Open an explanation beneath verses with notes. Your notes and highlights stay on this device.
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.
Verse 1. God, in the court of the people, before the eastern gate.
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.
Verse 2. Sechenias. 3 Esd. calls him “Jechoias.” See Calmet. 8:5. The name of Sechenias is not found among the transgressors; (verse 20) but that of Jehiel is, verse 26. It seems, however, that the former returned with Esdras, and speaks in the name of the people, to encourage them to confess their guilt, ( Calmet.) unless his name be omitted. Menochius.—Repentance. Hebrew “yet there is hope, (Prot.) or an assembly of Israel.” Du Dieu.
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.
Verse 3. Covenant. The marrying with strange women seemed to have annulled the covenant of God.—Of them. The children were to follow the mothers, as in other unlawful connections. Their being suffered to remain behind, might have had dangerous consequences. Calmet.—The custom of divorcing was then in force, ( Tirinus.) and the Jews looked upon all as null, which was done contrary to the law; (V. Bede. E. Calmet. Grot.) though here the law was only prohibitory. Cajet. Tirinus.—As all was directed by the will of God, the dictates of humanity would not be disregarded ( Calmet.) on this trying occasion. Bible.—The children migth be placed in houses for education. Cajet. Tirinus.
Arise, for the matter belongs to you and we are with you. Be courageous, and do it.”
Verse 4. Thy part. The high priest not acting, ( Menochius.) Esdras was appointed chief, ( Bible.) and his abilities were universally acknowledged. Calmet.
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.
Verse 6. Before. 3 Esd. “the court or hall of the temple.” Bible.—Eliasib. His son and successor is styled Joiada. 2 Ezra 12:10. The same person had often many names, ( Calmet.) or Johanan might be a younger son. Menochius.—Josephus (xi. 5.) says, that Esdras went to the apartments of John and Eliasib. Bible.—Esdras, though sent extraordinarily by God, repairs to the son of the priest, as Saint Paul conferred with other apostles. Galatians 2. Worthington.
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.
Verse 8. Away. Hebrew and Septuagint “subjected to anathema,” ( Calmet.) and utterly destroyed; ( Bible.) or, according to some editions of the Septuagint and Josephus, “consecrated to the temple.” Esdras exercised the power which had been entrusted to him. Calmet. 7:16.
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.
Verse 9. Ninth. Casleu, (Zechariah 7:1) which corresponds with our November and December. Menochius.—Street. Court, which afforded as yet no shelter from the rain. Calmet.—This would tend to punish them for their sin, and to make them more sensible to it. Worthington.
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.”
Verse 11. Confession. Septuagint “give praise;” which is done by repentance and virtue. Menochius.—Confess your faults, and submit to the justice of God. Joshua 7:19. Calmet.
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.”
Verse 14. Cities. It is not clear whether the rulers went to the different cities, or the principal men of each gave information, and caused the guilty to appear before Esdras, at Jerusalem. Bible.
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.
Verse 16. So. Cajetan improperly concludes, that the sentence was not put in execution; because Nehemias (Calmet. 13:23.) complains of such marriages. Calmet.—But the guilty might have resumed their women. Bible.—Went. Hebrew “were separated.” Bible.—By making a small change, we may translate, with 3 Esd. “and Esdras separated or chose the men.” Josephus seems generally to have followed the Greek of 3 Esd. The Syriac says there were 20 judges.
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.
Verse 19. Hands. Thus the Persians confirmed their most solemn engagements. Calmet.
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.
Verse 25. Israel. Laymen, ( Calmet.) not of the tribe of Levi. Menochius.
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.
Verse 30. Moab. The inhabitants of this town, as well as of Nebo, (verse 43) are specified.
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.
Verse 44. Children. Hebrew may be, “and some of these women had exposed their children.” But most follow the Septuagint and Vulg. 3 Ezra 9:36, “and they ejected them with their children.” None was spared. Calmet.—One great inconvenience of such connections is, that the offspring is illegitimate. Worthington.—Only 17 priests, 10 Levites, and 86 laymen, are stigmatized as guilty of this scandal; yet these fill Israel with confusion, and Esdras with extreme affliction. Bible.
2 ESDRAS
THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAS;
commonly called THE SECOND BOOK OF ESDRAS