this matter.
YLT but the people [are] many
and [it is] the
time of showers
and there is no power to stand without
and the work [is] not
for one day
nor for two
for we have multiplied to transgress in this thing.
But the people are many
Who have been guilty of this evil:
and it is a time of much
rain
and we are not able to stand without:
in the street
because of the rain:
neither is this a work of
one day or two;
to inquire into this affair
who they are that have taken strange wives
and to
persuade or oblige them to put them away:
for we are many that have
transgressed in this thing;
in marrying strange wives.
Ezra 10:14 Please
let the
leaders of our entire assembly stand; and let all those in our cities who have
taken pagan wives come at appointed times
together with the elders and judges
of their cities
until the fierce wrath of our God is turned away from us in
this matter.”
YLT `Let
we pray thee
our heads of all the
assembly stand
and all who [are] in our cities
who have settled strange wives
do come in at the times appointed
and with them the elders of city and city
and its judges
till the turning back of the fury of the wrath of our God from
us
for this thing.'
Let now our rulers of all
the congregations stand
Let the great sanhedrim
or court of judicature at Jerusalem
be fixed and
continued
and others:
and let all them which
have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times;
to the court at Jerusalem
at certain and fixed known times of their sittings
there for this purpose:
and with the elders of
every city and the judges thereof;
the principal magistrates of it
who were to testify that upon search and
inquiry those were the men and all the men in their city
that had taken
strange wives
and that they had put them away according to the order of the
princes and elders; and this they proposed to be done in every city
and the
account to be brought to the sanhedrim at Jerusalem
who were to sit at certain
times till this affair was finished:
until the fierce wrath of
our God for this matter be turned from us:
which it seems had broke out in some instances
and they feared would do yet
more
unless this step was taken
whereby they hoped it would be averted.
Ezra 10:15 Only Jonathan
the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah opposed this
and Meshullam
and Shabbethai the Levite gave them support.
YLT Only Jonathan son of Asahel
and Jahaziah son
of Tikvah
stood against this
and Meshullam
and Shabbethai the Levite
helped
them.
Only Jonathan the son of
Asahel
and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah
were employed about the matter
To see that this affair was conducted in the manner proposed; that the
magistrates of every city brought the persons that had been delinquents
in
their turns
of which they gave them notice
and took the account of them as
they came:
and Meshullam and
Shabbethai the Levite helped them;
assisted them in this work; the other two perhaps were priests
and both these
Levites; and these four were the only persons appointed over this matter
as
the phrase in the preceding clause may signify; though Jarchi interprets it to
a quite contrary sense
that they were the only persons that opposed and
objected to it; and so Dr. Lightfoot F18
understands it
and renders it
"stood against this matter"; in which
they were seconded by the two Levites
and the sense is very probable.
FOOTNOTES:
F18 Works
vol. 1. p. 144.
Ezra 10:16 Then the
descendants of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest
with certain
heads of the fathers’ households
were set apart by the fathers’ households
each of them by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to
examine the matter.
YLT And the sons of the removal do so
and Ezra
the priest
[and] men
heads of the fathers
for the house of their fathers
are separated
even all of them by name
and they sit on the first day of the
tenth month
to examine the matter;
And the children of the
captivity did so
Put away their strange wives:
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;
from all their other business
and gave themselves up to attend to this wholly:
and sat down in the first
day of the tenth month;
the month Tebeth
which answers to part of December and January; this was ten
days after the assembly of all the people met and broke up: these took their
places in the great court
and there sat
to examine the matter;
the accounts brought in from the several cities by the magistrates thereof
and
recorded them.
Ezra 10:17 By the first
day of the first month they finished questioning all the men who had
taken pagan wives.
YLT and they finish with all the men who have
settled strange women unto the first day of the first month.
And they made an end with
all the men that had taken strange wives
Finished their inquiry and examination of them:
by the first day of the
first month;
the month Nisan
answering to part of March and April; so that they were three
months about this work.
Ezra 10:18 And among the
sons of the priests who had taken pagan wives the following were found
of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak
[a] and his
brothers: Maaseiah
Eliezer
Jarib
and Gedaliah.
YLT And there are found of the sons of the
priests that have settled strange women: of the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak
and his brethren
Maaseiah
and Eliezer
and Jarib
and Gedaliah;
And among the sons of the
priests there were found that had taken strange wives
So that it need not be wondered at that this evil should spread among the
people
when those who understood the law
and should have instructed the
people in it
set such an example: namely
of the sons of Jeshua the
son of Jozadak;
who was the high priest; and perhaps for this fault of his
in not restraining
his sons from such unlawful marriages
is he represented in filthy garments
( Zechariah 3:3 )
and his brethren
Maaseiah
and Eliezer
and Jarib
and Gedaliah;
these were the brethren of Jeshua.
Ezra 10:19 And they gave
their promise that they would put away their wives; and being guilty
they
presented a ram of the flock as their trespass offering.
YLT and they give their hand to send out their
wives
and
being guilty
a ram of the flock
for their guilt.
Ezra 10:19~43Ver. 19-43. And they
gave their hands that they would put away their wives
They proposed to do it
and actually did it:
and being guilty;
of which they were fully convinced:
they offered a ram of the
flock for their trespass;
to make atonement for it
and thereby set an example to others to do the like.
Aben Ezra observes
that we do not find that the trespass offering was a mulct
to such who married strange wives
and conjectures
that it was the advice of
the chief men to do it. From hence
to the end of ( Ezra
10:43 )
is a list of the men that had married strange wives
and
put them away; those in ( Ezra 10:20-22 )
were priests; in ( Ezra
10:23 Ezra 10:24 )
Levites
and those of them who
were singers or porters; the rest were Israelites: and it is a very common
distinction
in rabbinical writers
to distinguish the Jews into priests
Levites
and Israelites; of these we know no more than their names; some of the
heads of the families may be observed in ( Ezra
2:1 ) .
Ezra 10:20 Also of the
sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah;
YLT And of the sons of Immer: Hanani and
Zebadiah;
Ezra 10:21 of the sons of
Harim: Maaseiah
Elijah
Shemaiah
Jehiel
and Uzziah;
YLT and of the sons of Harim: Masseiah
and
Elijah
and Shemaiah
and Jehiel
and Uzziah;
Ezra 10:22 of the sons of
Pashhur: Elioenai
Maaseiah
Ishmael
Nethanel
Jozabad
and Elasah.
YLT and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai
Maaseiah
Ishmael
Nethaneel
Jozabad
and Elasah.
Ezra 10:23 Also of the
Levites: Jozabad
Shimei
Kelaiah (the same is Kelita)
Pethahiah
Judah
and Eliezer.
YLT And of the Levites: Jozabad
and Shimei
and
Kelaiah -- he [is] Kelita
-- Pethahiah
Judah
and Eliezer.
Ezra 10:24 Also of the
singers: Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum
Telem
and Uri.
YLT And of the singers: Eliashib. And of the
gatekeepers: Shallum
and Telem
and Uri.
Ezra 10:25 And others of
Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah
Jeziah
Malchiah
Mijamin
Eleazar
Malchijah
and Benaiah;
YLT And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah
and Jeziah
and Malchijah
and Miamin
and Eleazar
and Malchijah
and Benaiah.
Ezra 10:26 of the sons of
Elam: Mattaniah
Zechariah
Jehiel
Abdi
Jeremoth
and Eliah;
YLT And of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah
Zechariah
and Jehiel
and Abdi
and Jeremoth
and Elijah.
Ezra 10:27 of the sons of
Zattu: Elioenai
Eliashib
Mattaniah
Jeremoth
Zabad
and Aziza;
YLT And of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai
Eliashib
Mattaniah
and Jeremoth
and Zabad
and Aziza.
Ezra 10:28 of the sons of
Bebai: Jehohanan
Hananiah
Zabbai
and Athlai;
YLT And of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan
Hananiah
Zabbai
Athlai.
Ezra 10:29 of the sons of
Bani: Meshullam
Malluch
Adaiah
Jashub
Sheal
and Ramoth;[b]
YLT And of the sons of Bani: Meshullam
Malluch
and Adaiah
Jashub
and Sheal
and Ramoth.
Ezra 10:30 of the sons of
Pahath-Moab: Adna
Chelal
Benaiah
Maaseiah
Mattaniah
Bezalel
Binnui
and
Manasseh;
YLT And of the sons of Pahath-Moab: Adna
and
Chelal
Benaiah
Maaseiah
Mattaniah
Bezaleel
and Binnui
and Manasseh.
Ezra 10:31 of
the sons of Harim: Eliezer
Ishijah
Malchijah
Shemaiah
Shimeon
YLT And of the sons of Harim: Eliezer
Ishijah
Malchiah
Shemaiah
Shimeon
Ezra 10:32 Benjamin
Malluch
and Shemariah;
YLT Benjamin
Malluch
Shemariah.
Ezra 10:33 of the sons of
Hashum: Mattenai
Mattattah
Zabad
Eliphelet
Jeremai
Manasseh
and
Shimei;
YLT Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai
Mattathah
Zabad
Eliphelet
Jeremai
Manasseh
Shimei.
Ezra 10:34 of the sons of
Bani: Maadai
Amram
Uel
YLT Of the sons of Bani: Maadai
Amram
and Uel
Ezra 10:35 Benaiah
Bedeiah
Cheluh
[c]
YLT Benaiah
Bedeiah
Cheluhu
Ezra 10:36 Vaniah
Meremoth
Eliashib
YLT Vaniah
Meremoth
Eliashib
Ezra 10:37 Mattaniah
Mattenai
Jaasai
[d]
YLT Mattaniah
Mattenai
and Jaasau
Ezra 10:38 Bani
Binnui
Shimei
YLT and Bani
and Binnui
Shimei
Ezra 10:39 Shelemiah
Nathan
Adaiah
YLT and Shelemiah
and Nathan
and Adaiah
Ezra 10:40 Machnadebai
Shashai
Sharai
YLT Machnadbai
Shashai
Sharai
Ezra 10:41 Azarel
Shelemiah
Shemariah
YLT Azareel
and Shelemiah
Shemariah
Ezra 10:42 Shallum
Amariah
and Joseph;
YLT Shallum
Amariah
Joseph.
Ezra 10:43 of the sons of
Nebo: Jeiel
Mattithiah
Zabad
Zebina
Jaddai
[e] Joel
and
Benaiah.
YLT Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel
Mattithiah
Zabad
Zebina
Jadau
and Joel
Benaiah;
Ezra 10:44 All these had
taken pagan wives
and some of them had wives by whom they had
children.
YLT all these have taken strange women
and there
are of them women -- who adopt sons.
All these had taken
strange wives
In all about one hundred and thirteen:
and some of them had wives
by whom they had children;
and yet they put them away
which made it the more difficult for them to do;
and those that had none
it is thought to be a mark of God's displeasure at
such marriages. No mention being made of the children being put away
as
Shechaniah proposed
( Ezra 10:3 )
it may be concluded they were not
but were taken care of
to be educated in the true religion
and entered
proselytes at a proper time; and the rather
as Ezra gave no orders about their
putting away
( Ezra 10:11 ) .
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Ezra 10:18
Spelled Jehozadak in 1 Chronicles 6:14
b.
Ezra 10:29 Or Jeremoth
c.Ezra 10:35 Or Cheluhi
or Cheluhu
d.
Ezra 10:37 Or Jaasu
e.
Ezra 10:43 Or Jaddu