Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the lists of names here in Ezra primarily focus on identifying those involved in the sin of intermarriage, notice how even in this administrative recording, specific individuals are named from the family of Harim. This isn't just a generic mention of a tribe; it highlights that personal accountability and specific family lines were central to addressing the community's covenant faithfulness.
Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a period of national sin and exile, Ezra has called the people to repent from intermarrying with foreign women. This specific passage lists the names of priests who are identified as having committed this offense, highlighting the widespread nature of the problem within the leadership itself. The following verses will continue this list, detailing other individuals and families involved in the reform.
Scripture is filled with names. Why does Ezra list these individuals in such detail? It's more than just a roll call; it's a testament to God's precise work.
In Ezra 10, a crucial moment of covenant renewal is underway. The people are confessing their sin of marrying foreign women, which violated God's commands and threatened the purity of Israel's faith. Ezra meticulously lists the families and individuals involved in this confession and repentance.
This isn't dry history. It highlights that God's work, even in the messiest human situations, is specific. Each name represents a person making a choice, a family facing a difficult restoration. It underscores that God sees and records the commitment of His people, even in seemingly small details of obedience.
The list includes priests. What does this tell us about who was involved in this difficult national repentance?
The sons of priests, like those from the family of Jeshua (mentioned in the broader context of Ezra 10), were found to have taken foreign wives. This was particularly serious because priests were to be examples and mediators for the people.
Their inclusion in this list isn't to shame them, but to show the widespread nature of the problem and the courage required for reform. Even leaders had to confront their own failings and participate in the communal confession and subsequent actions. This highlights a core principle: genuine repentance and restoration involve all God's people, especially those in leadership, in humbling themselves before God and His people.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
ben · Hebrew Noun
Refers to male descendants of a common ancestor or members of a specific clan or priestly/Levitical house. In the post-exilic context, it emphasizes the genealogical integrity and covenantal identity of the returnees.
The list of names in Ezra 10, including the sons of Harim, highlights the widespread nature of the intermarriage problem among the returning exiles, even affecting priestly families, and underscores the immense challenge Ezra faced in reforming the community.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and the First Temple, initiating the Babylonian exile. This event profoundly impacts Jewish identity and religious practice.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great overthrows the Babylonian Empire. This ushers in a new era for the Jewish people, allowing for their return to Judah.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus Allowing Return
Cyrus issues a decree permitting Jewish exiles in Babylon to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple. This marks the beginning of the return under Zerubbabel.
c. 458 BC— this verse
Ezra's Commission and Journey to Jerusalem
Ezra, a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, receives a commission from the Persian king Artaxerxes I to travel to Jerusalem and re-establish the Torah's authority. This is the context for Ezra's reforms.
Shortly after Ezra's arrival
Discovery of Intermarriage with Foreign Women
Upon arrival, Ezra discovers that many returning exiles, including priests and prominent leaders, have married foreign women, violating the covenant laws. This leads to a great crisis and public mourning.
Following the discovery
The Great Assembly and Covenant Renewal
Ezra convenes an assembly where the people pledge to put away their foreign wives. The passage in Ezra 10 lists those who were involved in this difficult process of separation.
This passage describes a communal confession and repentance for past disobedience, echoing the spirit of Ezra's reform and the need to acknowledge the sins of the people, even those found in specific family lines.
1 Corinthians 5:1-5Paul addresses a serious sin within the church and calls for its removal, highlighting the principle that the community must deal with ungodliness to maintain its purity, a theme directly relevant to Ezra's struggle with intermarriage.
Matthew 1:18-19This passage shows Jesus' lineage includes Gentiles, demonstrating God's inclusive plan of salvation that transcends ethnic boundaries, which provides a different perspective on the concern for 'strange wives' in Ezra's time.
Jeremiah 31:31-34This prophecy points to a future covenant where God's law will be internalized, suggesting a deeper, heart-level transformation that goes beyond external reforms like those led by Ezra, leading to a more profound obedience.
henryEzra 10:15-44: "Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them."
10:15-44 The best reformers can but do their endeavour; when the Redeemer himself shall come to Zion, he shall effectually turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And when sin is repented of and forsaken, God will forgive it; but the blood of Christ, our Sin-offering, is the only atonement which takes away our guilt. No seeming repentanc…
jfbEzra 10:18-44: "And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah."
Ezr 10:18-44. Those That Had Taken Strange Wives.18. among the sons of the priests—From the names of so many men of rank appearing in the following list, some idea may be formed of the great and complicated difficulties attending the reformatory work.
While the lists of names here in Ezra primarily focus on identifying those involved in the sin of intermarriage, notice how even in this administrative recording, specific individuals are named from the family of Harim. This isn't just a generic mention of a tribe; it highlights that personal accountability and specific family lines were central to addressing the community's covenant faithfulness.
Following a period of national sin and exile, Ezra has called the people to repent from intermarrying with foreign women. This specific passage lists the names of priests who are identified as having committed this offense, highlighting the widespread nature of the problem within the leadership itself. The following verses will continue this list, detailing other individuals and families involved in the reform.
Following a period of national sin and exile, Ezra has called the people to repent from intermarrying with foreign women. This specific passage lists the names of priests who are identified as having committed this offense, highlighting the widespread nature of the problem within the leadership itself. The following verses will continue this list, detailing other individuals and families involved in the reform.
"Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah." — While the lists of names here in Ezra primarily focus on identifying those involved in the sin of intermarriage, notice how even in this administrative recording, specific individuals are named from…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026