Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 5. And they sware.] The thing was evidently contrary to the law of God; and now he bound them by an oath to rectify the abuse.
John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. Then arose Ezra , etc.] From the ground where he lay: and made the chief priests, and the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word : he took an oath of all that were present to do what was proposed, namely, to put away strange wives
and their children: and they sware ; by means of which they were kept to their word of promise, an oath being a solemn, sacred, thing.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - Shechaniah owned the national guilt. The case is sad, but it is no desperate; the disease threatening, but not incurable. Now that the people begin to lament, a spirit of repentance seems to be poured out now there is hope that God will forgive, and have mercy. The sin tha rightly troubles us, shall not ruin us. In melancholy times we mus observe what makes for us, as well as against us. And there may be goo hopes through grace, even where there is the sense of great guil before God. The case is plain; what has been done amiss, must be undon again as far as possible; nothing less than this is true repentance Sin must be put away, with a resolution never to have any thing more to do with it. What has been unjustly got, must be restored. Arise, be of good courage. Weeping, in this case, is good, but reforming is better As to being unequally yoked with unbelievers, such marriages, it is certain, are sinful, and ought not to be made; but now they are no null, as they were before the gospel did away the separation betwee Jews and Gentiles.
Original Hebrew ויקם6965 עזרא5830 וישׁבע7650 את853 שׂרי8269 הכהנים3548 הלוים3881 וכל3605 ישׂראל3478 לעשׂות6213 כדבר1697 הזה2088 וישׁבעו׃7650
