Israel Repents of Covenant Unfaithfulness

Ezra 10:1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelites – men, women, and children alike – gathered around him. The people wept loudly. 10:2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the local peoples. Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. 10:3 Therefore let us enact a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, and that of those who respect the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law. 10:4 Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!” 10:5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. And they all took a solemn oath. 10:6 Then Ezra got up from in front of the temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he stayed there, he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity of the exiles. 10:7 A proclamation was circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem. 10:8 Everyone who did not come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore, he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles. 10:9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin were gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. (It was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of that month.) All the people sat in the square at the temple of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rains. 10:10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have behaved in an unfaithful manner by taking foreign wives! This has contributed to the guilt of Israel. 10:11 Now give praise to the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the local residents and from these foreign wives.” 10:12 All the assembly replied in a loud voice: “We will do just as you have said! 10:13 However, the people are numerous and it is the rainy season. We are unable to stand here outside. Furthermore, this business cannot be resolved in a day or two, for we have sinned greatly in this matter. 10:14 Let our leaders take steps on behalf of all the assembly. Let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each town and its judges, until the hot anger of our God is turned away from us in this matter.” 10:15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were against this, assisted by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite. 10:16 So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out by name men who were leaders in their family groups. They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month, 10:17 and on the first day of the first month they finished considering all the men who had married foreign wives. 10:18 It was determined that from the descendants of the priests, the following had taken foreign wives: from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 10:19 (They gave their word to send away their wives; their guilt offering was a ram from the flock for their guilt.) 10:20 From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. 10:21 From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. 10:22 From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 10:23 From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also known as Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 10:24 From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. 10:25 From the Israelites: from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah. 10:26 From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. 10:27 From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. 10:28 From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 10:29 From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. 10:30 From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. 10:31 From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 10:32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 10:33 From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 10:34 From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 10:35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 10:36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 10:37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu. 10:38 From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, 10:39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 10:40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 10:41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 10:42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 10:43 From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. 10:44 All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them also had children by these women.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Ezra 10 shows the returned exiles responding to covenant unfaithfulness with grief, confession, and a formal commitment to obey God. The leaders investigate the covenant-breaking marriages with foreign women, and the chapter ends with a long record of those involved, showing how serious the breach was.

Ezra is still praying and weeping when the people gather around him. A leader named Shecaniah admits that Israel has been unfaithful by marrying women from the local peoples, but says there is still hope if the people respond in covenant obedience. Ezra then binds the leaders and the people by oath to carry out the plan.

Ezra mourns, fasts, and calls all the exiles to Jerusalem. He warns them that they have broken faith with God and says they must give praise to the Lord, do his will, and separate from the offending marriages. The people agree, but because the matter is large and the weather is bad, they ask for an orderly investigation through their leaders, elders, and judges.

The rest of the chapter lists the men who had taken these wives. The long list shows that the sin reached priests, Levites, temple workers, and ordinary Israelites. Some of the men had children by these women, which makes the situation even more painful. The chapter presents this as a severe, costly response to covenant unfaithfulness in the postexilic community.

• The chapter begins with public grief, confession, and humility before God.
• Shecaniah says there is still hope if the people respond according to God's law.
• The people bind themselves by oath to deal with the sin.
• Ezra treats the matter as covenant unfaithfulness, not a small private mistake.
• The community responds with an orderly investigation, not a rushed reaction.
• The list of names shows that the breach touched leaders and ordinary people alike.
• Some of the men had children by the wives who were sent away, which shows the human cost of the judgment.
• The chapter stresses holiness before God in the life of the restored remnant.

• We have been unfaithful to our God.
• There is still hope for Israel in this regard.
• Let us enact a covenant with our God.
• Let it be done according to the law.
• Be strong and act decisively.
• Give praise to the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will.
• Separate yourselves from the local residents and from these foreign wives.
• We have sinned greatly in this matter.
• Those who do not come within three days will forfeit property and be excluded from the assembly.
• The Lord's hot anger must be turned away from this sin.

This passage belongs to the postexilic restoration of Israel under the Mosaic covenant. God was preserving a holy remnant in the land after the exile, and this chapter shows that covenant membership brought real responsibility and real discipline. The chapter does not create a general rule for later marriage or church practice, but it does fit the larger Bible pattern that God preserves his people from covenant corruption. In the broad sweep of Scripture, this preservation matters for the continuation of the historical people through whom later messianic promise will unfold.

Believers can learn that real repentance is more than feeling sorry. It includes confession, submission to God's word, and willing action. This chapter also warns that sin can spread through a whole community and that leaders must act with courage and care. At the same time, this is a unique postexilic event, so it should not be used as a simple rule for all marriages or for the church today. The lasting lessons are holiness, accountability, and obedience under God.

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