The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 150

Vers. 1-5.-,A. gleam of hope. The only trace of comfort in Ezra's previous prayer (ix. 6-15) was of a negative kind. Notwithstanding all the aggravated e,il which he had had to confess, the people were not destroyed. That, at least, could be said," We remain yet escaped." That being the case," who can tell" (see Jonah iii. 9) what it may please God to do for us? In the present passage this little suspicion of light becomes a positive ray of encouragement, gradually bringing before us (1) hopeful feelings, (2) hopeful thoughts, and (3) hopeful resolves. L HoPEFUL FEELINGS. There was something of this description-I. In Ezra him- sdf From sitting originally in almost despairing aetonishment (ix. 3, 4), he had afterwards knelt in prayer (ibi,d. ver. 5); and now, in the depth and intensity of his feelings, he seems to have cast himself prostrate before the house of God. The more he turns the matter over, the more he feels it. This is a good sign in repentance (comp. Mark xiv. 72, "As he thought thereon, he wept;" and see Alford in loc.). A good sign becatIBe a sign of sincerity, without which there is no possible room for any hope (Ezek xiv. 1-8). 2. In the people at large. Not only were more persons continually led to sympathise with his sorrow, until "there assembled to him out of Israel a very great congregation ; " but this congregation was composed of persons of both sexes and various ages (" men and women and children") whose influence would tell respectively in the state, the home, and the future, and who were affected, also, with a degree of grief hardly less than his own (see end of ver. 1). In a case such as this, in which a national sin was involved, this was also a very good sign. The more numerous and varied the penitents, and the deeper their sorrow, the better, of course, the prospect of that thoroughly national repentance which was required in this case. So far, therefore, things were of such a nature as to give a ground of hope, though not more. It was something to find, in so many quarters, so much sorrow for sin. II. HoPEF(TL THOUGHTS. One man, e. g., out of the many present next expressed such thoughts for the rest. His words were all the more worthy of attention be- cause the evil bewailed seems to have had place amongst his own family and con- nections; _possibly in the household of his own father, Jehiel (comp. vers. 2 and 26). Yet even he fe1t1 though so near the evil, that the case was not beyond hope. It was not a case, t,. e., (1) in which a remedy of any kind was impossible. There are some evils which, if once begun, must necessarily continue; but that was clearly not the case here. Besides the obvious fact that there was no necessity for any further marriages of this 1mhappy description, it was at least possible to think of a method of undoing, to some extent, the harm already accomplished. Wherever such forbidden wives had been" taken," or brought home to dwell (Lange), they might be again "brought forth " (margin), or brought out-the exactly opposite course (Lange again). Even if children had been born to them-a worse form of the evil no doubt on many accounts-there was still a remedy conceivable, however distressing it might be, and however harsh it might seem. These children might be sufficiently provided for, and then sent away with their mothers! as at once the most salutary and the on. x. 1-44.J THE BOOK OF EZRA. 157