Discovery BoxEzra 10:1-5 
Context10:1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelites – men, women, and children alike – gathered around him. The people wept loudly. 1 10:2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, 2 addressed Ezra:
“We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying 3 foreign women from the local peoples. 4 Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. 5 10:3 Therefore let us enact 6 a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, 7 and that of those who respect 8 the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law. 10:4 Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”
10:5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. 9 And they all took a solemn oath.
1 tn Heb “with much weeping.”
2 tc The translation reads with the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
3 tn Heb “in that we have given a dwelling to.” So also in vv. 14, 17, 18.
4 tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
5 tn Heb “upon this.”
6 tn Heb “cut.”
7 tn The MT vocalizes this word as a plural, which could be understood as a reference to God. But the context seems to suggest that a human lord is intended. The apparatus of BHS suggests repointing the word as a singular (“my lord”), but this is unnecessary. The plural (“my lords”) can be understood in an honorific sense even when a human being is in view. Most English versions regard this as a reference to Ezra, so the present translation supplies “your” before “counsel” to make this clear.
8 tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”
9 tn Heb “to do according to this plan.”
