Ezra 10

Ezra 10:1

when Ezra had prayed. Note the change to the third person. This does not imply another authorship. Such changes are common. Compare Isaiah 6:5-8; Isaiah 7:3; Isaiah 37:6 with other passages. Also Jeremiah 20:1-6 with Ezra 10:7; and Jeremiah 21:1 with Jeremiah 28:1, Jeremiah 28:5.

God. Hebrew. Elohim.(with Art.) = the [true] God. App-4.

Israel. Compare Ezra 1:5. Ezra 2:2, Ezra 2:59, Ezra 2:70; Ezra 6:21; Ezra 7:10, Ezra 7:13; Ezra 8:25; Ezra 9:1. See note on 1 Kings 12:17.

congregation = assembly. Assembled 24th Tisri. Compare Nehemiah 9:3.

children = little ones. Hebrew. yeled. Not the same word as in Ezra 10:7.

wept very sore. Hebrew “wept a great weeping”. Figure of speech Polyptoton. See note on Genesis 26:28.

Ezra 10:2

the sons of Elam. Compare Ezra 10:26.

answered and said. A Hebrew idiom, by which the first verb “answered” must be rendered according to the context. Here = “confessed and said”.

trespassed = acted treacherously. Hebrew. ma’al. App-44.

people = peoples.

in = for.

Ezra 10:3

such as are born. It does not appear that Shechaniah’s proposal was carried out. Compare verses: Ezra 10:11, Ezra 10:14.

counsel. See Psalms 33:11; Psalms 73:24; Psalms 106:13. Proverbs 8:14; Proverbs 19:21. Isaiah 46:10, Isaiah 46:11.

my LORD* = Jehovah. One of the 134 places where Jehovah was altered by the Sopherim to Adonay. See App-32and App-4.

tremble. Compare Ezra 9:4.

according to the law. See Deuteronomy 24:1, Deuteronomy 24:2.

Ezra 10:4

Arise. It would seem that Ezra continued kneeling.

Ezra 10:5

the chief priests = the princes of the priests. Compare 2 Chronicles 36:14.

the Levites. Some codices, with one early printed edition, read “and the Levites”.

Ezra 10:6

Then Ezra rose up. In response to Shechaniah.

Johanan. The son of Eliashib, the high priest who succeeded Joiakim, the successor of Jeshua (Nehemiah 12:10, Nehemiah 12:23).

came thither. According to Syriac and Arabic = “lodged (or spent the night) there”.

mourned. Compare the first occurance of Hebrew ’abal. Genesis 37:34.

transgression = unfaithfulness. Hebrew. ma’al. App-44. Compare Ezra 10:2; Ezra 10:10.

Ezra 10:7

children = sons. Not. the same word as in Ezra 10:1.

captivity = exile. As in verses: Ezra 10:6, Ezra 10:8, Ezra 10:16; Ezra 1:11; Ezra 2:1; Ezra 4:1; Ezra 6:19, Ezra 6:20, Ezra 6:21; Ezra 8:35.

Ezra 10:8

forfeited = devoted.

carried away = into captivity.

Ezra 10:9

Judah and Benjamin. Yet spoken of as containing representatives of all Israel. See note on Ezra 10:1.

ninth month. That is Chisleu (= Nov. -Dec), four months after Ezra’s arrival (Ezra 7:8).

street = broad place.

Ezra 10:10

trespass. Hebrew. ’ashah. See note on Ezra 9:6.

Ezra 10:11

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

Ezra 10:12

As thou hast said = according to thy words. Hebrew margin reads “word”.

Ezra 10:13

a time of much rain = the rainy season.

transgressed = rebelled. Hebrew. pasha’. App-44.

Ezra 10:14

rulers = princes.

for. Hebrew. ’ad = “until”, as in the previous clause. Translate and supply Figure of speech Ellipsis (App-6) thus: “until the fierce wrath of our God be turned from us, until this matter [be carried out]”.

Ezra 10:15

Only = But, or. Nevertheless.

Tikvah. Compare 2 Kings 22:14 and 1 Chronicles 34:22.

were employed, &c. = superintended [the business].

Ezra 10:16

certain = men. Hebrew. ’enosh. App-14.

chief = heads.

Ezra 10:17

the first day of the first month. See note on Genesis 8:13. Ezra’s last date. The commission, therefore, sat for eighty-eight days.

Ezra 10:18

the sons Of Joshua. Who had come up with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2). There were 973 priests of that house (Ezra 2:36). There were found guilty seventeen priests, ten Levites singers and sorters, and eighty-six lay people, making 118 in all.

Ezra 10:19

gave their hands. Hebrew idiom for giving their word. Compare 2 Kings 10:15.

being guilty. Compare Leviticus 5:1.

a ram. See Leviticus 5:14-19.

Ezra 10:22

Nethaneel. Some codices, with five early printed editions, read “and Nethaneel”.

Ezra 10:29

and Bamoth. Hebrew text reads “Jeremoth”. Margin reads “and Ramoth”.

Ezra 10:31

of. Some codices, with one early printed edition, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulg, have this word “of” in the text.

Ezra 10:44

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 1:1-4.