Teks -- Ezra 10:44 (AV)

10:44 All these had taken @ strange@ wives_:@ and some of them had@ wives@ by whom they had @ children_.@

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Ezr 10:44 - Had children

This implies that most of their wives were barren. Which came to pass by God's special providence, to manifest his displeasure against such matches, and that the putting them away might not be encumbered with too many difficulties. One would think this grievance altogether removed. Yet we meet with it again, Neh 13:22. Such corruptions are easily and insensibly brought in, tho' not easily purged out. The best reformers can but do their endeavour. It is only the Redeemer himself, who when he cometh to Sion, will effectually turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

Clarke: Ezr 10:44 - Some of them had wives by whom they had children

Some of them had wives by whom they had children - This observation was probably intended to show that only a few of them had children; but it shows also how rigorously the law was put in execution

According to a passage in Justin Martyr’ s dialogue with Trypho, a Jew, Ezra offered a paschal lamb on this occasion, and addressed the people thus: "And Ezra said to the people, This passover is our Savior and our Refuge; and if ye will be persuaded of it, and let it enter into your hearts, that we are to humble ourselves to him in a sign, and afterwards shall believe in him, this place shall not be destroyed for ever, saith the Lord of Hosts: but if ye will not believe in him, nor hearken to his preaching, ye shall be a laughing-stock to the Gentiles."- Dial. cum Tryphone, sec. 72

This passage, Justin says, the Jews, through their enmity to Christ, blotted out of the book of Ezra. He charges them with cancelling several other places through the same spirit of enmity and opposition

In the Hebrew text this and the following book make but one, though sometimes Nehemiah is distinguished as the second book of Esdras. In the Masoretic enumeration of sections, etc., both books are conjoined. This may be seen at the end of Nehemiah. I can add nothing of importance to the character of Ezra, which has already been given so much in detail in the introduction to this book

Corrected, March, 1828. - A. Clarke

Defender: Ezr 10:44 - strange wives

These pagan wives and their children were not simply turned out to fend for themselves. The customs of the time - as well as simple considerations of right and wrong - would require that any dowry a wife had brought into her marriage be returned to her and she would go back to her parents' home. Both she and her children, if any, would again become members of the family of her parents."

TSK: Ezr 10:44 - strange wives // and some of them

strange wives : Pro 2:16, Pro 5:3, Pro 5:20

and some of them : This observation was probably intended to shew that only a few of them had children, and also how rigorously the law was put in execution. According to a passage in Justin Martyr’ s Dialogue with Trypho, a Jew, Ezra offered a paschal lamb on this occasion, and addressed the people thus: ""And Ezra said to the people, This pass-over is our Saviour and our Refuge; and if ye will be persuaded of it, and let it enter into your hearts, that we are to humble to Him in a sign, and afterwards shall believe in Him, this place shall not be destroyed forever, saith the Lord of hosts; but, if ye will not believe in Him, nor hearken to his preaching, ye shall be a laughing-stock to the Gentiles.""This was probably a marginal note added by some early Christian.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Ezr 10:44

Whereby he implies that most of their wives were barren; which came to pass by God’ s special providence, partly to manifest his displeasure against such matches, and partly that the practice of this great and necessary duty might not be encumbered with too many difficulties.

Haydock: Ezr 10:44 - Children

Children. Hebrew may be, "and some of these women had exposed their children." But most follow the Septuagint and Vulgate. 3 Esdras ix. 36, "and they ejected them with their children." None was spared. (Calmet) ---

One great inconvenience of such connections is, that the offspring is illegitimate. (Worthington) ---

Only 17 priests, 10 Levites, and 86 laymen, are stigmatized as guilty of this scandal; yet these fill Israel with confusion, and Esdras with extreme affliction. (Haydock)

Gill: Ezr 10:44 - All these had taken strange wives // and some of them had wives by whom they had children

All these had taken strange wives,.... In all about one hundred and thirteen:

and some of them had wives by whom they had children; and yet they put them away, which made it the more difficult for them to do; and those that had none, it is thought to be a mark of God's displeasure at such marriages. No mention being made of the children being put away, as Shechaniah proposed, Ezr 10:3, it may be concluded they were not, but were taken care of, to be educated in the true religion, and entered proselytes at a proper time; and the rather, as Ezra gave no orders about their putting away, Ezr 10:11.