Ezra 10:44

15-44 The best reformers can but do their endeavour; when the Redeemer himself shall come to Zion, he shall effectually turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And when sin is repented of and forsaken, God will forgive it; but the blood of Christ, our Sin-offering, is the only atonement which takes away our guilt. No seeming repentance or amendment will benefit those who reject Him, for self-dependence proves them still unhumbled. All the names written in the book of life, are those of penitent sinners, not of self-righteous persons, who think they have no need of repentance....

Verse Ezra 10:44. SOME _OF THEM HAD WIVES BY WHOM THEY HAD CHILDREN._] This observation was probably intended to show that only a _few_ of them had children; but it shows also how rigorously the law was put in execution. According to a passage in _Justin Martyr's_ dialogue with _Trypho_, a Jew, Ezra offered a paschal lamb on this occasion, and addressed the people thus: "And Ezra said to the people, This passover is our Saviour and our Refuge; and if ye will be persuaded of it, and let it enter into your hearts, that we are to humble ourselves to him in a sign, and afterwards shall believe in him, this place shall not be destroyed for ever, saith the Lord of Hosts: but if ye will not believe in him, nor hearken to his preaching, ye shall be a laughing-stock to the Gentiles." - _Dial. cum Tryphone_, sec. 72. This passage, Justi

Compare with the list in Ezra 2. Ezra 10:19 THEY GAVE THEIR HANDS - i. e., “solemnly pledged themselves” (compare the marginal references). Ezra 10:44 The guilty persons, it would seem, were 113 in number. They comprised 4 members of the high priest’s family, 13 other priests, 10 Levites, and 86 lay Israelites belonging to at least 10 distinct families. The fact noted in the second clause of the verse must have increased the difficulity of Ezra’s task....

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

ALL THESE HAD TAKEN STRANGE WIVES,.... In all about one hundred and thirteen: AND SOME OF THEM HAD WIVES BY WHOM THEY HAD CHILDREN; and yet they put them away, which made it the more difficult for them to do; and those that had none, it is thought to be a mark of God's displeasure at such marriages. No mention being made of the children being put away, as Shechaniah proposed, Ezra 10:3, it may be concluded they were not, but were taken care of, to be educated in the true religion, and entered proselytes at a proper time; and the rather, as Ezra gave no orders about their putting away, Ezra 10:11....

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

A LIST OF THOSE WHO HAD MARRIED FOREIGN WIVES. These include seventeen priests, together with Levites, singers, and doorkeepers, and also laymen....

STRANGE. foreign. THUS ENDS the first part of this book "Ezra-Nehemiah"; not abruptly; as it is followed by the second part, which is concerned mainly with the rebuilding of the city and the walls, instead of with the Temple. The incidents recorded in Nehemiah 1:1 Nehemiah 7:4 had taken place before the first return under Zerubbabel, See the Structures and notes on pp 617, 618, and App-58. Compare also Nehemiah 7:4 with Haggai 1:1....

The List of those who -had married strange women" The record of the names was probably one of the documents officially preserved. The publicity of such a list was in itself a punishment to the offenders and a warning to others. As in chap. 2, the list falls into the three groups of Priests, Levites, and Israel (or Laity), i.e. 17 Priests, 10 Levites, 86 -of Israel" 113 in all....

_VER._ 44. _THESE HAD TAKEN STRANGE WIVES,_ &C.— The number is not very great, if compared with all those who came out of captivity; but they seem to have been eminent persons, and their examples would, doubtless, have spread the contagion, if a speedy stop had not been put to the evil. Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue with Trypho, says, that this following speech of Ezra was in the ancient Hebrew copies of the Bible, but was expunged by the Jews; viz. "And Ezra said to the people, this passover is our saviour and our refuge; and if you will be persuaded of it, and will let it enter into your hearts, that we are to humble him in a sign, and afterwards shall believe in him, this place shall not be destroyed for ever, saith the God of hosts; but if you believe not in him, neither hearken to his preaching, ye shall be a laughing-stock to the Gentiles....