Ezra 10:2

2 Shecaniah spoke to Ezra. Shecaniah was the son of Jehiel. He belonged to the family line of Elam. Shecaniah said, "We haven't been faithful to our God. We've gotten married to women from the nations that are around us. In spite of that, there is still hope for Israel.

Ezra 10:2 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 10:2

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 10:2 In-Context

1 Ezra was praying and admitting to God that his people had sinned. He was sobbing and throwing himself down in front of the house of God. Then a large crowd gathered around him. Men, women and children were there. They too sobbed bitterly.

2 Shecaniah spoke to Ezra. Shecaniah was the son of Jehiel. He belonged to the family line of Elam. Shecaniah said, "We haven't been faithful to our God. We've gotten married to women from the nations that are around us. In spite of that, there is still hope for Israel.

3 So let's make a covenant in the sight of our God. Let's promise to send away all of those women and their children. That's what you have advised us to do. Those who respect our God's commands have given us the same advice. We want to do what the Law says.

4 "Get up, Ezra. This matter is in your hands. Do what you need to. We will be behind you all the way. Be brave and do it."

5 So Ezra got up. He made the leading priests and Levites and all of the people of Israel take an oath. He made them promise they would do what Shecaniah had suggested. And they took the oath.