Ezra 10 40

Ezra 10:40 kjv

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Ezra 10:40 nkjv

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Ezra 10:40 niv

Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Ezra 10:40 esv

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Ezra 10:40 nlt

Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Ezra 10 verses

Ezra 10 40 Meaning

Ezra 10:40 presents a continuation of the list of men who had taken foreign wives during the post-exilic period and committed to sending them away as part of the covenant renewal initiated under Ezra's leadership. This specific verse lists four individuals: Zabbina, Iddo, Joel, and Benaiah, all of whom are recorded as having taken the required solemn oath and acted upon it, separating themselves and their households from unholy alliances. The listing of names emphasizes the individual responsibility and communal commitment to restoring the purity of the Israelite people and their covenant relationship with God following their return from Babylonian exile. It underscores the thoroughness and accountability of the reform.

Ezra 10 40 Context

Ezra chapter 10 documents the crucial action taken by the post-exilic community in Jerusalem to address the widespread sin of intermarriage with foreign women, a practice explicitly forbidden by the Mosaic Law. This violation threatened the unique identity and covenant purity of Israel, jeopardizing their newly re-established presence in the land after the Babylonian exile. The chapter opens with Ezra’s fervent prayer and lament (ch. 9), which moves the people to repentance. Shecaniah then proposes making a covenant to send away foreign wives and their children, with Ezra leading the people in an oath to this effect. A decree is issued for all to assemble in Jerusalem, and a committee is appointed to investigate each case. Verse 40 is part of the final, comprehensive list of men (from Ezra 10:20-43) who confessed their sin and publicly committed to separating from their foreign wives. These names serve as an official record of the community's obedience and dedication to purify themselves and renew their covenant with the Lord, illustrating the painful but necessary measures taken to restore communal holiness and fidelity to God's commandments.

Ezra 10 40 Word analysis

• Zabbina (זַבִּינָא - Zabbina'): This is a proper noun, an Israelite name meaning "my gift" or "bought." In this context, it signifies a specific individual. The inclusion of this name highlights that the reform was not theoretical but involved real people.
• Iddo (עִדּוֹ - ‘Iddō): Another proper noun, an Israelite name likely meaning "his appointed time" or "a timely one." Like Zabbina, Iddo is a named individual whose personal participation in this covenant action is recorded. His presence contributes to the meticulous documentation of the reform.
• Joel (יוֹאֵל - Yô’ēl): A common Hebrew proper noun meaning "Yahweh is God." The significance here is not the etymology but the individual. The repeated pattern of listing names underscores that many, even those with prominent or common names, were entangled in this sin and participated in the rectification.
• Benaiah (בְּנָיָה - Bᵉnāyâ): A proper noun, a significant and often heroic Israelite name, meaning "Yahweh has built" or "Yahweh builds." The listing of this name, alongside others, reinforces the comprehensive nature of the reform. It indicates that men from various backgrounds, potentially even respected individuals given the name's history, were involved in both the transgression and the subsequent repentance.

Words-group analysis:

• "Zabbina, Iddo, Joel, Benaiah.": The listing of these four names (and many others throughout the passage) serves several critical functions:
  • Specificity and Accountability: It indicates that the reform was thorough, not generalized, and involved named individuals taking personal responsibility for their actions. It was not a faceless crowd, but specific members of the community.
  • Historical Record: It validates the authenticity and the solemnity of the event. Such lists provide historical proof of the repentance and the specific efforts undertaken to purify the community. This aligns with biblical emphasis on careful record-keeping (e.g., genealogies, census).
  • Evidence of Obedience: The presence of these names signifies compliance with the decree and their participation in the corporate confession and commitment to uphold the Law. Each name represents a personal sacrifice and a step towards communal holiness.
  • Reinforcement of Magnitude: While listing four names, the context of a long list of dozens of names in Ezra 10:20-43 emphasizes the pervasive nature of the problem of intermarriage and the extensive, challenging effort required to address it. It shows the widespread participation in repentance.

Ezra 10 40 Bonus section

The seemingly stark decree to separate from foreign wives and children (which today might be seen as overly harsh) must be understood within its specific covenantal and historical context. The people of Israel were chosen to be a "holy nation" and a "kingdom of priests" (Ex 19:6) for a specific divine purpose: to bear God's testimony to the world. Their survival as a distinct people group was essential for the eventual coming of the Messiah. Intermarriage threatened not only their ritual purity but also their very existence as the lineage through which the divine promise would be fulfilled (as seen in Neh 13:24 where children couldn't even speak the language of Judah, signifying a loss of heritage). The naming of individuals like Zabbina, Iddo, Joel, and Benaiah underscores that the community’s covenant faithfulness was dependent on individual responsibility. This record of names ensures that this act was a confirmed, historically verifiable, and personal commitment from numerous men, highlighting the severity of the issue and the magnitude of the communal effort to purge impurity from within.

Ezra 10 40 Commentary

Ezra 10:40 is part of the most challenging, yet crucial, section of Ezra's narrative. While seemingly just a list of names, its very presence signifies profound theological and communal implications. Each name represents an individual who, convicted by Ezra's tearful intercession and the Word of God, confessed their sin of unlawful intermarriage and made the painful but necessary decision to separate from their foreign wives and children. This act was not arbitrary but rooted in centuries of covenantal law designed to preserve Israel’s distinctive identity as a holy nation, separate unto the Lord, to avoid assimilation and idolatry (Dt 7:3-4). The listing of names in this verse, and throughout Ezra 10, functions as a powerful testament to the severity of the sin, the thoroughness of the repentance, and the rigorous measures taken to restore corporate purity. It demonstrates the seriousness with which God's people were called to treat the terms of His covenant, prioritizing communal holiness over individual ties, however painful. It underscored that true repentance leads to tangible, sacrificial action. The narrative, by detailing these names, authenticates the historical reform and reinforces the principle that national spiritual health hinges upon individual obedience and a willingness to eliminate what is polluting to God’s holy standards.

• Practical usage example: The principle of separation and commitment to God's standard, even when personally difficult, is echoed in Christian life concerning "unequally yoked" relationships (2 Cor 6:14). It means sometimes making tough choices to honor Christ more fully.
• Practical usage example: Confessing sin not just in words but by actively ceasing the wrongful action and making restitution (if applicable), similar to the men sending away their wives.