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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
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People confessed their sin to God
Ezra 10:1–9
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
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While Ezra was down on his knees in front of God’s temple, praying with tears in his eyes, and confessing the sins of the people of Israel, a large number of men, women, and children gathered around him and cried bitterly (v. 1). Shecaniah son of Jehiel from the family of Elam said: “Ezra, we have disobeyed God by marrying these foreign women (v. 2). But there is still hope for the people of Israel, if we follow your advice and the advice of others who truly respect the laws of God (v. 3). We must promise God that we will divorce our foreign wives and send them away, with their children. Ezra, it’s up to you to do something (v.4)! We will support whatever you do. So be brave!
Ezra stood up and made the chief priests, the Levites, and everyone else in Israel swear that they would follow the advice of Shecaniah (v. 5). Then Ezra left God’s temple and went to spend the night in the living quarters of Jehohanan son of Eliashib (v.6). He felt sorry for what the people had done, and he did not eat or drink a thing. The officials and leaders sent a message to all who had returned from Babylonia and were now living in Jerusalem and Judah (vv. 7-8). It told them to meet in Jerusalem within three days, or else they would lose everything they owned and would no longer be considered part of the people that had returned from Babylonia. Three days later, on the twentieth day of the ninth month, everyone from Judah and Benjamin came to Jerusalem and sat in the temple courtyard (v.9). It was a serious meeting, and they sat there, trembling in the rain.
Application
I want to always be careful to seek the advice of God and not come to my own conclusions.
Ezra 10:1-9 (English Standard Version)
While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: "We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law. Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it." Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath. Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. And a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at Jerusalem, and that if anyone did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.
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