The list of the guilty
Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women:
From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. 19 (They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.)
20 From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
21 From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.
22 From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23 Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
24 From the singers: Eliashib.
From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri.
25 And among the other Israelites: From the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah.
26 From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.
27 From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
28 From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.
29 From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.
30 From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.
31 From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah.
33 From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
34 From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu.
38 From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
43 From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah 44 All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.
The exact purpose of this list is not made clear in the text. It does not seem likely that Ezra was trying to embarrass those listed; they had repented and had corrected the situation.
The list is most likely intended to emphasize the seriousness of the sin. There are over one hundred names in the list, and they may have been only the leaders. All of the priestly families had become involved, even the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, the high priest who had led the restoration of the temple. The corruption had reached to the very heart of the nation and threatened its very existence. But the threat was averted, at least for the moment.
To us the list forms a rather abrupt finish to the book of Ezra. It seems to leave the story hanging in midair. This is appropriate because the story is not finished. The same problems and threats to Israel’s existence that surfaced at the time of Ezra return in the book of Nehemiah. Our study of Nehemiah will really be another chapter of the same story we began in Ezra.
Nevertheless, the book of Ezra has led us through some important milestones in the history of Israel. A remnant of the nation has been reestablished in Judah and Jerusalem. The temple has been rebuilt, and worship there has been restored. The nation has survived serious threats to its existence. All these events testify to the grace of God in preserving Israel so that the promise of the Savior could be fulfilled. In the book of Nehemiah we will see how that grace continued.