The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 137

iii. ~nd ,·er. 20, '?i. 7) R~d arouse their fears (2 Chron. xxxiv. 19-21). In pro- po1t10n, also, as his work m these respects was made effectual by God's blessing in the Ea'!ie proportion_ would they be led to think and feel thus, not only about e~ch open ~ms as Ezra might denounce by name, but also about any other offences which, from his position as a new-comer or other causes, might be known to themselves but not to him. Violations of God's law in connection with the peculiar privacy of domestic life in the East would be sins of this kind. It would be very difficult for Ezra, merely by seeing the heads of households in public, to know who might be found connected with them in the women's apartments at home. Nor would he e,en learn this probably, in many cases, by seeing such men in their homes, as he would seldom, if ever, see the women themselves (see Gen. xviii. 9, and comp. "bring forth '' in the margin of eh. x. 3). On the other hand, amongst those who listened to him there would be many who, as resident in Jerusalem from their birth, and not hitherto separated from others as Ezra was by position and character, might be perfectly well aware of what was thus unknown to himself. Such appears to ha,e been the case. Some of his hearers knew of many marriages in Israel at large which tbey now found from his teaching, or else now felt more strongly than prenously, to be contrary to God's law. Such men would naturally begin to speak of tbese things to others like-minded, and afterwards would resolve with them unitedly on bringing the subject before their teacher. It is thus, apparently, that we find them speaking to him as in vers. 1, 2 of this chapter. Ezra had influenced them to such an extent that they could not help informing him about all (comp. Acts x:ix. 18). That was clearly the first step. What eteps should be taken after- wards they would learn from him~elf. II. THE CHARACTER OF TIIEIR CRY. In their way also of confessing the facts of the case to Ezra there is much to be noticed. We find, for example, that in speaking of the sin of these mixed marriages they acknowledge-I. Its national bearing. "The people-the priests and the Levites "-the whole people, i. e., including even those who ought to have been furthest from such a transgression, have been concerned in this evil. Either by example, in short, or else by connivance, we are all guilty in this respect. 2. Its intrinsi,c wu:kedness. Wherein and why were they bound to be separated from the neighbouring tribes ? In respect of the " abominations" practised by them, and because of the exceeding danger to the Israelites themselves of pollution thereby. This may be the reason why they make mention here of three other nations (viz., Ammon, Moab, and Egypt) besides those Canaanitisb nations which are expressly mentioned in that part of the Law referred to. In their then present critical and struggling condition there was similar danger to them from these quarters as well (Lange). From all those who "hated God" (see 2 Chron. xi.x. 2) they rightly felt that they ought to be separated in such times as theirs. 3. Its deadly character. Instead of being thus "separated" from these dangerous neighbours, they had become united with them, in many cases, in the most intimate possible way, viz., by admitting the daughters of these idolaters to be the mothers and teachers of the Israel of the future, to the utter corruption in two ways of the " holy seed " (see Isa. vi. 13) of God's people. 4. Its special aggravations. The very hands which " bare the sword' (Rom. xiii. 4), and ought to have "restrained" and prevented this evil, were those stained by it most. " The princes and rulers" have been " chief in this trespass." III. The IMMEDIATE RESULTS of this unsparing confession. These a.Ppear to have been even more serious than the princes bad expected. 1. On Ezra h1/1TUJelf What depth of grief as evidenced by the violent rending of both his outer and mner gar- ment (vers. 3 and 5), more even t~an y,e read of in the case of Joh (J?b ~- 20)_ after losing all his substance, and all his children as well. What depth of md1gnat1on as shown by the sudden injury done to himself, as it were, for being identified with such a nation (comp. somewhat similar case in Neh. xiii. 25). What utter bewilder• ment and terror, sitting down in silence as une "stunned " and confounded, not knowing, in such circumstances, what to do or even to say. Nay, one had almost said, what despair-so remaining, as in a kind of ecstasy, till all who truly sympa- thised with him in Jerusalem bad beard of bis grief and come to him. 2. On .Ezra's friends. Wlrnt a picture of them is here presented to us. All "trembling" like OH, lX, 1-15.] THE BOOK OF EZRA. 143