Ezra 10:3

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God,.... Renew our covenant with him, and lay ourselves under fresh obligation by promise and oath, and unanimously agree to put away all the wives, and

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

To put away all the wives; which though it may seem harsh, yet is not unjust, if it be considered, 1. That marriages made between some prohibited persons; as suppose, between a father and his daughter, a brother and a sister, are not only unlawful, but void marriages, and ipso facto null, by the political laws of civil nations. And therefore these marriages with idolatrous and heathen women, being expressly and severely forbidden by God, might well be disannulled. And it was one of good Theodosius’ s laws, that those actions which were done against law, should be accounted not only unlawful, but null. 2. That there were many peculiar laws given to the Jews concerning the marrying and putting away of wives, as hath been observed before in their proper places, and therefore it is not strange if there be something more in this case that is now usual with us. 3. Supposing the matrimonial tie had continued, yet they might be excluded from cohabitation with them, as a just punishment upon them for the wilful breach of a known and positive law of God. And such as are born of them: this may seem harder than the former, but many things may be said. 1. Whatsoever evil befell either them or their children, they had all reason to accept it as the just and deserved fruit of their own sin. 2. That children may and sometimes do suffer, at least temporal evils, for their parents’ sins, or upon occasion of them, is most evident, both by the Scripture instances, and by the laws and usages of nations in some cases. 3. This may seem to have been a necessary part of severity, partly, as a proper punishment of the parents’ sin herein, and to deter others more effectually from the like practices; partly, to prevent the corruption of their other children by the conversation and society of this ungodly and idolatrous brood; and partly, lest such children, being continually present with them, and stealing into their affections, might at last prevail with them to take their ejected wives again. 4. These children were only cast out of the families and commonwealth of Israel, but were not utterly forsaken and ruined; but due care was probably taken by authority that they should have some provision made for them, and some care taken about their education in the Jewish religion, &c. According to the counsel of my lord; either, 1. As thou counsellest and desirest us to do. Or, 2. Let us do it in such manner as thou shalt think fit and agreeable to the law, as it follows; for it requires great caution, as being a matter of no small difficulty. And of those that tremble at the commandment of our God: and of other serious and religious persons who may with thee consider and regulate the business. Let it be done according to the law: this is meant, either, 1.

Ezra 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.Ver. 3. Now therefore let us make a covenant] And so tie ourselves thereby to the better abearance; that we slip not collar, that we detract not the yoke of God’ s obedience, Deuteronomy 10:20. Cleaving to God with full purpose of heart will require swearing. Broken bones must have strong bands to close them. Tottering houses must be cramped with iron bars, or they will soon fall down. If the vows of God be upon us, if we are covenanters, it will help against the fickleness of our false hearts; which cannot but know that if God shall be all-sufficient to us, we must be altogether his, Son 2:16. His is a covenant of mercy, even the sure mercies of David; ours is a covenant of obedience to him, in every part and point of duty. To put away all the wives] This Jews might do in this, and some other cases. So did Romans also with this only bill of divorce, Res tuas tibi habeto, Take what is thine own, and be packing. But Christians may not do thus because of difference in religion, 1 Corinthians 7:12, whatever some late upstarts have printed and practised to the contrary. And such as are born of them] The children of those strange wives, persisting in their Paganism. These children, though disinherited, yet were not to be altogether deserted; but nourished and nurtured also in the fear and admonition of the Lord, Ephesians 6:4. Proving if, peradventure, God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, &c., 2 Timothy 2:25. According to the counsel of my lord] Terms full of hearty respect and humble submission. He calls Ezra My lord, as Hannah did Eli, with an eye to his dignity, and authority, both as a priest and as a commissioner from the king of Persia. At Venice every ordinary mechanic is called Magnifico. At Vicenza, in Italy, the common title to a common gentleman is Signor Conte, as much as my lord earl. But Ezra was every way honourable and deserving; titles of honour were not worthy of him. And of those that tremble at the commandment of our God] A periphrasis of a truly pious person, sc. such a one as feareth God and keepeth his commandments. And this is the man alone that is fit to judge the cases of conscience, and to comfort the feeble-minded. Now, although the comfort given by God’ s ministers, such as Ezra was, be ordinarily most effectual (as is the blessing of parents, who are in God’ s room), yet others also, that are conscientious and experienced persons, that tremble at the commandment of God, as here, may give excellent counsel and comfort in such a case.

X.(1-6) The covenant of repentance and amendment. Here the narrative assumes another form; and, in accordance with the solemnity of a great public transaction, Ezra adopts the third person. (1) Before the house of God.—Prostrating himself towards the Temple in the court, where all the people saw him and marked his distress. Wept very sore.—The evil penetrated domestic life, and the punishment, as was already foreseen by “the women bringing the children with them,” brought special family distress. (2) Shechaniah.—The son of one of the transgressors (Ezra 10:2), whose action as the representative of the people gives him an honourable memorial in Scripture. There is hope in Israel.—A noble sentiment for a reformer even at the worst of times. (3) Special covenants with God—general, as in 2 Kings 23:3, and in regard to particular offences, as here, and in Jeremiah 34:8—were familiar in Jewish history. And at all times of critical sin or danger the voluntary intervention of individuals was held in honour. (Comp. Numbers 25:12 seq.) According to the counsel of my lord.—Better, according to, or in, the counsel of the Lord. Ezra would hardly be called “my lord,” nor had he given any counsel. According to the law.—Which in Deuteronomy 24 prescribes the terms of divorce. (4) Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee.—The commission given to Ezra (Ezra 7:11 seq.) seems specially referred to, and the deep prostration of his spirit renders the encouragement here given very appropriate. It had its effect: as Ezra’s grief had made the people sorrowful, so their vigour made him energetic. (5) According to this word.—“According to” occurs three times, and each instance must be noted. First, it was “in the counsel of the Lord” as God’s law, rightly interpreted, demanded this measure, however seemingly harsh; secondly, it was to be done “according to the law;” and, thirdly, according to the present covenant, which, went beyond the law of Moses. (6) The chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib.—Ezra retired for fasting and prayer into one of the chambers opening on the court. It seems impossible to identify these names with the Eliashib of Neh 12:10 and his grandson. Both names were common.

Verse 3. Let us make a covenant] נכרת ברית nichrath berith, let us cut or divide the covenant sacrifice. See Clarke on Genesis 15:10.

3. let us make a covenant &c.] Compare other covenants undertaken by the people, e.g. 2 Chronicles 15:12; 2 Chronicles 29:10; 2 Chronicles 34:31-32; Nehemiah 10:29; Jeremiah 34:15. to put away the wives &c.] Either legal divorce or the annulling of the marriages by public decree. The marriages had been valid, but were now declared sinful. The method of separation was forcible expulsion. The case of the wives and of their children, who had become ‘proselytes’ and embraced the Israelite religion, is not taken into account. The words ‘and such as are born of them’ probably refer to the children of tender years. according to the counsel of my lord] so R.V. text: R.V. Marg. Or, ‘the Lord’. The Hebrew text is ‘Adonai’, ‘my Lord’, and the Vulgate accordingly renders ‘juxta voluntatem Domini’. It is objected, (1) that the word ‘counsel’ (as in Ezra 10:8) seems in this context to imply human counsel, as generally. (2) Used of the Divine purpose, it is found chiefly in poetry and prophecy (e.g. Psalms 33:11; Isaiah 5:19; Isaiah 19:17; Jeremiah 49:20; Jeremiah 50:45). (3) The name ‘Adonai’ (Lord) as a Divine title only occurs elsewhere in these books, Nehemiah 1:11; Nehemiah 4:14; Nehemiah 8:10; Nehemiah 10:30. (4) The expression ‘the counsel of the Lord and of those that tremble at the word of God’ is harsh. The rendering ‘my lord’ requires us to read ‘Adoni’, a very slight change. This was apparently read by the LXX. and by 1 Esdr., where there is no mention of the Divine name. The application of the title ‘my lord’ to Ezra is peculiar (but see Nehemiah 3:5), and the allusion to his ‘counsel’, which can only refer to the substance of Ezra’s prayer, is not very natural. It is not easy to decide between the two readings. On the whole the R.V. text rendering is to be preferred. The tendency of Jewish scribes would be rather to introduce the Divine Name, if it was not in the text, than to alter it, if it was in the text, into a common word: and this tendency would be assisted, in this case, by the use of ‘Adonai’ in Nehemiah 1:11; Nehemiah 4:14. If the rendering of the R.V. marg. be adopted, then the ‘counsel of the Lord’ will refer to the teaching of the law. The combination of the Divine name ‘with those who trembled at the commandment of our God’ may be paralleled by Ezra 6:14, or Acts 15:28. of those that tremble at &c.] Cf. note on Ezra 9:4. and let it be done according to the law] or ‘and according to the law it shall be done’. The clause is not very definitely expressed. And it has been differently understood to mean either that the general law forbidding marriage with the heathen should now be observed, or that this particular act of ‘putting away the strange wives’ should be performed in accordance with the regulations for divorce contained in the law (e.g. Deuteronomy 24:1-4).

Let it be done according to the law - i. e., let a formal “bill of divorcement” be given to each foreign wife, whereby she will be restored to the condition of an unmarried woman, and be free to

3. Make a covenant — Enter into a solemn agreement, and swear to put away all the wives. Comp. Ezra 10:5; Ezra 10:12; Ezra 10:19.