The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 147

11.11d " ell the people" present, to swe11r to auoh as are born of them. " Filii matrem this covenant. "And they swore." An sequuntur" was a maxim of Roman, and, engagement of a most sacred character was apriaren.tly, also of Jewish law. Young thus entered into by n number of influential children require especially a mother's care. Older ones might be already tainted with persons, and the way was prepared for the idolatry. It was best, Shechaniah thought, actual reforma.tion which followed. to make a clean sweep, and dismiss tho children as well as the mothers. According Ver. 1.-When Ezra had prayed, and to the counsel of my lord. Ezm hod not when he had confessed. Rather, "As yet advised any courso; but Shechaniah Ezra prayed, and as he confessed." (Vulg. : gathers from the horror which he has ex- "Orante Esdra et implorante." LXX.: •!Jc pressed what his wishes must be. Let it be 'fl'p0111Jt•t,aTo 'Eaopa, IC/ll .;,, ,f,r,yopn,11,.) done according to the law. Either, " Let Weeping and casting himself down. Ezra the law, which forbids these marriages, be had knelt at first (eh. ix. 5); but as he pro- in this way satisfied" (Dathe); or, "Let the ceeded, and felt more and more the heinous- repudiation of the wives take place in the ness of the people's transgression, he. threw mode prescribed by the law" (see Deut. himself forward upon the ground, l.D the xxiv. 1). attitude of extremest humiliation. Before Ver. 4. -This matter belongeth unto thee. the house of God. So far as can be gathered Ezra's commission. was to "let judgment be from the contcrt, Ezra was in the great executed on those who would not do the court of the temple when the princes came law of God" (eh. vii. 26), and so to con.strain to him with their information (eh. ix. 1). them to obedien.ce. It was therefore his He at once "sat down astonied" (ver. 3). place to inquire into the serious matter So he remained until preparations began to brought before him, and set it right. We be made for the evening sacrifice, when he will be with thee. We, the "very great arose, and took up a position directly in congregation. " which had gathered around front of the altar and the holy place, towards Ezra, and of whom Shechaniah was the which he proceeded to pray. Doubtless spokesman, undertake to be with thee, and he had in his mind the words of Solomon, support thee, in the steps which thou takest BSSented to by God (1 Kings ix. 3), and in this matter. Only be of good courage, pleaded by Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. =. 9): and act. ""What prayer and supplication be made by Ver. 5.-Then arose Ezra, and made the any man, or by ell thy people Israel, _which chief priest■ ... to swear. Rather, "made shall know every man the plagne of his own the princes, the priests, &c. to swear" heart, and spread, forth his 1!,ands towards (wp1CLl1E rov, tipxovra,, TOV!: i,p,ii; IC.T.~.- thu pla,ce: then hear t~ou m heave~ thy LXX. ). That they would do according to dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, &c. this word. That they would act in the (1 Kings viii 38, 39). . ., matter as Shechaniah had reco=ended, Ver. 2.-lehiel Probably the" Jehiel and put away the idolatrous wives. mentioned again in ver. 26, who was "of the sons of Elam," and had married an EzRA's FAST (ver. 6). Matters having idol.atroUB wife. Yet now there is hope. The penitence of the people, evidenced by reached this point, the covenant having been their " sore weeping," gave hope that they made, and the only question rema.in.in.g for might be brought to amend their ways and consideration. being how the decision. come return to God. to should be carried out, Ezra "rose up," Ver. 3. -Now therefore let us make a and withdrew himself for a time from the covenant. Shechaniah had probably in hie thoughts the (comparatively) recent_ cove- people, entering in.to one of the side cham- nant which the people had made m the bers of the temple, and secluding himself reign of Zedeki;ah (Je:. xn:iv. 15) on the there. The guilt of his brethren still pressed subject of releasmg their Hebrew slaves after heavily on his spirit, and he continued the six years of servitude. ~ t covenant was mourning which he had commenced as soon entered into before God, m the temple, by the princes and all the people (ibid. ver. 10). as it came to his ears. To this mourning To put away all the wives. Shechan.iah he now joined a fast of the strictest kind, probably held that marriages made contrary an entire abstinence both from eating and to the law were not merely wrongful, but drinking, like that of Moses on Mount invalid. At any rate, since_ the law of ~oses, Sinai (Exod. xxxiv. 28). Natural piety seems as interpreted by the Rabbis, allowed divorce "for every cause" (Matt. xix. 3), the remedy to have taught men generally (Jonah iii. Ii suggested was feasible, though scaxcely one -7), and the Jews among them, that such which the civil power could enforce, And abstinence was a fitting accompaniment of Ott. X. 1-44.] TBE BOOK OF EZRA. 153