Ezra 10:5 kjv
Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.
Ezra 10:5 nkjv
Then Ezra arose, and made the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear an oath that they would do according to this word. So they swore an oath.
Ezra 10:5 niv
So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath.
Ezra 10:5 esv
Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath.
Ezra 10:5 nlt
So Ezra stood up and demanded that the leaders of the priests and the Levites and all the people of Israel swear that they would do as Shecaniah had said. And they all swore a solemn oath.
Ezra 10 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Oaths and Covenants | ||
| Neh 9:38 | "Because of all this we make a firm agreement and write it..." | Nation entering solemn covenant. |
| Deut 29:12 | "...that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the Lord your God..." | Covenant commitment by oath. |
| Exod 24:7 | "Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing..." | People verbally covenanting obedience. |
| Heb 6:16 | "For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their..." | The binding nature of an oath. |
| Josh 9:15, 20 | "...and swore to them an oath." / "...for we swore to them an oath..." | Importance of keeping sworn oaths. |
| Jer 4:2 | "Then you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,' in truth, in justice..." | Swearing by the Lord indicates integrity. |
| National Repentance and Purity | ||
| Neh 9:1-3 | "Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel..." | Corporate confession and repentance. |
| Deut 7:3-4 | "You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons..." | Prohibition against intermarriage and its reason. |
| Num 25:1-3 | "While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the..." | Consequences of mixing with foreign practices. |
| Mal 2:15-16 | "For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her...covers his..." | Warning against unfaithfulness in marriage (inc. foreign wives). |
| 2 Cor 6:14 | "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership..." | NT principle of separation from ungodly influence. |
| Rev 2:14 | "...teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel..." | Warning against idolatry and immoral associations. |
| Leadership Responsibility | ||
| Ezra 7:10 | "For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord..." | Ezra's commitment to God's law. |
| Neh 8:1-8 | "And all the people gathered as one man into the square before..." | Ezra reading and expounding the Law to the people. |
| Mal 2:7 | "For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and from his mouth..." | Priestly duty to teach and preserve the law. |
| Heb 13:17 | "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch..." | Believers' responsibility to follow godly leadership. |
| Consequences of Disobedience | ||
| Josh 23:12-13 | "For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations..." | Consequences of marrying among the nations. |
| 1 Kgs 11:1-8 | "Now King Solomon loved many foreign women...and his wives turned..." | Solomon's downfall due to foreign wives. |
| Isa 59:2 | "but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God..." | Sin creates distance from God. |
| Rom 12:2 | "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal..." | NT call to transformation and non-conformity to worldly patterns. |
| James 1:27 | "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this..." | Emphasizing purity and unworldliness in faith. |
Ezra 10 verses
Ezra 10 5 Meaning
Ezra 10:5 describes a pivotal moment in the spiritual reform of the returned exiles, where Ezra, as the spiritual leader, rose and compelled the key figures and the entire assembly of Israel to take a binding oath. This oath solemnly committed them to act according to "this word," referring to the resolution made earlier (Ezra 10:2-4) concerning the separation from foreign wives and their children, signifying a deep commitment to cleanse the community from unlawful intermarriage and restore covenant purity.
Ezra 10 5 Context
Ezra chapter 10 records the community's response to Ezra's deep anguish and public lament over the widespread sin of intermarriage with foreign women. Immediately preceding verse 5, Ezra's intense prayer and mourning (10:1) led many from Israel to gather around him, weeping bitterly. This sorrow culminated in Shecaniah, one of the people, proposing a solemn covenant (10:2-4) to divorce the foreign wives and their children, according to the Law and the counsel of those who trembled at God's command. Ezra 10:5 marks the critical step of formally ratifying this proposal with a binding oath. Historically, the community had just returned from Babylonian exile, a direct consequence of their disobedience and idolatry, which often stemmed from alliances and intermarriages with pagan nations. This post-exilic community was small, vulnerable, and focused on rebuilding their spiritual identity. Taking an oath, in this cultural context, was a deeply serious matter, appealing to God as a witness and invoking divine judgment for failure to uphold the promise.
Ezra 10 5 Word analysis
- Then Ezra rose: The Hebrew verb
קוּם (qum)signifies more than merely standing up. It implies decisive action, taking initiative, or assuming a position of authority and responsibility for what follows. It indicates Ezra's firm resolution and leadership. - and made the leaders of the priests:
שָׂרֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים (sarei ha-kohanim)- "Princes" or "Chiefs of the priests." These were the most influential and accountable spiritual figures. By requiring them to swear first, Ezra emphasized their exemplary role and ensured their buy-in, crucial for the reform's success. Their oath was to be a model for the entire community. - the Levites:
הַלְוִיִּם (ha-Levi'im)- Members of the tribe of Levi, responsible for various religious duties, including temple service, teaching, and assisting the priests. Their inclusion underscored the involvement of all key religious functionaries in the commitment to purity. - and all Israel:
כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל (kol Yisrael)- This phrase signifies the entire gathered assembly, representing the whole community, not just a select few. It emphasizes the communal and national scope of the commitment. The decision was not imposed unilaterally but embraced by the people's representatives. - swear that they would do according to this word: The verb
שׂבע (shava')means "to swear an oath." This was not a casual promise but a solemn, legally and spiritually binding vow, often invoking divine judgment if violated. "This word"הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה (ha-davar ha-zeh)refers directly to Shecaniah's proposal (Ezra 10:3) to put away the foreign wives. This points to the immediate implementation of the stated action, demonstrating clear resolve and immediate obedience to the agreed-upon reform. - So they swore: Reinforces the completion of the act, confirming that the oath was indeed taken by all these key groups. This act solidified the community's commitment to covenant renewal.
Ezra 10 5 Bonus section
The nature of the oath described in Ezra 10:5 implicitly involves God as the witness and enforcer. In ancient Israel, such a public and communal oath would have been taken "before the Lord" or "by the name of the Lord," making it a deeply religious obligation. This added significant weight to their commitment, making any breach a sin against God Himself. While seemingly harsh to modern sensibilities, the radical separation was understood within the Mosaic Covenant as a direct application of the law intended to protect Israel's distinct identity and avoid idolatry, echoing warnings found in Deut 7. The incident also highlights the powerful impact of godly leadership (Ezra) and corporate repentance in steering a community back towards fidelity to God's standards.
Ezra 10 5 Commentary
Ezra 10:5 is the operationalization of the repentant sentiment expressed earlier. It shows Ezra transitioning from intercession and grief to decisive action. By making the spiritual and civil leaders, followed by the entire community, swear an oath, he cemented their collective responsibility and ensured accountability for the proposed reform. This was a critical step in a desperate situation for the returning exiles, as continued intermarriage with surrounding idolatrous nations threatened to erase their distinct identity as God's covenant people. The oath bound them legally and religiously to a demanding, even painful, course of action – the divorce of foreign wives. This action was viewed not as xenophobia but as a necessary and severe measure to preserve Israel's spiritual purity and ensure their covenant faithfulness, preventing a relapse into the sins that led to their earlier exile. It underscored the priority of God's commands over social convenience and familial ties, emphasizing absolute loyalty to the Lord and His revealed will.