Ezra 10

The People’s Response

1 As Ezra prays and weeps, a crowd of people gathers around him, also weeping.

2-4 Shecaniah tells Ezra they will promise God they will send away their foreign wives and children. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown point out that according to verse 26, Shecaniah’s father and uncles were among those who had married foreign wives, but not Shecaniah himself.

5 Ezra stands up and makes the leaders swear to keep that promise.

Foreign Wives and Their Children Rejected

6 Ezra withdraws from the temple and fasts for a night in the chamber of Johohanan.

7-8 They send out orders to all the exiles to come to Jerusalem in the next 3 days; if they do not, they will be banned from the congregation.

9-11 The people assemble on the 9th month, 20th day, shivering because of the gravity of the matter – and the downpour of rain – and Ezra confronts them with their sin, demanding they confess their sin and separate themselves from local people and foreign wives. What a sad scene. They are called together for bad news, and they have to stand in pouring rain to receive it.

12-14 The people agree, but because of the difficulty of the task – and the rain – they ask that it be settled over time, with each family coming to officials at appointed times.

15 Two men oppose the plan, supported by two of the Levites.

16-17 Ezra selects heads of families, and on the 10th month, 1 day, they begin meeting with the officials, finishing on the 1st month, 1st day [3 months]. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown add this comment:

Doubtless, an adequate provision was made for the repudiated wives and children, according to the means and circumstances of the husbands.

This seems very harsh – especially when you think of the innocent children who are about to lose their fathers. Our choice is: Do we blame Ezra, a godly man, for all those homeless children, or do we blame the Israelite men who went into these marriages without considering the warnings not to do so? Do these children become fatherless because of Ezra’s injunction or as consequences of their fathers’ sins?

Another observation: After the return from Babylonian exile, Israel seems to never have any problem with idolatry again. Could this action by the people be one of the reasons?

Still another observation: Though this decision came after Ezra wept and prayed, it is not a direct commandment from God to do so. In fact, in Ezra, are there any special revelations from God? We seem to see Ezra carry out God’s commandments as revealed in his law, not from specific revelations.

18-22 List of 17 descendants of priests who put away their wives.

23-24 List of 6 Levites, 1 singer, and 3 gatekeepers who put away their wives.

25-44 List of 84 other Israelites who put away their wives