Albert Barnes Commentary Ezra 10
Albert Barnes Commentary
Ezra 10
Albert Barnes Commentary
Ezra 10
"Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there was gathered together unto him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept very sore." — Ezra 10:1 (ASV)
Before the house of God - that is, in front of the temple, praying toward it (1 Kings 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.
"And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land: yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing." — Ezra 10:2 (ASV)
Jehiel was one of those who had taken an idolatrous wife (Ezra 10:26); and Shechaniah had therefore had the evil brought home to him.
"Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law." — Ezra 10:3 (ASV)
Let it be done according to the law - that is, let a formal “bill of divorcement” be given to each foreign wife, by which she will be restored to the condition of an unmarried woman, and be free to marry another husband . The ease of divorce among the Jews is well-known. According to many of the rabbis, a bill of divorcement might be given by the husband for the most trivial cause. Thus, no legal difficulty stood in the way of Shechaniah’s proposition; and Ezra regarded it as necessary for the moral and religious welfare of the people.
"Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib: and [when] he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water; for he mourned because of the trespass of them of the captivity." — Ezra 10:6 (ASV)
The "chamber of Johanan" was probably one of those attached externally to the temple (see 1 Kings 6:5–6). Eliashib was the grandson of Jeshua (Ezra 3:2), and was high priest under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:1). He could assign chambers in the temple to whomever he pleased .
"and that whosoever came not within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the captivity." — Ezra 10:8 (ASV)
Separated from the congregation - that is, “excommunicated” (Numbers 19:20, etc.). The power assigned to Ezra is stated in Ezra 7:25-26.
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