Ezra 10:14

A commission recommended.

Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand R.V. Let now our princes be appointed (marg. Heb. stand) for all the congregation. The A.V. fails to give the idea of the original, where a difficulty is occasioned by the preposition -for". There are practically two ways of explaining the passage (1) Let now our princes stand for (i.e. in the place of ἀντὶ) all the congregation. (2) Let there now stand our princes for (i.e. in the interests of, ὑπὲρ) all the congregation. The latter is the preferable. The commission then was to consist of the princes who, in conjunction with the local elders and judges, should enquire into the cases that had occurred in each town and district.

and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities R.V. and let all them that are in our cities which have married strange women. The R.V. reproduces the two relative sentences of the original, the one giving the locality of the offender, the other particularizing the offence; perhaps the formal character of the actual wording of the decree here peeps out.

in our cities This expression seems to exclude Jerusalem. The case of those who dwelt in the capital could be investigated by the princes on the spot and without delay. In the case of inhabitants of other towns, the officials of each town were to be convened at Jerusalem and to assist the permanent commission; the offenders at the same time were to be summoned to attend the investigation in person.

at appointed times Cf. -at times appointed", Nehemiah 10:34; Nehemiah 13:31.

the elders of every city, and the judges thereof i.e. the representatives of the populace and the administrators of justice, belonging to each town.

until the fierce wrath of our God … be turned from us So also R.V. It is much to be doubted whether this can be regarded as a satisfactory rendering.

(1) There is no real connexion between the previous sentence -let our princes be appointed &c." and the words -until the fierce wrath, &c." -The fierce wrath" had not been displayed, as in David's day, by a visitation such as a plague or a famine, nor by any fresh hostile oppression. There is therefore no natural explanation for the expression, such as there is for the very similar words -Hide thyself for a little moment, untilthe indignation be overpast", Isaiah 26:20; -Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I take refuge, untilthese calamities be overpast", Psalms 57:1. If there was no external symptom of the Divine displeasure, its continuance could only be apprehended mentally or morally, and would have no sort of relation to the investigation and punishment of the offence.

(2) The work of the commission in a great measure an undertaking of popular contrition, but very largely also the expression of a definite policy of excluding aliens from the community could not be concluded, untilits ends had been accomplished. Now unless we are prepared to change the words -until the fierce wrath, &c." into so different a meaning as -until the cause of the fierce wrath &c. be removed", it seems that a limitation of time has no rightful place here.

(3) The English rendering ignores the literal transitive meaning of the verb. Literally translated, the sentence runs, -up to the point of, to turn away the fierce wrath of our God". It seems very probable that we should reject the temporal signification of the word rendered -until", and treat it as an instance of a redundancy not uncommon in late Hebrew. It will then merely strengthen the preposition, denoting purpose, prefixed to the verb. Supposing this to be the true explanation, the rendering will be -with a view (or, unto this end) to turn away the fierce wrath of our God".

The verb, which is transitive, is thus given its proper force familiar in other similar passages. Psalms 78:38 -Yea, many a time turned he his anger away"; Psalms 106:23 -Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath"; Jeremiah 18:20 -Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy fury from them"; Proverbs 15:1 -A soft answer turneth awaywrath".

The English version gives the general sense in the same way as the Vulgate -donec revertatur ira Dei nostri a vobis". But the English reader would never guess that the verb is used, not in the intransitive form -to return" (as in Numbers 25:4; 2 Chronicles 29:10; 2 Chronicles 30:8: Jeremiah 30:24), but in the causative -to cause to return", -to turn away" -to avert".

the fierce wrath of our God This particular expression -the fierce wrath", as applied to the Almighty, occurs in the O.T. thirty-four times, being used with special frequency (ten times) in Jeremiah. See also 2Ch 28:11; 2 Chronicles 28:13; 2 Chronicles 29:10; 2 Chronicles 30:8.

for this matter R.V. until this matter be dispatched. Marg. Or, as touching this matter. Literally rendered, the Hebrew words give -up to the point of (or, until), to this matter". The R.V. apparently coordinates this clause with the preceding one. But there can be but one opinion that the whole sentence -Let now our princes be appointed … until the fierce wrath of our God be turned from us, until this matter be dispatched", is quite intolerably harsh. The last clause only receives definiteness from the insertion of the words -be dispatched". But it constitutes a most empty addition to state that the enquiry should last until its business was dispatched. The present phrase is apparently only another instance, if the text be correct, of the same redundancy of expression in the later Hebrew mentioned above. The word, rendered -until", amplifies the preposition. And the usage of the compound preposition is the same as that of the simple preposition when found with the same words elsewhere. Genesis 19:21 -concerning this thing"; 1 Samuel 30:24; Daniel 1:14 -in this matter". The rendering of the margin is therefore to be preferred, -to turn away the fierce wrath of our God as touching this matter". The words are the same in meaning as Ezra 9:15 -because of this", Ezra 10:2 -concerning this thing".