What is the meaning of Ezra 10:20?

From the descendants of Immer

• Ezra lists this priestly family by name to show that even ordained leaders had compromised. Ezra 2:37 and Nehemiah 7:40 record 1,052 men of this line returning from exile, confirming the family’s ongoing priestly role.

• Immer was one of the twenty-four ordered priestly divisions (1 Chronicles 24:14). By pointing to this respected lineage, the text underscores that no heritage, position, or past faithfulness excuses sin (compare 1 Peter 4:17, “judgment begins with the household of God”).

• The public naming echoes Ezra 10:18-19, where other priestly households are listed. The practice follows the covenant principle of recording transgression so that God’s people can deal with it transparently (Joshua 7:18-26; Acts 5:1-11).

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Hanani and Zebadiah

• These two individual priests are singled out as representatives of their clan’s guilt for marrying foreign wives (Ezra 10:10-11). Their names remind us that personal accountability stands alongside corporate responsibility (Ezekiel 18:20; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

• By agreeing to “put away their wives” and offer a guilt offering (Ezra 10:19), they illustrate genuine repentance:

– Admission of specific sin (Proverbs 28:13).

– Costly obedience that restores covenant purity (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; Nehemiah 13:23-28).

– Hope of restored service; later texts show priests from Immer serving again (Nehemiah 11:13), proving God’s willingness to forgive and reinstate the truly repentant (Psalm 51:17; 1 John 1:9).

• Their appearance in this short verse is therefore a sober reminder that holiness matters for leaders first, yet it also showcases grace—records of failure sit inside the inspired Word so that future generations can learn and avoid repeating them (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11).

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summary

Ezra 10:20 records that “From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.” In just a few words Scripture:

• Identifies a well-known priestly line, showing that no rank is exempt from God’s standards.

• Names two priests whose sin is confronted, highlighting both individual and communal accountability.

• Demonstrates God’s orderly, transparent process for repentance and restoration.

The verse teaches that holiness, honest confession, and obedience are essential for God’s people—especially for those who lead in worship—while also pointing to the mercy that welcomes repentant sinners back into faithful service.