Discovery BoxEzra 10:2-3 
Context10:2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, 1 addressed Ezra:
“We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying 2 foreign women from the local peoples. 3 Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. 4 10:3 Therefore let us enact 5 a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, 6 and that of those who respect 7 the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law.
Ezra 10:11-19
Context10:11 Now give praise to the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the local residents 8 and from these foreign wives.”
10:12 All the assembly replied in a loud voice: “We will do just as you have said! 9 10:13 However, the people are numerous and it is the rainy season. 10 We are unable to stand here outside. Furthermore, this business cannot be resolved in a day or two, for we have sinned greatly in this matter. 10:14 Let our leaders take steps 11 on behalf of all the assembly. Let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each town and its judges, until the hot anger of our God is turned away from us in this matter.”
10:15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were 12 against this, assisted by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite. 10:16 So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out 13 by name men who were leaders in their family groups. 14 They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month, 10:17 and on the first day of the first month they finished considering all the men who had married foreign wives.
10:18 It was determined 15 that from the descendants of the priests, the following had taken foreign wives: from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 10:19 (They gave their word 16 to send away their wives; their guilt offering was a ram from the flock for their guilt.)
1 tc The translation reads with the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
2 tn Heb “in that we have given a dwelling to.” So also in vv. 14, 17, 18.
3 tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
4 tn Heb “upon this.”
5 tn Heb “cut.”
6 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.
7 tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”
8 tn Heb “the peoples of the land.”
9 tn Heb “thus according to your word [singular = Qere] concerning us, to do.”
10 tn Heb “the time [is] rain showers.”
11 tn Heb “stand.”
12 tn Heb “stood.”
13 tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּבְדֵּל לוֹ (vayyavdel lo, “separated for himself”) rather than the Niphal plural וַיִּבָּדְלוּ (vayyibbadÿlu, “were separated”) of the MT.
14 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers, to the house of their fathers, and all of them by name.”
15 tn Heb “found.”
16 tn Heb “hand.”
