Ezra 10:12

Ezr 10:12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

Ver. 12. Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice] But not with a true heart, Heb 10:22. For within a few years they returned to their vomit again.

As thou hast said, so must we do] These were good words, and not unlike those of Laelius, in Lucan, spoken to Caesar:

Iussa sequi tam velle mihi, quam posse, necesse est.

But many of these fair promisers turned back, and dealt unfaithfully, like their fathers; they were turned aside like a deceitful bow, Psa 78:57. Look how a rotten bow, though otherwise fair, when an arrow is drawn to the head, and both eye and arrow is levelled to the mark, yet it miscarrieth; so do the desires, purposes, and promises that unsound hearts conceive in their afflictions, and under just convictions.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 12. As thou hast said, so must we do.] They all resolved to do what Ezra then commanded, they did put away their wives, even those by whom they had children; Ezr 10:44: this was a great hardship on the women and children. Though by the Jewish laws such marriages were null and void, yet as the women they had taken did not know these laws, their case was deplorable. However, we may take it for granted that each of them received a portion according to the circumstances of their husbands, and that they and their children were not turned away desolate, but had such a provision as their necessities required. Humanity must have dictated this, and no law of God is contrary to humanity. After all, there is some room to doubt whether they did put them finally away, for several years after Nehemiah found Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab; Ne 13:23. And if these were not the same women, we find that the same offense was continued.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. Then all the congregation, &c.] The deliberations are not recorded. The substance of their decision is here paraphrased. The method of its expression was probably by unanimous acclamation. We can hardly suppose that there was free discussion. The princes debated and harangued the multitude: the multitude listened and expressed disapproval or approbation by cries and shouting.

with a loud voice] Cf. Ezr_3:12; 2Sa_15:23.

As thou hast said, so must we do] R.V. As thou hast said concerning us, so must we do. R.V. marg. ‘As thou hast said, so it behoveth us to do’. Literally the clause runs ‘According to thy word (or words) upon us to do’. It is a disputed point whether ‘upon us’ is to be taken with what precedes or with what follows, i.e. ‘according to thy word respecting us, it is necessary to do’ or ‘according to thy word, it falls upon us to do’. (a) The rendering of the R.V. text is that of the Vulgate ‘juxta verbum tuum ad nos, sic fiat’, and is supported by the traditional Jewish interpretation supplied by the Hebrew accents. The sentence is then clearly greatly condensed, and although the construction of the verb ‘to do’ is very harsh, the meaning is clear. (b) As however the rest of the people’s reply shows no symptom of such compression, the alternative explanation of the rendering in the margin seems preferable. The use of the preposition ‘upon’, with a sense of ‘duty’ or ‘obligation’ occurred in Ezr_10:4. Cf. Neh_13:13; 2Sa_18:11. The people then accept the responsibility in which their assent involves them.

12–14. The resolution of the general assembly epitomised. A general assent to Ezra’s proposal. The time of the year and the magnitude of the task make it necessary to appoint a commission to carry it into execution.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice,.... That they might be heard, and to show that they were willing and ready to comply with what was proposed:

as thou host said, so must we do; being convinced of their sin, they saw it was a duty incumbent on them to put away their strange wives, and that there was a necessity of it, to avert the wrath of God from them.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

12. All… answered — It was the loud uttered vow and pledge of a vast assembly to conform to the Divine requirement. Compare Jos_1:16-18, notes.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The whole assembly replied with a loud voice, and therefore with firm resolve: According to thy word it is our duty to do. עלינוּ must not be drawn to what precedes, as in the Vulgate, juxta verbum tuum ad nos, sic fiat, but to what follows, as in Ezr 10:4, Neh 13:13; Sa2 18:11. But - they further remark, Ezr 10:13 - the people are many, - i.e., the assemblage is very large to be able to deal immediately with the several cases; and it is (now) the time of the heavy rains, and there is no power to stand without, - i.e., at the present season we are not able to remain in the open air until the business is discharged; neither is this the work of one day, or of two, for we have transgressed much in this matter, - i.e., one or two days will not suffice to investigate and decide upon all cases, because very many have broken the law in this respect.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

this is not only one or two days of work

This litotes can be translated in positive form. AT: "we will need a long time to do all this work" (See: Litotes)

translationWords

assembly

transgress

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.