Ezra 10:44 (DBY)

Passage

All these had taken foreign wives; and there were among them wives who had had children.

Nearby Context

Ezra 10:42 Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.

Ezra 10:43 Of the children of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, and Joel, Benaiah.

Ezra 10:44 All these had taken foreign wives; and there were among them wives who had had children.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "taken", "foreign", "wives", and "children". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "taken" and "foreign", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "Of the children of Nebo Jeiel Mattithiah...", giving immediate footing for "taken" and "foreign". In Ezra context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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