1 Esdras 9:19 lists some men of the priestly line, descendants of Jeshua (Jesus) son of Jozadak (Josedek), who had married foreign wives.
Here's a breakdown:
"of the sons of Jesus the son of Josedek, and his kindred": This identifies the group of people being discussed. "Jesus the son of Josedek" is the same as Joshua son of Jehozadak in the canonical books of Ezra and Haggai (e.g., Ezra 3:2). He was the high priest who returned from exile in Babylon. "Kindred" refers to other related members of the priestly family.
"Mathelas, and Eleazar, and Joribus, and Joadanus": These are specific individuals within that lineage who were found to have violated the law by marrying foreign women. The names are transliterations from Greek, and the equivalent names in Ezra and Nehemiah are not perfectly matched.
Significance:
This verse appears in the context of Ezra's reforms after the return from Babylonian exile. A major concern of Ezra was the purity of the Israelite people and their faith. Intermarriage with foreigners was seen as a threat to that purity, as it could lead to the adoption of foreign gods and customs. Therefore, Ezra commanded that these men divorce their foreign wives and send them away along with their children.
The verse highlights the pervasiveness of this issue, even within the priestly families, who were supposed to be examples of faithfulness. The listing of names serves to document the transgression and the subsequent action taken to rectify it.
In essence, the verse identifies a group of priests descended from Joshua (Jesus) the high priest who had intermarried with foreign women, a practice seen as a violation of religious law and a threat to the purity of the Israelite community.
1 Esdras 9:19 lists some men of the priestly line, descendants of Jeshua (Jesus) son of Jozadak (Josedek), who had married foreign wives.
Here's a breakdown:
"of the sons of Jesus the son of Josedek, and his kindred": This identifies the group of people being discussed. "Jesus the son of Josedek" is the same as Joshua son of Jehozadak in the canonical books of Ezra and Haggai (e.g., Ezra 3:2). He was the high priest who returned from exile in Babylon. "Kindred" refers to other related members of the priestly family.
"Mathelas, and Eleazar, and Joribus, and Joadanus": These are specific individuals within that lineage who were found to have violated the law by marrying foreign women. The names are transliterations from Greek, and the equivalent names in Ezra and Nehemiah are not perfectly matched.
Significance:
This verse appears in the context of Ezra's reforms after the return from Babylonian exile. A major concern of Ezra was the purity of the Israelite people and their faith. Intermarriage with foreigners was seen as a threat to that purity, as it could lead to the adoption of foreign gods and customs. Therefore, Ezra commanded that these men divorce their foreign wives and send them away along with their children.
The verse highlights the pervasiveness of this issue, even within the priestly families, who were supposed to be examples of faithfulness. The listing of names serves to document the transgression and the subsequent action taken to rectify it.
In essence, the verse identifies a group of priests descended from Joshua (Jesus) the high priest who had intermarried with foreign women, a practice seen as a violation of religious law and a threat to the purity of the Israelite community.
