Ezra 10:16 (GNV)

Passage

And they of the captiuitie did so, and departed, euen Ezra the Priest, and the men that were chiefe fathers to the familie of their fathers by name, and sate downe in the first day of the tenth moneth to examine the matter.

Nearby Context

Ezra 10:14 Let our rulers stand therefore before all the Congregation, and let all them which haue taken strange wiues in our cities, come at the time appoynted, and with them the Elders of euery citie and the Iudges thereof, til the fierce wrath of our God for this matter turne away from vs.

Ezra 10:15 Then were appoynted Ionathan the sonne of Asah-el, and Iahaziah the sonne of Tikuah ouer this matter, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Leuites helped them.

Ezra 10:16 And they of the captiuitie did so, and departed, euen Ezra the Priest, and the men that were chiefe fathers to the familie of their fathers by name, and sate downe in the first day of the tenth moneth to examine the matter.

Ezra 10:17 And vntill the first day of the first moneth they were finishing the businesse with al the men that had taken strange wiues.

Ezra 10:18 And of the sonnes of the Priests there were men founde, that had taken strange wiues, to wit, of the sonnes of Ieshua, the sonne of Iozadak, and of his brethren, Maaseiah, Aeliezer, and Iarib and Gedaliah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "captiuitie", "departed", "euen", "ezra", "priest", "chiefe", "fathers", and "familie". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "captiuitie" and "departed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Then were appoynted Ionathan the sonne of..." into verse 17's "And vntill the first day of the...", so "captiuitie" and "departed" 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 "captiuitie" and "departed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.