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Introduction: In this final chapter, Ezra demanded separation in verses 1-5. He assembled the people in verses 6-14; and separation was implemented in verses 15-44.
I. The People Confess Their Sin
Ezr 10:1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.
Further insight into the intensity of Ezra’s prayer is noted in that he had “confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God.” One thing that stands out is that Ezra had a great understanding and fear of God’s holiness.
Because of his adherence to God’s holy nature, he himself was deeply vexed by the sin he had discovered. Upon rising from prayer, he found others of Israel, “a very great congregation of men and women and children,” had joined him and with him “wept sore.” A large number of God’s people joined in the godly sorrow over sin in their ranks.
Ezr 10:2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
Ezr 10:3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.
Ezr 10:4 Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.
Evidently, some of those who joined with Ezra in penance were guilty parties.
One named Shechaniah stood and likewise confessed the sin of the people. Exactly who Shechaniah was is not clear. In chapter 8:3-5, the sons of Shechaniah are mentioned among those who returned with Ezra. Implied is he was of that party. However, he uses the first person plural we in confessing the sin. Whether that is an editorial we or whether he himself was involved in the sin is not clear.
In any event, he saw hope in the matter. Shechaniah proposed putting away all the alien wives and even the children born of them. This presents many issues.
First, what he proposed would be of profound emotional distress. Yet, he was willing to do something very difficult in order to return to a holy and right position before God. Moreover, he proposed how this be “done according to the law” (i.e., of Moses). This leads us to the difficult matter of divorce.
What he may have had in mind is Deuteronomy 24:1 where in the law of Moses, divorce was allowed if and only if there was found “uncleanness” in the woman. (It was a patriarchal culture with the man holding the majority of the rights.)
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