Ezra 10 19

Ezra 10:19 kjv

And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

Ezra 10:19 nkjv

And they gave their promise that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they presented a ram of the flock as their trespass offering.

Ezra 10:19 niv

(They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.)

Ezra 10:19 esv

They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt.

Ezra 10:19 nlt

They vowed to divorce their wives, and they each acknowledged their guilt by offering a ram as a guilt offering.

Ezra 10 verses

Ezra 10 19 Meaning

Ezra 10:19 describes a significant act of repentance by men within the post-exilic Israelite community who had married foreign women, contrary to God's Law. These individuals made a solemn oath to separate from their foreign wives and, acknowledging their specific transgression, offered a ram as a "guilt offering" (or "trespass offering"). This offering underscored the severity of their sin—a violation of sacred trust and covenant obligations, indicating not just general sin, but a breach requiring restitution or atonement for a specific offense against God and His holy standard. It symbolized their recognition of accountability and their pursuit of cleansing to restore their standing within the holy community.

Ezra 10 19 Context

Ezra chapter 10 recounts the climactic national repentance and purification process initiated after Ezra learned of widespread intermarriage among the returning exiles. Upon arrival in Jerusalem, Ezra, dedicated to the Law of Moses, was horrified to discover that the people, priests, and Levites had taken foreign wives from the very nations whose idolatrous practices God had strictly forbidden (Ezra 9:1-2). This sin threatened Israel's unique identity as a holy nation, separate for Yahweh, and risked repeating the cycle of apostasy that had led to the Babylonian exile.

The immediate context leading to verse 19 begins with Ezra's public lament and prayer of confession (Ezra 9:3-15), which deeply moved the people. This led to Shecaniah's proposal for a covenant to "put away" the foreign wives and their children, "according to the law" (Ezra 10:3-4). An assembly was convened, an oath was taken, and officials were appointed to investigate each case. Verse 19 specifically details the actions taken by those initially named in the previous verses (Ezra 10:18-19)—a clear demonstration of personal commitment to the newly re-established covenant and an acknowledgment of their sin through specific sacrificial rites. This act signifies the seriousness of breaking God's covenant and the profound need for purity to maintain God's blessing and presence among them.

Historically, this occurred during the post-exilic period, roughly the mid-5th century BC, as the Jewish community was re-establishing itself in Judah under Persian rule. The spiritual renewal initiated by Ezra was crucial for their survival as a distinct people of God. The polemic was direct: against the syncretistic tendencies prevalent in the Ancient Near East, which allowed for the assimilation of various deities and practices. Israel's purity hinged on exclusive devotion to YHWH, rejecting any form of religious or marital mingling with nations given to idolatry.

Ezra 10 19 Word analysis

• And they pledged themselves:
  • Original Hebrew: וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ יָד֙, vayyitt'nu yad. Literally, "and they gave hand."
  • Significance: This idiom signifies making a solemn covenant, giving a pledge, or taking an oath. It's a formal and binding commitment, a gesture of firm agreement and mutual obligation (e.g., 2 Kgs 10:15; 1 Chr 29:24). In the context of the Law and temple life, such pledges were not to be taken lightly. It signifies an act of volition and accountability, distinct from mere passive compliance.
  • Meaning: They gave their solemn word, often with a handclasp, affirming their resolve and commitment to the severe action required.
• to put away their wives:
  • Original Hebrew: לְהוֹצִ֖יא נְשֵׁיהֶ֑ם, l'hotzi nesheyhem. Literally, "to bring out/send out their wives."
  • Significance: "To put away" (הוציא, hotzi) is often used for sending someone out, dismissing, or even divorce (e.g., Deut 24:1 where the husband "sends her away" with a bill of divorce). Here, it specifically means to sever the marital relationship. This was a painful, drastic measure, indicative of the severe threat intermarriage posed to the entire community's spiritual integrity. It highlights the principle that even deeply personal bonds must be severed if they violate God's foundational commands and threaten corporate holiness. The emphasis is on cleansing the community from what God explicitly prohibited, ensuring that the covenant nation remained distinct from idolatrous practices.
• and being guilty:
  • Original Hebrew: אֲשֵׁמִ֥ים, ashemim.
  • Significance: This adjective indicates a state of being "guilty," "liable to punishment," or "having incurred guilt." It is directly linked to the "guilt offering" (אָשָׁם, asham) concept. It implies not just an awareness of sin, but a legal or covenantal culpability requiring specific expiation. Their actions had caused them to become culpable before God. It suggests an acknowledgment that they had violated sacred bounds or caused defilement to holy things (the people of God are considered holy).
• they offered a ram from the flock as a guilt offering for their trespass:
  • Original Hebrew: וְאֵ֣יל מִן־הַצֹּ֔אן אַשָׁ֖ם עַל־אַשְׁמָתָֽם, v'eil min-hatzōn ashām al-ashmatam.
  • a ram from the flock:
    • Significance: A ram (איל, eil) was a common offering, often prescribed for guilt offerings in the Mosaic Law. It signifies the substantial value of the sacrifice, representing their means and serious commitment to repentance.
  • a guilt offering:
    • Original Hebrew: אַשָׁ֖ם, asham.
    • Significance: This is a specific type of sacrifice in Leviticus (Lev 5:14-6:7; 7:1-7) distinct from the sin offering (חטאת, chatat). While a sin offering typically covered unintentional sins and purified from ritual impurity, the guilt offering was specifically for offenses against God's holy things, against property rights (requiring restitution), or breach of trust, often implying compensation or repayment to God or to an aggrieved party. Here, their intermarriages were a breach of God's covenant, an offense against His holiness, and effectively "defiled" the sacred community. Offering an asham underscored the specific, tangible harm done to the holy community and God's holiness, necessitating a payment or restoration of relationship. It points to a breach of the covenant, an unholy violation within God's consecrated people, where a restitution was needed to set things right.
  • for their trespass:
    • Original Hebrew: עַל־אַשְׁמָתָֽם, al-ashmatam. Literally, "upon their guilt/trespass."
    • Significance: This reiterates the nature of their transgression as a distinct violation. It reinforces the direct link between their "guilt" (אשמים, ashemim) and the "guilt offering" (אשם, asham), signifying a full acknowledgment of the specific wrong they committed against God and His covenant. It emphasizes accountability for specific actions and a desire for specific atonement for those actions.

Ezra 10 19 Bonus section

The context of Ezra 10, particularly verse 19, reflects a profound tension between strict adherence to the Mosaic Law concerning national purity and the severe social cost of such obedience. While God cherishes marriage, the covenant given to Israel specified restrictions on intermarriage (Exo 34:16; Deut 7:3-4) to prevent idolatry and preserve their unique role as a light to the nations. The extreme measure of divorcing wives and children, while seemingly harsh by modern standards, was seen within the biblical framework as a necessary act of corporate repentance and spiritual preservation for a people recently returned from exile due to similar disobedience. This historical precedent reminds believers that there are times when God requires radical surgical acts to preserve the spiritual health and identity of His people, prioritizing His covenant and holiness above all else, to prevent contamination that could lead to spiritual destruction. This was an example of dealing with the root problem to restore God's covenant blessings upon the community.

Ezra 10 19 Commentary

Ezra 10:19 encapsulates the painful yet necessary outworking of genuine repentance in post-exilic Israel. The "giving of the hand" (pledging) was a formal, public commitment to a difficult, deeply personal sacrifice—divorcing their foreign wives, with whom they had established families. This act underscores that true repentance often demands tangible and costly obedience, especially when sin involves deep-seated patterns contrary to God's covenant. This was not about hatred of individuals but the severing of unholy unions that jeopardized the spiritual identity and purity of God's chosen people, preserving them from idolatry and cultural assimilation, which had plagued them historically.

Their acknowledgment of being "guilty" was crucial. It revealed not mere external conformity, but an inner conviction of culpability for having violated the divine prohibition against intermarriage (Deut 7:3-4). The "guilt offering" (אשם, asham) highlights the specific nature of their sin. Unlike a general sin offering, the asham addressed a specific trespass against God's holy things or a breach of sacred trust. By marrying foreign women, they had, in effect, defiled the "holy seed" and trespassed against the covenantal purity God demanded of Israel. The ram signified their tangible offering, acknowledging the severity of the offense and the need for divine expiation and restitution of the holy order. This painful, decisive act, backed by a solemn pledge and sacrifice, demonstrated a corporate commitment to upholding the sanctity of the covenant, setting Israel apart once again as God's peculiar treasure. It illustrates the profound truth that reconciliation with God often demands a radical removal of everything that compromises holiness, regardless of personal cost, demonstrating that the health and purity of the community before God was paramount.