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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: Ezra 10

Chapter 10

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.

when Ezra

Daniel 9:3,4,20 Acts 10:30

when he had

Leviticus 26:40,41 Psalms 32:5 Hosea 14:2 1 John 1:8-10

weeping

Psalms 119:136 Jeremiah 9:1 13:17 Zechariah 12:10 Luke 19:41 Romans 9:2

before the house

1 Kings 8:30 9:3 2 Chronicles 20:9

a very great

Deuteronomy 31:12 2 Chronicles 20:13 Nehemiah 10:28 Joel 2:16-18 Acts 21:5

very sore

Heb. a great weeping.

Judges 2:4,5 Nehemiah 8:9

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.

Shechaniah

26 Nehemiah 3:29

Elam

2:7,31 Nehemiah 7:12,34

We have trespassed

Shechaniah here speaks in the name of the people, not acknowledging himself culpable; for he is not in the following list.

Compare

James 2:9 Exodus 34:12 Nehemiah 13:27

yet now there is hope

Exodus 34:6,7 Isaiah 55:6,7 Jeremiah 3:12,13 1 John 1:7-9

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.

let us make

Nichrath berith, "let us cut a covenant:"

Deuteronomy 29:12 Joshua 9:6 2 Kings 11:17 2 Chronicles 29:10 34:31,32 Nehemiah 9:38 Nehemiah 10:29-39

put away

Heb. bring forth. according to the counsel.

2 Chronicles 30:12

of those that

9:4 2 Chronicles 34:21,27 Psalms 119:59,120 Isaiah 66:2 Ezekiel 9:4

at the commandment

Deuteronomy 7:2,3 Joshua 23:12,13

let it

Nehemiah 8:14 13:1-3 Isaiah 8:20 Shechaniah's counsel, which he was then so clear in, will not hold now: such marriages, it is certain, are contrary to the will of God, and ought not to be made; but they are not null. Our rule under the gospel is {Quod fieri non debuit, factum valet,} "That which ought not to have been done must, when done, abide." See; 1 Corinthians 7:12,13

Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.

Arise

Joshua 7:10-26 1 Chronicles 22:16,19 Ecclesiastes 9:10

for this matter

By the decree of Artaxerxes, Ezra was authorised to do every thing that the law of God required.

7:23-28 Mark 13:34

we also will

Joshua 1:16-18 1 Chronicles 28:10,21

be of good

Isaiah 35:3,4 Hebrews 10:24 12:12,13

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.

arose

Proverbs 1:5 9:9 15:23 25:11,12 27:9

made

3 Nehemiah 5:12 10:29 13:25 Matthew 26:63

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.

the chamber

Nehemiah 13:5

Johanan

Nehemiah 3:1,20 12:10,22 13:28

he did eat

Deuteronomy 9:18 Job 23:12 John 4:31-34

he mourned

9:4 Isaiah 22:12 Daniel 9:3

And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;

they made

1:1 2 Chronicles 30:5

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.

And that whosoever

7:26 Judges 21:5 1 Samuel 11:7

forfeited

Heb. devoted.

Leviticus 27:28 Joshua 6:19

himself separated

Nehemiah 13:3 Matthew 18:17 John 9:22,34 16:2 1 Corinthians 5:13

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.

the ninth month

That is, some time in December, which is the coldest and most rainy time of the year in Palestine. Dr. Russel, in his account of the weather at Aleppo, which very much resembles that in Judea, says, that the natives reckon the severity of the winter, which they call marbania, to last but forty days, beginning from the 12th of December, and ending the 20th of January, and that this computation comes in fact very near the truth: and that the air during this time is excessively piercing, even to those that are just come from a cold climate.

7:8,9 Esther 2:16

trembling

1 Samuel 12:17,18 Jeremiah 10:10,13

great rain

Heb. showers.

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

taken

Heb. caused to dwell. or, brought back. to increase.

9:6 Numbers 32:14 Joshua 22:17,18 2 Chronicles 28:13 Matthew 23:32

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.

make confession

Leviticus 26:40-42 Joshua 7:19 Psalms 32:5 Proverbs 28:13 Jeremiah 3:13 1 John 1:7-9

do his

Isaiah 1:16-18 56:4 Romans 12:2 Colossians 1:10 Hebrews 13:21

separate

9:1 Nehemiah 13:3 2 Corinthians 6:17

and from the

Deuteronomy 7:3,4 1 Corinthians 2:12-14

Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

As thou hast said

They all resolved to do what Ezra had commanded; and they did put away their wives, even those by whom they had children, (ver. 44,) each of whom doubtless received a portion according to the circumstances of her husband, and was not turned away desolate. Humanity must have dictated this, and no law of God is contrary to humanity.

so must we do

3,4 Nehemiah 13:23 Psalms 78:37,57

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.

the people

18-44 Matthew 7:13,14

we are many that have transgressed in this thing

or, we have greatly offended in this thing.

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.

our rulers

Deuteronomy 17:9,18,19 2 Chronicles 19:5-7

the fierce

Numbers 25:4 Deuteronomy 13:17 Joshua 7:26 2 Chronicles 29:10 30:8 Psalms 78:38 Isaiah 12:1

for this matter be turned from us

or, be turned from us, till this matter be dispatched.

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.

were employed

Heb. stood. Meshullam.

Nehemiah 3:6 10:20 12:33

Shabbethai

Nehemiah 11:16

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.

to examine the matter

Deuteronomy 13:14 Job 29:16 John 7:51

And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

A. M. 3548. B.C. 456. the first day. The cases brought before the council were either so many, or so complicated, that, though they separated themselves from other employments, yet they were three whole months in examining into their affairs, and making the necessary separations required by the law

Verse 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.

the sons

9:1 Leviticus 21:7,13-15 1 Samuel 2:22-24 Nehemiah 13:28 Jeremiah 23:11,14 Ezekiel 44:22 Malachi 2:8,9 1 Timothy 3:11

Jeshua

2:2 3:2 5:2 1 Chronicles 6:14,15 Nehemiah 12:10 Haggai 1:1 Zechariah 3:1

Joshua

Maaseiah.

Nehemiah 8:4,7

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.

gave their hands

They bound themselves in the most solemn manner to do as the rest of the delinquents had done, and make and acknowledgment to God of their iniquity, by offering each a ram for a trespass offering.

2 Kings 10:15 1 Chronicles 29:24 2 Chronicles 30:8 *marg:; Lamentations 5:6 Galatians 2:9

a ram

Leviticus 5:15,16 6:4,6

And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

Immer

2:37 1 Chronicles 24:14 Nehemiah 7:40

And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

Harim

2:39 1 Chronicles 24:8 Nehemiah 7:42

And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

Pashur

2:38 1 Chronicles 9:12 Nehemiah 7:41

Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

Jozabad

8:33 Nehemiah 11:16

Kelita

Nehemiah 10:10

Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

Moreover of Israel

That is, as Calmet observes, simple Israelites; thus distinguished from the priests, Levites, and singers, mentioned in ver. 18, 23, 24.

sons of Parosh

2:3 Nehemiah 7:8

And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

Elam

2 2:7,31 8:7 Nehemiah 7:12,34

Jehiel

Verse 27

And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

Zattu

2:8 Nehemiah 7:13

Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

Bebai

2:11 8:11 Nehemiah 7:16

And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

Bani

2:10 Nehemiah 7:15

Binnui

Malluch.

Nehemiah 10:4

And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

Pahath-moab

2:6 8:4 Nehemiah 7:11

And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

Harim

2:32 Nehemiah 7:35

Malchiah

This variation only exists in the translation, the original being uniformly Malchijah, or rather, Malkeeyah.

Nehemiah 3:11

Malchijah

Verse 33

Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

Hashum

2:19 Nehemiah 7:22

Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

Bani

Verse 40

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Machnadebai

or, Mabnadebai, according to some copies.

Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

Nebo

2:29 Nehemiah 7:33

All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

strange wives

Proverbs 2:16 5:3,20

and some of them

This observation was probably intended to shew that only a few of them had children, and also how rigorously the law was put in execution. According to a passage in Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho, a Jew, Ezra offered a paschal lamb on this occasion, and addressed the people thus: "And Ezra said to the people, This pass-over is our Saviour and our Refuge; and if ye will be persuaded of it, and let it enter into your hearts, that we are to humble to Him in a sign, and afterwards shall believe in Him, this place shall not be destroyed for ever, saith the Lord of hosts; but, if ye will not believe in Him, nor hearken to his preaching, ye shall be a laughing-stock to the Gentiles." This was probably a marginal note added by some early Christian.