Ezra 10

1 0 Now while Ezra was davening and making vidduy, weeping and prostrating himself before the Beis HaElohim, a Kahal rav me’od, anashim, nashim, and yeladim, gathered to him from Yisroel, for the people wept bitterly.

2 And Shechanyah ben Yechiel, of the Bnei Elam, answered and said to Ezra, We have been unfaithful to Eloheinu, have married foreign am ha’aretz women; yet now there is mikveh for Yisroel in spite of this.

3 So now let us make a Brit with Eloheinu to put away all nashim and that born of them, according to the counsel of Adonoi and the charedim at the mitzvot of Eloheinu; and let it be done according to the Torah.

4 Arise! For this matter is your responsibility; but we will be with you; chazak and act.

5 Then Ezra rose and made the leading Kohanim, the Levi’im, and kol Yisroel take an oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath.

6 Then Ezra arose from before the Beis HaElohim and went into the chamber of Yehochanan ben Elyashiv. Although he went there, he did not eat lechem, nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of those of the Golus.

7 And they issued a proclamation throughout Yehudah and Yerushalayim to all the Banim of the Golus, that they should assemble at Yerushalayim

8 And that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the sarim and the zekenim, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the Kahal of those of the Golus.

9 So all the men of Yehudah and Benyamin assembled at Yerushalayim within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and kol HaAm sat in the rechov before the Beis HaElohim, distressed by the occasion and the heavy rain.

10 Then Ezra HaKohen stood up and said to them, You have been unfaithful and have married foreign women adding to Ashmat Yisroel.

11 Now, therefore, make confession to Hashem Elohei Avoteichem and do His will; separate yourselves from the am ha’aretz and from the foreign women.

12 Then Kol HaKahal answered and said with a kol gadol, Ken! As you have said, so it is our duty to do.

13 But there are Am rav, it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand bachotz (outside). Nor can the matter be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter.

14 Let our leaders represent the Kol HaKahal and let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at appointed times, together with the ziknei ir and shofetim of each town until the charon af Eloheinu on account of this matter is turned away from us.

15 Only Yonatan ben Asah’el and Yachzeyah ben Tikvah supported by Meshulam and Shabtai the Levi stood opposed.

16 But the Banim of the Golus did so. And Ezra HaKohen selected anashim who were Rashei HaAvot for each of their father’s households, all of them by shemot. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter.

17 And they finished investigating all men who had married foreign women by the 1st day of the 1st month.

18 And among the Bnei HaKohanim who had married foreign women were found of the Bnei Yeshua ben Yotzadak, and his brothers; Ma’aseiyah, Eliezer, Yariv, and Gedalyah.

19 And they pledged to put away their women, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their asham.

20 And of the Bnei Immer there were Chanani and Zevadyah;

21 and of the Bnei of Charim; Ma’aseiyah, Eliyah, Shemayah, Yechiel, and Uzziyah;

22 and of the Bnei of Pashchur; Elyoeinai, Ma’aseiyah, Yishmael, Netanel, Yozavad, and Elasah.

23 And of Levi’im there were Yozavad, Shimei, Kelayah (that is, Kelita), Petachyah, Yehudah, and Eliezer.

24 And of the singers there was Elyashiv; and of the gatekeepers; Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

25 And of Yisroel, of the Bnei of Parosh there were Ramyah, Yizziyah, Malchiyah, Miyamin, Eleazar, Malkiyah, and Benayah;

26 And of the Bnei Elam; Mattanyah, Zecharyah, Yechi’el, Avdi, Yeremot, and Eliyah;

27 And of the Bnei Zattu; Elyoeinai, Elyashiv, Mattanyah, Yeremot, Zavad, and Aziza;

28 And of the Bnei Bevai; Yehochanan, Chananyah, Zabbai, and Atlai;

29 And of the Bnei Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adayah, Yashuv, Sheal, and Ramot;

30 And of the Bnei Pachat-Moav; Adna, Kelal, Benayah, Ma’aseiyah, Mattanyah, Betzalel, Binnui, and Menasheh;

31 And of the Bnei Charim; Eliezer; Yishiyah, Malkiyah, Shemayah, Shim’on,

32 Benyamin, Malluch, and Shemaryah;

33 Of the Bnei of Chashum; Matnai, Mattattah, Zavad, Eliphelet, Yeremai, Manasheh, and Shimei;

34 Of the Bnei Bani; Ma’adai, Amram, U’el,

35 Benayah, Bedyah, Keluhi,

36 Vanyah, Meremot, Elyashiv,

37 Mattanyah, Mattnai, Ya’asai,

38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei,

39 Shelemyah, Natan, Adayah,

40 Machnavdai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 Azarel, Shelemyah, Shemaryah,

42 Shallum, Amaryah, and Yosef.

43 Of the Bnei Nevo there were Ye’iel, Mattityah, Zavad, Zevina, Yadai, Yoel, and Benayah.

44 All these had taken foreign women, and some of them wives by whom they had banim.

Ezra 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

Ezra encourages to reformation. (1-5) He assembles the people. (6-14) Reformation effected. (15-44)

Verses 1-5 Shechaniah owned the national guilt. The case is sad, but it is not desperate; the disease threatening, but not incurable. Now that the people begin to lament, a spirit of repentance seems to be poured out; now there is hope that God will forgive, and have mercy. The sin that rightly troubles us, shall not ruin us. In melancholy times we must observe what makes for us, as well as against us. And there may be good hopes through grace, even where there is the sense of great guilt before God. The case is plain; what has been done amiss, must be undone again as far as possible; nothing less than this is true repentance. Sin must be put away, with a resolution never to have any thing more to do with it. What has been unjustly got, must be restored. Arise, be of good courage. Weeping, in this case, is good, but reforming is better. As to being unequally yoked with unbelievers, such marriages, it is certain, are sinful, and ought not to be made; but now they are not null, as they were before the gospel did away the separation between Jews and Gentiles.

Verses 6-14 There is hope concerning people, when they are convinced, not only that it is good to part with their sins, but that it is necessary; we must do it, or we are undone. So rich is the mercy, and so plenteous the redemption of God, that there is hope for the vilest who hear the gospel, and are willing to accept of free salvation. When sinners mourn for their sins, and tremble at the word of God, there is hope that they will forsake them. To affect others with godly sorrow or love to God, we must ourselves be affected. It was carefully agreed how this affair should be carried on. That which is hastily resolved on seldom proves lasting.

Verses 15-44 The best reformers can but do their endeavour; when the Redeemer himself shall come to Zion, he shall effectually turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And when sin is repented of and forsaken, God will forgive it; but the blood of Christ, our Sin-offering, is the only atonement which takes away our guilt. No seeming repentance or amendment will benefit those who reject Him, for self-dependence proves them still unhumbled. All the names written in the book of life, are those of penitent sinners, not of self-righteous persons, who think they have no need of repentance.

Chapter Summary

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.