Shecaniah Confesses To Ezra The Guilt Of Those Who Have Taken Idolatrous Foreign Wives And Confirms Their Agreement To The Plan Put Forward By Ezra And Those Who Tremble At God's Word (Ezra 10:1-5).
A great assembly of men, women and children gathered to hear Ezra's prayer, and at the sight of his grief, and the solemnity of his prayer, they too wept bitterly. And the consequence of this was that Shecaniah, the son of Jahiel, an Elamite, spoke to Ezra on behalf of those who had transgressed, admitting their guilt, but expressing hope that there might be a way out by their carrying out the plan formulated by Ezra and those who trembled at God's word. This was to make a sacred covenant to put away all their idolatrous foreign wives in accordance with God's Law. And he calls on Ezra to rise because the matter was in his hands, and carry out the plan, as they were with him on it. Ezra then arose and made them all swear that they would do what had been suggested.
The narrative now changes to the third person. There are good reasons for this:
· Firstly because the writer began this section with the third person in Ezra 7:1-10, making the statement statesmanlike in preparation for the instructions of Artaxerxes which follow, before altering to the first person, and therefore wants to finish in the same mode in reverse. One purpose of this section is in order to indicate how faithfully he has carried out his commission.
· Secondly because the writer (in this case therefore Ezra) wishes to distinguish Ezra's very personal commitment and response revealed in chapter 9 (which, however, underlines the fact that the commandments of God have been broken - Ezra 10:10-11) with his statesmanlike behaviour, and the response of the people, in chapter 10. In chapter 9 he is emptying his heart out before the people and before God, and demonstrating his own deep concern. In chapter 10 he wants it to be clear that he is carrying out the commission given to him by the king to ensure the fulfilment of the Law of God in full (compare Ezra 7:14), making use of the judges that he has appointed in accordance with the king's command (Ezra 10:14, compare Ezra 7:25), and that what happened was carried along by the people. Note ‘the commandment of our God' and ‘according to the Law' in Ezra 10:3, and the emphasis on the fact that they have trespassed against God (Ezra 10:2; Ezra 10:6). It is typical of a report that he gives the names in detail of those involved (Ezra 10:18-44).
Yet that the two Chapter s are a unity comes out 1). in that Ezra 10:1-2 only make sense in the light of chapter 9, and 2). in the continuity of expression such as ‘those who tremble at the words of God' (Ezra 9:4; Ezra 10:3), and ‘trespass' (Ezra 9:2; Ezra 9:4; Ezra 10:2; Ezra 10:6 (ma‘al).
‘Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children, for the people wept very bitterly.'
It is easy to read passages like this without entering into the wonder of them. Here was the beginning of a great spiritual revival, a work of the Spirit, that was to sweep through Judah, and cause them to put away the idolatrous women from among them, thus saving them from the curses of Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28. It must not be underestimated. Those who suggest that Ezra somehow failed because over twenty years later others had taken idolatrous foreign wives and had to be dealt with by Nehemiah overlook the importance of what Ezra achieved, a purifying of the people from culpable wrongdoing in the eyes of God. It was inevitable, given the nature of man, that others would later transgress in a similar way. First enthusiasm always dies down
And as he prayed and confessed the sins of Israel, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a great crowd of people came together, made up of men, women and children, and they too wept bitterly. God was moving among the hearts of His people. This great effect on the people is only explicable in terms of Ezra 9:3-15.
The mention of women and children is poignant (and unusual in this kind of context). We can be sure that they did not include the women and children who would be sent away (Ezra 10:44). Thus the chapter opens with a depiction of the godly women and children who are faithful to God's Law, and closes with a depiction of the idolatrous women and children who are contrary to God's Law, who do not involve themselves in the interests of the new Israel.
It will be noted that this parallels Ezra 9:3-5. In Ezra 9:5 he spread out his hands to YHWH his God, and here he casts himself down before the house of God. In Ezra 9:4 those who were faithful among the people gathered around him as he prayed, which emphasises that he is in a public place, i.e. the Temple courts, and here a great congregation gather around him in the Temple courts. In Ezra 9:5 ‘at the evening oblation' suggests that he is present as it is being carried out, and thus in the courts of the Temple.
‘And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing.”
So moving was the situation that one of the chief men, Shecaniah the son of Jehiel of the sons of Elam, came to Ezra admitting Israel's guilt (he is not named among the offenders), and recognising how many of the people had sinned against YHWH in marrying idolatrous foreign wives. He clearly came as a spokesman for the people. It was a crucial moment. Had this not been stopped Israel would soon have lapsed back into idolatry, needing thereby to be again purified through exile. The remnant would have been ripped apart. And yet having heard Ezra's seemingly hopeless confession of guilt, he was confident that there was yet hope for Israel in this respect. This expression of ‘hope' requires the background of Ezra's confession of total guilt and recognition that they deserve nothing from God. Indeed ‘concerning this thing' is exactly the same phrase as ‘because of this' in Ezra 9:15.
‘Son of Jehiel.' In Ezra 10:26 a Jehiel is named as an Elamite who had contracted a mixed marriage. But Jehiel was a common name and there is no way in which we can know whether it was the same Jehiel
‘Married.' The word is only used of mixed marriages, and means literally ‘caused to dwell', indicating that by marrying the woman has changed her domicile. It occurs only in this chapter and in Nehemiah 13. Some have suggested that it contains within it the idea that it is not really a full marriage. However, we should note that they are called ‘wives' (nashim).
“Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the law.”
The proposal, which had been advised by Ezra and those who tremble at the commandment of God (obey it from the heart because of their fear of God), was that they make a covenant in the presence of God, to put away all their idolatrous foreign wives along with their children, restoring the position required by the Law of not being married to such. The reference to ‘my lord' may indicate the status of Ezra as the king's official representative. Note the emphasis on it being ‘in accordance with the Law'. He wanted the king to know that he was getting Israel right with God so that their prayers for him would be heard.
The verb ‘put away' is not the usual one for divorce. This may tie in with the idea that they were not seen as legally married (Ezra 10:2).
“Arise, for the matter belongs to you, and we are with you. Be of good courage, and do it.”
Shecaniah points out that the authority to act is in Ezra's hands as the king's representative, and because as an intercessory priest Ezra has made it his own personal concern by his deep concern and prayers, and Shecaniah promises that he and the people are with him. Ezra must therefore act with courage and fulfil his responsibility.
‘Then arose Ezra, and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. So they swore.'
At his words Ezra arose and made the chief of the priests, the Levites and all Israel (a description which follows the previous pattern - Ezra 2:70; Ezra 3:9; Ezra 7:7; Ezra 9:1) swear that they would do what Shecaniah had said. And swear they did. This immediately makes clear Shecaniah's role as mediator. They had all been awaiting his reply. For ‘all Israel' compare Ezra 2:70; Ezra 6:17; Ezra 8:25.
This is but a short sentence but it was a moment of crucial importance for the whole future of Israel. Had it not happened that future would have been in doubt. It made clear once and for all that Israel was to be kept free from idolatry, and that the chiefs of the priests, the Levites and all the people accepted that fact. It decided the future of Israel. Some might go astray in the future (Nehemiah 13:23-24), but none could doubt then that it was a gross sin against God and Israel. Note that it says ‘chiefs of the priests'. The idea is not to exclude the ordinary priests, but to emphasise the fact that the very highest religious authorities in the new Israel had confirmed their agreement with Ezra's stance.