Shecaniah’s Encouragement
While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, and the people wept bitterly as well. Dan 9:20Psa 119:136Rom 9:21Jn 1:8-101Ki 8:30Dan 9:3-4Luk 19:41Neh 8:9
Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the land, yet in spite of this, there is hope for Israel. Neh 13:27Ezr 9:2Exo 34:12Jer 3:12-131Jn 1:7-9Exo 34:6-7Ezr 10:26Isa 55:6-7 So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Deu 7:2-3Ezr 9:41Co 7:12-13Jos 23:12-13Psa 119:1202Ch 34:21Deu 29:12Neh 9:38 Get up, for this matter is your responsibility, and we will support you. Be strong and take action!” 1Ch 28:10Ecc 9:101Ch 22:19Heb 10:24Heb 12:12-13Isa 35:3-41Ch 22:16Ezr 7:23-28
So Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said. And they took the oath. Neh 13:25Neh 5:12Ezr 10:3Mat 26:63Neh 10:29Pro 1:5Pro 15:23Pro 25:11-12
The People’s Confession of Sin
Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. And while he stayed 1there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. Deu 9:18Jhn 4:31-34Neh 12:22Neh 3:1Dan 9:3Exo 34:28Ezr 10:1Ezr 9:4
And a proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather at Jerusalem. 2Ch 30:5Ezr 1:1 Whoever failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, according to the counsel of the leaders and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles. Ezr 7:261Co 5:131Sa 11:7Jdg 21:5Jhn 16:2Jhn 9:22Jhn 9:34Jos 6:19
So within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem, and on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God, trembling regarding this matter and because of the heavy rain. 1Sa 12:17-18Est 2:16Ezr 7:8-9Jer 10:10Jer 10:13
Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel. 2Ch 28:13Ezr 9:6Jos 22:17-18Mat 23:32Num 32:14 Now, therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives.” Rom 12:2Deu 7:3-4Ezr 10:3Isa 1:16-18Jos 7:19Lev 26:40-42Pro 28:131Jn 1:7-9
And the whole assembly responded in a loud voice: “Truly we must do as you say! Ezr 10:3-4Neh 13:23Psa 78:37Psa 78:57 But there are many people here, and it is the rainy season. We are not able to stay out in the open. Nor is this the work of one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. Ezr 10:18-44Mat 7:13-14 Let our leaders represent the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at an appointed time, together with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” 2Ch 29:102Ch 30:8Num 25:42Ch 19:5-7Deu 13:17Deu 17:18-19Deu 17:9Isa 12:1
(Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this plan.) Neh 11:16Neh 10:20Neh 12:33Neh 3:6
So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, each of them identified by name, to represent their families. On the first day of the tenth month they launched the investigation, Deu 13:14Jhn 7:51Job 29:16 and by the first day of the first month they had dealt with all the men who had married foreign women.
Those Guilty of Intermarriage
Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were found these descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak 2and his brothers: Ezr 2:2Ezr 3:2Ezr 5:2Hag 1:1Zec 3:11Ch 6:14-151Sa 2:22-241Ti 3:11
Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. They pledged to send their wives away, and for their guilt they presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering. Lev 6:62Ki 10:151Ch 29:242Ch 30:8Gal 2:9Lam 5:6Lev 5:15-16Lev 6:4
From the descendants of Immer: Ezr 2:371Ch 24:14Neh 7:40
Hanani and Zebadiah.
From the descendants of Harim: 1Ch 24:8Ezr 2:39Neh 7:42
Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
From the descendants of Pashhur: 1Ch 9:12Ezr 2:38Neh 7:41
Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
Among the Levites: Ezr 8:33Neh 10:10Neh 11:16
Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
From the singers:
Eliashib.
From the gatekeepers:
Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
And among the other Israelites, from the descendants of Parosh: Ezr 2:3Neh 7:8
Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, 3 and Benaiah.
From the descendants of Elam: Ezr 10:2Ezr 2:31Ezr 2:7Ezr 8:7Neh 7:12Neh 7:34
Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
From the descendants of Zattu: Ezr 2:8Neh 7:13
Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
From the descendants of Bebai: Ezr 2:11Ezr 8:11Neh 7:16
Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
From the descendants of Bani: Ezr 2:10Neh 10:4Neh 7:15
Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
From the descendants of Pahath-moab: Ezr 2:6Ezr 8:4Neh 7:11
Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
From the descendants of Harim: Neh 3:11Ezr 2:32Neh 7:35
Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
From the descendants of Hashum: Ezr 2:19Neh 7:22
Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
From the descendants of Bani:
Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.
From the descendants of Binnui:
Shimei, 4 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
And from the descendants of Nebo: Ezr 2:29Neh 7:33
Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
All these men had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives. 5 Ezr 10:3Pro 2:16Pro 5:20Pro 5:3