Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Ezra 10:18 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 18. 18And 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse begins findings with four priests from Jeshua's line
Read It With
- Ezra 10:18–22
Read Ezra 10:18–22 together. This verse begins findings with four priests from Jeshua's line Read Ezra 10:18–22 as one complete Ezra thought unit: The first named men are priests, including descendants of Jeshua; they give their hands to put away their wives and, being guilty, offer a ram, followed by additional priestly family names.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Beginning with priests underlines leadership accountability, yet the concise record provides no account of the wives, children, or post-dismissal support. Within that movement, this verse begins findings with four priests from Jeshua's line
Read Ezra 10:18–22 together
Why these verses belong together: The priestly heading, Jeshua-line names, hand-giving pledge, guilt offering, and remaining priestly families form the first findings block; verse 23 moves to Levites.
Verse 18. 18 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.
Verse 19. 19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.
Verse 20. 20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
Verse 21. 21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
Verse 22. 22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
Follow the Context
- The findings begin among sons and relatives of the high-priestly house.
- Four men pledge by hand to dismiss wives and offer a ram for guilt.
- Other priestly houses are named without repeated procedural detail.
What This Verse Is Not Saying
Ezra 10:18 does not turn the fact that it begins findings with four priests from Jeshua's line into a standalone universal rule. The text does not say that every foreign wife was personally guilty of idolatry.
What Remains True
Within Ezra's own literary movement, Ezra 10:18 begins findings with four priests from Jeshua's line.
How It Can Shape Life
- Apply Ezra 10:18 by noticing that it begins findings with four priests from Jeshua's line; in a comparable situation, when a leader causes family harm, require transparent accountability, survivor-centered support, and ongoing financial and legal obligations.
Teach It Back
Explain Ezra 10:18's precise role in Ezra 10:18–22. Include its Persian-period, temple, Torah, identity, administrative, or family context as relevant, one material uncertainty, and one conclusion it does not authorize.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Ezra 10:18–22 — Priests pledge dismissal and offer a ramSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording and complete verse coverage for this thought unit.
Exact location: Ezra 10:18–22, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew aramaic text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Ezra
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic wording, morphology, names, clause relations, and translation controls.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Ezra.xml, Hebrew and Aramaic words and morphology for 10:18–22
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Ezra with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Material lexical, grammatical, textual, Persian-period, numerical, and translation notes within the unit.
Exact location: NET Bible Ezra PDF, printed pp. 761–762, translation and translator notes on 10:18–22
Open source ↗