NOTES for Ezr 10:16-44
16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. |
17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month. |
18 And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah. |
19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass. |
20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah. |
21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. |
22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah. |
23 Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. |
24 Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. |
25 Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah. |
26 And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah. |
27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. |
28 Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. |
29 And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. |
30 And of the sons of Pahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh. |
31 And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, |
32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. |
33 Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. |
34 Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel, |
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh, |
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, |
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, |
38 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, |
39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, |
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, |
41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, |
42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. |
43 Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah. |
44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children. |
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There is a great temptation to interpret the separation between Jews and Gentiles as a justification for mandatory racial purity, or, conversely, to use Ezra's actions as grounds for accusing the Jews of chauvinism. But let us not force ancient events that do not fit our present-day ideas into humane standards which still had to establish themselves in human thought. Ezra, his companions, and the families that suffered from the forced divorces were all people of their time, an age filled with cruelty and undisguised evil. Human hearts had only just begun their journey toward becoming more receptive to humane appeals.
But let us also remember that sacred history does not end with the events described here. The Lord continues to lead His people and reveal ever greater depths of His truth to them. He reveals them not only for this people but for others as well, and therefore also for those neighbors from whom, for the time being, such a sharp and painful separation has to take place...
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