Chapter Ten PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS 1. What particular idea do you think brought the people to tears? 2. Do you think Ezra was justified in advocating divorce?. 3. Why do you suppose the priests are mentioned first among those who had committed this sin, and again of those who corrected their co... [ Continue Reading ]
TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT D. The community is cleansed, and a list of the offenders is given. 1. A decision is reached by those who heard Ezra pray. TEXT, EZRA 10:1-4 1 Now while Ezra was praying and making confession; weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large... [ Continue Reading ]
2. The decision is shared by the leaders, and an assembly is ordered. TEXT, EZRA 10:5-8 5 Then Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel, take oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath. 6 Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and w... [ Continue Reading ]
3. The decision is accepted by all, in the assembly. TEXT, EZRA 10:9-15 9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because o... [ Continue Reading ]
4. The decision is carried out. TEXT, EZRA 10:16-19 16 But the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of fathers-' households for each of their fathers-' households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. 17 A... [ Continue Reading ]
5. A list is made of those who complied. TEXT, EZRA 10:20-44 20. And of the sons of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah; 21. and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; 22. and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.... [ Continue Reading ]