Ezra 10:5 (DBY)

Passage

Then Ezra arose, and made the chiefs of the priests, of the Levites, and of all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. And they swore.

Nearby Context

Ezra 10:3 And now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of [my] lord, and of those that tremble at the commandments of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

Ezra 10:4 Arise, for this matter is incumbent on thee, and we will be with thee: be of good courage, and do [it].

Ezra 10:5 Then Ezra arose, and made the chiefs of the priests, of the Levites, and of all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. And they swore.

Ezra 10:6 And Ezra arose from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came thither, he ate no bread and drank no water; for he mourned because of the unfaithfulness of them that had been carried away.

Ezra 10:7 And they made proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ezra", "arose", "chiefs", "priests", "levites", "israel", "swear", and "word". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ezra" and "arose", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Arise for this matter is incumbent on..." into verse 6's "And Ezra arose from before the house...", so "ezra" and "arose" 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 "ezra" and "arose" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.