2 And Shechaniah son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answereth and saith to Ezra, 'We—we have trespassed against our God, and we settle strange women of the peoples of the land; and now there is hope for Israel concerning this, 3 and now, let us make a covenant with our God, to cause all the women to go out, and that which is born of them, by the counsel of the Lord, and of those trembling at the command of our God, and according to law it is done; 4 rise, for on thee 'is' the matter, and we 'are' with thee; be strong, and do.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezra 10:2-4
Commentary on Ezra 10:1-5
(Read Ezra 10:1-5)
Shechaniah owned the national guilt. The case is sad, but it is not desperate; the disease threatening, but not incurable. Now that the people begin to lament, a spirit of repentance seems to be poured out; now there is hope that God will forgive, and have mercy. The sin that rightly troubles us, shall not ruin us. In melancholy times we must observe what makes for us, as well as against us. And there may be good hopes through grace, even where there is the sense of great guilt before God. The case is plain; what has been done amiss, must be undone again as far as possible; nothing less than this is true repentance. Sin must be put away, with a resolution never to have any thing more to do with it. What has been unjustly got, must be restored. Arise, be of good courage. Weeping, in this case, is good, but reforming is better. As to being unequally yoked with unbelievers, such marriages, it is certain, are sinful, and ought not to be made; but now they are not null, as they were before the gospel did away the separation between Jews and Gentiles.