Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 10:19
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.
19. they gave their hands ] R.V. their hand. The Hebrew has the singular. On this symbol of a promise or pledge compare 2Ki 10:15 ‘If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand’. Eze 17:18 ‘And behold, he had given his hand, and yet hath done all these things’. Lam 5:6 ‘We have given the hand to the Egyptians’. 2Ch 30:8 ‘But yield yourselves (Heb. give the hand) unto the Lord’.
and being guilty, &c.] It has been supposed that whereas the solemn pledge or promise, to put away the strange women, was made by all, the priests alone had to offer the sacrifice of a ram. The sacrifice of a ram for a guilt offering is enjoined, ‘if anyone commit a trespass and sin unwittingly, in the holy things of the Lord’ (see Lev 5:14-19). There is however no real reason for limiting the guilt offering to the priests. The passage from Leviticus makes no such restriction. It is probable that this verse represents the form of solemn renunciation imposed upon all the offenders, i.e. the promise and the guilt offering. It is mentioned after the first names on the list, and should be understood after each recorded group of names. The repetition of the formula was considered unnecessary.
being guilty ] These words sound like the sentence of the commission, after investigating each case.
20, 21, 22. The sons of Immer, Harim and Pashur. In Ezr 2:37-39 and Neh 7:40-42 the order of the names is Immer, Pashur and Harim. In 1Ch 24:8-14 ‘Harim’ is the third and Immer the sixteenth priestly course: see notes on Ezr 2:37, &c.
Several of the names here mentioned occur in the lists of Nehemiah 8, 12.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 19. They gave their hands] They bound themselves in the most solemn manner to do as the rest of the delinquents had done; and they made all acknowledgment of their iniquity to God by offering each a ram for a trespass-offering.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They gave their hand, i.e. they covenanted or swore by giving their hand; which was the usual gesture in those cases; of which see Lev 6:2; Eze 17:18.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. they gave their handsthatis, came under a solemn engagement, which was usually ratified bypledging the right hand (Pro 6:1;Eze 17:18). The delinquents ofthe priestly order bound themselves to do like the common Israelites(Ezr 10:25), and sought toexpiate their sin by sacrificing a ram as a trespass offering.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Ver. 19-43. And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives,…. They proposed to do it, and actually did it:
and being guilty; of which they were fully convinced:
they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass; to make atonement for it, and thereby set an example to others to do the like. Aben Ezra observes, that we do not find that the trespass offering was a mulct to such who married strange wives, and conjectures, that it was the advice of the chief men to do it. From hence, to the end of Ezr 10:43, is a list of the men that had married strange wives, and put them away; those in Ezr 10:20, were priests; in Ezr 10:23, Levites, and those of them who were singers or porters; the rest were Israelites: and it is a very common distinction, in rabbinical writers, to distinguish the Jews into priests, Levites, and Israelites; of these we know no more than their names; some of the heads of the families may be observed in Ezr 2:1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
LIST OF THOSE WHO HAD TAKEN STRANGE WIVES, Ezr 10:18-44.
So important to the new community was the whole procedure, that the names of the implicated ones were chronicled, and immortalized in connexion with this sad affair. Ezra embodied the list in his own book as a testimony of his care for Israel, and here it still stands, a monument of his fidelity to the people of his God.
The list gives, 1) the names of the sons of the priests who had taken strange wives, Ezr 10:18-22; Ezra 2) the names of the Levites, Ezr 10:23; Ezra 3) the names of the singers, Ezr 10:24; Ezra 4) the names of non-official or ordinary Israelites, Ezr 10:25-43.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
19. Gave their hands As a solemn form of indicating their acceptance of the covenant, (Ezr 10:3,) and of binding themselves to put away their wives. Handshaking is a natural ceremony of ratifying a solemn agreement between parties. Comp. 2Ki 10:15.
A ram for their trespass According to the law of Lev 6:1-6.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 19. They gave their hands See 2Ki 10:15. Houbigant renders the last clause, and who had offended, gave one ram of the flock for their offence.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Ezr 10:19 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.
Ver. 19. And they gave their hands ] i.e. They plighted their troth, and assured the assent of their hearts, 2Ki 10:15 .
That they would put away their wives
They offered a ram of the flock
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
gave their hands. Hebrew idiom for giving their word. Compare 2Ki 10:15.
being guilty. Compare Lev 5:1.
a ram. See Lev 5:14-19.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
gave their hands: They bound themselves in the most solemn manner to do as the rest of the delinquents had done, and make and acknowledgment to God of their iniquity, by offering each a ram for a trespass offering. 2Ki 10:15, 1Ch 29:24, 2Ch 30:8, *marg. Lam 5:6, Gal 2:9
a ram: Lev 5:15, Lev 5:16, Lev 6:4, Lev 6:6
Reciprocal: Lev 4:13 – and are guilty Lev 9:3 – Take ye Lev 16:6 – for himself Mal 2:12 – the master and the scholar 2Co 6:14 – unequally
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
10:19 And they gave {l} their hands that they would put away their wives; and [being] guilty, [they offered] a ram of the flock for their trespass.
(l) As a token that they would keep their promise and do it.