Ezra 10 - John Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament vs Calvin John vs Coke Thomas

Ezra 10

Ezra 10:1

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. The following commentary covers Chapters 9 and 10.

Alas! as soon as he can look into these things, he finds the law already broken, evil already come in. The people of Israel had not kept themselves separate from the people of the lands, and even the princes and rulers had been chief in this trespass. Ezra is confounded at this, and remains overwhelmed with grief the whole day. Can it be that the remnant, whom God had snatched, as it were, from the fire, have so soon forgotten the hand that delivered them, and married the daughters of a strange god? Those who trembled at Jehovah's word having assembled with him, Ezra humbles himself on account of it. At the time of the evening sacrifice, he pours out the deep sorrows of his heart before the Lord. A great multitude have their hearts touched by grace. There is no prophetic answer, as so often before had happened in similar circumstances; but there is an answer from God in the hearts of the guilty. "We have sinned," said one among them; "yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing." And they set themselves heartily to the work. Israel is summoned, each one under pain of exclusion, to come up to Jerusalem, and they assembled at the time of rain, for the matter was urgent; and the congregation acknowledge it to be their duty to conform to the law. Under the hand of Ezra, and by the diligence of those who were appointed to this work, it was accomplished in two months. As for all those who had taken strange wives, they gave their hand that they would put away their wives: they confessed their sin and offered a ram for this trespass.

Once more we find that that which characterises the operation of the Spirit of God, and the intervention of God among His people, with respect to their walk and moral condition, is separation from all who are not the people of God as they were. Those of the priestly family who were unable to produce their genealogy had been excluded from the priesthood as polluted; and those among the people who were in the same case were not acknowledged. They positively refuse any participation in the work to the people of the land who wished to join them in building the temple; and, finally, with respect to their own wives, several of whom had borne them children, they have to put them away, and to separate themselves, at whatever cost, from all that was not Israel. It is this which characterises faithfulness in a position like theirs; that is, a remnant come out from Babylon, and occupied in restoring the temple and service of God, according to that which yet remained to them.

Moreover, we see that God did not fail to comfort them by His testimony-sweet and precious consolation! But the power of the Gentiles was there. That which appertained to authority and the throne at Jerusalem, and to the power of ordaining, which belonged to it, was not re-established. The public sanction of God was not granted. Nevertheless, God blessed the remnant of His people, when they were faithful; and the most prominent thing, and that which should dwell on our hearts, is the grace which, in the midst of such ruin, and in the presence of the Gentile throne set up through Israel's sin, could still bless His people, though acknowledging the Gentile throne, which God had established in judgment upon them. Their position is clearly and touchingly stated in Ezra 9:8-9. [See Note #1] It is a solemn season, when God, in His compassion, encourages and sustains the little remnant of His people in the midst of their difficulties; and owns them, as far as possible, after the ruin which their unfaithfulness has brought upon them-such ruin that God had been constrained to say of them, Lo-ammi. It is most afflicting to see the people, after such grace as this, plunging again into fresh unfaithfulness and departure from God. But such is God, and such is man.

We must ever bear in mind that Israel was an earthly people, and their full place in blessing now [See Note #2] that of the seat of God's power in righteousness upon earth, so that their relationship to another power, now set up among the Gentiles, was peculiar. But, if this be borne in mind in the application of the contents to other circumstances, the instructions afforded by this book are extremely interesting, as exhibiting the principles of conduct in which faith is displayed in the difficulties connected with a partial restoration from a ruined state, the dependence on God by which man is sustained in the midst of these difficulties, God's own ways in respect to His servants, and the absence of all pretensions to re-establish what could not be set up in power. Besides this, we have to view the Book of Ezra as giving that peculiar display of God's mercy and ways which left the rod of Judah subsisting till Shiloh came. No Shechinah was in the temple; no Urim and Thummim with the priest. But there was a sovereign intervention of God in that mercy which endures for ever, so that occasion was given to Messiah's coming according to the promises made to the fathers. The judgment of the Gentile power of Babylon carried with it the witness of a better deliverance, but for this the full time of God's purposes was to be awaited.

Note #1

Only for 'were' in Verse 9 (Ezra 9:9), we must read 'are.'

Note #2

I say "now," because, till Samuel's time, Israel was called to be blessed in obedience under priesthood, God being their King. But after David's time in view of Christ, the nation became the seat of God's power in righteousness, so far as it enjoyed the blessing.

Ezra 10:2

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.

Ezra 10:3

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.

Ezra 10:4

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

Ezra 10:5

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.

Ezra 10:6

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.

Ezra 10:7

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

Ezra 10:8

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.

Ezra 10:9

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.

Ezra 10:10

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

Ezra 10:11

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.

Ezra 10:12

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

Ezra 10:13

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.

Ezra 10:14

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.

Ezra 10:15

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.

Ezra 10:16

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.

Ezra 10:17

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

Ezra 10:18

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.

Ezra 10:19

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.

Ezra 10:20

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

Ezra 10:21

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

Ezra 10:22

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

Ezra 10:23

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

Ezra 10:24

Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

Ezra 10:25

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

Ezra 10:26

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

Ezra 10:27

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

Ezra 10:28

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

Ezra 10:29

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

Ezra 10:30

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

Ezra 10:31

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

Ezra 10:32

Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

Ezra 10:33

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

Ezra 10:34

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

Ezra 10:35

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

Ezra 10:36

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Ezra 10:37

Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

Ezra 10:38

And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

Ezra 10:39

And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

Ezra 10:40

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Ezra 10:41

Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

Ezra 10:42

Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

Ezra 10:43

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

Ezra 10:44

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

Ezra 10

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Ezra 10

Ver. 3. To put away all the wives, and such as are born of them- It has been objected by some, that it seems an act of extreme severity, if not of injustice, upon the dissolution of these illegal marriages, to turn the children adrift, and cause them to suffer. Now let it be first observed, that the law, Deu 7:1; Deu 7:26 was express, and enforced with weighty reasons against these pagan marriages; and therefore, since whatever is done contrary to law is ipso facto null and void, these marriages with idolatrous women, which were strictly forbidden by God, were, properly speaking, no marriages at all; and the children which proceeded from them were in no better condition than those whom we call bastards. No interposition of civil authority, therefore, was needful to dissolve these marriages; the infidelity of the party espoused was as much an interdiction as any the most proximate degree of consanguinity, which, by the laws of all civilized nations, is known to vacate the marriage. But, even supposing that the civil authority thought proper to interpose in this matter, yet wherein had the Jews any reason to complain, if, in just punishment of their wilful breach of a known and positive law, they were excluded from living with these illegal wives; those Jews, who, for every light and trivial cause, made no scruple to give even their lawful wives a bill of divorcement, and might therefore, with much less difficulty, be supposed willing to repudiate those whom the laws of their God, for fear of their catching the infection of idolatry, had forbidden them to live with? See Selden Uxor. Heb. l. iii. c. 18.

REFLECTIONS.-Great is the influence of one good man. No sooner was Ezra's deep concern noised abroad, than we find,

1. The congregation assembled before the house of God, men, women, and children; and while they beheld him thus weeping over their sins, their eye affected their heart, and they wept sore for themselves, brought to a deep conviction of the great evil which they had committed. Note; It is very affecting when ministers weep over their flocks; their tears are often more moving than their words.

2. When nothing but the sound of weeping is heard, asif there were no hope, the voice of Shechaniah, like a good angel, revives the disconsolate hearts of Ezra and the people. He owns the guilt which was evidently upon them, and in which his own family was deeply involved; but he encourages them not to despair. The case, though bad, was not utterly desperate; a remedy might still be found for the inveterate disease, and God yet pardon their past transgression. He advises, therefore, that without delay they should solemnly engage to put away their strange wives, and the children begotten of them; and encourages them to believe, that if Ezra, with those who trembled at God's word, zealously prosecuted the matter, as he exhorted them, they would find enough to support them; and the affair, however difficult, would be found practicable. Note; (1.) In the deepest distresses, let us never despair. (2.) When our sin is seen and felt, however terrible and discouraging the view, there is then hope. (3.) It is a great mercy, in times of soul-dejection, to have one to support our fainting hearts. (4.) However dear to us our sins be, we must entirely part with them; otherwise there is, indeed, no hope. (5.) That which seems desperate to the dejected, the spirit of a courageous Israelite can bring about. To have a good heart in times of difficulty, is more than half to overcome them.

3. Ezra immediately consented to a proposal so agreeable to his desires, and disdained not to be encouraged by an inferior. On the spot he engaged the chief priests and Levites, and the assembled congregation, upon oath, to stand by him; and thereto they consented.

Ver. 8. Separated- Or, excommunicated, by which he was excluded from all society. After sixty days contumacy, the anathema or execration followed; which, however, was rescinded upon repentance: nevertheless, it was not allowable for any one to kill the person under such an anathema; but he might be supported in a tent or cottage entirely separated from all society.

Ver. 9. It was the ninth month, &c.- That is, some time in December, when the rains in the Holy Land are extremely cold. 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 to last but forty days, beginning from the twelfth of December and ending the twentieth of January; and that this computation comes in fact near the truth; that the air during this time is excessively piercing, even to those who are but just come from a cold climate;" &c. and it certainly must be much more so, when the season proves wet, as was the case at present. See Observations, p. 15. The street of the house of God, in this verse, is rendered by Houbigant, more properly, the court; for it means that court where the people stood when they worshipped.

Ver. 19. They gave their hands- See 2Ki 10:15. Houbigant renders the last clause, and who had offended, gave one ram of the flock for their offence.

Ver. 44. These had taken strange wives, &c.- The number is not very great, if compared with all those who came out of captivity; but they seem to have been eminent persons, and their examples would, doubtless, have spread the contagion, if a speedy stop had not been put to the evil. Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue with Trypho, says, that this following speech of Ezra was in the ancient Hebrew copies of the Bible, but was expunged by the Jews; viz. "And Ezra said to the people, this passover is our saviour and our refuge; and if you will be persuaded of it, and will let it enter into your hearts, that we are to humble him in a sign, and afterwards shall believe in him, this place shall not be destroyed for ever, saith the God of hosts; but if you believe not in him, neither hearken to his preaching, ye shall be a laughing-stock to the Gentiles."