John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. Now when these things were done , etc.] When the captives with Ezra had refreshed themselves, and weighed the money and vessels they brought, and put them into the hands of proper persons, and offered sacrifices, and delivered the king’s commissions to his lieutenants and governors, and shown his own: the princes came to me ; some of the nobles of Israel, the most religious of them, who were concerned at the corruptions that were among them, though not a sufficient number to reform them: saying the people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the land : but joined with them, though not in idolatrous practices, yet by marrying with them, which might lead them into them: doing according to their abominations ; not serving idols as they did, but imitating them in their marriages: even of the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites ; affinity with many of these was forbidden by an express law, ( Deuteronomy 7:1,3) all but the Moabites, Ammonites, and Egyptians, and from these for the same reason they were to abstain; namely, lest they should be drawn into idolatry; that the priests and Levites should do this, who ought to have known the law, and instructed the people better, was very sad and shocking.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - Many corruptions lurk out of the view of the most careful rulers. Some of the people disobeyed the express command of God, which forbade all marriages with the heathen, De 7. Disbelief of God's all-sufficiency is at the bottom of the sorry shifts we make to help ourselves. The exposed themselves and their children to the peril of idolatry, tha had ruined their church and nation. Carnal professors may make light of such connexions, and try to explain away the exhortations to be separate; but those who are best acquainted with the word of God, wil treat the subject in another manner. They must forebode the worst from such unions. The evils excused, and even pleaded for; by man professors, astonish and cause regret in the true believer. All wh profess to be God's people, ought to strengthen those that appear an act against vice and profaneness.
Original Hebrew וככלות3615 אלה428 נגשׁו5066 אלי413 השׂרים8269 לאמר559 לא3808 נבדלו914 העם5971 ישׂראל3478 והכהנים3548 והלוים3881 מעמי5971 הארצות776 כתועבתיהם8441 לכנעני3669 החתי2850 הפרזי6522 היבוסי2983 העמני5984 המאבי4125 המצרי4713 והאמרי׃567
