CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Ezra 10
Chapter 10 of 10
Chapter Overview
What happens in Ezra 10
The people respond to Ezra's prayer with deep grief. They make a covenant with God to send away their foreign wives. A formal investigation is held, and those who had married foreign wives are listed by name. The book ends with the community taking action to restore their faithfulness to God.
Scripture
Ezra 10
The People Confess Their Sin
Study note
Ezra's grief was contagious. As he prayed and wept before the temple, a large crowd of men, women, and children gathered around him and wept bitterly. A man named Shechaniah spoke up and admitted the people's guilt. But he also offered hope: they could still make things right by making a covenant with God. He encouraged Ezra to take the lead, promising that the people would support him.
1 While Ezra was praying and confessing -- weeping and throwing himself face down in front of God's temple -- a great crowd of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him. They were all crying bitterly. 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 Shechaniah son of Jehiel, from the Elam family, spoke to Ezra. "We turned against our God. We married foreign women. But there is still hope for Israel." 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 "Let us promise God right now that we will send away all these foreign wives and their children. We will follow the counsel of my lord and those who honor our God's commands. Let it be done according to the Law." 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 "Stand up! This is your responsibility. We are behind you. Be brave and take action." Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.
The Oath and the Assembly
Study note
Ezra made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel swear an oath to act on this matter. Still mourning, Ezra did not eat or drink. An announcement went out across Judah that everyone must gather in Jerusalem within three days or face punishment. The people assembled in the open square before the temple, trembling both from the seriousness of the situation and from the heavy rain. Because there were so many cases to investigate, they agreed to set up an organized process with appointed times for each city.
5 Ezra stood and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear an oath to do what had been proposed. They all took the oath. 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 Ezra left the area in front of God's temple and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He stayed there without eating or drinking anything, still grieving over the exiles' unfaithfulness. 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 A message went out through Judah and Jerusalem. It told every returned exile to come to Jerusalem. And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;
8 Anyone who failed to show up within three days would forfeit all their property and be cut off from the community. That was the ruling of the leaders and elders. 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 Within three days, every man from Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. Everyone sat in the open plaza in front of God's temple. They were shaking because of how serious things were and because of the cold, pouring rain. 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 Ezra the priest stood and addressed them: "You have been unfaithful. By marrying foreign women, you have added to Israel's guilt." 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 own up to your sin before the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do what he wants. Cut ties with the surrounding peoples and with your foreign wives." 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 The entire crowd called back loudly, "You are right! We will do exactly what you say." Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.
13 "But there are too many of us here, and this is the rainy season. We cannot handle this standing outdoors. Besides, this problem involves too many people to resolve in a day or two. 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 our leaders represent the whole assembly. Then everyone from each town who married a foreign woman can come at a scheduled time with that town's elders and judges. We will keep meeting until God's fierce anger over this is turned away." 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.
The Investigation Begins
Study note
Only four men opposed the plan, though their exact objection is unclear. Ezra selected family leaders to serve as judges, and they began hearing cases on the first day of the tenth month. The investigation took three full months to complete, finishing on the first day of the first month. This thorough process shows how seriously the community took this matter.
15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this plan. Meshullam and the Levite Shabbethai backed them up. 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 The returned exiles went ahead with the plan. Ezra the priest hand-picked one family leader from each clan, naming them all individually. They started their investigation on the first day of the tenth month. 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 By the first day of the first month, they had reviewed every case of a man married to a foreign wife. And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.
The List of Those Who Had Married Foreign Wives
Study note
The list begins with the priests, since they were held to the highest standard. The sons of Jeshua the high priest's own family were among the guilty. They pledged to send away their wives and offered a ram as a guilt offering. The list also includes Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and ordinary Israelites from many family groups. The book ends abruptly with this list, showing that the process of repentance and reform was underway but also reminding readers of the painful cost of disobedience.
18 Some priestly families had married foreign wives. From Jeshua son of Jozadak's family and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 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 They pledged to send their wives away. Since they were guilty, they each offered a ram from the flock as a guilt offering. 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 From Immer's family: Hanani and Zebadiah. And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
21 From Harim's family: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 From Pashur's family: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also known as Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Among the musicians: Eliashib. Among the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
25 Among the rest of Israel — from Parosh's family: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah. Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
26 From Elam's family: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.
27 From Zattu's family: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
28 From Bebai's family: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29 From Bani's family: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Ramoth. And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
30 From Pahath-moab's family: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. And of the sons of Pahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 From Harim's family: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33 From Hashum's family: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 From Bani's family: Maadai, Amram, Uel, Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu, Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei, And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43 From Nebo's family: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.
44 Every one of these men had married foreign women. Some of them even had children by these wives. All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
Key Themes
Themes in Ezra 10
Repentance requires concrete actionCorporate accountability and covenant renewalThe cost of correcting past mistakesObedience is painful but necessary
Apply This Today
Living Ezra 10
The people did not just feel sorry — they made a covenant and took specific, costly steps to address their sin. True repentance goes beyond emotion to action. When God convicts you, respond with concrete changes, even when the correction is painful and costly.
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