Ezra 10 36

Ezra 10:36 kjv

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Ezra 10:36 nkjv

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Ezra 10:36 niv

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Ezra 10:36 esv

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Ezra 10:36 nlt

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Ezra 10 verses

Ezra 10 36 Meaning

Ezra 10:36 names specific individuals—Mattenai, Mattatthah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei—from the family of Bani who had committed the sin of marrying foreign wives. This verse is part of a detailed registry of those who transgressed the Mosaic Law concerning intermarriage, demonstrating the public acknowledgment of their sin and the communal effort to purify the covenant community in post-exilic Judah. It underscores the solemnity and meticulousness with which the returnees sought to restore fidelity to God's covenant, necessitating drastic measures to maintain their spiritual and national distinctiveness.

Ezra 10 36 Context

Ezra chapter 10 recounts the fervent response of the post-exilic community to Ezra’s revelation concerning their widespread sin of intermarriage with foreign women, forbidden by Mosaic Law. This practice posed an existential threat to their unique identity as God’s covenant people, risking cultural assimilation and religious apostasy through the introduction of foreign gods and practices. Following Ezra's intense prayer and confession in chapter 9, the people, deeply moved, resolve to cleanse themselves. Verse 36 specifically lists individuals from a particular family (Bani) who were identified during a thorough three-month investigation as having taken foreign wives. These names are publicly recorded as part of the covenant renewal, signifying personal accountability and communal repentance. Historically, the period was one of national and spiritual rebuilding, where purity of worship and lineage was deemed crucial for their survival as a distinct nation set apart by God after returning from Babylonian exile.

Ezra 10 36 Word analysis

• Mattenai: (מַתְּנַי - Mattenay) The name likely means "my gift" or "gifts of the Lord." Its inclusion underscores that despite their name, their actions had defied divine will.
• Mattatthah: (מַתַּתְּיָה - Mattathyah) Meaning "gift of Yahweh" or "gift of the Lord." This name appears elsewhere in the Old Testament, denoting a recognition of divine providence, ironically contrasting with the unfaithful act committed. The repetition of names related to "gift" can serve as a poignant reminder of God's grace juxtaposed with human disobedience.
• Zabad: (זָבָד - Zavad) Meaning "he has given" or "gift." Like Mattathyah, this name points to divine benevolence. The individuals listed by name are not anonymous figures; their identity is preserved, emphasizing the concrete reality of their sin and their subsequent, difficult purification process.
• Eliphelet: (אֱלִיפֶלֶט - 'Eliphelet) Meaning "my God is deliverance." The irony here highlights the need for divine deliverance from the very sin they had embraced, a sin that threatened to undo God's past deliverances from exile. The presence of God's name in a personal name signifies covenant relationship and personal responsibility.
• Jeremai: (יֵרֵמַי - Yeremay) Potentially meaning "my height" or "Yahweh is high." The individual’s public listing reinforces the communal humiliation and accountability involved in the national repentance.
• Manasseh: (מְנַשֶּׁה - Menasheh) Meaning "causing to forget." This name famously belongs to Joseph’s son, named because God had made Joseph forget all his toil. In this context, it evokes a contrast, as the people needed to remember and not forget God’s commands regarding separation. The act of recording names ensured this was not "forgotten" quickly.
• Shimei: (שִׁמְעִי - Shim'i) Meaning "my renown" or "he has heard." A very common Israelite name. The prevalence of such names suggests the widespread nature of the problem, affecting many segments of the community.
• (words-group analysis): "Mattenai, Mattatthah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei." This bare list of names, devoid of verbs of action in this specific verse, functions as a ledger. It stands as a stark record of those who had engaged in prohibited intermarriage. The simple enumeration implies the careful and systematic identification of offenders by the judicial committee, emphasizing the meticulousness of the purification process and the communal weight carried by these individuals. The specific names root the narrative in concrete reality, rather than a general accusation. The recording of such names was vital for maintaining genealogical records, priestly purity, and communal integrity in the nascent Jewish society.

Ezra 10 36 Bonus section

The act of specifically naming individuals in Ezra 10 (totaling around 111 men identified) highlights a critical aspect of Old Testament law and Israelite culture: personal and communal accountability. It wasn't enough to confess collectively; individual transgressors needed to be identified and publicly accept the consequences of their actions. This process reflects the covenantal nature of their relationship with God, where the sin of individuals could impact the entire community. Furthermore, the detailed listing within priestly texts, particularly Ezra, underlines a profound concern for maintaining genealogical purity crucial for the Levitical priesthood and the purity of the national identity, which, ultimately, also served to preserve the lineage through which the Messiah would come. This painful separation was therefore also a future-oriented act of faith and preservation.

Ezra 10 36 Commentary

Ezra 10:36, by listing the names of individuals involved in intermarriage, provides a granular look into the profound spiritual cleansing undertaken by the Jewish community upon their return from exile. This specific listing is not mere record-keeping but an act of public accountability and symbolic purification. The meticulously named individuals signify that the problem was personal as well as communal, requiring concrete actions of repentance from each family. This radical separation, however harsh it may appear from a modern perspective, was considered indispensable for safeguarding the covenant identity of Israel and preventing a relapse into the idolatry and spiritual impurity that led to the earlier exile. It underscores a central biblical truth: God's people are called to be separate and holy, demonstrating their allegiance through obedience to His commands, particularly regarding matters that directly threaten spiritual fidelity and the integrity of the community of faith. This act was seen as preserving the "holy race" for its ultimate purpose and for the lineage of the Messiah.