Ezra 10 44

Ezra 10:44 kjv

All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

Ezra 10:44 nkjv

All these had taken pagan wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

Ezra 10:44 niv

All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.

Ezra 10:44 esv

All these had married foreign women, and some of the women had even borne children.

Ezra 10:44 nlt

Each of these men had a pagan wife, and some even had children by these wives.

Ezra 10 verses

Ezra 10 44 Meaning

Ezra 10:44 details a significant outcome of the inquiry into the foreign marriages among the returned exiles: all those who had intermarried with foreign women were confirmed to have done so. Crucially, the verse adds that some of these unions had also produced children. This highlights the widespread nature of the transgression and the deeper, more complex ramifications that would arise from rectifying the situation, specifically the heart-wrenching necessity of sending away not just the foreign wives but also their children, as indicated by the prior decisions in the chapter (Ezra 10:3).

Ezra 10 44 Context

Ezra chapter 10 recounts the solemn national assembly held in Jerusalem during a severe rain, prompted by Ezra’s lament and confession in chapter 9 over the widespread sin of intermarriage with foreign peoples, specifically forbidden by God’s covenant laws (Deut 7:3-4). This sin threatened to dilute Israel’s spiritual distinctiveness and lead them back into idolatry, the very reason for their exile. The community, led by Shechaniah, resolves to make a covenant with God to put away these foreign wives and their children (Ezra 10:3), recognizing the need for drastic action to cleanse the community and avert further divine judgment. A process is established to identify those involved, involving a thorough investigation (Ezra 10:14-15). Ezra 10:44 is the concluding statement to a long list of men (from Ezra 10:18-43) who had taken foreign wives. It summarily states the pervasive nature of the problem, indicating that these unions were not merely transient but had, in some cases, already produced children. This adds a layer of immense sorrow and difficulty to the prescribed solution of separation, underscoring the severity of the sin and the depth of its consequences on families and the community as a whole.

Ezra 10 44 Word analysis

• All these (וְכֻלָּם֙): Refers directly to the individuals listed in Ezra 10:18-43 and by extension, symbolizes the broader segment of the community afflicted by this transgression. It emphasizes the collective and widespread nature of the problem, affecting a significant portion of the returning exiles.
• had taken (לָקְחוּ, laqchu): From the root word meaning "to take, to seize, to acquire, to marry." Here, it specifically denotes the act of marriage. The use of this verb implies an intentional act, a decision made by these men to enter into these unions, contrary to the covenant.
• foreign (נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת, nashim nokhriyoth): The phrase nashim nokhriyoth translates to "foreign women" or "strange women." Nakhriyoth means "foreign," "alien," or "strange." In the biblical context, "foreign" refers not primarily to ethnic origin in a racial sense but to individuals from nations outside the covenant of Israel, especially those who worshipped other gods. The concern was spiritual purity and the potential for syncretism or apostasy that such unions introduced, as forbidden in the Law (Deut 7:3-4).
• wives (נָשִׁים, nashim): Women who were legally taken as spouses, confirming the full marital status of these relationships, which exacerbated the seriousness of the breach.
• and some of them (וְיֵשׁ֙ מֵהֶם֙, veyesh mehem): This phrase translates to "and there were among them," indicating a subset or portion of those who had taken foreign wives. It specifies that while all had taken foreign wives, a particular subgroup among them also had children.
• had wives by whom they had children (נָשִׁים בָּהֶם֙ יְלָד֔וּ בָּנִ֖ים, nashim bahem yeladu banim): This precise Hebrew construction translates to "wives in whom they begot children" or "wives by whom they had borne children." Yeladu is from the verb yalad, meaning "to bear, bring forth, beget." This part of the verse underscores the generational consequence of the intermarriages. It highlights that these were not fleeting relationships but established families, often with children already born into them. The presence of children compounded the gravity of the situation and the immense difficulty and heartbreak involved in the subsequent required action of putting them away.

Ezra 10 44 Bonus section

The severe action described in Ezra 10, including the putting away of children, is often a point of profound challenge for modern readers. It is vital to understand that this was a specific, time-bound command given for the restoration of a unique covenant people after severe idolatry and exile. The children were removed not because they were inherently "sinful" or "unholy" by birth, but because their continued presence as part of the foreign households threatened the spiritual identity and integrity of the newly reformed Israelite community. This measure was a desperate spiritual surgery, designed to sever every tie to the idolatrous cultures surrounding them and preserve the holy line through which the Messiah would eventually come. It demonstrates the seriousness with which God viewed spiritual purity and the absolute necessity of separating from anything that could lead the people astray from His covenant. This specific command should not be broadly applied as a universal precedent for dealing with interfaith marriages today, but its underlying principle regarding the spiritual danger of compromising faith through unequal yokes remains.

Ezra 10 44 Commentary

Ezra 10:44 serves as a stark concluding statement to the list of men who had sinned through intermarriage. It underscores the widespread nature of the problem within the post-exilic community and, critically, reveals the full ramifications: many of these illicit unions had already produced children. This fact heightens the tragedy of the situation, as the necessary act of purification would require the difficult and painful separation not just from wives but from children born of these relationships, as decreed in Ezra 10:3. This extreme measure, however grievous, was understood to be absolutely necessary to protect the purity and distinctiveness of God’s covenant people, ensuring they did not repeat the mistakes of their ancestors which led to the exile. It reinforces the paramount importance of spiritual integrity and unwavering devotion to the Lord, prioritizing covenant obedience above all else. This difficult verse highlights the deep spiritual compromises that intermarriage brought, creating complicated situations that required severe repentance for the survival of the faithful remnant.