Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives. Ezra's address includes three imperatives: confess (tenu todah), do God's pleasure (asu retsono), and separate (hibbadelu). The phrase "make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers" requires acknowledging sin specifically to YHWH, the covenant God. Todah (confession) literally means "giving thanks/acknowledgment"—here acknowledging guilt, not expressing gratitude.
"Do his pleasure" (retsono) refers to God's will/delight, using language of relationship and desire. God's "pleasure" isn't arbitrary preference but holy will rooted in His character. The separation He demands flows from His holiness and covenant jealousy. Obedience is framed not as slavish duty but as aligning with what pleases the covenant Lord.
The double separation—"from the people of the land, and from the strange wives"—addresses both general syncretism and specific marriages. "People of the land" (ammei ha-aretz) were non-Jewish populations whose religious practices threatened covenant purity. "Strange wives" (nashim nokhriyyot) specifically targets foreign women married contrary to Torah. The Hebrew hibbadelu (separate) is the same root used for God's holiness—being set apart, distinct, not mixed. Israel must reflect God's separateness through covenant distinctiveness.
Historical Context
Confession (todah) was essential to covenant restoration (Leviticus 5:5, Joshua 7:19). It meant publicly acknowledging specific sin, not generic admission of imperfection. This confession would have involved admitting they knew the marriages violated Torah but proceeded anyway—confession of knowing disobedience, not innocent mistake.
"People of the land" (am ha-aretz) became a technical term in post-exilic literature for those who hadn't maintained covenant faithfulness during the exile. They may have included Israelites who remained in the land, Samaritans, and various gentile groups. Separating from them didn't mean avoiding all contact but refusing religious syncretism and covenant-violating alliances (like intermarriage).
Questions for Reflection
How does true confession differ from vague admission of "mistakes" or "poor choices"?
What does framing obedience as "doing God's pleasure" teach about the nature of the covenant relationship?
How should Christians practice separation from the world without becoming isolationist or self-righteous?
Analysis & Commentary
Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives. Ezra's address includes three imperatives: confess (tenu todah), do God's pleasure (asu retsono), and separate (hibbadelu). The phrase "make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers" requires acknowledging sin specifically to YHWH, the covenant God. Todah (confession) literally means "giving thanks/acknowledgment"—here acknowledging guilt, not expressing gratitude.
"Do his pleasure" (retsono) refers to God's will/delight, using language of relationship and desire. God's "pleasure" isn't arbitrary preference but holy will rooted in His character. The separation He demands flows from His holiness and covenant jealousy. Obedience is framed not as slavish duty but as aligning with what pleases the covenant Lord.
The double separation—"from the people of the land, and from the strange wives"—addresses both general syncretism and specific marriages. "People of the land" (ammei ha-aretz) were non-Jewish populations whose religious practices threatened covenant purity. "Strange wives" (nashim nokhriyyot) specifically targets foreign women married contrary to Torah. The Hebrew hibbadelu (separate) is the same root used for God's holiness—being set apart, distinct, not mixed. Israel must reflect God's separateness through covenant distinctiveness.