All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
All those named had taken foreign wives, and some of those unions had produced children. The verse stands among the name lists in Ezra and is not a promise. The reform tied to it required putting away both the foreign wives and their children. The forbidden alliances had to be met by practical separation before the people were ready to be taught the law.
The chapter holds loving and merciful divine counsel on marriage, to be read and prayerfully considered and cheerfully obeyed as a lamp to the feet and light to the path. It gives important and timely instruction to marry only in the Lord and not to take foreign wives. Studying the duties of marriage before entering that honorable estate spares long years of bitter anguish of heart and painful regret and the frequent disappointments of married life.
All those named had taken foreign wives, and some of those unions had produced children. The verse stands among the name lists in Ezra and is not a promise. The reform tied to it required putting away both the foreign wives and their children. The forbidden alliances had to be met by practical separation before the people were ready to be taught the law.
The chapter holds loving and merciful divine counsel on marriage, to be read and prayerfully considered and cheerfully obeyed as a lamp to the feet and light to the path. It gives important and timely instruction to marry only in the Lord and not to take foreign wives. Studying the duties of marriage before entering that honorable estate spares long years of bitter anguish of heart and painful regret and the frequent disappointments of married life.