World English Bible
- Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before God’s house, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept very bitterly.
- Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing.
- Now therefore let’s make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and those who are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law.
- Arise, for the matter belongs to you and we are with you. Be courageous, and do it.”
- Then Ezra arose, and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel to swear that they would do according to this word. So they swore.
- Then Ezra rose up from before God’s house, and went into the room of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. When he came there, he didn’t eat bread or drink water, for he mourned because of the trespass of the exiles.
- They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together to Jerusalem;
- and that whoever didn’t come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited, and he himself separated from the assembly of the captivity.
- Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the wide place in front of God’s house, trembling because of this matter, and because of the great rain.
- Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have trespassed, and have married foreign women, increasing the guilt of Israel.
- Now therefore make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers and do his pleasure. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.”
- Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “We must do as you have said concerning us.
- But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand outside. This is not a work of one day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter.
- Now let our princes be appointed for all the assembly, and let all those who are in our cities who have married foreign women come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city and its judges, until the fierce wrath of our God is turned from us, until this matter is resolved.”
- Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this; and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
- The children of the captivity did so. Ezra the priest, with certain heads of fathers’ households, after their fathers’ houses, and all of them by their names, were set apart; and they sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
- They finished with all the men who had married foreign women by the first day of the first month.
- Among the sons of the priests there were found who had married foreign women: of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
- They gave their hand that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their guilt.
- Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
- Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
- Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
- Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
- Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
- Of Israel: Of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.
- Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
- Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
- Of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
- Of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
- Of the sons of Pahathmoab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
- Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
- Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
- Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
- Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
- Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,
- Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
- Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu,
- Bani, Binnui, Shimei,
- Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
- Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
- Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
- Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
- Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo, Joel, and Benaiah.
- All these had taken foreign wives. Some of them had wives by whom they had children.
Ezra 10 — Severing to Save
Scene In a cold ninth-month downpour, the assembly trembles—“because of the matter and because of the heavy rain” (Ezra 10:9, New International Version). Archaeology and climate studies confirm Judah’s winter rains; the text rings true to place and season. What began yesterday in tears (Ezra 9:6–15) now becomes public covenant: “Let it be done according to the Law” (10:3, New International Version). A commission examines cases for months (10:16–17). Names are recorded; guilt is owned; rams are offered (10:19).
Wrestling Western readers stumble here. Was this ethnic purity? No. Ruth the Moabite stands in David’s line; the issue is worship. The Hebrew phrase nashim nokriyot (“foreign women”) signals not nationality but religious allegiance. The verb shalach (“send away”) is the language of divorce—hard and costly. Ezra applies Deuteronomy 7:3–4 to a fragile remnant whose priestly identity and temple service hang by a thread. As we noted earlier, this “little reviving” and “peg” (Ezra 9:8) required painful repair to keep the house from collapsing.
Biblical Theology - Old Covenant: holiness guarded the seed and sanctuary (Deuteronomy 7; Malachi 2). Calvin called Ezra’s act an emergency measure to preserve the church’s life. - New Covenant: Paul, facing mission in a pagan world, counsels staying with an unbelieving spouse if they consent (1 Corinthians 7:12–16). Holiness now spreads outward by the Spirit, not by boundary stones (1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 7:14). Yet the call is the same: no partnership with idolatry (2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1).
Notice the verb “tremble” (charad): weather and conscience vibrate together. Real repentance feels the weight and still obeys, slowly, carefully, communally. Confession first; reform second—just as we have been tracing through Ezra.
Cross-References - Deuteronomy 7:1–6; Nehemiah 13:23–31; Malachi 2:10–16 - 1 Corinthians 7:12–16; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1; 1 Peter 1:15–16
Hymn Suggestion “Nothing Between” (Charles A. Tindley)
Prayer Holy Father, make us tremble at Your word and not at the storm. Where our loves have mingled with idols, give us clean hands, wise steps, and patient, communal obedience. Keep nothing between our souls and You, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.