What number verse is Ezra 10:28 in the Bible?

Ezra 10:28 is the 12,281st verse of the Bible. Counting straight through the King James canon — all 31,102 verses from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 — Ezra 10:28 sits at position 12,281.

Translation

King James Version

Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

Ask

KJV (with Strong's)

Of the sons ^H1121 also of Bebai ^H893; Jehohanan ^H3076, Hananiah ^H2608, Zabbai ^{H2140 H2079}, and Athlai ^H6270.

Ask

Complete Jewish Bible

of the descendants of B'vai: Y'hochanan, Hananyah, Zabai and 'Atlai;

Ask

Berean Standard Bible

From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

Ask

American Standard Version

And of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.

Ask

World English Bible Messianic

Of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.

Ask

Geneva Bible (1599)

And of the sonnes of Bebai, Iehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.

Ask

Young's Literal Translation

And of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.

Ask

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Ezra 10:28 is a specific entry within a comprehensive register in Ezra chapter 10, meticulously listing men who had taken foreign wives and were now committing to put them away as part of a profound national act of repentance and purification. This verse names Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai from the family of Bebai, highlighting the pervasive nature of the intermarriage problem and the painful yet indispensable steps taken by the post-exilic Jewish community under Ezra's leadership to restore their covenant purity and distinct identity before God.

CONTEXT

Literary Context: Ezra 10:28 is situated within the latter half of Ezra chapter 10, which meticulously lists the names of men who had transgressed by taking foreign wives and subsequently agreed to divorce them. This detailed roster, spanning Ezra 10:18-44, serves as the tangible outcome of the solemn covenant made earlier in the chapter (Ezra 10:1-17), following Ezra's profound prayer of confession and lament in Ezra 9. The inclusion of specific names, like those in Ezra 10:28, underscores the personal accountability and the widespread nature of the problem, demonstrating that the reform was not merely a verbal agreement but a painful, systematic implementation of God's law to restore the community's spiritual integrity. The very act of listing these names signifies the seriousness with which the community approached this covenant renewal.
Historical & Cultural Context: The events of Ezra 10 unfold during the post-exilic period, approximately 458 BC, under the spiritual leadership of Ezra the scribe and priest. The Jewish community had returned from Babylonian exile, dedicated to rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple, and re-establishing their national and religious identity. However, they faced significant internal challenges, chief among them the widespread practice of intermarriage with the surrounding pagan peoples. This practice was explicitly forbidden by the Mosaic Law, as seen in Deuteronomy 7:3-4, because it posed a severe threat to Israel's unique covenant identity, leading to idolatry, spiritual assimilation, and the potential loss of their distinctiveness as God's chosen people. The decision to "put away" these foreign wives and their children, though socially and personally devastating, was deemed a necessary, radical measure to preserve the spiritual purity and distinctiveness of the nascent covenant community.
Key Themes: The verse, as an integral part of Ezra 10, contributes significantly to several major themes. Foremost is the theme of Covenant Purity and Holiness, emphasizing Israel's calling to be a set-apart people for God, uncorrupted by pagan influences. Intermarriage was seen as a direct violation of this sacred trust, threatening to defile the "holy seed" (Ezra 9:2). Secondly, the chapter highlights National Repentance and Restoration, illustrating a corporate turning from sin, initiated by Ezra's fervent intercession and embraced by the people. The detailed listing of names, including those in Ezra 10:28, signifies the personal accountability within this communal act of obedience. Finally, it powerfully conveys The Cost of Disobedience and the Necessity of Radical Obedience, demonstrating that genuine repentance often demands painful sacrifices to realign with God's will and secure His blessing on the restored nation.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

sons (Hebrew, bên, H1121): This foundational Hebrew term, derived from a root meaning "to build," signifies a son as a builder of the family name. In this context, it emphasizes the familial lineage and the continuity of the community. The "sons of Bebai" points to a recognized family unit within the returned exiles, underscoring that the issue of intermarriage was not confined to a marginalized group but affected established families, making the reform a community-wide imperative.
Jehohanan (Hebrew, Yᵉhôwchânân, H3076): Meaning "Jehovah-favored" or "Yahweh is gracious," this theophoric name incorporates the divine name "Yahweh." The presence of such a name among those who had sinned by intermarrying adds a layer of poignant irony. These individuals, whose very names proclaimed God's grace and favor, were in desperate need of that grace due to their disobedience, highlighting the ongoing tension between human failure and divine faithfulness. It serves as a reminder that even those blessed by God can fall into sin.
Zabbai (Hebrew, Zabbay, H2140): This name is noted in Strong's as "probably by orthographical error for זַכַּי" (Zakkay, H2140), which means "pure." If indeed related to "pure," the presence of such a name among those who had defiled themselves through intermarriage creates a striking paradox. It underscores the profound spiritual impurity that had infiltrated the community, even among those whose names might have suggested a different character, thereby amplifying the necessity and urgency of Ezra's purification efforts.

Verse Breakdown

"Of the sons also of Bebai;": This introductory phrase precisely identifies the familial origin of the men who follow. It connects these individuals to a known lineage within the returned exiles, emphasizing that the issue of intermarriage was widespread and affected various segments of the community, not just a few isolated cases. This detail reinforces the communal nature of the sin and the subsequent, painful act of corporate repentance, highlighting that no family was exempt from the need for purification.
"Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, [and] Athlai.": These are the specific personal names of the four men from the family of Bebai who were identified as having taken foreign wives and who committed to putting them away. The meticulous listing of individual names throughout Ezra 10 serves to authenticate the account, demonstrating the thoroughness of the purification process and the personal accountability of each man involved in this significant act of national repentance and covenant renewal. It transforms an abstract problem into a concrete reality, underscoring the personal cost of obedience.

Literary Devices

The most prominent literary device in Ezra 10:28, and indeed throughout the latter half of the chapter, is the List. The detailed list of names serves multiple crucial functions. Firstly, it provides a powerful sense of authenticity and historical veracity, indicating the painstaking effort involved in documenting the individuals who participated in this painful but necessary reform. Secondly, the sheer volume and specificity of the names, including those in Ezra 10:28, underscore the widespread nature of the sin of intermarriage within the post-exilic community, demonstrating that it was a deeply entrenched problem that permeated various families and social strata. Finally, the list emphasizes the principle of personal accountability within a communal context, highlighting that while the repentance was corporate, it required individual action and sacrifice from each man named. The repetition of the pattern "Of the sons of [family name]; [individual names]" throughout the list further reinforces the pervasive nature of the transgression and the systematic, comprehensive approach to its rectification, leaving no doubt about the extent of the problem or the thoroughness of the solution.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezra 10:28, as part of the broader narrative of national repentance, profoundly connects to the theological themes of covenant fidelity, corporate responsibility, and the nature of true holiness. The painful act of dissolving these marriages, though culturally specific to ancient Israel's unique covenant relationship with God, embodies the enduring principle that radical surgery is sometimes necessary to preserve spiritual health and identity. It underscores that loyalty to God's commands must supersede all other loyalties, even those that are deeply personal and costly. This Old Testament emphasis on ethnic and ritual purity foreshadows the New Covenant's call to spiritual purity and separation from worldly defilement, albeit with a transformed understanding of "foreignness" from an ethnic to a spiritual sense, where the focus shifts from external markers to internal transformation and alignment with Christ.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

While the specific cultural context of Ezra 10:28—the command to put away foreign wives—is unique to ancient Israel's covenant identity, the underlying principles of spiritual purity, radical obedience, and corporate accountability remain profoundly relevant for believers today. This passage challenges us to honestly examine our own lives for areas where we might have compromised our faith, allowed worldly influences to take root, or formed "unequal yokes" that pull us away from Christ. Genuine repentance, as exemplified here, is not merely sorrow over sin but involves concrete, often painful, actions to turn away from disobedience and align fully with God's will. The meticulous listing of names also reminds us of the importance of transparency and accountability within the believing community, where we are called to support one another in pursuing holiness and righteousness, even when the path is difficult. Our commitment to God must be paramount, demanding that we prioritize His commands above all personal comforts or societal pressures, recognizing that true flourishing comes from unreserved devotion to Him.

Questions for Reflection

In what areas of my life might I be "unequally yoked" or allowing influences that compromise my spiritual purity and devotion to Christ?
What difficult, costly steps might genuine repentance require of me today, moving beyond mere sorrow to tangible action?
How can I better participate in and contribute to the spiritual purity and accountability of my faith community?

FAQ

Was the act of putting away foreign wives a just or compassionate solution?

Answer: This is a complex and often debated ethical question. From the perspective of the biblical narrative in Ezra, the act was presented as a necessary, albeit painful, measure to restore the spiritual purity and covenant integrity of the post-exilic community. Intermarriage with pagan peoples was explicitly forbidden in the Mosaic Law (e.g., Deuteronomy 7:3-4), primarily because it led to idolatry and the corruption of Israel's unique identity as God's chosen people. The leaders, including Ezra, viewed these marriages as a direct violation of God's covenant, threatening the very survival of their faith and the spiritual future of the nation. While undoubtedly causing immense personal suffering for all involved, the text frames it as a radical surgery required to prevent the spiritual death of the nation. It highlights the severe consequences of disobedience and the high cost of genuine repentance and covenant fidelity. The focus is on the communal spiritual health and the preservation of God's covenant people above individual marital arrangements that were seen as illegitimate in the eyes of God's law for His set-apart nation.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

The painful and radical purification undertaken by the community in Ezra 10, exemplified by the individuals listed in Ezra 10:28, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant's emphasis on external and ethnic purity, maintained through strict adherence to the Law and separation from "foreign" influences, pointed forward to the deeper, internal, and spiritual purity offered through Christ. While Ezra's reform required the painful "putting away" of foreign wives to restore a ceremonial and covenantal purity, Christ's sacrifice on the cross accomplished a perfect and permanent purification for His people, cleansing not just the outward defilement but the very conscience (Hebrews 9:14). The radical obedience demanded in Ezra 10 foreshadows the radical call of Christ to "put off" the old self and its sinful desires (Ephesians 4:22-24) and to "be holy, as I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15-16). In Christ, the "foreignness" we are called to separate from is no longer an ethnic identity but the spiritual defilement of the world and its systems, as believers are called to be set apart for God as His holy temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). Jesus Himself is the ultimate embodiment of covenant fidelity, and through His perfect obedience and atoning sacrifice, He enables His followers to live lives of genuine purity and radical devotion, not by external legalism, but by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Copy as

Commentary on Ezra 10 verses 15–44

15 ¶ 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.

16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

18 And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24 Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

25 Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

26 And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

28 Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

29 And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

30 And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

31 And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

33 Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

34 Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

38 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

43 Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

The method of proceeding in this matter being concluded on, and the congregation dismissed, that each in his respective place might gain and give intelligence to facilitate the matter, we are here told, 1. Who were the persons that undertook to manage the matter and bring the causes regularly before the commissioners - Jonathan and Jahaziah, two active men, whether of the priests or of the people does not appear; probably they were the men that made that proposal (Ezr 10:13, Ezr 10:14) and were therefore the fittest to see it pursued; two honest Levites were joined with them, and helped them, Ezr 10:15. Dr. Lightfoot gives a contrary sense of this: only (or nevertheless) Jonathan and Jahaziah stood against this matter (which reading the original will very well bear), and these two Levites helped them in opposing it, either the thing itself or this method of proceeding. It was strange if a work of this kind was carried on and met with no opposition. 2. Who were the commissioners that sat upon this matter. Ezra was president, and with him certain chief men of the fathers who were qualified with wisdom and zeal above others for this service, Ezr 10:16. It was happy for them that they had such a man as Ezra to head them; they could not have done it well without his direction, yet he would not do it without their concurrence. 3. How long they were about it. They began the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter (Ezr 10:16), which was but ten days after this method was proposed (Ezr 10:9), and they finished in three months, Ezr 10:17. They sat closely and minded their business, otherwise they could not have despatched so many causes as they had before them in so little time; for we may suppose that all who were impeached were fairly asked what cause they could show why they should not be parted, and, if we may judge by other cases, provided the wife were proselyted to the Jewish religion she was not to be put away, the trial of which would require great care. 4. Who the persons were that were found guilty of this crime. Their names are here recorded to their perpetual reproach; many of the priests, nay, of the family of Jeshua, the high priest, were found guilty (Ezr 10:18), though the law had particularly provided, for the preserving of their honour in their marriages, that being holy themselves they should not marry such as were profane, Lev 21:7. Those that should have taught others the law broke it themselves and by their example emboldened others to do likewise. But, having lost their innocency in this matter, they did well to recant and give an example of repentance; for they promised under their hand to put away their strange wives (some think that they made oath to do so with their hands lifted up), and they took the appointed way of obtaining pardon, bringing the ram which was appointed by the law for a trespass offering (Lev 6:6), so owning their guilt and the desert of it, and humbly suing for forgiveness. About 113 in all are here named who had married strange wives, and some of them, it is said (Ezr 10:44), had children by them, which implies that not many of them had, God not crowning those marriages with the blessing of increase. Whether the children were turned off with the mothers, as Shechaniah proposed, does not appear; it should seem not: however it is probable that the wives which were put away were well provided for, according to their rank. One would think this grievance was now thoroughly redressed, yet we meet with it again (Neh 13:23 and Mal 2:11), for such corruptions are easily and insensibly brought in, but not without great difficulty purged out again. The best reformers can but do their endeavour, but, when the Redeemer himself shall come to Sion, he shall effectually turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 15–44. Public domain.

Copy as

Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.

Copy as

Continue studying Ezra 10:28 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.