Ezra 10:1-17
Ezra's Reform Measures Adopted... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezra's Reform Measures Adopted... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, for it was in the court of the Lord that he made his prayer, as shown in chapter 9, THERE ASSEMBLED UNTO HIM OUT OF ISRAEL, out of those present for the evening sacrifice, A VERY GREAT CON... [ Continue Reading ]
And Shechaniah, the son of Jehiel, one of the Sons of Elam, evidently a man of some importance, ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO EZRA, WE HAVE TRESPASSED AGAINST OUR GOD, acting unfaithfully and without loyalty, AND HAVE TAKEN STRANGE WIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND; for, though not himself guilty, he spoke i... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, therefore, let us make a covenant with our God, by obligating themselves before God with a solemn vow, TO PUT AWAY ALL THE WIVES, by an absolute divorce, AND SUCH AS ARE BORN OF THEM, the children of such mixed marriages, ACCORDING TO THE COUNSEL OF MY LORD, AND OF THOSE THAT TREMBLE AT THE COM... [ Continue Reading ]
Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee; Ezra was the one man competent to take charge of the problem, both on account of his familiarity with the Law of God and on account of the authority vested in him by the king of Persia. WE ALSO WILL BE WITH THEE, to back him up in any plan proposed by him;... [ Continue Reading ]
Then arose Ezra and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel to swear that they should do according to this word, he obligated them by a solemn oath and thus stimulated their zeal. AND THEY SWARE.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, he left the place in the court where he had prayed, AND WENT INTO THE CHAMBER OF JOHANAN, THE SON OF ELIASHIB, where he could meet the princes and elders of the Jews in private; AND WHEN HE CAME THITHER, HE DID EAT NO BREAD NOR DRINK WATER, keeping up... [ Continue Reading ]
And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, both of the first and second band of returned exiles, THAT THEY SHOULD GATHER THEMSELVES TOGETHER UNTO JERUSALEM,... [ Continue Reading ]
and that, whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, who had immediately agreed to the proposition of Ezra, ALL HIS SUBSTANCE SHOULD BE FORFEITED, devoted to God, confiscated for the use of the Temple, AND HIMSELF SEPARATED FROM THE CONGREGATI... [ Continue Reading ]
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, between the end of December and the first part of January, the coldest and most disagreeable season in Palestine; AND ALL THE PEOPLE SAT IN... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ezra, the priest, stood up and said unto them, Ye have transgressed and have taken strange wives, dwelling with them in a wedlock which did not meet with the approval of the Lord, TO INCREASE THE TRESPASS OF ISRAEL, for the entire congregation would be held responsible for this evil.... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, therefore, make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, acknowledging their wrong, AND DO HIS PLEASURE, in bringing forth fruits meet for repentance; AND SEPARATE YOURSELVES FROM THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND AND FROM THE STRANGE WIVES. It was a radical measure, but one which would prove immedia... [ Continue Reading ]
Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, their resolution firmly and unhesitatingly expressed, AS THOU HAST SAID, SO MUST WE DO, FEELING THEMSELVES IN CONSCIENCE BOUND TO BE OBEDIENT.... [ Continue Reading ]
But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, the season being too disagreeable, NEITHER IS THIS A WORK OF ONE DAY OR TWO, and therefore to be disposed of while they waited; FOR WE ARE MANY THAT HAVE TRANSGRESSED IN THIS THING.... [ Continue Reading ]
Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, as a commission to adjust the entire affair, AND LET ALL THEM WHICH HAVE TAKEN STRANGE WIVES IN OUR CITIES COME AT APPOINTED TIMES, they were to be notified on what days they should come, AND WITH THEM THE ELDERS OF EVERY CITY, AND THE JUDGES THEREOF... [ Continue Reading ]
Only Jonathan, the son of Asahel, and Jahaziah, the son of Tikvah, were employed about this matter, literally, "stood against this thing," they withstood the proposed resolution; AND MESHULLAM AND SHABBETHAI THE LEVITE HELPED THEM, ALL FOUR DESIRING TO CONTINUE THE CUSTOM OF INTERMARRIAGES.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the children of the captivity did so, they acted according to their proposal. AND EZRA, THE PRIEST, WITH CERTAIN CHIEF OF THE FATHERS, after the house of their fathers, heads of father-houses, AND ALL OF THEM BY THEIR NAMES, WERE SEPARATED, as a commission to handle this matter, AND SAT DOWN IN... [ Continue Reading ]
And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month. The sessions thus lasted, in all, very nearly three months. Any Christian congregation which finds that evils have crept into its midst is in duty bound to investigate the matter and to remove all... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
CATALOG OF MEN WHO HAD TAKEN STRANGE WIVES... [ Continue Reading ]
And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives, pledging themselves most solemnly by giving their right hand; AND BEING GUILTY, THEY OFFERED A RAM OF THE FLOCK FOR THEIR TRESPASS. Cf Leviticus 5:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
And of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.... [ Continue Reading ]
And of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.... [ Continue Reading ]
And of the sons of Pashur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.... [ Continue Reading ]
Also of the Levites: Jozabad, and Shimei, and Xelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.... [ Continue Reading ]
of the singers also: Eliashib; and of the porters: Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover, of Israel, of the lay-members of the congregation: OF THE SONS OF PAROSH: RAMIAH, AND JEZIAH, AND MALCHIAH, AND MIAMIN, AND ELEAZAR, AND MALCHIJAH, AND BENAIAH.... [ Continue Reading ]
And of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.... [ Continue Reading ]
And of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.... [ Continue Reading ]
of the sons also of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.... [ Continue Reading ]
And of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.... [ Continue Reading ]
And of the sons of Pahathmoab: Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.... [ Continue Reading ]
And of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishljah, Malchiah, Shemalah, Shimeon,... [ Continue Reading ]
Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.... [ Continue Reading ]
of the Sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.... [ Continue Reading ]
of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel,... [ Continue Reading ]
Benaiah, Bedelah, Chelluh,... [ Continue Reading ]
Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,... [ Continue Reading ]
Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, V. 38. AND BANI, AND BINNUI, SHIMEI,... [ Continue Reading ]
and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,... [ Continue Reading ]
Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,... [ Continue Reading ]
Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,... [ Continue Reading ]
Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.... [ Continue Reading ]
of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.... [ Continue Reading ]
All these had taken strange wives; and some of them had wives by whom they had children, a fact which, of course, in. creased the difficulties of Ezra's task. All those who have sinned openly ought to acknowledge their transgression in the same manner and put away the offense. Every Christian congre... [ Continue Reading ]