The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 154

it~elf so deep (see marg·in, end ver. 13). And yet if they were once allowed to die• pen::e, how could its accomplishment be secured at all? How much might be lost in such a case bey~nd th1iir power to rega_in I Equally unattaine.b~e the. thing appeared, wl'.atever they did. Anr persons less m earnest would ~ave given 1t up altogether. '"~1th them, however, this only caused them to form their plans (2) witli very great. ,m.~dom. That which they suggested met folly all the difficulties in question. 'First of all there was to be a tribunal-a "commission," as we might call it-a tribunal easily constituted and recognised because composed in the main of the acknowledged national heads (" the rulers of all the congregation ")-on whom was to rest the responsibility of seeing this thing carried through. Next, this commission, sitting at Jerusalem, was to have power, by the vote of that assembly, to appoint times and summon_ pel'8o!1s a:i they might find to be needed, care being taken1 in every separate ?ase of rnvest1gation, to have the s~pport of the local " el~ers" wit~ their weight of influence and character, and the assistance of the local "Judges" with their weight of authority and knowledge. Also the powers of this commission were not to cease nor their labours to be relinquished till they had done all in this matter that could be done in the way of aver~g Go!1's wrath. - So f~asi~le, so effectual, so complete was the plan they pr_op?sed m their zeal. And tins wise plan was proposed (3) with wonderful unanimity. Amongst the many heads of households (some 113 it appears in number) directly concerned in this evil, there must have been some who from pride of wealth or position, or dread of public exposure, or strength and tenacitJ of natural affection, would be tempted to feel peculiar repugnance to such a proposal. It does not appear, however, that any of these said anything aga4i,st it. If any others did on their behalf, we have their names in ver. 15, as some under• stand one expression in the former half of that verse. But if, on the other hand, we rather understand that the four persons there referred to were, as it were, the two " secretaries" and two "assistant secretaries" of this commission, who therefore at once "stood" (see margin, and comp. "stand" in ver. 13) to organise and arrange for the commission according to the just-carried "resolution" of that great assembly, then we have no expressed divergency of opinion at all. In either case the practical unanimity was exceedingly great ; so great, in the one case, that the opposition of these four conspicuous Israelites could do nothing against it; so great, in the other, that there was no opposition in existence worthy of being named. II. VEBY GREAT CABE. These things being agreed on, the meeting, no doubt, dispersed. No time appears to have been lost in carrying out the resolution passed. ·we find evidences, however, of the care this was done with-1. In the.final settle- ment of the commisswn resolved on. Ezra, it appears (so some understand ver. 16), did not take all those who were qualified by position to act upon it; but himself "separated" off only "certain" men of each principal "house" among them. Also, in order to prevent all mistake, or confusion, or subsequent possibility of objection, he enrolled and announced publicly the "names" of all such. And, finally, not- withstanding the-.urgency of the matter, he took ten full days for this work of selec• tion and enrolment, viz., from the twentieth day of the ninth month to the first day of the tenth. This was time, we may be certain, very well spent, but it was in great contrast to the " three days" of ver. 8, and a great evidence, therefore, of his great care in preparing for this work. 2. In the actual operatwns of the commission, when thus fixed. The very manner, e. g., of their commencing seems to be indicative of this spirit. "They sat down to examine this matter," as men who felt how long and arduous a task they bad on their hands, and who wished, therefore, to give to it their undivided attention and care (comp. Matt. xxvii. 36). We see the same spirit in the long continuance and perseverance of their work. It took them three months to " make an end" of the examination ; but it was a full end when they did. By the "first day of the first month " (ver. 17), of the next year, there was nothing left to be done. And we see it also in the impartiality and thoroughness of their work. On the one band, there was no respect of persons on the side of the great. "~mong the sons of the priests" (ver. 18) were found those who had taken strange wives, some of these being even amongst the high priest's own relations. What was to be done about these? As teachers and ministers of the truth, were they in as much danger o.s others from idolatrous connections wtheir houses? Even if so, wits it nece.s111uy ffll, x. t-44.l THF, BOOK OF EZRA. 161