Chapter Ten
1. The impression made by Ezra’s prayer on the people. 2–4. The speech of Shecaniah. 5. Oath to observe the law. 6–7. Gathering of the returnees. 10–15. Decisions made regarding the mixed marriages. 16–19. Investigation of the matter. 20–44. List of those who violated the law against mixed marriages.
Ezra 10:1. When Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and falling before the house of God, a very large assembly of the people of Israel gathered to him—men, women, and children—for the people wept greatly. Ezra’s prayer took place before the house of God, that is, in the front courtyard. Since many others were also seized with a consciousness of the people’s sin, a very large assembly gathered around Ezra, and the temple courtyard was filled with weeping.
Ezra 10:2. Then Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra: “We have acted treacherously toward our God and have taken foreign wives from the peoples of the land, but there is still hope for Israel in this matter; The spokesman for the people’s feelings was “Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam.” This Shecaniah is distinct from the one mentioned in Ezra 8:5; likewise his father is different. Jehiel cannot be identified with the Jehiel mentioned in verse 26. The sons of Elam, to whom he belonged, are mentioned also in Ezra 2:7. Shecaniah was neither a priest nor a prince. Therefore his speech was an expression of the community’s penitent feeling. Shecaniah recognizes mixed marriages as the people’s chief sin. But contrary to Ezra 9:10, he believes that hope still remains for Israel. Instead of the words “in this matter” from the Hebrew (al-zoth), it would be better to render: “in spite of this.”
Ezra 10:3. “Now let us make a covenant with our God to send away all these women and the children born to them, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who revere the command of our God; and let it be done according to the law! Shecaniah proposes to enter into a sworn covenant with God (2 Chr 15:12; Neh 10:29)—and to send away the foreign wives and also the children born to them. As is evident from verse 44 and from Neh 13:23 and following, Shecaniah’s proposal was carried out completely. However, adult children, particularly sons, if they consented to submit to the law, could probably remain in Judea. “According to the counsel of my lord”: instead of the adonai standing here, many manuscripts read Jehovah; in the Vulgate, “juxta voluntatem Domini,” according to the will of the Lord. The connection with what follows would then be: according to the will of the Lord as understood by those who revere God’s commandments (Schultz). In the Russian text, adonai (my lord) is understood as a reference to Ezra. In the same way, the second Ezra renders ὡς ἐκριτθη σοι. By the counsel of Ezra in verse 3 is then meant Ezra’s prayer (Ezra 9:6-16), which inspired the people to take the decision.
Ezra 10:5. Then Ezra rose and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel swear that they would do as had been said. And they swore an oath. Ezra took advantage of the moment’s feeling and extracted an oath from the leaders of the people that they would carry out what Shecaniah had said.
Ezra 10:6. Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Johanan, the son of Eliashib. He spent the night there, but ate no bread and drank no water, for he was in mourning over the transgression of the exiles. After the people’s oath, Ezra left the temple courtyard and went to the dwelling (LXX γαζαφυλάκιον, Slavonic “treasure house”) of Johanan, the son of Eliashib. This appears to have been an annex to the temple for storing sacred garments and items belonging to the worship, and also for temporary residence of priests and Levites. Since the writer provides no explanation regarding the person of Johanan, after whom one of the temple’s rooms was named, one may conclude that his identity was well known. In the book of Nehemiah (Neh 12:23), mention is made of Johanan the high priest, who appears to be the grandson of Eliashib and a contemporary of Nehemiah. Probably the temple room was named after this Johanan. However, this name could have arisen later than the time spoken of in Ezra 10, since Johanan was not yet high priest at that time. But the writer, for clarity of narrative, uses this later, obviously well-known name. “He ate no bread and drank no water” (cf. Exod 34:28; Deut 9:9)
Ezra 10:7. A proclamation was issued throughout Judea and Jerusalem to all the exiles that they should gather in Jerusalem; Ezra 10:8. and that whoever did not come within three days would forfeit all his property according to the decision of the officials and elders, and he himself would be excluded from the congregation of the exiles. Since the final formal decision on the matter of the foreign wives depended on the whole community, the officials and elders, sympathizing with Ezra’s plans, summoned an assembly of the exiles in Jerusalem.
Ezra 10:9. All the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open space before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. The assembly took place four months after Ezra’s arrival, on the twentieth day of the ninth month, corresponding to our December. The place of assembly was the open space before the temple. In characterizing the state of those gathered, the writer says that the people sat trembling both because of the matter at hand and because of the rain. Thus the people were moved by the importance of the expected decision, and moreover they suffered from bad weather, which occurs in Palestine in December.
Ezra 10:10. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them: “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign women, and so have increased the guilt of Israel. Ezra 10:11. “Now make confession to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from your foreign wives. Ezra 10:12. Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice: “It is so; we must do as you have said. To Ezra’s proposal to separate from “the peoples of the land,” that is, from the heathen, and from foreign wives, the entire assembly, “with a loud voice,” that is, with full determination, expressed its consent.
Ezra 10:13. But the people are numerous, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Moreover, this task cannot be finished in one or two days, for many of us have transgressed in this matter. Having agreed with Ezra’s proposal, the assembly nonetheless postpones its implementation, because to accurately establish the facts of mixed marriages, apart from the inconvenience of conducting it in a large assembly (“the people are numerous”), considerable time was needed (verse 13: “this task cannot be finished in one or two days”), and the rainy season made it impossible to remain in the open for long.
Ezra 10:14. Let our officials represent the whole assembly, and let all in our towns who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of each city, so that the fierce anger of our God over this matter may be turned away from us. The assembly entrusts the completion of the reform decision to the “officials.” To them must come in appointed times the men who have foreign wives, accompanied by the elders and judges of the city, for clarification of the matter.
Ezra 10:15. Only Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, son of Tikvah, opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them. “Then (ach) Jonathan... opposed this” (amdu al zoth). The Hebrew ach expresses a limitation of the thought expressed earlier, and in this verse it is better rendered by Russian no, only. The expression amdu al, corresponding to 1 Chr 21:1; 2 Chr 20:23; Dan 8:25, is more properly rendered not as “stood over this” but as “opposed this.” Thus the persons named in verse 15 came forward with a protest against the decision accepted by the assembly. The writer does not indicate what their protest consisted of.
Ezra 10:16. Then the people who had returned from exile did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of the patrilineal houses, all designated by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. Ezra 10:17. By the first day of the first month they had investigated all the men who had taken foreign wives. Ezra and the heads of the patrilineal houses were chosen to carry out the decision of the people’s assembly. The first session of this commission took place on the first day of the tenth month, that is, only ten days after the general assembly. The commission’s work continued for nearly three months. By the first day of the first month—of course, the following year—it was completed. Because of the difficulty of the Hebrew text’s construction in this verse, some scholars (Rissel) consider it corrupted: the words “who had taken foreign wives” are regarded as a heading for the following list, transferred by scribal error to the middle of the verse.
Ezra 10:18. Among the priests, those found to have taken foreign wives were: of the sons of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah; Ezra 10:19. They pledged themselves to send away their wives, and offered a ram as an offering for their guilt. Ezra 10:20. Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah; Ezra 10:21. Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; Ezra 10:22. Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah; Ezra 10:23. Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, and Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer; Ezra 10:24. Of the singers: Eliashib; of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri; Ezra 10:25. Of Israel: of the descendants of Parosh: Ramaiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Miamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; Ezra 10:26. Of the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah; Ezra 10:27. Of the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; Ezra 10:28. Of the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; Ezra 10:29. Of the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeramoth; Ezra 10:30. Of the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; Ezra 10:31. Of the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Simeon, Ezra 10:32. Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; Ezra 10:33. Of the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; Ezra 10:34. Of the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel, Ezra 10:35. Benaiah, Bedeiah, and Keluhi, Ezra 10:36. Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Ezra 10:37. Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, Ezra 10:38. Bani, Binnui, Shimei, Ezra 10:39. Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Ezra 10:40. Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Ezra 10:41. Azareel, Shelemelah, Shemariah, Ezra 10:42. Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph; Ezra 10:43. Of the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. Ezra 10:44. All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them had children by these wives. List of those guilty of violating the law against mixed marriages. In this list there are 17 priests (verses 18–22), 10 Levites (verses 23–24), and 86 lay Israelites (verses 25–43), making a total of 113 persons. First on the list are the sons of Jeshua (verse 18), by whom should be understood the high priest Jeshua, contemporary of Zerubbabel, and his brothers—probably (cf. Ezra 2:36-39), the sons of Jedaiah.
Ezra 10:19. They pledged themselves to send away their wives, and offered a ram as an offering for their guilt; “And they pledged themselves.” The members of the high-priestly house solemnly (cf. 2 Kgs 10:15; Ezek 17:18; Lam 5:6) bound themselves to send away the foreign wives and, in expiation for their guilt, offered a ram as a sacrifice. The basis for this could have been the prescription in Lev 5:14-19.
Ezra 10:20. Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah; Ezra 10:21. Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; Ezra 10:22. Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah; Some of the names mentioned in verses 20–22 are found also in Neh 8:4 and Neh 10:2-9 (cf. the note on Ezra 2:19-39).
Ezra 10:23. Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, and Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer; Ezra 10:24. Of the singers: Eliashib; of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri; The name Kelaiah is usually found in the form Kelita (Neh 8:7)
Ezra 10:25. Of Israel: of the descendants of Parosh: Ramaiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Miamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; Ezra 10:26. Of the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah; Ezra 10:27. Of the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; Ezra 10:28. Of the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; Ezra 10:29. Of the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeramoth; Ezra 10:30. Of the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; Ezra 10:31. Of the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Simeon, Ezra 10:32. Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; Ezra 10:33. Of the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; Ezra 10:34. Of the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel, Ezra 10:35. Benaiah, Bedeiah, and Keluhi, Ezra 10:36. Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Ezra 10:37. Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, Ezra 10:38. Bani, Binnui, Shimei, Ezra 10:39. Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Ezra 10:40. Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Ezra 10:41. Azareel, Shelemelah, Shemariah, Ezra 10:42. Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph; Ezra 10:43. Of the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. “And of Israel,” that is, of lay Israelites. The persons named in verses 25–43 belong to ten families mentioned in Ezra 2. In the list, two families (verses 29 and 34) are called descendants of Bani, and in the second instance (verse 31) they are counted as 27 persons. Further, it is noteworthy that the list makes no mention of inhabitants of the cities named in Ezra 2:21-28, whereas (according to verses 7, 14) the investigation of mixed marriages should have concerned them also. It may therefore be supposed that the 27 persons listed in verses 34–42 were inhabitants of various places in Judea.
Ezra 10:44. All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them had children by these wives. In verse 44, the second half of the verse attracts attention: “And some of them had children by these wives.” The Hebrew construction of the verse occasions difficulty (masculine form of the verb vayaschimu, had borne). The purpose of the remark is also unclear, since it is difficult to regard as such the desire to point out the difficulty of implementing the assembly’s decision (Rawlinson) or the care taken in investigating the matter (Keil). In the parallel text 1 Esd 9:36, it reads: “and they sent them away, with their children.” This reading can be preferred to the reading of Ezra 10:44. The thought of the latter, in that case, would be as follows: whereas most men sent away only their wives, some, showing greater zeal, also divorced their children.