1 NOW when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.
2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.
4 Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.
5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.
6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;
8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.
10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
11 Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.
13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.
14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.
15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.
18 And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.
20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
25 Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
26 And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.
27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
28 Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29 And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
30 And of the sons of Pahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33 Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
38 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43 Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.
44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

1Now when Ezra had praised, and when he had confessed, weeping, and casting himselfe downe before the house of God, there assembled vnto him out of Israel, a very great congregation of men, and women, and children: for the people wept very sore.

2And Shechaniah the sonne of Iehiel, one of the sonnes of Elam, answered and said vnto Ezra, Wee haue trespassed against our God, and haue taken strange wiues, of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

3Now therefore let vs make a couenant with our God, to put away all the wiues, & such as are borne of them, according to the counsell of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandement of our God, and lee it be done according to the Law.

4Arise, for this matter belongeth vnto thee, wee also will be with thee: be of good courage, and doe it.

5Then arose Ezra, and made the chiefe Priests, the Leuites, and all Israel to sweare, that they should doe according to this word: and they sware.

6 Then Ezra rose vp from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Iohanan, the sonne of Eliashib: and when hee came thither, hee did eate no bread, nor drinke water: for hee mourned because of the transgression of them that had bene caried away.

7And they made Proclamation throughout Iudah and Ierusalem, vnto all the children of the captiuitie, that they should gather themselues together vnto Ierusalem;

8And that whosoeuer would not come within three dayes, according to the counsell of the Princes, and the Elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himselfe separated from the congregation of those that had beene caried away.

9 Then all the men of Iudah and Beniamin, gathered themselues together vnto Ierusalem, within three dayes: it was the ninth moneth, on the twentieth day of the moneth, and all the people sate in the streete of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great raine.

10And Ezra the Priest stood vp, and said vnto them, Yee haue transgressed, and haue taken strange wiues, to encrease the trespasse of Israel.

11Now therefore make confession vnto the Lord God of your fathers, and doe his pleasure: and separate your selues from the people of the land, and from the strange wiues.

12Then all the congregation answered, and said with a loude voice, As thou hast said, so must we doe:

13But the people are many, and it is a time of much raine, and we are not able to stand without; neither is this a worke of one day or two: for wee are many that haue transgressed in this thing.

14Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which haue taken strange wiues in our cities, come at appointed times, & with them the Elders of euery citie, and the Iudges thereof; vntill the fierce wrath of our God for this matter, be turned from vs.

15 Onely Ionathan the sonne of Asahel, and Iahaziah the sonne of Tikuah, were employed about this matter: and Meshullam, and Shabbethai the Leuite, helped them.

16And the children of the captiuitie did so: and Ezra the Priest, with certaine chiefe of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sate downe in the first day of the tenth moneth to examine the matter.

17And they made an ende, with all the men that had taken strange wiues, by the first day of the first moneth.

18 And among the sonnes of the Priestes, there were found that had taken strange wiues: namely, of the sons of Ieshua the sonne of Iozadak, and his brethren, Maasiah, and Eliezer, and Iarib, and Gedaliah.

19And they gaue their hands, that they would put away their wiues: and being guiltie, they offered a ramme of the flocke for their trespasse.

20And of the sonnes of Immer, Hanani, and Zebadiah:

21And of the sonnes of Harim, Maasiah, and Eliiah, and Shemaiah, and Iehiel, and Uzziah.

22And of the sonnes of Pashur: Elioenai, Maasiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Iozabad and Elasah.

23Also of the Leuites: Iozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (the same is Kelitah) Pethahiah, Iudah, and Eliezer.

24Of the singers also, Eliashib; and of the porters, Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

25Moreouer of Israel, of the sonnes of Parosh, Ramiah, and Iesiah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchiiah, and Benaiah.

26And of the sonnes of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Iehiel, and Abdi, and Ieremoth, and Eliah.

27And of the sonnes of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Ieremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

28Of the sonnes also of Bebai: Iehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, & Athlai.

29And of the sonnes of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Iashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

30And of the sonnes of Pahath Moab: Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maasiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

31And of the sonnes of Harim: Eliezer, Ishiiah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32Beniamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

33Of the sonnes of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattatha, Zabad, Eliphelet, Ieremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

34Of the sonnes of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

35Benaiah, Bedaiah, Chelluh,

36Uaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Iaasau,

38And Bani, and Bennui, Shimei,

39And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

41Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42Shallum, Amariah, and Ioseph.

43Of the sonnes of Nebo, Iehiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iadau, and Ioel, Benaiah.

44All these had taken strange wiues: and some of them had wiues, by whom they had children.

I == 2nd chr 20:9 ; Dan 9:20

 

 

 

II == Neh 13:27

 

 

 

 

III == Deut 7:2-3 ; 2nd Chr 34:31 ; Ezra 9:4

 

 

 

IV == 1st Chr 28:10

 

V == Neh 5:12

 

 

VI == Deut 9:18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IX == 1st Sam 12:18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XI == Josh 7:19 ; Ezra 10:3 ; Prov 28:13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIV == 2nd Chr 30:8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIX == Lev 6:4 , 6 ; 2nd Kings 10:15 ; 1st Chr 29:24 ; 2nd Chr 30:8

1 While Ezra prayed and acknowledged their guilt, weeping and prostrate before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites gathered about him, men, women, and children; and the people wept profusely.

2 Then Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, made this appeal to Ezra: "We have indeed betrayed our God by taking as wives foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet even now there remains a hope for Israel.

3 Let us therefore enter into a covenant before our God to dismiss all our foreign wives and the children born of them, in keeping with what you, my lord, advise, and those who fear the commandments of our God. Let the law be observed!

4 Rise, then, for this is your duty! We will stand by you, so have courage and take action!"

5 Ezra rose to his feet and demanded an oath from the chiefs of the priests, from the Levites and from all Israel that they would do as had been proposed; and they swore it.

6 Then Ezra retired from his place before the house of God and entered the chamber of Johanan, son of Eliashib, where he spent the night neither eating food nor drinking water, for he was in mourning over the betrayal by the exiles.

7 A proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather together in Jerusalem,

8 and that whoever failed to appear within three days would, according to the judgment of the leaders and elders, suffer the confiscation of all his possessions, and himself be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered together in Jerusalem within the three-day period: it was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. All the people, standing in the open place before the house of God, were trembling both over the matter at hand and because it was raining.

10 Then Ezra, the priest, stood up and said to them: "Your unfaithfulness in taking foreign women as wives has added to Israel's guilt.

11 But now, give praise to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will: separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from these foreign women."

12 In answer, the whole assembly cried out with a loud voice: "Yes, it is our duty to do as you say!

13 But the people are numerous and it is the rainy season, so that we cannot remain out-of-doors; besides, this is not a task that can be performed in a single day or even two, for those of us who have sinned in this regard are many.

14 Let our leaders represent the whole assembly; then let all those in our cities who have taken foreign women for wives appear at appointed times, accompanied by the elders and magistrates of each city in question, till we have turned away from us our God's burning anger over this affair."

15 Only Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, son of Tikvah, were against this proposal, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

16 The exiles did as agreed. Ezra appointed as his assistants men who were family heads, one for each family, all of them designated by name. They held sessions to examine the matter, beginning with the first day of the tenth month.

17 By the first day of the first month they had passed judgment on all the men who had taken foreign women for wives.

18 Among the priests, the following were found to have taken foreign women for wives: Of the sons of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and his brethren: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 They pledged themselves to dismiss their wives, and as a guilt-offering for their guilt they gave a ram from the flock.

20 Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah;

21 of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah;

22 of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.

24 Of the singers: Eliashib and Zakkur; of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

25 Among the other Israelites: Of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah;

26 of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah;

27 of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza;

28 of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai;

29 of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth;

30 of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh;

31 of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32 Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah;

33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei;

34 of the sons of Begui: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,

36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu;

38 of the sons of Binnui: Shimei,

39 Shelemiah, Nathan, and Adaiah;

40 of the sons of Zachai: Shashai, Sharai,

41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42 Shallum, Amariah, Joseph;

43 of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, Benaiah.

44 All these had taken foreign wives; but they sent them away, both the women and their children.

v 1. Weeks of preaching followed by Ezra’s passionate prayer caused whole families to also weep bitterly before the Lord.

v 2,3. Shecaniah, speaking for the other devout Jews, acknowledged the sin of intermarriage, but since God is merciful, there was hope for those who repented if they would make a covenant with God. Repentance, to be effective, must be followed by forsaking and restitution, v 19, if possible. That would be to put away all their wives and children born to them according to the counsel of Ezra and others who trembled at the commandment of God, and to be done according to the law. In other words, he was trusting that the counsel of Ezra would be just, and if it was done according to the law, each case would be investigated on it’s own merits, v 16-19.

v 4. Then he encouraged Ezra to proceed with that and they would support him.

v 5. The sincerity of the people was shown by their willingness to take an oath before Ezra that they would abide by this solution.

v 6-8. Ezra lodged at Johanan’s place, but fasted in mourning for those who had violated God’s law. Proclamation was made after consulting the princes and elders, for all returned exiles from Jerusalem and Judah to assemble in three days or all his property would be forfeited and himself expelled from the assembly of the exiles. Ezra had authority to give this punishment by the edict of the king, 7:26.

 

v 9. This was our December, a cold, gloomy rainy time. The people already fearful of God’s wrath and separation of their families, were shivering in the cold rain.

 

v 10,11. Ezra stated the problem so there was no doubt, their sin was in marrying heathen wives. Their recourse was to confess to the Lord and separate from the wives. The issue then and now is not marrying a different race or nationality, but marrying an unbeliever. Today believers are instructed not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, 2 Cor. 6:14, and to marry only in the Lord, 1 Cor. 7:39. Today divorce is not an option unless the unbeliever wants to depart, then the believer is to let him go. 1 Cor. 7:15. A difficult question arises if an unbeliever is unfaithful, but still wants to remain married. 

v 12-14. The congregation heartily agreed, but since they were standing in cold rain and the matter would take several days, they suggested that each one involved should make an appointment with the elders and judges of their own towns to take care of the matter. This was wise, because local judges would know the facts of the case, and if the woman would be sincere in asking to be a proselyte Jew.

 

v 15. Only four men were opposed to this, and at least one of them, Meshullam, was so married, v 29. Whatever their opposition, it was ignored by the whole.

 

v 16,17. Eleven days later Ezra selected leaders and with him the examination began, and it lasted three months. Each case was judged individually, in order that justice could be done. Probably the women who were willing to become proselyte Jews were permitted to remain, as Ruth, and their young children also. Those unconverted were put away, but the examiners probably designated fair financial compensation to meet their needs. Contrast 1 Cor. 7:12,13. (But restitution by divorce not an option today. 1 Cor. 7:39.)

v 18-44. In this list of 113 offenders were 17 priests, 10 Levites and 3 gate keepers. The guilty priest’s sons, being in position of greater responsibility, each offered a ram for guilt offering, Lev. 6:16