This verse demonstrates how individuals owned their mistakes as an integral step in restoring the worshiping community.
In Ezra 10, the names listed are significant because they indicate specific individuals who had taken foreign wives, a concern that the returning exiles addressed under Ezra’s leadership. Thus, when the passage declares, “Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah” (v.21), it underscores that these particular men were identified among those who had transgressed God’s commandments. This listing is part of a broader narrative where God’s people sought to renew their commitment to Him by repenting of intermarriages that led them away from the covenant (Ezra 9:1-4).
The significance of “Of the sons of Harim” (v.21) reminds us that Harim’s family line, originally named among the returned exiles (Ezra 2:32-39), was also accountable before the LORD for their actions. These individuals are living in Jerusalem and its surrounding region around the mid-5th century BC, after the Babylonian captivity had ended. Historically, this period follows the decree of Persian King Artaxerxes (458 BC) allowing more exiles to return under Ezra’s guidance. Ezra, a priest and scribe in the postexilic era, specifically styled his leadership around restoring the purity and holiness of the community in accordance with the Law of Moses (Ezra 7:10).
The men listed—“Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah” (v.21)—illustrate that repentance and restoration apply on an individual level. While these may only appear as names in a register, they each represent a personal decision to correct a wrong that could have significant ripple effects on the faithful community. In the larger biblical narrative, this points forward to the New Testament emphasis on genuine repentance and transformation through Christ (Matthew 4:17). True covenant renewal with God involves both communal accountability and personal confession.
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Ezra 10:21 meaning
In Ezra 10, the names listed are significant because they indicate specific individuals who had taken foreign wives, a concern that the returning exiles addressed under Ezra’s leadership. Thus, when the passage declares, “Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah” (v.21), it underscores that these particular men were identified among those who had transgressed God’s commandments. This listing is part of a broader narrative where God’s people sought to renew their commitment to Him by repenting of intermarriages that led them away from the covenant (Ezra 9:1-4).
The significance of “Of the sons of Harim” (v.21) reminds us that Harim’s family line, originally named among the returned exiles (Ezra 2:32-39), was also accountable before the LORD for their actions. These individuals are living in Jerusalem and its surrounding region around the mid-5th century BC, after the Babylonian captivity had ended. Historically, this period follows the decree of Persian King Artaxerxes (458 BC) allowing more exiles to return under Ezra’s guidance. Ezra, a priest and scribe in the postexilic era, specifically styled his leadership around restoring the purity and holiness of the community in accordance with the Law of Moses (Ezra 7:10).
The men listed—“Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah” (v.21)—illustrate that repentance and restoration apply on an individual level. While these may only appear as names in a register, they each represent a personal decision to correct a wrong that could have significant ripple effects on the faithful community. In the larger biblical narrative, this points forward to the New Testament emphasis on genuine repentance and transformation through Christ (Matthew 4:17). True covenant renewal with God involves both communal accountability and personal confession.