Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 10:25
Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
25 43. Israel, or the laity
as distinguished from priests and Levites. Cf. Ezr 2:2 ‘the men of the people of Israel’. Ezr 9:1 ‘the people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites’.
Moreover of Israel ] R.V. And of Israel. There is no variety to break the simplicity of the list. The names of the houses here mentioned have all been mentioned in chap. 2. Thus
Parosh (Ezr 10:25)
in Ezr 2:3:
number of offenders
7
Elam (Ezr 10:26)
in Ezr 2:7
number of offenders
6
Zattu (Ezr 10:27)
in Ezr 2:8
number of offenders
6
Bebai (Ezr 10:28)
in Ezr 2:11
number of offenders
4
Bani (Ezr 10:29)
in Ezr 2:10
number of offenders
6
Pahath-Moab (Ezr 10:30)
in Ezr 2:6
number of offenders
8
Harim (Ezr 10:31)
in Ezr 2:32
number of offenders
8
Hashum (Ezr 10:33)
in Ezr 2:19
number of offenders
7
Bani (Ezr 10:34)
in Ezr 2:10
number of offenders
27
Nebo (Ezr 10:43)
in Ezr 2:29
number of offenders
7
In this list, as compared with that in Ezra 2, the following points may be observed:
( a) The house of Bani is twice mentioned (Ezr 10:29 and Ezr 10:33). This is almost certainly due to an early error in the text. The conjecture that the name of Bigvai (Ezr 2:14) or of Bezai (Ezr 2:17) should be, in one instance or the other, substituted for that of Bani is not improbable, especially as otherwise there are seven houses (Ezr 2:12-19) in succession not mentioned here.
( b) The disproportionately large number of offenders belonging to the second Bani (Ezr 10:34) makes it probable that we have lost the names of three other houses. It will be noticed that the ‘sons of Nebo’ are the only representatives of about twenty towns mentioned in Ezr 2:21-35.
( c) The order of the list of houses is here quite different from that of Ezra 2, an illustration probably of the faithfulness with which the various extant lists were reproduced.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 25. Moreover of Israel] That is, as Calmet observes, simple Israelites, to distinguish them from the priests, Levites, and singers, mentioned in Ezr 10:18; Ezr 10:23; Ezr 10:24.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Of Israel, i.e. of the people of Israel, distinguished from the priests and the Levites hitherto named, who before were called Judah and Benjamin, Ezr 10:9, See Poole “Ezr 10:9“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
[See comments on Ezr 10:19].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Of Israel, as distinguished from priests and Levites, i.e., of the laity. Of these latter are given in all eighty-six names, belonging to ten races, vv. 25-43, who returned with Zerubbabel. See Nos. 1, 5, 6, 9, 8, 4, 30, 17, and 27 of the survey of these races. in Ezr 10:29 should, according to the Chethiv, be read . – The twofold naming of sons of Bani in this list (Ezr 10:29 and Ezr 10:34) is strange, and Bani is evidently in one of these places a mistake for some other name. Bertheau supposes that Bigvai may have stood in the text in one of these places. The error undoubtedly lies in the second mention of Bani (Ezr 10:34), and consists not merely in the wrong transcription of this one name. For, while of every other race four, six, seven, or eight individuals are named, no less than seven and twenty names follow , though all these persons could hardly have belonged to one race, unless the greater number of males therein had married strange wives. Besides, no names of inhabitants of cities of Judah and Benjamin are given in this list (as in Ezr 2:21-28, and Ezr 2:33-35), although it is stated in Ezr 10:7 and Ezr 10:14 that not only the men of Jerusalem, but also dwellers in other cities, had contracted these prohibited marriages, and been summoned to Jerusalem, that judgment might be pronounced in their several cases. These reasons make it probable that the twenty-seven persons enumerated in Ezr 10:34-42 were inhabitants of various localities in Judah, and not merely individuals belonging to a single house. This supposition cannot, however, be further corroborated, since even the lxx and 1 Esdr. read the name Bani in Ezr 10:27 and Ezr 10:34, nor can any conjecture respecting the correct reading laying claim to probability be ventured on. In the single names, the Greek texts of the Septuagint and 1 Esdras frequently differ from the Hebrew text, but the differences are almost all of a kind to furnish no material for criticism. A considerable number of these names reappear in the lists of names in the book of Nehemiah, but under circumstances which nowhere make the identity of the persons bearing them certain.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
25. Moreover of Israel That is, of non-official or simple Israelites, as distinguished from the priests, Levites, and singers just mentioned. The names of the chief fathers of this list are all found in the list of those who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel, chap. 2. The Bani of Ezr 10:34 is not to be identified with the Bani of Ezr 10:29. The latter is probably the Bani of Ezr 2:10, while the other is, perhaps, a corruption of Bezai, (of Ezr 2:17,) or possibly the name of some person not mentioned at all in the list of chapter 2.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Ezr 10:25-44
25Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah; 26and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah; 27and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza; 28and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai; 29and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth; 30and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh; 31and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah; 33of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei; 34of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, 38Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah and Joseph. 43Of the sons of Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah. 44All these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
Ezr 10:44 The Hebrew is very difficult. Derek Kidner, Ezra and Nehemiah Tyndale Commentary Series, p. 72, footnote #2, shows the problem: (1) and some of them (MASCULINE ) were women and they (MASCULINE) appointed sons. (2) Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible, p. 321, has and there are of them women – who adopt sons. (3) The Septuagint has all these had taken strange wives and begotten sons of them. and (4) The Revised Standard Version quotes 1Es 9:36, all of these had married foreign women, and they sent them away with (their) children.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.
1. To what incident does Ezr 9:1 relate?
2. Why are these ancient tribes, which no longer exist, mentioned in Ezr 10:1?
3. How can Ezra’s acts be reconciled with Deu 21:10-14 and the many foreign marriages of Israel’s former leaders?
4. Explain the relationship between personal sin and corporate sin in the life of both Israel and the Church.
5. If God hates divorce what does Ezra 10 involve and why?
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Moreover of Israel: That is, as Calmet observes, simple Israelites; thus distinguished from the priests, Levites, and singers, mentioned in Ezr 10:18, Ezr 10:23, Ezr 10:24.
sons of Parosh: Ezr 2:3, Neh 7:8
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ezr 10:25. Moreover of Israel Of the people of Israel, distinguished from the priests and Levites hitherto named, who before, Ezr 10:9, were called Judah and Benjamin.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
10:25 Moreover of {m} Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
(m) Meaning of the common people: for before he spoke of the priests and Levites.