Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Ezra 10:9

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Ezra 10:9. Ninth month — Answering to a part of our December.

Trembling because of - the great rain. — Απο του χειμωνος, Because of the winter, Septuagint; it was now December, the coldest and most rainy part of the year in Palestine.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

The problem solved (10:1-44)

People heard of Ezra’s grief and gathered with their families to meet him. They confessed their wrongdoing and promised on oath before Ezra that they would correct it (10:1-5). But the problem could not be solved in a day, for it was widespread and its consequences were far-reaching. Ezra therefore went away to a quiet room in a friend’s house where he could spend the night considering the matter before God. The result was that a meeting of all families was arranged for three days later (6-8).
The weather on the day of the meeting was unfavourable, but the people sat and shivered in the rain to hear Ezra’s judgment. They were genuinely concerned to put things right. Only a few objected when Ezra announced that the offenders should get rid of their foreign wives (9-15). This was going to take time, so officials were appointed to oversee the matter. Their work took three months to complete (16-17). Mixed marriages were as widespread among the religious leaders as among the common people, but in the end all alike put away their foreign wives. They also offered sacrifices for their sin (18-44).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

ALL ISRAEL SUMMONED TO ASSEMBLY IN JERUSALEM

"And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; and that whosoever came not within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the captivity. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within the three days (it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month); and all the people sat in the broad place before the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain."

"All his substance should be forfeited" This was indeed a great penalty, and, besides that, those refusing to appear within the three days would also lose their status among God's people. "The forfeiture of substance here was not its destruction, as described in Deuteronomy 13:13-17 (for a city fallen into idolatry), but the appropriation of the offender's substance to the benefit of the temple, as described in Leviticus 27:28)."C. F. Keil, Keil and Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries, op. cit., p. 128.

"All the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themsieves together unto Jerusalem" This apparently means all Israelites living in those areas and does not exclude members of other tribes who might have been among them. Yet, the number of the Ten Tribes who returned might have been so insignificant that the whole nation of returnees might well have been known merely as the "men of Judah and Benjamin."

"(It was the ninth month, the twentieth day of the month)" "This was the month Kislew, corresponding to our months of November-December."H. Porter in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, p. 542. Whitcomb identified this date as Dec. 8, 457 B.C.Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 431. It was the rainy season in Jerusalem, and the weather at that time could be very cold.

"All the people sat in the broad place before the house of God" "This was a stone-walled enclosure, about 500 feet long and 150 feet wide, which might have afforded sitting room for 20,000 men. Deducting the aged, the infirm, the sick, and those under twelve years of age, and all the women, the whole total of men returning from captivity would scarcely have reached that number."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 153. "This broad place was an open area in front of the watergate at the southeastern corner of the temple court."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 431. The first order of business was an address by Ezra, which happily, due to the severe conditions, was rather brief.

"Trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain" The addition of this detail assures us that this is an account by an eye-witness. The urgency in which Ezra and the princes and elders viewed the matter of Israel's intermarriage with foreigners is emphasized by their calling such a general meeting at that unfavorable time of the year.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

It was the ninth month - Or, our December, a time when rain fails heavily in Palestine: four months, therefore, after Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem (compare Ezra 7:9).

The street - Rather, “the court,” the “broad,” “spacious, place” (compare the 2 Chronicles 29:4 note).

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 10

But here a very stringent and harsh measure was taken. They put away all of these wives, and they said unto him with a loud voice,

As thou hast said, so must we do ( Ezra 10:12 ).

They realized that it was a divine imperative. We must do it. It seems cruel. It seems harsh. But it had to be done if they were going to survive. It was a matter now of survival. So they took this cruel, harsh measure, put away all the wives and the children and separated themselves again unto God. And since that time, though Israel is guilty and the people have been guilty of many sins, they had not been guilty of idolatry. It seemed to be the cure finally for an idolatrous people whose major sin was that of idolatry. And that seemed to be a determinate cure for Israel as far as idolatry was concerned.

Now the names of those that were involved are listed towards the end of the book. And thus, we get to the end of the book of Ezra.

May the Lord bless you and watch over you this week. May His hand be upon your life to strengthen you, to guide you. May He use you as His instrument to do His work. May God fill you with love, and with understanding, compassion, His Spirit. May you walk in the Spirit and be led of the Spirit of God this week. In Jesus' name. "

Dr. Constable's Expository 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 (Joshua 24:23)." [Note: Blenkinsopp, "A Theological . . .," p. 29.]

God sent rain (Ezra 10:10; fertility) when His people got right with Him. He had promised to do this in Deuteronomy 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 (Malachi 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. 1 Corinthians 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 (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). Nevertheless He permits people to perish.

Gill's Exposition of 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, 2 Chronicles 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, Ezra 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.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.   7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;   8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.   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.   10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.   11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.   12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.   13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.   14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

      We have here an account of the proceedings upon the resolutions lately taken up concerning the strange wives; no time was lost; they struck when the iron was hot, and soon set the wheels of reformation a-going. 1. Ezra went to the council-chamber where, it is probable, the priests used to meet upon public business; and till he came thither (so bishop Patrick thinks it should be read), till he saw something done, and more likely to be done, for the redress of this grievance, he did neither eat nor drink, but continued mourning. Sorrow for sin should be abiding sorrow; be sure to let it continue till the sin be put away. 2. He sent orders to all the children of the captivity to attend him at Jerusalem within three days (Ezra 10:7; Ezra 10:8); and, being authorized by the king to enforce his orders with penalties annexed (Ezra 7:26; Ezra 7:26), he threatened that whosoever refused to obey the summons should forfeit his estate and be outlawed. The doom of him that would not attend on this religious occasion should be that his substance should, in his stead, be for ever after appropriated to the service of their religion, and he himself, for his contempt, should for ever after be excluded from the honours and privileges of their religion; he should be excommunicated. 3. Within the time limited the generality of the people met at Jerusalem and made their appearance in the street of the house of God,Ezra 10:9; Ezra 10:9. Those that had no zeal for the work they were called to, nay, perhaps had a dislike to it, being themselves delinquents, yet paid such a deference to Ezra's authority, and were so awed by the penalty, that they durst not stay away. 4. God gave them a token of his displeasure in the great rain that happened at that time (Ezra 10:9; Ezra 10:13), which perhaps kept some away, and was very grievous to those that met in the open street. When they wept the heavens wept too, signifying that, though God was angry with them for their sin, yet he was well pleased with their repentance, and (as it is said, Judges 10:16) his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel; it was also an indication of the good fruits of their repentance, for the rain makes the earth fruitful. 5. Ezra gave the charge at this great assize. He told them upon what account he called them together now, that it was because he found that since their return out of captivity they had increased the trespass of Israel by marrying strange wives, had added to their former sins this new transgression, which would certainly be a means of again introducing idolatry, the very sin they had smarted for and which he hoped they had been cured of in their captivity; and he called them together that they might confess their sin to God, and, having done that, might declare themselves ready and willing to do his pleasure, as it should be made known to them (which all those will do that truly repent of what they have done to incur his displeasure), and particularly that they might separate themselves from all idolaters, especially idolatrous wives, Ezra 10:10; Ezra 10:11. On these heads, we may suppose, he enlarged, and probably made such another confession of the sin now as he made Ezra 9:5-15; Ezra 9:5-15, to which he required them to say Amen. 6. The people submitted not only to Ezra's jurisdiction in general, but to his inquisition and determination in this matter: "As thou hast said, so must we do,Ezra 10:12; Ezra 10:12. We have sinned in mingling with the heathen, and have thereby been in danger, not only of being corrupted by them, for we are frail, but of being lost among them, for we are few; we are therefore convinced that there is an absolute necessity of our separating from them again." There is hope concerning people when they are convinced, not only that it is good to part with their sins, but that it is indispensably necessary: we must do it, or we are undone. 7. It was agreed that this affair should be carried on, not in a popular assembly, nor that they should think to go through with it all on a sudden, but that a court of delegates should be appointed to receive complaints and to hear and determine upon them. It could not be done at this time, for it was not put into a method, nor could the people stand out because of the rain. The delinquents were many, and it would require time to discover and examine them. Nice cases would arise, which could not be adjudged without debate and deliberation, Ezra 10:13; Ezra 10:13. "And therefore let the crowd be dismissed, and the rulers stand to receive informations; let them proceed city by city, and let the offenders be convicted before them in the presence of the judges and elders of their own city; and let them be entrusted to see the orders executed. Thus take time and we shall have done the sooner; whereas, if we do it in a hurry, we shall do it by halves, Ezra 10:14; Ezra 10:14. If, in this method, a thorough reformation be made, the fierce wrath of God will be turned from us, which, we are sensible, is ready to break forth against us for this transgression." Ezra was willing that his zeal should be guided by the people's prudence, and put the matter into this method; he was not ashamed to own that the advice came from them, any more than he was to comply with it.