Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 10:9
Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It [was] the ninth month, on the twentieth [day] of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of [this] matter, and for the great rain.
9. all the men of Judah and Benjamin ] All the male population capable of attending. ‘Men of Judah and Benjamin’, cf. Ezr 1:5, Ezr 4:1.
It was the ninth month ] R.V. it was the ninth month not a fresh sentence. The ‘ninth month’ was Chislev, corresponding nearly to our December. The Assyrian month Ki-shilivu is the same name. The month is mentioned in Neh 1:1; Zec 7:1. On the 15th of this month 168 b.c. the Temple was profaned and the altar polluted by Antiochus Epiphanes; on the 25th of this month, three years later, 165 b.c., Judas the Maccabee and his companions celebrated ‘the Dedication’ or Purification of the Temple, which was afterwards observed as an annual festival (cf. Joh 10:22). See 1Ma 1:54 ; 1Ma 4:59 . The general assembly was therefore summoned only four months after Ezra’s arrival (see Ezr 7:8).
sat in the street of the house of God ] R.V. sat in the broad place before the house of God. Literally ‘in the broad place of the house of God’. Cf. Neh 8:1 ‘And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place (A.V. street) that was before the water gate’, and 3. An area belonging to ‘the house of God’ in which the whole assembly could collect, must have been a large open court. See the same word in Deu 13:16 and 2Sa 21:12, where an open place or square in the middle of a town gives a truer sense than the word ‘street’. The idea of the word in the original is width, not narrowness.
trembling because of this matter ] The popular apprehension was aroused to the utmost, partly by the penalty for non-attendance at the assembly (Ezr 10:8), partly by the rumours of the action proposed by Shecaniah and approved by the princes, partly by dread of Divine wrath at the national transgression. The verb used here for ‘trembling’ occurs elsewhere in the O. T. only in Dan 10:11 and Psa 104:32.
and for the great rain ] R.V. marg. Heb. the rains. We must suppose that the rains, which prevail during December in Palestine, were on this occasion exceptionally ‘heavy’ and seemed to the people to denote the Divine displeasure (cf. 1Sa 12:18), besides adding to the discomfort of gathering to Jerusalem. This was ‘the early rain’ following after seed-time (cf. Deu 11:14; Jer 5:24; Joe 2:23) as distinguished from ‘the latter rain’ of spring-time.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
It was the ninth month – Or, our December, a time when rain fails heavily in Palestine: four months, therefore, after Ezras arrival in Jerusalem (compare Ezr 7:9).
The street – Rather, the court, the broad, spacious, place (compare the 2Ch 29:4 note).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Ezr 10:9
Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin.
A great and troubled assembly
The text teaches–
I. That it is the tendency of sin to produce sorrow and consternation of soul. There is a scorpion sin in remembered guilt when outward troubles and inward fears meet together (Gen 42:21).
II. That God mares with peculiar interest the time if which repentance unto life begins in the sow. Iii. That repentance when it is real will bring forth its appropriate fruits.
IV. That the names and persons of genuine penitents are for ever precious to God and recorded in his book. (Samuel Thodey.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 9. Ninth month] Answering to a part of our December.
Trembling because of – the great rain.] , Because of the winter, Septuagint; it was now December, the coldest and most rainy part of the year in Palestine.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
All the men of Judah and Benjamin not only of these two tribes, as appears from the following catalogue, where there are priests and Levites; but all the Israelites, Ezr 10:25, who are thus described, partly because the greatest part of them were of these tribes, though others were mixed with them; and partly because they all now dwelt in that land which formerly was appropriated to those tribes.
In the street of the house of God; in that street of the city which was next to the temple, and within the view of it, that so they might be as in Gods presence, whereby they might be awed to a more faithful and vigorous prosecution of their work. And this place they might choose rather than the court of the people, because they thought it might be polluted by the delinquents, who were all to come thither.
For the great rain, which they took for a token of Gods displeasure against them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9-11. Then all the men of Judah andBenjaminThe returned captives belonged chiefly to thesetribes; but other Israelites are also included under these names, asthey all were then occupying the territory formerly assigned to thosetwo tribes.
It was the ninth monththatis, between the end of December and the beginning of January, whichis the coldest and most rainy season of the year in Palestine.
all the people sat in thestreetthat is, the court.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin,…. And such of the ten tribes that returned and dwelt among them:
gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days; the time fixed: which they were the more careful to observe, since it was enjoined by the authority of princes and elders, and the punishment in case of disobedience very severe:
it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; the month Chisleu, which answers to part of November and part of December, so that the twentieth day must be in the beginning of December; this was almost five months after Ezra came to Jerusalem:
and all the people sat in the street of the house of God: the street which led to the temple, the east street, 2Ch 29:4 though some think this was the court of the people, called a street, because it lay open, not yet walled in; and, according to Josephus q, it was in an upper room of the temple in which Ezra was, perhaps the same with the chamber of Johanan, Ezr 10:6,
trembling because of this matter; they were met about; some that were guilty, not knowing what punishment would be inflicted on them, and others that were not, yet dreaded the wrath of God, lest that should break out upon the whole congregation for it:
and for the great rain; which now fell, and which they interpreted as a token of the divine displeasure: for though it was in winter time, yet not with them a time of rain, for the former rain had fallen a month before; so that this being unusual and unexpected, they understood it as betokening evil to them.
q Antiqu. l. 11. c. 5. sect. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
After three days all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem. This took place on the twentieth day of the ninth month. On this statement of time, see the remark in Ezr 9:1. The assembled multitude sat there on the open space of the house of God, i.e., probably the open space ( ) in front of the water-gate, Neh 8:1, Neh 8:3, Neh 8:16, at the eastern or south-eastern side, before the temple court; see remarks on Neh 8:1. “Trembling” because of this matter, the seriousness of which they might perceive from the heavy penalty attached to their non-appearance within three days, and “because of the rain.” The ninth month, corresponding with our December, is in the cold rainy time of the year (comp. Ezr 10:13), “when the rain usually falls in torrents” (Robinson, Phys. Geog. p. 287).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
3. The decision is accepted by all, in the assembly.
TEXT, Ezr. 10:9-15
9
So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain.
10
Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel.
11
Now, therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers, and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.
12
Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, Thats right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do.
13
But there are many people, it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter.
14
Let our leaders represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us.
15
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.
COMMENT
Ezr. 10:9 indicates full compliance with this order, from the men throughout the territory of Judah and Benjamin where the exiles had settled. The latter half of the ninth month would be in our December, which was the rainy season in their land. No building would be large enough for the entire male population, so they met in the Temple yard, shivering because of the seriousness of the occasion and the discomfort of the rain.
In Ezr. 10:10 Ezra charged them with their sin.
Ezr. 10:11 speaks of two groups from which they were to be separated: (1) the people of the land, possibly referring here to the foreign men whom some of the women of Israel had married; and (2) the foreign wives, whom men of Israel had taken. The offense could work both ways (see Ezr. 9:12), and both must be corrected.
Ezr. 10:12 voices their acknowledgement of the rightness of what had been said, and their decisive acceptance of the need of separation.
In Ezr. 10:13 the men point to mechanical problems in carrying out this command: the rain; discomfort of standing in the open; legal complications in correcting such a serious offense.
Their request (Ezr. 10:14) was that enough time be given so that orderly procedures may be followed: appointments were to be made for all offending couples to come before the elders and judges of their cities (the elders had always had such responsibilities), till the task was completed. They evidently reasoned that if marriage was a public ceremony, then the separation also was to be made publicly.
Ezr. 10:15 gives the names of two who opposed this procedure, though their reason is not stated. We do not know if they objected to the delay, the procedure, or to the action itself, though Ezr. 10:12 indicated unanimous agreement up to that point. Their objections were apparently answered satisfactorily by two other speakers, as named.
WORD STUDIES
COVENANT (Ezr. 10:3, Berith): comes from the verb, eat. To make (literally, cut) a covenant, persons butchered and cut up a domestic vegetarian (peaceful) animal (see Genesis 15) and arrived at their agreements around a table of good fellowship. Peace treaties, religious obligations, personal contracts were all sealed in this way. Gods covenant with man always had this connotation of fellowship, or sharing, including His obligation to bless if the covenant was kept.
TAKE OATH (Ezr. 10:8, Shaba): swear, to seven oneself. Seven, a sacred number, calls attention also to offerings that would be made to seal an oath (Gen. 21:28 ff).
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
9. The ninth month Chisleu, corresponding with December, the rainy season of Palestine, and hence the great rain mentioned in this verse.
In the street of the house of God In the open broad place before the temple; in the court.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 9. It was the ninth month, &c. That is, some time in December, when the rains in the Holy Land are extremely cold. Dr. Russel, in his account of the weather at Aleppo, which very much resembles that in Judea, says, that “the natives reckon the severity of the winter to last but forty days, beginning from the twelfth of December and ending the twentieth of January; and that this computation comes in fact near the truth; that the air during this time is excessively piercing, even to those who are but just come from a cold climate;” &c. and it certainly must be much more so, when the season proves wet, as was the case at present. See Observations, p. 15. The street of the house of God, in this verse, is rendered by Houbigant, more properly, the court; for it means that court where the people stood when they worshipped.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Ezr 10:9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It [was] the ninth month, on the twentieth [day] of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of [this] matter, and for the great rain.
Ver. 9. Within three days ] They durst not outstand their time, because their estates were at stake. Why is there not the like care taken and speed used to make peace with God, since for aught we know it is now or never, today or not at all? Is it nothing to lose an immortal soul? why, then, cry we, Cras, Domine? Tomorrow, Lord? why stand we trifling and baffling from day to day, till it be all too late? Remember the foolish virgins, and be wiser.
It was the ninth month
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Ezr 10:9-15
9So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. 10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel. 11Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives. 12Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, That’s right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do. 13But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. 14Let our leaders represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us. 15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.
Ezr 10:9 the men of Judah and Benjamin The vast majority of the returnees were from pre-exilic Judah, which was made up of
1. the tribe of Simeon
2. the tribe of Benjamin
3. the tribe of Judah
4. most of the tribe of Levi (priests and Levites)
The northern tribes were taken into exile in 722 B.C. by Assyria and most were assimilated into their exiled lands.
the ninth month This refers to the month of Kislev which was midwinter, therefore, they were trembling not only from Ezra’s statement but also from the cold brought on by the winter rains. See Special Topic: ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN CALENDARS .
This verse records eye-witness details of this event. This is Ezra’s journal!
Ezr 10:10 Ezra calls on them for a public, cultic acknowledgment of their covenant violation (cf. Ezr 10:19). This was not the only sin of Israel (i.e., adding to the guilt of Israel), but it was a significant sin of God’s people.
Ezr 10:11 make confession This VERB (BDB 793, KB 889, Qal IMPERATIVE) shows the seriousness and mandatory nature of their confession (this verse has three IMPERATIVES). The Hebrew term confession (BDB 392) also means to give praise to. Confession was an act of religious worship (cf. Jos 7:19).
This same Hebrew noun is used in Neh 12:27; Neh 12:31; Neh 12:38; Neh 12:40 to describe the Levitical choir praising God.
It was also used of thank offerings (cf. 2Ch 29:31; Psa 50:14; Psa 50:23; Amo 4:5; Jer 17:26; Jer 33:1).
Ezr 10:12
NASBso it is our duty to do
NKJVso we must do
NRSVwe must do
TEVwe will do
NJBour duty is to do
Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible has on us to do, p. 320. The VERB (BDB 793, KB 889, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) has been used several times in this context.
1. let it be done according to the law, Ezr 10:3
2. be courageous and act, Ezr 10:4
3. take oath that they would do according to this proposal, Ezr 10:5
4. make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will, Ezr 10:11
5. so it is our duty to do, Ezr 10:12
6. But the exiles did so, Ezr 10:16
The people acknowledged their guilt and agreed to act on Ezra’s proposals. Faith starts in the mind, but must work out into actions (cf. Lev 26:40-42).
Ezr 10:13-14 nor could this task be done in one or two days These separations involved some investigation. Apparently some of the wives had truly become proselytes and were raising their children in the YHWHistic traditions, while others remained pagan. It is possible that these Hebrew men had put away their Jewish wives (cf. Mal 2:10-16) in order to marry these foreign wives. This really caused problems with inheritance rights. There were 110 cases investigated in 75 days, but we do not know how many other cases were involved.
Ezr 10:15 There was not unanimity (four men were opposed, see 1Ch 21:1; Dan 8:25; 17:14, where the same idiom is used) on this issue, but a clear majority. This is obviously an eye-witness detail.
Meshullam Of the men listed in this verse nothing else is known. Some try to link Meshullam with a man by the same name who worked on the walls of Jerusalem (cf. Neh 3:4; Neh 3:6), but this was a common name. Notice the number of times people by this name are mentioned, in 1Ch 3:19; 1Ch 5:13; 1Ch 8:17; 1Ch 9:7-8; 1Ch 9:11-12; and in Neh 3:6; Neh 8:4; Neh 10:7; Neh 10:20; Neh 11:7; Neh 12:13; Neh 12:16; Neh 12:25; Neh 12:33.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Judah and Benjamin. Yet spoken of as containing representatives of all Israel. See note on Ezr 10:1.
ninth month. That is Chisleu (= Nov. -Dec), four months after Ezra’s arrival (Ezr 7:8).
street = broad place.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
ninth month
i.e. December.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
the ninth month: That is, some time in December, which is the coldest and most rainy time of the year in Palestine. Dr. Russel, in his account of the weather at Aleppo, which very much resembles that in Judea, says, that the natives reckon the severity of the winter, which they call marbania, to last but forty days, beginning from the 12th of December, and ending the 20th of January, and that this computation comes in fact very near the truth, and that the air during this time is excessively piercing, even to those that are just come from a cold climate. Ezr 7:8, Ezr 7:9, Est 2:16
trembling: 1Sa 12:17, 1Sa 12:18, Jer 10:10, Jer 10:13
great rain: Heb. showers
Reciprocal: Exo 1:1 – General 2Ch 32:6 – in the street Job 37:6 – great Job 37:13 – whether Act 24:25 – Felix Act 28:2 – because 2Co 7:15 – with
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ezr 10:9. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin, &c. Not only of these two tribes, as appears from the following catalogue, in which there are priests and Levites; but all the Israelites, (Ezr 10:25,) who are thus described, because the greatest part of them were of these tribes, though others were mixed with them: and because they all now dwelt in that land, which formerly was appropriated to those tribes. All the people sat in the street Hebrew, , birchob, LXX., , in a broad, open place, of the house of God. Houbigant renders it, the court, namely, that in which the people stood when they worshipped. This, lying open, and not being yet enclosed by a wall, as may be conjectured from Neh 2:8, is called in the original an open place, or street, and not , chatser, the name usually given to the court. Here the people were not only within view of the temple, but in a place adjoining to it, that so they might be as in Gods presence, and be thereby awed to a more faithful and vigorous prosecution of their work. Trembling because of this matter The offence they had committed against God, and the consequences thereof; and for the great rain Hebrew, i, haggeshamim, the rains, or showers. It was now the depth of winter, when the rains in Judea are extremely cold; and the people seem to have taken the heavy rains on this occasion as a token of Gods displeasure.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
10:9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It [was] the {e} ninth month, on the twentieth [day] of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of [this] matter, and for the great {f} rain.
(e) Which contained part of November and part of December.
(f) For the season was given to rain and so the weather was more sharp and cold and also their conscience touched them.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The cooperation of the people 10:9-15
This general assembly took place in late November or early December of 458 B.C. The people who were guilty agreed to divorce their foreign wives and to do this in various local towns that were convenient to their homes in the weeks and months that lay ahead. The Feast of Dedication fell on the twenty-fifth of this month. Perhaps they made their commitment to God then.
"Since such marriages led to the introduction of foreign cults, Ezra’s drastic solution is along the same lines as Joshua’s Shechem assembly with its commitment to putting aside foreign gods (Jos 24:23)." [Note: Blenkinsopp, "A Theological . . .," p. 29.]
God sent rain (Ezr 10:10; fertility) when His people got right with Him. He had promised to do this in Deu 11:10-17.
Israel’s leaders permitted divorce on this occasion because of the unlawful marriages of the Israelites. They had married contrary to the Law of Moses. Even though God hates divorce (Mal 2:10-16), He permitted it (Deuteronomy 24) to achieve the larger goals of maintaining Israel’s distinctiveness-so she could fulfill His purposes for her in the world (Exodus 19). His purposes for the church are not the same as His purposes for Israel. Furthermore, the church is not subject to the Mosaic Law. Therefore it is inappropriate to appeal to the Jews’ action on this occasion as a precedent that Christians who are married to unbelievers should follow (cf. 1Co 7:12-13).
Christians who believe that God does not permit divorce for any reason find this passage very disturbing. Obviously Ezra was following the Law very carefully, and he permitted divorce. I believe that the biblical revelation is that God hates divorce and does not want people to practice it. However, He does permit them to practice it in certain situations. Similarly, God does not want anyone to perish but wants everyone to experience salvation (1Ti 2:4; 2Pe 3:9). Nevertheless He permits people to perish.