Ezra 10:15
New International Version
Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.

New Living Translation
Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this course of action, and they were supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite.

English Standard Version
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.

Berean Standard Bible
(Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this plan.)

King James Bible
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

New King James Version
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite gave them support.

New American Standard Bible
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

NASB 1995
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

NASB 1977
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

Legacy Standard Bible
However, Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood against this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helping them.

Amplified Bible
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.

Christian Standard Bible
Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

American Standard Version
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

Contemporary English Version
Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were the only ones who objected, except for the two Levites, Meshullam and Shabbethai.

English Revised Version
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
(Only Jonathan, Asahel's son, and Jahzeiah, Tikvah's son, opposed this. Meshullam and Shabbethai, the Levite, supported Jonathan and Jahzeiah.)

Good News Translation
No one was opposed to the plan except Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, who had the support of Meshullam and of Shabbethai, a Levite.

International Standard Version
Only Asahel's son Jonathan and Tikvah's son Jahzeiah opposed this, and they were supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the descendant of Levi.

Majority Standard Bible
(Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this plan.)

NET Bible
Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were against this, assisted by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite.

New Heart English Bible
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this; and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

Webster's Bible Translation
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

World English Bible
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this; and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Only Jonathan son of Asahel, and Jahaziah son of Tikvah, stood against this, and Meshullam, and Shabbethai the Levite, helped them.

Young's Literal Translation
Only Jonathan son of Asahel, and Jahaziah son of Tikvah, stood against this, and Meshullam, and Shabbethai the Levite, helped them.

Smith's Literal Translation
But Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahaziah, son of Tikvah, stood upon this: and Meshullam and Sabbethai the Levite helped them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Jonathan the son of Azahel, and Jaasia the son of Thecua were appointed over this, and Mesollam and Sebethai, Levites, helped them:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so Jonathan, the son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, the son of Tikvah, were appointed over this, and the Levites Meshullam and Shabbethai assisted them.

New American Bible
Only Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, son of Tikvah, were against this proposal, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

New Revised Standard Version
Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levites supported them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Only Jonathan the son of Emmanuel and Nehaziah the son of Tikyah were opposed to this matter; and Matai the Levite supported them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
However, Jonathan, son of Ammanuyel, and Nekhezyah, son of Taqwa, and Mashlam stood up against this matter, and Mattai the Levite supported them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this matter; and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Only Jonathan the son of Asael, and Jazias the son of Thecoe were with me concerning this; and Mesollam, and Sabbathai the Levite helped them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The People's Confession of Sin
14Let our leaders represent the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at an appointed time, together with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” 15(Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this plan.) 16So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, each of them identified by name, to represent their families. On the first day of the tenth month they launched the investigation,…

Cross References
Nehemiah 13:23-27
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. / Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah. / I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! ...

Deuteronomy 7:3-4
Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, / because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

Malachi 2:11-12
Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. / As for the man who does this, may the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who is awake and aware—even if he brings an offering to the LORD of Hosts.

1 Kings 11:1-2
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? / What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? / What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” ...

Nehemiah 9:2
Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

Exodus 34:15-16
Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices. / And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13
I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. / I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. / But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. ...

Judges 3:5-6
Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. / And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Nehemiah 10:28-30
“The rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the people of the land to obey the Law of God—along with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand, / hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to obey carefully all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord. / We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons.

1 Kings 21:25
(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.

2 Kings 17:33-34
They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been carried away. / To this day they are still practicing their former customs. None of them worship the LORD or observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel.

2 Chronicles 19:2
Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.

1 Corinthians 7:12-14
To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. / And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. / For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

Joshua 23:12-13
For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them, / know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.


Treasury of Scripture

Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

were employed.

Nehemiah 3:6
Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

Nehemiah 10:20
Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

Nehemiah 12:33
And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

Shabbethai

Nehemiah 11:16
And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief of the Levites, had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God.

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Asahel As'ahel Employed Helped Jonathan Levite Matter Meshullam Meshul'lum Opposed Shabbethai Shab'bethai Stood Supported Supporting Tikvah
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Asahel As'ahel Employed Helped Jonathan Levite Matter Meshullam Meshul'lum Opposed Shabbethai Shab'bethai Stood Supported Supporting Tikvah
Ezra 10
1. Ezra encouraged to reform the strange marriages
6. Ezra assembles the people
9. The people repent, and promise amendment
15. The care to perform it
18. The names of them which had married strange wives














Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah
This phrase introduces two individuals who stood in opposition to the proposed solution for the intermarriage issue among the Israelites. The name "Jonathan" means "Yahweh has given," and "Asahel" means "God has made." These names reflect a heritage of divine favor and purpose. "Jahzeiah" means "Yahweh sees," and "Tikvah" means "hope." The mention of these names suggests a lineage and identity deeply rooted in the acknowledgment of God's providence and oversight. Historically, the opposition by these men could indicate a concern for the social and familial upheaval that the proposed solution would cause, reflecting a tension between adherence to the law and compassion for the people involved.

supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite
"Meshullam" means "friend" or "ally," and "Shabbethai" means "Sabbath-born," indicating a connection to rest and holiness. The inclusion of "the Levite" highlights Shabbethai's role within the religious community, as Levites were responsible for temple duties and teaching the law. Their support of Jonathan and Jahzeiah suggests that the opposition was not merely personal but had a basis in religious or ethical concerns. The Levites' involvement underscores the complexity of the situation, as they were tasked with upholding the law but also with guiding the people spiritually. This phrase invites reflection on the balance between legalism and mercy, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture.

opposed this
The opposition mentioned here is significant in the narrative of Ezra, as it highlights the presence of dissent even in the face of a seemingly unanimous decision. The Hebrew root for "opposed" (עָמַד, 'amad) means "to stand" or "to take a stand," indicating a firm and deliberate resistance. This opposition serves as a reminder that within any community, there will be differing perspectives and that these differences can lead to deeper understanding and growth. In the broader biblical context, this moment of opposition can be seen as a precursor to the New Testament discussions on the law and grace, where Jesus often challenged the rigid interpretations of the law in favor of compassion and love.

Verse 15. - Only Jonathan... and Jaha-ziah... were employed about this matter. If this were the true meaning of the passage it would contradict the next verse, by which it appears that Ezra himself, together with several "chiefs of the fathers" - probably identical with the "rulers and elders" of ver. 14 - took the matter in hand, and were occupied with it for three months. The true meaning of the clause, however, is almost certainly that which was assumed in the preceding paragraph: "Only Jonathan and Jahaziah stood up against this matter," or "opposed" it (see 1 Chronicles 21:1; Daniel 8:25; Daniel 11:14, where the same expression has the sense of "oppose, resist"). Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. The "Meshullam" intended is perhaps the person of the name mentioned in ver. 29 as having married an idolatrous wife. The others seem not to have had any personal interest in thwarting Ezra and preventing the reform. SETTLEMENT OF THE WHOLE MATTER BY THE REPUDIATION OF THE STRANGE WIVES (vers. 16, 17). The opposition made did not delay the business more than a few days. The great assembly had been held on the twentieth day of the ninth month. On the first day of the tenth month, little more than a week later, the commission for examining into the matter met under the presidency of Ezra, and commenced proceedings. The method of proceeding suggested at the great meeting was no doubt followed. The case of each city was taken separately. Its male inhabitants of full age attended, and its "elders" and "judges" sat on the commission as assessors while the conjugal position of their townsfolk was being investigated. Where a "mixed marriage" was proved the wife was repudiated. In 112 cases the necessity of repudiation was made out to the satisfaction of the commission, and this number of wives was put away. Probably the entire number of cases adjudicated upon was very much greater, since the commission continued at work for three months, and probably sat on seventy-five different days, judging (we may presume) three or four cases a day. On the whole, the small extent to which the evil had prevailed is remarkable; for 112 mixed marriages in a population where the adult males were about 40,000 would give only one such marriage to three hundred or three hundred and fifty legitimate ones. Nevertheless, evils in a community are not to be judged simply by their prevalence. Great evils must be checked at once, even though they have not extended far, lest, if they spread at all widely, they become irremediable. Ezra is to be commended for having perceived the greatness of the peril, and for having taken prompt and decided measures to check it, without waiting till it had got to a head, and so become uncontrollable.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
(Only
אַ֣ךְ (’aḵ)
Adverb
Strong's 389: A particle of affirmation, surely

Jonathan
יוֹנָתָ֧ן (yō·w·nā·ṯān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3129: Jonathan

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Asahel
עֲשָׂהאֵ֛ל (‘ă·śā·h·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6214: Asahel -- 'God has made', four Israelites

and Jahzeiah
וְיַחְזְיָ֥ה (wə·yaḥ·zə·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3167: Jahzeiah -- 'Yah sees', an Israelite

son
בֶן־ (ḇen-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Tikvah,
תִּקְוָ֖ה (tiq·wāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8616: Tikvah -- 'hope', two Israelites

supported
עֲזָרֻֽם׃ (‘ă·zā·rum)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5826: To surround, protect, aid

by Meshullam
וּמְשֻׁלָּ֛ם (ū·mə·šul·lām)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4918: Meshullam -- the name of a number of Israelites

and Shabbethai
וְשַׁבְּתַ֥י (wə·šab·bə·ṯay)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7678: Shabbethai -- a Levite

the Levite,
הַלֵּוִ֖י (hal·lê·wî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

opposed
עָמְד֣וּ (‘ā·mə·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

this [plan].)
זֹ֑את (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,


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OT History: Ezra 10:15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel (Ezr. Ez)
Ezra 10:14
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