Ezra 10:12

Ezra 10:1 INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 10 Upon Ezra's prayer and confession, it was proposed by Shechaniah, that those who had married strange wives should put them away with their children, which they swore to do, Ezra 10:1, and proclamation was made throughout the land for all to meet at Jerusalem in three days' time, and accordingly they did, Ezra 10:6 when, at the exhortation of Ezra, all agreed to it, and persons were appointed to see it done, and the work was finished in the space of three months, Ezra 10:10 and a list of the names of those is given who had married such wives, and now put them away; of the priests, Ezra 10:18, of the Levites, Ezra 10:23, of the other Israelites, Ezra 10:24. Ver. 1. Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping,....

10:6-14 There is hope concerning people, when they are convinced, not only that it is good to part with their sins, but that it is necessary; we must do it, or we are undone. So rich is the mercy, and so plenteous the redemption of God, that there is hope for the vilest who hear the gospel, and are willing to accept of free salvation. When sinners mourn for their sins, and tremble at the word of God, there is hope that they will forsake them. To affect others with godly sorrow or love to God, we must ourselves be affected. It was carefully agreed how this affair should be carried on. That which is hastily resolved on seldom proves lasting.

Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice,.... That they might be heard, and to show that they were willing and ready to comply with what was proposed: as thou host said, so must we do; being convinced of their sin, they saw it was a duty incumbent on them to put away their strange wives, and that there was a necessity of it, to avert the wrath of God from them.

10-17. Ezra the priest stood up, and said—Having fully represented the enormity of their sin and urged them to dissolve their unlawful connections, he was gratified by receiving a prompt acknowledgment of the justice of his reproof and a promise of compliance with his recommendation. But as the weather was ungenial and the defaulters were too numerous to be passed in review at one time, it was resolved that a commission should be appointed to examine into the whole matter. These commissioners, assisted by the judges and elders of the respective cities, made a minute investigation into every case, and after three months' labor completely removed all traces of the abuse. Doubtless, an adequate provision was made for the repudiated wives and children, according to the means and circumstances of the husbands.

12 . Then all the congregation , &c.] The deliberations are not recorded. The substance of their decision is here paraphrased. The method of its expression was probably by unanimous acclamation. We can hardly suppose that there was free discussion. The princes debated and harangued the multitude: the multitude listened and expressed disapproval or approbation by cries and shouting. with a loud voice ] Cf. Ezra 3:12 ; 2 Samuel 15:23 . As thou hast said, so must we do ] R.V. As thou hast said concerning us, so must we do. R.V. marg. ‘ As thou hast said, so it behoveth us to do ’. Literally the clause runs ‘According to thy word (or words) upon us to do’. It is a disputed point whether ‘upon us’ is to be taken with what precedes or with what follows, i.e. ‘according to thy word respecting us, it is necessary to do’ or ‘according to thy word, it falls upon us to do’. ( a ) The rendering of the R.V. text is that of the Vulgate ‘juxta verbum tuum ad nos, sic fiat’, and is supported by the traditional Jewish interpretation supplied by the Hebrew accents. The sentence is then clearly greatly condensed, and although the construction of the verb ‘to do’ is very harsh, the meaning is clear. ( b ) As however the rest of the people’s reply shows no symptom of such compression, the alternative explanation of the rendering in the margin seems preferable. The use of the preposition ‘upon’, with a sense of ‘duty’ or ‘obligation’ occurred in Ezra 10:4 . Cf. Nehemiah 13:13 ; 2 Samuel 18:11 .

The people then accept the responsibility in which their assent involves them. 12–14 . The resolution of the general assembly epitomised. A general assent to Ezra’s proposal. The time of the year and the magnitude of the task make it necessary to appoint a commission to carry it into execution. Ezra 10:12

The whole assembly replied with a loud voice, and therefore with firm resolve: According to thy word it is our duty to do. עלינוּ must not be drawn to what precedes, as in the Vulgate, juxta verbum tuum ad nos, sic fiat, but to what follows, as in Ezra 10:4 , Nehemiah 13:13 ; 2 Samuel 18:11 . But - they further remark, Ezra 10:13 - the people are many, - i.e., the assemblage is very large to be able to deal immediately with the several cases; and it is (now) the time of the heavy rains, and there is no power to stand without, - i.e., at the present season we are not able to remain in the open air until the business is discharged; neither is this the work of one day, or of two, for we have transgressed much in this matter, - i.e., one or two days will not suffice to investigate and decide upon all cases, because very many have broken the law in this respect.

## O LD T ESTAMENT ## Genesis 2:18 63 3:10 107 3:15 92 , 107 , 149 6:3 38 , 46 6:5 39 , 42 , 45 8:21 42 12:3 131 , 149 15:1 121 15:6 115 , 121 15:16 29 17:11 168 22:18 130 , 149 25:23 130 28:20–21 124 49:10 131 ## Exodus 10:21–23 59 14:14 121 14:31 121 19 104 , 109 20:2 127 20:5 67 20:5–6 124 20:6 67 20:17 96 20:19 104 , 106 , 109 20:20 104 23:20–33 98 24:17 38 25:18–22 98 33:12 111 34:7 101 34:6–7 94 ## Leviticus 19:17–18 97 19:18 97 ## Numbers 14:11 122 14:19 124 15:32–36 69 20:12 122 ## Deuteronomy 1:31–33 122 4:24 38 5:10 94 6:13 68 8:3 124 10:12–13 96 10:16 96 12:32 83 18:18–19 93 29:10–13 151 ## Judges 6:36–40 168 ## 1 Samuel 2:6–7 54 2:25 29 10:26 29 13:8–12 117 15:9 117 16:7 57 21:5 163 ## 2 Samuel 7:12–13 93 12:13 95 , 105 , 107 15:25–26 146 20:7–10 35 ## 1 Kings 12:15 29–30 16–21 89 21:27 105–06 22:22 79 ## 2 Kings 9 89 18 137 20:1–6 122 20:4–6 168 20:8–11 168 ## 1 Chronicles 5:20 122 ## 2 Chronicles 16:9 122 20:21–22 122 33:12 106 ## Ezra 10:2 46 ## Job 9:28 144 ## Psalms 2:6 154 2:7 154 2:12 154 5:9 100 6:1 102 8:6 131 9:12 140 14:1 57 , 116 , 148 14:1–3 43 14:2 117 14:3 99 , 117 19:12 36 , 104 21:6 109 25:7 36 , 104 32:5 177 33:17 109 36:1 144 51:3–4 177 51:5 39 68:4 68 69:9 107 76:8 101 78:7 122 80:3 54 85:4 54 89:14 135 97:2–5 101 97:11 109 104:24 126 104:27–28 126 104:30 112 108:12 109 116:11 43 , 45 139:7 107 139:7–12 50 143:2 102 , 110 ## Proverbs 1:28–33 31 2:6–9 31 14:12 30 , 36 14:27 30 16:4 29 , 30 16:9 29 16:11–12 30 16:33 30 18:10 68 20:22 97 20:24 29 , 30