Ezra 10:1-4

Reconciliation with God

1 Now ¹while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself ²before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly *.

2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, "³We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this.

3 "So now ⁴let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and ⁵their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of ⁶those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done ⁷according to the law.

4 "Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; ⁸be courageous and act."

Ezra 10:1-4 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 10

Upon Ezra's prayer and confession, it was proposed by Shechaniah, that those who had married strange wives should put them away with their children, which they swore to do, Ezr 10:1-5, and proclamation was made throughout the land for all to meet at Jerusalem in three days' time, and accordingly they did, Ezr 10:6-9 when, at the exhortation of Ezra, all agreed to it, and persons were appointed to see it done, and the work was finished in the space of three months, Ezr 10:10-17 and a list of the names of those is given who had married such wives, and now put them away; of the priests, Ezr 10:18-22, of the Levites, Ezr 10:23,24, of the other Israelites, Ezr 10:24-44.

Cross References

• 1. Daniel 9:4, 20
• 2. 2 Chronicles 20:9
• 3. Ezra 9:2; Nehemiah 13:27
• 4. 2 Chronicles 34:31
• 5. Ezra 10:44
• 6. Ezra 9:4
• 7. Deuteronomy 7:2, 3
• 8. 1 Chronicles 28:10

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "given dwelling to"
• [b] Lit "that which is born of them"
• [c] Or "the Lord"
• [d] Lit "upon you"