Ezra 10:1

_NOW WHEN EZRA HAD PRAYED, AND WHEN HE HAD CONFESSED, WEEPING AND CASTING HIMSELF DOWN BEFORE THE HOUSE OF GOD, THERE ASSEMBLED UNTO HIM OUT OF ISRAEL A VERY GREAT CONGREGATION OF MEN AND WOMEN AND CHILDREN: FOR THE PEOPLE WEPT VERY SORE._ Now when Ezra had prayed. Since this prayer was uttered in public, while there was a general concourse of the people at the time of the evening sacrifice, and as it was accompanied with all the demonstrations of poignant sorrow and anguish, it is not surprising that the spectacle of a man so respected, a priest so holy, a governor so dignified, as Ezra, appearing distressed and filled with fear at the sad state of things, should produce a deep sensation; and the report of his passionate grief and expressions in the court of the temple having rapidly spread through the city, a great multitude flocked to the spot....

1-5 Shechaniah owned the national guilt. The case is sad, but it is not desperate; the disease threatening, but not incurable. Now that the people begin to lament, a spirit of repentance seems to be poured out; now there is hope that God will forgive, and have mercy. The sin that rightly troubles us, shall not ruin us. In melancholy times we must observe what makes for us, as well as against us. And there may be good hopes through grace, even where there is the sense of great guilt before God. The case is plain; what has been done amiss, must be undone again as far as possible; nothing less than this is true repentance. Sin must be put away, with a resolution never to have any thing more to do with it. What has been unjustly got, must be restored. Arise, be of good courage. Weeping, in this case, is good, but reforming is better. As to being unequally yoked with unbelievers, such marria...

CHAPTER X _The people are greatly afflicted by Ezra's prayer_, 1. _Shechaniah proposes that all who have taken strange wives_ _should put them away, and the children they had by them; and_ _make a covenant to serve God_, 2-4. _Ezra is encouraged; and make a proclamation to collect the_ _people, to find who had transgressed_, 5-8. _They come together on the twentieth day of the_ ninth _month_, 9. _Ezra exhorts them to put away their strange wives_, 10. _The people agree to it, and require time_, 11-14. This being granted, the

BEFORE THE HOUSE OF GOD - i. e., in front of the temple, praying toward it 1Ki 8:30, 1 Kings 8:35; Daniel 6:10, and thus in the sight of all the people who happened at the time to be in the great court....

EXPOSITION REPENTANCE OF THE PEOPLE, AND COVENANT SWORN TO, ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF SHECHANIAH (Ezra 10:1). While Ezra was uttering his prayer aloud, upon his knees, in front of the temple, where the evening sacrifice was being offered upon the great brazen altar (Ezra 3:2), the people gathered about him, heard what he said, and had their feelings so stirred that numbers of them burst into tears and "wept very sore" (Ezra 10:1). When he had ended, Sheehaniah, the son of Jehiel, took the word, and suggested an

NOW WHEN EZRA HAD PRAYED, AND WHEN HE HAD CONFESSED, WEEPING,.... Had confessed the sins of the people in prayer and supplication, with many tears: AND CASTING HIMSELF DOWN BEFORE THE HOUSE OF GOD; in the outward court before the temple, his face turned towards it, where he lay prostrate: THERE ASSEMBLED TO HIM OUT OF ISRAEL A VERY GREAT CONGREGATION OF MEN, AND WOMEN, AND CHILDREN; it was quickly spread abroad, both in Jerusalem and places adjacent, that such a great man, a commissioner from the king of Persia, and a priest of the Jews, was in the utmost distress, rending his garments, and plucking off his hair, and was crying and praying in a vehement manner; which brought a great concourse of people, who concluded some great sins were committed, and sore judgments were coming upon them: FOR THE PEOPLE WEPT VERY SORE; being affected with his confessions, cries, and tears, and fearin...

CHAPTER 10 _ 1. The effect of Ezra's prayer on the people (Ezra 10:1)_ 2. Ezra summons an assembly (Ezra 10:5) 3. The gathering, confession and the evil judged (Ezra 10:9) 4. The register of those who had married strange women (Ezra 10:18) Ezra 10:1. Ezra's prayer, confession and humiliation were before the house of the LORD.” The people saw his great sorrow and his tears, they heard his words confessing the nation's sins. It produced a wonderful effect among the people. “There assembled unto him out of Israel a great congregation of me

THE PEOPLE SWEAR TO PUT AWAY THEIR FOREIGN WIVES. The narrative now proceeds in the third person. Ezra 10:2. Shecaniah: a common name; not necessarily identical with the person of this name referred to in Ezra 10:26. YET NOW: _i.e._ nevertheless; the evil could be done away by making a covenant with God (see Ezra 10:3). Ezra 10:3. to put away all the wives. them: it does not seem to have struck Ezra that a better and more humane way would have been to receive the wives and children into the pale of Judaism....

WHEN EZRA HAD PRAYED. Note the change to the third person. This does not imply another authorship. Such changes are common. Compare Isaiah 6:5; Isaiah 7:3; Isaiah 37:6 with other passages. Also Jeremiah 20:1 with Ezra 10:7. and Jeremiah 21:1 with Jeremiah 28:1; Jeremiah 28:5. GOD. Hebrew. Elohim.

Ezra 10:1-5. The People's Confession and Oath 1. _Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed_ R.V. NOW WHILE EZRA PRAYED AND MADE CONFESSION. The Hebrew shows that the people were assembling during Ezra's prayer. The report of Ezra's public grief would quickly spread, and he had maintained his attitude of shame and humiliation throughout the day (Ezra 9:4). The Vulgate -Orante Esra et implorante" is more correct than the LXX. ὡς προσηύξατο Ἔσδρας καὶ ὡς ἐξηγόρευσε. It will be observed that the 1st person is here dropped, having been maintained since Ezra 7:27. Henceforward the Compiler only adapts instead of quoting Ezra's memoirs, or perhaps he here makes use of other materials. -Made confession". As