1 וּכְהִתְפַּלֵּלH6419 עֶזְרָאH5830 וּכְהִתְוַדֹּתוֹH3034 בֹּכֶהH1058 וּמִתְנַפֵּלH5307 לִפְנֵיH6440 בֵּיתH1004 הָאֱלֹהִיםH430 נִקְבְּצוּH6908 אֵלָיוH413 מִיִּשְׂרָאֵלH3478 קָהָלH6951 רַבH7227 מְאֹדH3966 אֲנָשִׁיםH582 וְנָשִׁיםH802 וִֽילָדִיםH3206 כִּֽיH3588 בָכוּH1058 הָעָםH5971 הַרְבֵּהH7235 בֶֽכֶהH1059
2 וַיַּעַןH6030 שְׁכַנְיָהH7935 בֶןH1121 יְחִיאֵלH3171 מִבְּנֵיH1121 עולםH5867 עֵילָםH5867 וַיֹּאמֶרH559 לְעֶזְרָאH5830 אֲנַחְנוּH587 מָעַלְנוּH4603 בֵאלֹהֵינוּH430 וַנֹּשֶׁבH3427 נָשִׁיםH802 נָכְרִיּוֹתH5237 מֵעַמֵּיH5971 הָאָרֶץH776 וְעַתָּהH6258 יֵשׁH3426 מִקְוֶהH4723 לְיִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 עַלH5921 זֹֽאתH2063
3 וְעַתָּהH6258 נִֽכְרָתH3772 בְּרִיתH1285 לֵאלֹהֵינוּH430 לְהוֹצִיאH3318 כָלH3605 נָשִׁיםH802 וְהַנּוֹלָדH3205 מֵהֶםH1992 בַּעֲצַתH6098 אֲדֹנָיH113 וְהַחֲרֵדִיםH2730 בְּמִצְוַתH4687 אֱלֹהֵינוּH430 וְכַתּוֹרָהH8451 יֵעָשֶֽׂהH6213
4 קוּםH6965 כִּֽיH3588 עָלֶיךָH5921 הַדָּבָרH1697 וַאֲנַחְנוּH587 עִמָּךְH5973 חֲזַקH2388 וַעֲשֵֽׂהH6213
5 וַיָּקָםH6965 עֶזְרָאH5830 וַיַּשְׁבַּעH7650 אֶתH853 שָׂרֵיH8269 הַכֹּהֲנִיםH3548 הַלְוִיִּםH3881 וְכָלH3605 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 לַעֲשׂוֹתH6213 כַּדָּבָרH1697 הַזֶּהH2088 וַיִּשָּׁבֵֽעוּH7650
6 וַיָּקָםH6965 עֶזְרָאH5830 מִלִּפְנֵיH6440 בֵּיתH1004 הָֽאֱלֹהִיםH430 וַיֵּלֶךְH1980 אֶלH413 לִשְׁכַּתH3957 יְהוֹחָנָןH3076 בֶּןH1121 אֶלְיָשִׁיבH475 וַיֵּלֶךְH1980 שָׁםH8033 לֶחֶםH3899 לֹֽאH3808 אָכַלH398 וּמַיִםH4325 לֹֽאH3808 שָׁתָהH8354 כִּיH3588 מִתְאַבֵּלH56 עַלH5921 מַעַלH4604 הַגּוֹלָֽהH1473
7 וַיַּעֲבִירוּH5674 קוֹלH6963 בִּיהוּדָהH3063 וִירֽוּשָׁלִַםH3389 לְכֹלH3605 בְּנֵיH1121 הַגּוֹלָהH1473 לְהִקָּבֵץH6908 יְרוּשָׁלִָֽםH3389
8 וְכֹלH3605 אֲשֶׁרH834 לֹֽאH3808 יָבוֹאH935 לִשְׁלֹשֶׁתH7969 הַיָּמִיםH3117 כַּעֲצַתH6098 הַשָּׂרִיםH8269 וְהַזְּקֵנִיםH2205 יָחֳרַםH2763 כָּלH3605 רְכוּשׁוֹH7399 וְהוּאH1931 יִבָּדֵלH914 מִקְּהַלH6951 הַגּוֹלָֽהH1473
9 וַיִּקָּבְצוּH6908 כָלH3605 אַנְשֵֽׁיH376 יְהוּדָהH3063 וּבִנְיָמִןH1144 יְרוּשָׁלִַםH3389 לִשְׁלֹשֶׁתH7969 הַיָּמִיםH3117 הוּאH1931 חֹדֶשׁH2320 הַתְּשִׁיעִיH8671 בְּעֶשְׂרִיםH6242 בַּחֹדֶשׁH2320 וַיֵּשְׁבוּH3427 כָלH3605 הָעָםH5971 בִּרְחוֹבH7339 בֵּיתH1004 הָאֱלֹהִיםH430 מַרְעִידִיםH7460 עַלH5921 הַדָּבָרH1697 וּמֵהַגְּשָׁמִֽיםH1653
10 וַיָּקָםH6965 עֶזְרָאH5830 הַכֹּהֵןH3548 וַיֹּאמֶרH559 אֲלֵהֶםH413 אַתֶּםH859 מְעַלְתֶּםH4603 וַתֹּשִׁיבוּH3427 נָשִׁיםH802 נָכְרִיּוֹתH5237 לְהוֹסִיףH3254 עַלH5921 אַשְׁמַתH819 יִשְׂרָאֵֽלH3478
11 וְעַתָּהH6258 תְּנוּH5414 תוֹדָהH8426 לַיהוָהH3068 אֱלֹהֵֽיH430 אֲבֹתֵיכֶםH1 וַעֲשׂוּH6213 רְצוֹנוֹH7522 וְהִבָּֽדְלוּH914 מֵעַמֵּיH5971 הָאָרֶץH776 וּמִןH4480 הַנָּשִׁיםH802 הַנָּכְרִיּֽוֹתH5237
12 וַיַּֽעְנוּH6030 כָֽלH3605 הַקָּהָלH6951 וַיֹּאמְרוּH559 קוֹלH6963 גָּדוֹלH1419 כֵּןH3651 כדבריךH1697 כִּדְבָרְךָH1697 עָלֵינוּH5921 לַעֲשֽׂוֹתH6213
13 אֲבָלH61 הָעָםH5971 רָבH7227 וְהָעֵתH6256 גְּשָׁמִיםH1653 וְאֵיןH369 כֹּחַH3581 לַעֲמוֹדH5975 בַּחוּץH2351 וְהַמְּלָאכָהH4399 לֹֽאH3808 לְיוֹםH3117 אֶחָדH259 וְלֹאH3808 לִשְׁנַיִםH8147 כִּֽיH3588 הִרְבִּינוּH7235 לִפְשֹׁעַH6586 בַּדָּבָרH1697 הַזֶּֽהH2088
14 יַֽעֲמְדוּH5975 נָאH4994 שָׂרֵינוּH8269 לְֽכָלH3605 הַקָּהָלH6951 וְכֹלH3605 אֲשֶׁרH834 בֶּעָרֵינוּH5892 הַהֹשִׁיבH3427 נָשִׁיםH802 נָכְרִיּוֹתH5237 יָבֹאH935 לְעִתִּיםH6256 מְזֻמָּנִיםH2163 וְעִמָּהֶםH5973 זִקְנֵיH2205 עִירH5892 וָעִירH5892 וְשֹׁפְטֶיהָH8199 עַדH5704 לְהָשִׁיבH7725 חֲרוֹןH2740 אַףH639 אֱלֹהֵינוּH430 מִמֶּנּוּH4480 עַדH5704 לַדָּבָרH1697 הַזֶּֽהH2088
15 אַךְH389 יוֹנָתָןH3129 בֶּןH1121 עֲשָׂהאֵלH6214 וְיַחְזְיָהH3167 בֶןH1121 תִּקְוָהH8616 עָמְדוּH5975 עַלH5921 זֹאתH2063 וּמְשֻׁלָּםH4918 וְשַׁבְּתַיH7678 הַלֵּוִיH3881 עֲזָרֻֽםH5826
16 וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּH6213 כֵןH3651 בְּנֵיH1121 הַגּוֹלָהH1473 וַיִּבָּדְלוּH914 עֶזְרָאH5830 הַכֹּהֵןH3548 אֲנָשִׁיםH376 רָאשֵׁיH7218 הָאָבוֹתH1 לְבֵיתH1004 אֲבֹתָםH1 וְכֻלָּםH3605 בְּשֵׁמוֹתH8034 וַיֵּשְׁבוּH3427 בְּיוֹםH3117 אֶחָדH259 לַחֹדֶשׁH2320 הָעֲשִׂירִיH6224 לְדַרְיוֹשׁH1875 הַדָּבָֽרH1697
17 וַיְכַלּוּH3615 בַכֹּלH3605 אֲנָשִׁיםH376 הַהֹשִׁיבוּH3427 נָשִׁיםH802 נָכְרִיּוֹתH5237 עַדH5704 יוֹםH3117 אֶחָדH259 לַחֹדֶשׁH2320 הָרִאשֽׁוֹןH7223
18 וַיִּמָּצֵאH4672 מִבְּנֵיH1121 הַכֹּהֲנִיםH3548 אֲשֶׁרH834 הֹשִׁיבוּH3427 נָשִׁיםH802 נָכְרִיּוֹתH5237 מִבְּנֵיH1121 יֵשׁוּעַH3442 בֶּןH1121 יֽוֹצָדָקH3136 וְאֶחָיוH251 מַֽעֲשֵׂיָהH4641 וֶֽאֱלִיעֶזֶרH461 וְיָרִיבH3402 וּגְדַלְיָֽהH1436
19 וַיִּתְּנוּH5414 יָדָםH3027 לְהוֹצִיאH3318 נְשֵׁיהֶםH802 וַאֲשֵׁמִיםH818 אֵֽילH352 צֹאןH6629 עַלH5921 אַשְׁמָתָֽםH819
20 וּמִבְּנֵיH1121 אִמֵּרH564 חֲנָנִיH2607 וּזְבַדְיָֽהH2069
21 וּמִבְּנֵיH1121 חָרִםH2766 מַעֲשֵׂיָהH4641 וְאֵֽלִיָּהH452 וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָהH8098 וִיחִיאֵלH3171 וְעֻזִיָּֽהH5818
22 וּמִבְּנֵיH1121 פַּשְׁחוּרH6583 אֶלְיוֹעֵינַיH454 מַֽעֲשֵׂיָהH4641 יִשְׁמָעֵאלH3458 נְתַנְאֵלH5417 יוֹזָבָדH3107 וְאֶלְעָשָֽׂהH501
23 וּמִֽןH4480 הַלְוִיִּםH3881 יוֹזָבָדH3107 וְשִׁמְעִיH8096 וְקֵֽלָיָהH7041 הוּאH1931 קְלִיטָאH7042 פְּתַֽחְיָהH6611 יְהוּדָהH3063 וֶאֱלִיעֶֽזֶרH461
24 וּמִןH4480 הַמְשֹׁרְרִיםH7891 אֶלְיָשִׁיבH475 וּמִןH4480 הַשֹּׁעֲרִיםH7778 שַׁלֻּםH7967 וָטֶלֶםH2928 וְאוּרִֽיH221
25 וּמִֽיִּשְׂרָאֵלH3478 מִבְּנֵיH1121 פַרְעֹשׁH6551 רַמְיָהH7422 וְיִזִּיָּהH3150 וּמַלְכִּיָּהH4441 וּמִיָּמִןH4326 וְאֶלְעָזָרH499 וּמַלְכִּיָּהH4441 וּבְנָיָֽהH1141
26 וּמִבְּנֵיH1121 עֵילָםH5867 מַתַּנְיָהH4983 זְכַרְיָהH2148 וִיחִיאֵלH3171 וְעַבְדִּיH5660 וִירֵמוֹתH3406 וְאֵלִיָּֽהH452
27 וּמִבְּנֵיH1121 זַתּוּאH2240 אֶלְיוֹעֵנַיH454 אֶלְיָשִׁיבH475 מַתַּנְיָהH4983 וִֽירֵמוֹתH3406 וְזָבָדH2066 וַעֲזִיזָֽאH5819
28 וּמִבְּנֵיH1121 בֵּבָיH893 יְהוֹחָנָןH3076 חֲנַנְיָהH2608 זַבַּיH2079 עַתְלָֽיH6270
29 וּמִבְּנֵיH1121 בָּנִיH1137 מְשֻׁלָּםH4918 מַלּוּךְH4409 וַעֲדָיָהH5718 יָשׁוּבH3437 וּשְׁאָלH7594 ירמותH3406 וְרָמֽוֹתH3406
30 וּמִבְּנֵיH1121 פַּחַתH0 מוֹאָבH6355 עַדְנָאH5733 וּכְלָלH3636 בְּנָיָהH1141 מַעֲשֵׂיָהH4641 מַתַּנְיָהH4983 בְצַלְאֵלH1212 וּבִנּוּיH1131 וּמְנַשֶּֽׁהH4519
31 וּבְנֵיH1121 חָרִםH2766 אֱלִיעֶזֶרH461 יִשִּׁיָּהH3449 מַלְכִּיָּהH4441 שְׁמַֽעְיָהH8098 שִׁמְעֽוֹןH8095
32 בְּנְיָמִןH1144 מַלּוּךְH4409 שְׁמַרְיָֽהH8114
33 מִבְּנֵיH1121 חָשֻׁםH2828 מַתְּנַיH4982 מַתַּתָּהH4992 זָבָדH2066 אֱלִיפֶלֶטH467 יְרֵמַיH3413 מְנַשֶּׁהH4519 שִׁמְעִֽיH8096
34 מִבְּנֵיH1121 בָנִיH1137 מַעֲדַיH4572 עַמְרָםH6019 וְאוּאֵֽלH177
35 בְּנָיָהH1141 בֵדְיָהH912 כלהיH3622 כְּלֽוּהוּH3622
36 וַנְיָהH2057 מְרֵמוֹתH4822 אֶלְיָשִֽׁיבH475
37 מַתַּנְיָהH4983 מַתְּנַיH4982 ויעשוH3299 וְיַעֲשָֽׂיH3299
38 וּבָנִיH1121 וּבִנּוּיH1131 שִׁמְעִֽיH8096
39 וְשֶֽׁלֶמְיָהH8018 וְנָתָןH5416 וַעֲדָיָֽהH5718
40 מַכְנַדְבַיH4367 שָׁשַׁיH8343 שָׁרָֽיH8298
41 עֲזַרְאֵלH5832 וְשֶׁלֶמְיָהוּH8018 שְׁמַרְיָֽהH8114
42 שַׁלּוּםH7967 אֲמַרְיָהH568 יוֹסֵֽףH3130
43 מִבְּנֵיH1121 נְבוֹH5015 יְעִיאֵלH3273 מַתִּתְיָהH4993 זָבָדH2066 זְבִינָאH2081 ידוH3035 יַדַּיH3035 וְיוֹאֵלH3100 בְּנָיָֽהH1141
44 כָּלH3605 אֵלֶּהH428 נשאוH5375 נָשְׂאוּH5375 נָשִׁיםH802 נָכְרִיּוֹתH5237 וְיֵשׁH3426 מֵהֶםH1992 נָשִׁיםH802 וַיָּשִׂימוּH7760 בָּנִֽיםH1121
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 We are here told,
I. What good impressions were made upon the people by Ezra's humiliation and confession of sin. No sooner was it noised in the city that their new governor, in whom they rejoiced, was himself in grief, and to so great a degree, for them and their sin, than presently there
assembled to him a very great congregation, to see what the matter was and to mingle their tears with his,
Ezra 10:1. Our weeping for other people's sins may perhaps set those a weeping for them themselves who otherwise would continue senseless and remorseless. See what a happy influence the good examples of great ones may have upon their inferiors. When Ezra, a scribe, a scholar, a man in authority under the king, so deeply lamented the public corruptions, they concluded that they were indeed very grievous, else he would not thus have grieved for them; and this drew tears from every eye:
men, women, and children, wept very sore, when he wept thus.
II. What a good motion Shechaniah made upon this occasion. The place was
Bochim - a place of
weepers; but, for aught that appears, there was a profound silence among them, as among Job's friends, who
spoke not a word to him, because they saw that his grief was very great, till Shechaniah (one of Ezra's companions from Babylon,
Ezra 8:3,
Ezra 8:5) stood up, and made a speech addressed to Ezra, in which,
1. He owns the national guilt, sums up all Ezra's confession in one word, and sets to his seal that it is true:
We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives, Ezra 10:2. The matter is too plain to be denied and too bad to be excused. It does not appear that Shechaniah was himself culpable in this matter (if he had had the beam in his own eye, he could not have seen so clearly to pluck it out of his brother's eye), but his father was guilty, and several of his father's house (as appears
Ezra 10:26), and therefore he reckons himself among the trespassers; nor does he seek to excuse or palliate the sin, though some of his own relations were guilty of it, but, in the cause of God,
says to his father, I have not known him, as Levi,
Deut 33:9. Perhaps the strange wife that his father had married had been an unjust unkind step-mother to him, and had made mischief in the family, and he supposed that others had done the like, which made him the more forward to appear against this corruption; if so, this was not the only time that private resentments have been over ruled by the providence of God to serve the public good.
2. He encourages himself and others to hope that though the matter was bad it might be amended:
Yet now there is hope in Israel (where else should there be hope but in Israel? those that are strangers to that commonwealth are said to have
no hope, Ephes 2:12) even
concerning this thing. The case is sad, but it is not desperate; the disease is threatening, but not incurable. There is hope that the people may be reformed, the guilty reclaimed, a stop put to the spreading of the contagion; and so the judgments which the sin deserves may be prevented and all will be well.
Now there is hope; now that the disease is discovered it is half-cured. Now that the alarm is taken the people begin to be sensible of the mischief, and to lament it, a spirit of repentance seems to be poured out upon them, and they are all thus humbling themselves before God for it,
now there is hope that God will forgive, and have mercy. The
valley of Achor (that is, of
trouble ) is the
door of hope (
Hos 2:15); for the sin that truly troubles us shall not ruin us. There is hope now that Israel has such a prudent, pious, zealous governor as Ezra to manage this affair. Note, (1.) In melancholy times we must see and observe what makes for us, as well as what makes against us. (2.) There may be good hopes through grace, even when there is the sense of great guilt before God. (3.) Where sin is seen and lamented, and good steps are taken towards a reformation, even sinners ought to be encouraged. (4.) Even great saints must thankfully receive seasonable counsel and comfort from those that are much their inferiors, as Ezra from Shechaniah.
3. He advises that a speedy and effectual course should be taken for the divorcing of the strange wives. The case is plain; what has been done amiss must be undone again as far as possible; nothing less than this is true repentance.
Let us put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, Ezra 10:3. Ezra, though he knew this was the only way of redressing the grievance, yet perhaps did not think it feasible, and despaired of ever bringing the people to it, which put him into that confusion in which we left him in the foregoing chapter; but Shechaniah, who conversed more with the people than he did, assured him the thing was practicable if they went wisely to work. As to us now, it is certain that sin must be put away, a bill of divorce must be given it, with a resolution never to have any thing more to do with it, though it be dear as the wife of thy bosom, nay, as a right eye or a right hand, otherwise there is no pardon, no peace. What has been unjustly got cannot be justly kept, but must be restored; but, as to the case of being
unequally yoked with unbelievers, Shechaniah's counsel, which he was then so clear in, will not hold now; such marriages, it is certain, are sinful, and ought not to be made, but they are not null.
Quod fieri non debuit, factum valet -
That which ought not to have been done must, when done, abide. Our rule, under the gospel, is,
If a brother has a wife that believeth not, and
she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away, 1Cor 7:12,
1Cor 7:13.
4. He puts them in a good method for the effecting of this reformation, and shows them not only that it must be done, but how. (1.) Let Ezra, and all those that are present in this assembly, agree in a resolution that this must be done (pass a vote immediately to this effect: it will now pass
nemine contradicente -
unanimously ), that it may be said to be done
according to the counsel of my lord, the president of the assembly, with the unanimous concurrence of those that
tremble at the commandment of our God, which is the description of those that were gathered to him,
Ezra 9:4. Declare it to be the sense of all the sober serious people among us, which cannot but have a great sway among Israelites. (2.) Let the command of God in this matter, which Ezra recited in his prayer, be laid before the people, and let them see that it is
done according to the law; we have that to warrant us, nay, that binds us to what we do; it is not an addition of our own to the divine law, but the necessary execution of it. (3.) While we are in a good mind, let us bind ourselves by a solemn vow and covenant that we will do it, lest, when the present impressions are worn off, the thing be left undone. Let us covenant, not only that, if we have strange wives ourselves, we will put them away, but that, if we have not, we will do what we can in our places to oblige others to put away theirs. (4.) Let Ezra himself preside in this matter, who is authorized by the king's commission to enquire whether the law of God be duly observed in Judah and Jerusalem (
Ezra 7:14), and let us all resolve to stand by him in it (
Ezra 10:4):
Arise, be of good courage. Weeping, in this case, is good, but reforming is better. See what God said to Joshua in a like case,
Josh 7:10,
Josh 7:11.
III. What a good resolution they came to upon this good motion,
Ezra 10:5. They not only agreed that it should be done, but bound themselves with an oath that they would do according to this word. Fast bind, fast find.
6 We have here an account of the proceedings upon the resolutions lately taken up concerning the strange wives; no time was lost; they struck when the iron was hot, and soon set the wheels of reformation a-going. 1. Ezra went to the council-chamber where, it is probable, the priests used to meet upon public business;
and till he came thither (so bishop Patrick thinks it should be read), till he saw something done, and more likely to be done, for the redress of this grievance,
he did neither eat nor drink, but continued mourning. Sorrow for sin should be abiding sorrow; be sure to let it continue till the sin be put away. 2. He sent orders to all the children of the captivity to attend him at Jerusalem
within three days (
Ezra 10:7,
Ezra 10:8); and, being authorized by the king to enforce his orders with penalties annexed (
Ezra 7:26), he threatened that whosoever refused to obey the summons should forfeit his estate and be outlawed. The doom of him that would not attend on this religious occasion should be that his substance should, in his stead, be for ever after appropriated to the service of their religion, and he himself, for his contempt, should for ever after be excluded from the honours and privileges of their religion; he should be excommunicated. 3. Within the time limited the generality of the people met at Jerusalem and made their appearance
in the street of the house of God, Ezra 10:9. Those that had no zeal for the work they were called to, nay, perhaps had a dislike to it, being themselves delinquents, yet paid such a deference to Ezra's authority, and were so awed by the penalty, that they durst not stay away. 4. God gave them a token of his displeasure in the great rain that happened at that time (
Ezra 10:9 and again
Ezra 10:13), which perhaps kept some away, and was very grievous to those that met in the open street. When they wept the heavens wept too, signifying that, though God was angry with them for their sin, yet he was well pleased with their repentance, and (as it is said,
Judg 10:16)
his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel; it was also an indication of the good fruits of their repentance, for the rain makes the earth fruitful. 5. Ezra gave the charge at this great assize. He told them upon what account he called them together now, that it was because he found that since their return out of captivity they had
increased the trespass of Israel by
marrying strange wives, had added to their former sins this new transgression, which would certainly be a means of again introducing idolatry, the very sin they had smarted for and which he hoped they had been cured of in their captivity; and he called them together that they might
confess their sin to God, and, having done that, might declare themselves ready and willing to do his pleasure, as it should be made known to them (which all those will do that truly repent of what they have done to incur his displeasure), and particularly that they might separate themselves from all idolaters, especially idolatrous wives,
Ezra 10:10,
Ezra 10:11. On these heads, we may suppose, he enlarged, and probably made such another confession of the sin now as he made
Ezra 9:1-
Ezra 9:15, to which he required them to say
Amen. 6. The people submitted not only to Ezra's jurisdiction in general, but to his inquisition and determination in this matter:
As thou hast said, so must we do, Ezra 10:12. We have sinned in mingling with the heathen, and have thereby been in danger, not only of being corrupted by them, for we are frail, but of being lost among them, for we are few; we are therefore convinced that there is an absolute necessity of our separating from them again. There is hope concerning people when they are convinced, not only that it is good to part with their sins, but that it is indispensably necessary: we must do it, or we are undone. 7. It was agreed that this affair should be carried on, not in a popular assembly, nor that they should think to go through with it all on a sudden, but that a court of delegates should be appointed to receive complaints and to hear and determine upon them. It could not be done at this time, for it was not put into a method, nor could the people stand out because of the rain. The delinquents were many, and it would require time to discover and examine them. Nice cases would arise, which could not be adjudged without debate and deliberation,
Ezra 10:13. And therefore let the crowd be dismissed, and the rulers stand to receive informations; let them proceed city by city, and let the offenders be convicted before them in the presence of the judges and elders of their own city; and let them be entrusted to see the orders executed. Thus
take time and we shall have done the sooner; whereas, if we do it in a hurry, we shall do it by halves,
Ezra 10:14. If, in this method, a thorough reformation be made, the
fierce wrath of God will be
turned from us, which, we are sensible, is ready to break forth against us for this transgression. Ezra was willing that his zeal should be guided by the people's prudence, and put the matter into this method; he was not ashamed to own that the advice came from them, any more than he was to comply with it.
15 The method of proceeding in this matter being concluded on, and the congregation dismissed, that each in his respective place might gain and give intelligence to facilitate the matter, we are here told, 1. Who were the persons that undertook to manage the matter and bring the causes regularly before the commissioners -
Jonathan and
Jahaziah, two active men, whether of the priests or of the people does not appear; probably they were the men that made that proposal (
Ezra 10:13,
Ezra 10:14) and were therefore the fittest to see it pursued; two honest Levites were joined with them, and
helped them, Ezra 10:15. Dr. Lightfoot gives a contrary sense of this:
only (or
nevertheless )
Jonathan and Jahaziah stood against this matter (which reading the original will very well bear), and these two
Levites helped them in opposing it, either the thing itself or this method of proceeding. It was strange if a work of this kind was carried on and met with no opposition. 2. Who were the commissioners that sat upon this matter. Ezra was president, and with him
certain chief men
of the fathers who were qualified with wisdom and zeal above others for this service,
Ezra 10:16. It was happy for them that they had such a man as Ezra to head them; they could not have done it well without his direction, yet he would not do it without their concurrence. 3. How long they were about it. They began
the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter (
Ezra 10:16), which was but ten days after this method was proposed (
Ezra 10:9), and they finished in three months,
Ezra 10:17. They sat closely and minded their business, otherwise they could not have despatched so many causes as they had before them in so little time; for we may suppose that all who were impeached were fairly asked what cause they could show why they should not be parted, and, if we may judge by other cases, provided the wife were proselyted to the Jewish religion she was not to be put away, the trial of which would require great care. 4. Who the persons were that were found guilty of this crime. Their names are here recorded to their perpetual reproach; many of the priests, nay, of the family of Jeshua, the high priest, were found guilty (
Ezra 10:18), though the law had particularly provided, for the preserving of their honour in their marriages, that being holy themselves they should not marry such as were profane,
Lev 21:7. Those that should have taught others the law broke it themselves and by their example emboldened others to do likewise. But, having lost their innocency in this matter, they did well to recant and give an example of repentance; for they promised
under their hand to put away their strange wives (some think that they made oath to do so with their
hands lifted up ), and they took the appointed way of obtaining pardon, bringing the ram which was appointed by the law
for a trespass offering (
Lev 6:6), so owning their guilt and the desert of it, and humbly suing for forgiveness. About 113 in all are here named who had married strange wives, and some of them, it is said (
Ezra 10:44), had children by them, which implies that not many of them had, God not crowning those marriages with the blessing of increase. Whether the children were turned off with the mothers, as Shechaniah proposed, does not appear; it should seem not: however it is probable that the wives which were put away were well provided for, according to their rank. One would think this grievance was now thoroughly redressed, yet we meet with it again (
Neh 13:23 and
Mal 2:11), for such corruptions are easily and insensibly brought in, but not without great difficulty purged out again. The best reformers can but do their endeavour, but, when the Redeemer himself shall
come to Sion, he shall effectually
turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
