Now then make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the verse calls for "making confession," the original Hebrew word actually carries a rich sense of "giving thanks" or "thanksgiving." True confession here isn't just admitting fault; it's offering praise to God by acknowledging His truth and choosing obedience, demonstrating trust and love through decisive action. This means the call to separate from foreign wives is the outworking of that deeper reverence and thanksgiving.
Now then make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The people of Israel have just confessed their grave sin of marrying foreign women, a transgression that threatened to unravel their covenant relationship with God and their distinct identity as His people. Ezra, moved by their repentance, now instructs them on the necessary steps for reconciliation and restoration, emphasizing a public acknowledgment of sin, obedience to God's commands, and a decisive separation from the practices and people that led them astray. This decision is pivotal, as it sets in motion a rigorous process of divorce to purify the community and re-establish their covenant faithfulness before God.
The words for 'confession' in this verse can also mean 'thanksgiving.' How can acknowledging sin be an act of praise?
It might seem strange to link confession with thanksgiving. In the original language, the word here can indeed mean 'give thanks' or 'give praise.' However, in this context, it signifies a deeper truth: true thanksgiving isn't just about listing blessings. It's about acknowledging God for who He is – holy, righteous, and just – even when we've fallen short.
The Heart of True Confession
When the people of Israel were called to 'make confession,' it wasn't merely admitting wrongdoing. It was an act of acknowledging God's sovereignty and His rightful commands over their lives. By confessing their sin, they were implicitly recognizing that God's ways are perfect and that their own actions (marrying foreign women) had been a departure from His will.
This confession, therefore, was a profound act of trust. It showed they believed God's mercy was available, even after their disobedience. This kind of penitent honesty, recognizing God's goodness and faithfulness in the face of our failings, is itself a form of worship and praise.
The call to 'do his will' comes right after acknowledging sin. What does that look like in action?
Confession alone isn't the end of the road; it's the beginning of obedience. The verse boldly commands, 'do his will.' This wasn't a suggestion; it was a directive that followed directly from their repentance.
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Obedience as the Proof of Repentance
For the people of Israel, 'doing God's will' in this situation meant actively separating themselves from the foreign wives and the surrounding peoples who did not follow the LORD. This was a difficult, costly command, requiring them to undo the choices they had made.
Why was 'separating yourselves' such a crucial part of Ezra's directive?
The command to 'separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives' strikes at the heart of maintaining covenant faithfulness. This wasn't about ethnic cleansing, but about preserving the spiritual distinctiveness of God's people.
Protecting the Covenant
Understand the original words
yadah · Hebrew Verb
To acknowledge or confess sin, literally meaning to throw or cast forth, indicating an outward expression of an inward reality of guilt before God.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant-making, personal name of God, revealed to Israel, emphasizing His faithfulness and eternal nature.
ratson · Hebrew Noun
To act in accordance with God's revealed law or desire; to perform the pleasure or purpose of God.
badal · Hebrew Verb
To set apart for a holy purpose, or to withdraw from profane or defiling associations to maintain covenant purity.
am ha-aretz · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the surrounding pagan nations whose religious practices, idols, and social structures were considered a corrupting influence on the holiness of Israel.
Ezra's impassioned plea to separate from foreign wives comes at a critical moment in the post-exilic community's struggle to maintain its religious and national identity after generations in exile.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and deport a significant portion of the population to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Jewish exile, a period of great spiritual and national crisis.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian king Cyrus the Great overthrows the Babylonian Empire. This event leads to the decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland.
537 BC
First Return of Exiles to Jerusalem
Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, a large group of Jewish exiles returns to Jerusalem to begin rebuilding the Temple and their community. This marks the initial phase of the restoration period.
c. 458 BC— this verse
Ezra's Return to Jerusalem
Ezra, a scribe learned in the Law of Moses, leads a second wave of exiles back to Jerusalem. He is deeply troubled by the spiritual state of the community, particularly the intermarriage with foreigners.
c. 458 BC
Ezra Confronts Intermarriage
Upon learning of widespread intermarriage between the returned exiles and the surrounding peoples, Ezra is devastated. He calls for a public confession and a radical separation from these foreign wives and their influences.
This passage shows a similar act of communal confession and acknowledgment of sin, highlighting the deep connection to the 'God of your fathers' and the need to separate from foreign influences.
Deuteronomy 7:1-6This Old Testament passage directly commands Israel to not intermarry with the surrounding nations, laying the foundational law that Ezra and the people are now seeking to uphold after a period of disobedience.
Joshua 23:11-13This passage serves as a stark warning from Joshua about the dangers of assimilation and intermarriage with the peoples of the land, echoing the very reason for Ezra's decree and the Israelites' confession.
1 Corinthians 15:33The Apostle Paul uses a similar principle, warning that 'bad company corrupts good character,' which parallels Ezra's concern that associating with foreign peoples would lead the Israelites astray from God's ways.
pulpitEzra 10:11: "Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives."
Verse 11. - Make confession. This is undoubtedly the true meaning of t'nu thodah in this place, and not "give praise" (δότε αἴνεσιν), as the LXX. render. Separate yourselves from the people of the land. The marriages naturally led on to familiar intercourse with the relatives and friends of the women, and so tended t…
clarkeEzra 10:11: "Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives."
Make confession - Acknowledge your sins before God, with deep compunction of heart, and the fullest resolution to forsake them.
While the verse calls for "making confession," the original Hebrew word actually carries a rich sense of "giving thanks" or "thanksgiving." True confession here isn't just admitting fault; it's offering praise to God by acknowledging His truth and choosing obedience, demonstrating trust and love through decisive action. This means the call to separate from foreign wives is the outworking of that deeper reverence and thanksgiving.
The people of Israel have just confessed their grave sin of marrying foreign women, a transgression that threatened to unravel their covenant relationship with God and their distinct identity as His people. Ezra, moved by their repentance, now instructs them on the necessary steps for reconciliation and restoration, emphasizing a public acknowledgment of sin, obedience to God's commands, and a decisive separation from the practices and people that led them astray. This decision is pivotal, as it sets in motion a rigorous process of divorce to purify the community and re-establish their covenant faithfulness before God.
The people of Israel have just confessed their grave sin of marrying foreign women, a transgression that threatened to unravel their covenant relationship with God and their distinct identity as His people. Ezra, moved by their repentance, now instructs them on the necessary steps for reconciliation and restoration, emphasizing a public acknowledgment of sin, obedience to God's commands, and a decisive separation from the practices and people that led them astray. This decision is pivotal, as it sets in motion a rigorous process of divorce to purify the community and re-establish their covenant faithfulness before God.
"Now then make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”" — While the verse calls for "making confession," the original Hebrew word actually carries a rich sense of "giving thanks" or "thanksgiving." True confession here isn't just admitting fault; it's offer…
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Last reviewed October 2026