Ezra 10:19 (ASV)

Passage

And they gave their hand that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, [they offered] a ram of the flock for their guilt.

Nearby Context

Ezra 10:17 And they made an end with all the men that had married foreign women by the first day of the first month.

Ezra 10:18 And among the sons of the priests there were found that had married foreign women: [namely], of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and his brethren, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

Ezra 10:19 And they gave their hand that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, [they offered] a ram of the flock for their guilt.

Ezra 10:20 And of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

Ezra 10:21 And of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gave", "hand", "away", "wives", "guilty", "offered", and "flock". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gave" and "hand", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And among the sons of the priests..." into verse 20's "And of the sons of Immer Hanani...", so "gave" and "hand" belong inside that flow. In Ezra context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "gave" and "hand" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.