Ezra 10:2

2 And Shechaniah, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered, and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have wedded wives, alien women, of the peoples of the land. And now, for penance is in Israel on this thing, (And Shechaniah, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered, and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have wedded wives, foreign women, of the peoples of the land. And now, for there is penance in Israel for this thing,)

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 Therefore while Ezra prayed so, and besought God, and wept, and lay (down) before the temple of God, a full great company of Israel (a very great crowd of Israelites), of men, and of women, and of children, was gathered together to him; and the people wept with much weeping.

2 And Shechaniah, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered, and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have wedded wives, alien women, of the peoples of the land. And now, for penance is in Israel on this thing, (And Shechaniah, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered, and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have wedded wives, foreign women, of the peoples of the land. And now, for there is penance in Israel for this thing,)

3 make we (a) bond of peace with the Lord our God, and cast we away all our alien wives, and them that be born of those wives, by the will of the Lord; and of them that dread the commandment of our God, be it done by the law. (let us make a covenant with the Lord our God to cast away, that is, to send away, all our foreign wives, and those who were born of those wives, according to thy counsel, my lord, and the counsel of those who fear the command of our God/who revere the command of our God; yea, let it be done according to the Law.)

4 Rise thou up, it pertaineth to thee to deem, and we shall be with thee; be thou comforted, and do thus. (Rise thou up, it pertaineth to thee to judge this, and we shall be with thee; be thou strengthened, and do thus.)

5 Then Ezra rose up, and charged greatly the princes of (the) priests, and deacons, and all Israel, to do after this word; and they swore thereto. (Then Ezra rose up, and greatly charged the leaders of the priests, and the Levites, and all the Israelites, to do this thing; and they swore that they would do it.)