Ezra 10
Chapter 10 continues the narrative, picking up what happened as Ezra prays a prayer of deep contrition and confession. As he was “weeping and casting himself down before the house of God”, a great assembly of Jews—men, women, and children, gather round him (10:1). These returned exiles shared Ezra’s grief and so “wept bitterly” (10:1).
One of the men in the group, Shecaniah, a descendant of Elam, steps forward to speak to Ezra (10:2). Shechaniah agrees that the Jews had “broken faith with our God” by marrying “foreign women from the peoples of the land” (10:2). In spite of this faithlessness, Shecaniah believes “there is hope for Israel” (10:2). He suggests a way forward: “Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law” (10:3). He exhorts Ezra to rise, to be strong, and to take the lead in this difficult but necessary task (10:4).
Ezra rises from his prayer and begins the painful process. He has the “leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath” that they will do as directed, separating themselves from foreign wives (10:5). After this, Ezra withdraws to the house of Jehohanan and spends the rest of the night fasting and mourning “over the faithlessness of the exiles” (10:6).
Shortly after this time of mourning, Ezra, who had been given jurisdiction by Artaxerxes (7:25-26), issued a proclamation that all returned exiles must assemble in Jerusalem “within three days” or forfeit their property and be “banned from the congregation of the exiles” (10:8). Within the allotted time, “all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem” (10:9). They gathered on the twentieth day of the ninth month, four and a half months after Ezra’s group first arrived (7:9). The large crowd of Jews sat in the open square in front of the Temple, “trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain” (9:9).
Ezra lays out the charge against them: breaking faith with God by disobeying the commandment forbidding Israelites from marrying of foreign women who had not embraced the God of Israel (9:10). Ezra calls them to separate from “the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives” (9:11). The entire assembly (with the exception of a few dissenters—9:15) affirms with a “loud voice” that they will do as commanded (9:12). However, they insist on doing this in an orderly way, saying this is not a “task for one day or two” (9:13). They ask that the official leaders of the Jews oversee this matter, appointing specific times for each city to come to Jerusalem and make things right (9:14). In this way they hope to see “the fierce wrath of our God over this matter turned away from us” (9:14).
Ten days later, on the first day of the tenth month, the process begins in earnest (9:16). It was completed by the “first day of the first month”, one year after Ezra had gathered his company of exiles by the Ahava canal. Much had happened in one year!
The chapter concludes by recording the names of the men who had broken faith by taking foreign wives (9:18-44). The list of 64 names, includes 18 priests, 24 Levites, and 18 other Israelites. While it must have been embarrassing for those listed to be identified by name, it also was a reminder of their willingness to repent and take costly action to make things right with God.
Knowing God: Understanding His Person and Ways
God’s fierce anger will be directed towards his people when they disobey. God’s steadfast love for His people does not negate his “fierce wrath (anger)” towards sin (10:14). While we can find great hope in the truth that the Lord’s steadfast love never fails (Lam 3:22-23), we should “tremble” (9:4; 10:9) when we disobey His word, knowing we will experience His righteous discipline if we choose to rebel. The only right response to sin is true repentance.
God’s steadfast love remains with his people even when they disobey. God’s goodness to the exiles, shown in Artaxerxes’ support for the Temple and Ezra’s safety on the journey, is given even though many in Judah had “broken faith” with Him by their mixed-faith marriages. His steadfast love flows from His own character and promises, not His people’s fidelity and faithfulness. Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful (2 Tim 2:13). This is why one of Judah’s leaders could say, “even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this” (10:2). The steadfast love of the Lord gives hope to believers—despite our unworthiness.
Joining God: Moving with God on Mission
Repentance of sin involves taking action to rectify disobedience. Ezra calls the people of Judah and Benjamin to “make confession to the Lord” and to “Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives” (10:11). The returned exiles respond positively to Ezra’s charge: “It is so; we must do as you have said” (10:12). True repentance involves acknowledging sin and taking action to return to His will and ways.
Much has been written about whether the drastic action taken by Ezra and the exiles was warranted or unwise. The putting away of foreign wives undoubtedly caused much pain for the families involved. Some commentators conclude that Ezra over-reacted and went against God’s heart for enduring marriages. Afterall, Jesus taught that divorce violates God’s intent for oneness is marriage: “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matt 19:6). Further, Paul commanded a Christian with an unbelieving spouse to remain married, unless the unbelieving spouse pursued separation (1 Cor 7:12-16). How are we to make sense of Ezra’s actions, especially since he is described as devoted to God’s Word (7:10) and skilled in the Law of Moses (7:6)?
Ezra certainly realized the seriousness of this sin. Under the Old Covenant, God’s plan was to work through one nation (Israel) to bring blessing to all nations (Gen 12:1-3). This plan involved keeping Israel separate from the surrounding nations through the boundaries set forth in the Mosaic Law. While foreigners who embraced true faith in the Lord were welcomed into the Jewish community (Rahab, the Canaanite; Ruth the Moabite), marriage to women who worshipped other gods was another matter. It was his marriage to women with other religious beliefs that led Solomon’s heart astray from full devotion to the Lord (1 Kings 11:1-3). Inter-faith marriages compromised the spiritual purity of the nation.
As Ezra considered the situation while fasting and praying (9:6), he determined the best possible path through this painful situation. The Law of Moses allowed for divorce in the case of “some indecency” (Deut 24:1; see also Matt 19:6); certainly, idolatrous worship, which was an abomination to God (9:14), qualified as indecent. The Law also prescribed the death penalty for anyone in the community who worshipped other gods (Deut 17:2-7). Having studied the Scriptures for years to know God’s laws (7:10), Ezra chose the more merciful course of action: divorce instead of death.
In summary, Ezra guided the Jews to repent and rectify a serious and sinful situation. While the action taken was undoubtedly disruptive and excruciating, in this case, the overall spiritual health of the Jewish community demanded a drastic response to demonstrate true repentance and rectify their disobedience to God’s Word.
Each generation must recommit to staying faithful to God’s Word. The spiritual reforms led by the Zerubbabel and Jeshua, the leaders of the previous generation, did not guarantee the faithfulness of the next generation. Even some of Jeshua’s own sons are implicated as marrying foreign women with different religious loyalties (10:18). Sadly, even the corporate repentance led by Ezra did not prevent some in Judah from lapsing back into the same sin a few years later (see Nehemiah 13:23-29). Yesterday’s spiritual victories do not ensure tomorrow’s success. The people of each generation must choose whether to remain true to God’s Word or break faith with Him.
Rick and Linda Reed 