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More Ezra commentaries
Ezra 7:1-10
Ezra arrives in the land
Ezra 7:11-28
Ezra gets a letter from the king
Ezra 8:1-23
Heads of families return with Ezra
Ezra 8:24-36
Gifts for the temple
Ezra 9:1-5
Intermarriage with pagans
Ezra 9:6-15
Ezra expressed sorrow in His prayer
Ezra 10:1-9
People confessed their sin to God
Ezra 10:10-17
Because of Ezra’s witness a revival broke out
Ezra 10:18-44
Pagan wives put away
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Pagan wives put away
Ezra 10:18–44
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
In the 1920’s Stalin ordered a purge of all Bibles and believers. In Stavropol, Russia this order was carried out completely. Thousands of Bibles were taken and believers were sent to prison, where so many died for being enemies of the state. In 1994, a missionary group went to S … More
Here is a list of the priests who had agreed to divorce their foreign wives and to sacrifice a ram as a sin offering (vv. 18-44). Although putting these pagan wives away was a severe solution, it appears that it only involved 113 of the approximately 29,000 families. This list of guilty men attests to a momentary purge and purification of these people of Judah. Some 12 and 25 years later (Neh 10:30 and 13:23-29), Nehemiah had to confront the same sin of mixed marriages once again.
Ezra recognized that if God gave the people what they deserved they would not be able to stand before Him. Just as in Ezra’s day, we often cry out for justice when we feel abused and unfairly treated. How fortunate we are that God gives us mercy and grace rather than only justice. The next time you ask God for fair and just treatment, pause to think about what would happen if God gave you what you asked for!!!! Plead instead for His mercy.
Why were these men commanded to send away their wives and children? Although this order seems to be extreme, intermarriage to heathens was strictly forbidden (Deut. 7:3-4) and even the Priests and Levis had intermarried. This could be compared today to a Christian marrying a devil worshiper. Ezra’s strong act was necessary to preserve Israel as a nation committed to God.
Application
No one is so far away from God that he or she cannot be restored. Repentance is all that is required. I am thankful that God hates sin but that He loves the sinner and that is why I could be saved
Ezra 10:18-44 (English Standard Version)
Now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had married foreign women: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah, some of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers. They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt. Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah. Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. Of the sons of Bebai were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. Of the sons of Bani were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. Of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu. Of the sons of Binnui: Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. All these had married foreign women, and some of the women had even borne children.
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