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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Intermarriage | Ezra 9:2 | Emmaus | 115385 | ||
ischus, I am not sure I agree with your conclusions about Ezra. I think what was being dealt with there is more what we would call nationality than race as we understand it today. And in those days, nation and religion usually went together, even as it still does in some places today. Below is a brief quote from the NAB's introduction to Ezra. "Ezra is sometimes accused of having been a mere legalist who gave excessive attention to the letter of the law. His work, however, should be seen and judged within a specific historical context. He gave to his people a cohesion and spiritual unity which prevented the disintegration of the small Jewish community. Had it not been for the intransigence of Ezra and of those who adopted his ideal, it is doubtful that Judaism would have so effectively resisted Hellenism, then or in later centuries. Ezra set the tone of the postexilic community, and it was characterized by fidelity to the Torah, Judaism's authentic way of life. It is in this light that we can judge most fairly the work of Ezra during the Restoration." Now, for a more nuanced commentary on a somewhat related issue; the bad blood between the Samaritans and Jews, the genesis of which is discussed in Ezra 4, see two previous posts that addresse this in the context of a commentary on John 4:1-42 where Jesus meets with the Samaritan woman at the well. See posts #: 79414 and 79415. Type each number into the Quick Search box to the upper right of the screen to access them. Emmaus |
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2 | Intermarriage | Ezra 9:2 | ischus | 115389 | ||
Emmaus, I wrote a three-part post with verse after verse accompanied with detailed, logical thoughts, and you come back with an inroduction to Ezra from a bible. Can you please take my stuff and work with it, rather than take someone else's and sprinkle it over the top to try and make it all taste better? You know that I respect you, but neither your bible introduction, nor your other postings have much in common with what I am presenting as evidence against Ezra, and for the rest of scripture. Your Brother, ischus |
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3 | Intermarriage | Ezra 9:2 | Emmaus | 115393 | ||
ischus, I don't think you make much of a case. The whole history of the OT is strewn with cases of the Israelties falling away from faith because of falling in with pagan women and being influenced by their religions. Solomon, that paragon of wisdom being a prime example. The blame should squarely be laid at the feet of the offending Israelites and not the women they married as Ezra makes clear when they confess their sin, not the sin of the women they married. And the passage where you says Ezra adds to the number of foreign nations listed in Deuternomy, is enclosed in brackets in my bible, indicating that it is likely a scribal gloss and not part of the original text. I did not pass over you posts lightly. I just find them unconvincing. The Talmud considers Ezra a second Moses. And one must also take into account the prophets of that time mentioned in Exra 5:1. Why did not God use them to straighten out Ezra if he was in the wrong? Perhaps the answer is in Ezra 7:6? I see no indication that the foreign wives were converts to the faith and the context of Ezra-Nehemiah would indicate they were not. I am sorry you saw no relevance to the Samaritan issue. Emmaus |
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4 | Intermarriage | Ezra 9:2 | ischus | 115398 | ||
Emmaus, First of all, I appreciate your Samaritan stuff, and I didn't mean to make it sound unimportant. Secondly, I thank you for your comments and I respect your answer, since it is a logical argument with textual evidence. Obviously I do not agree, but this is beside the point. I just wanted to know that you took my stuff seriously, which you did, and I respect that, as well as your conclusions. A few questions, though: 1)Can you give me some additional info about your bracketed scribal gloss- I am curious 2)How often has the Talmud proven to be correct about authors of the OT books? 3)Did I not address the issue of the prophets with the Jeremiah passages, as well as with Malachi, who was Ezra's contemporary? 4) Don't you think that the hand of the Lord was on all of his people, especially those he chose to lead? Is it not possible for a good man to make a bad mistake? ischus |
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